The Seasonings That Must Be Left Out
"We'll handle all the renovations," Wang Cheng'an continued. "Of course, if you have any special requests, you can let me know."
"Special requirements?" Shen Jingchuan thought for a moment and nodded. "Indeed, there are some things that are different from ordinary restaurants."
"Okay," Wang Cheng'an readily agreed, "When the renovation goes on, you can come and give me some guidance."
He paused, then added, "The working capital and renovation costs aren't much, so we'll cover them all. Your job is just to provide training and the seasonings."
Shen Jingchuan nodded. "Okay."
"Oh, right, there's also the issue of rent, which I didn't mention earlier," Wang Cheng'an added. "The rent will be set according to the rules of the market."
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and looked at Shen Jingchuan:
"After deducting all these expenses, let's split the profit in half."
Shen Jingchuan didn't really care how the money was divided. He just wanted to legitimize the Spirit Stones he earned through leveling up—in other words, launder money—by having a plausible source for these Spirit Stones.
He shook his head. "Senior, you've given too much. Let's split it 40/60, our Shen Household will take 40%. After all, we didn't invest in the initial preparations or other costs; we only provided the seasonings."
"Alright." Wang Cheng'an waved his hand. "Young Friend Shen, what you're doing is wrong. Business is about give and take; if only one side makes money, it's never a real business, and it won't last long."
Shen Jingchuan smiled wryly and could only say firmly:
"Senior, please listen to me. In our Shen Household collaborations, this is generally the standard ratio for partners. We don't need to make an exception."
Wang Cheng'an was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. He thought to himself, "I already thought highly of the Shen Household, but I didn't expect them to be so... good at business."
"I really didn't expect that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm starting to admire your Shen Household. It seems your business is destined to be very successful and large, just based on your ambition."
"It's alright, it's alright." Shen Jingchuan cupped his hands, "Senior, you flatter me."
"Alright, then let's do it your way, 40/60." Wang Cheng'an made the decision, then turned to Accountant Wu beside him, and said, "You heard everything, go back and prepare a contract."
"Tomorrow, after signing with Young Friend Shen, we'll start preparing."
"Yes," Accountant Wu nodded quickly.
Wang Cheng'an stood up, glanced out the window. "Alright, it's getting late, let's head back."
Shen Jingchuan quickly stood up. "Let me see you out."
Xiao Mingshu and Huan'er followed behind, and the group escorted Wang Cheng'an and Accountant Wu to the inn's entrance. The two boarded the carriage, and the driver cracked his whip, sending the carriage slowly driving away.
As soon as Shen Jingchuan turned around, Xiao Mingshu grabbed his arm, lowered her voice, and stared at him with wide eyes—
"Go, you brat, make me a few more dishes!" Xiao Mingshu grabbed his arm and said through gritted teeth, "I didn't even dare to eat any, I was too embarrassed to put my chopsticks down! And it's all gone! Those two gluttons, especially that guy surnamed Wu--"
Xiaohuan stood to the side, covering her mouth, her eyes sparkling, looking at Shen Jingchuan with anticipation.
Shen Jingchuan reached out and tapped Xiaohuan's forehead. "You're a little foodie too."
Xiaohuan giggled.
"Let's go." Shen Jingchuan shook his head and turned to walk towards the inn.
As soon as I entered the gate, the shopkeeper rushed to greet me, looking very nervous.
"How is it, Young Master Shen? Steward Wang... are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied, very satisfied," Shen Jingchuan said with a smile, "I'm also very satisfied with the hospitality here. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
The shopkeeper let out a long sigh of relief, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
"Besides," Shen Jingchuan added, "I'd like to cook a few more dishes. My older sister, as you know, didn't eat much earlier."
"Great!"
The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly:
"Young master, I could smell the food you just made from behind. Oh, the smell... it was really delicious."
"Okay," Shen Jingchuan said. "I'll make a couple more, and you can taste them later."
"Oh, that's wonderful, that's wonderful!" The shopkeeper was so happy he couldn't stop smiling.
Shen Jingchuan went to the kitchen. There were no more guests by then, and there wasn't much to do in the kitchen. When the inn's head chef heard that Young Master Shen wanted to cook, he quickly came over to help him, washing and chopping vegetables with practiced ease.
Working together, the two quickly prepared eight more dishes.
Shen Jingchuan pointed to two of the dishes and said to the head chef, "Take these two dishes to the manager and let him taste them too."
The chef quickly expressed his gratitude:
"Okay, thank you, Young Master Shen! It smells delicious even from right next to me."
Shen Jingchuan took a large tray, arranged the remaining six dishes on it, and carried it upstairs.
When he arrived at the door, before he could even knock, the door opened from the inside— Xiaohuan was already waiting behind it.
"Young master! You've finally arrived." Xiaohuan quickly took the tray, placed it on the table in the middle of the room, and arranged the dishes neatly.
As soon as the dishes were laid out, Xiao Mingshu and Xiaohuan ignored him. They each took a bite of food and glanced at each other.
Xiao Mingshu changed the dishes, ate a few bites, put down her chopsticks, and looked at Shen Jingchuan with a puzzled expression:
"Hey little rascal, did you not cook it properly? It doesn't taste as good as the one you made before!"
Shen Jingchuan smiled, "Don't you think it's similar to the dishes we eat at home?"
"Yes," Xiao Mingshu nodded, "It tastes a little better than Madam Liu's cooking, but about the same."
"That's right," Shen Jingchuan said. "There are some seasonings I didn't add."
"Why?" Xiao Mingshu and Huan'er both looked at him.
Shen Jingchuan thought for a moment, then decided to tell him anyway, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain:
"There are a few seasonings that really enhance the flavor, but while it's fine to eat them occasionally, long-term consumption is bad for your health. To put it bluntly, they're unhealthy. Therefore, we don't use these seasonings at home."
"Oh—" The two suddenly realized.
Huan'er blinked and said:
"Young master, if that's the case, you said it's fine to eat this kind of dish occasionally, but could you perhaps cook it for us at home sometimes?"
Shen Jingchuan smiled helplessly, "Okay, okay, fine, but it's best not to eat it."
He thought to himself, "It's just a matter of adding more chicken bouillon and MSG, and sprinkling some ethyl maltol and disodium inosinate—these two things are commonly known as 'flavor enhancer' and 'super MSG,' and restaurant kitchens use them by the case. The flavor will immediately improve." He never touched these things when cooking at home.
Shen Jingchuan couldn't help but say:
"Eating so much so late at night, aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"
As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake—these people were all cultivators, their cultivation levels were there, they could refine whatever they ate, so there was no question of them getting fat.
The next morning, after having breakfast, Shen Jingchuan left the inn.
He first went to the deacon's hall to sign the contract with Accountant Wu. Accountant Wu had already prepared the contract and, seeing him arrive, quickly took it out and handed it over. Shen Jingchuan took it and carefully read it through from beginning to end, finding no problems.
He nodded, picked up the pen, and signed his name.
Accountant Wu also signed the document, affixed the market seal, and handed one copy to Shen Jingchuan:
"Young Friend Shen, this contract is in duplicate, please keep it safe. We'll start arranging the shop and renovations today. When would be a convenient time for you to come over and give us your feedback on the layout?"
"Just let me know once you've secured the shop." Shen Jingchuan folded the contract and tucked it into his pocket.