Ding-a-ling~
Yushu pushed the door open and went inside, setting off the clear chime of a wind bell.
"Welcome! Oh, Yushu?"
Kaixin looked up from behind the counter, and a smile immediately appeared on her face when she saw Yushu.
She wore a light green shirt, with her hair tied in a low ponytail.
"Kaixin, sorry to bother you."
Yushu smiled a little sheepishly.
"What do you mean, bother me? Didn't I invite you yesterday? Come on, let me introduce you."
Kaixin led Yushu farther inside, talking as they walked.
"These two are my employees. This is Xiaodu. He mainly handles the Pokémon's daily care."
A young man who looked to be in his early twenties poked his head out of a corner and nodded at Yushu.
He wore black-framed glasses and had a scholarly appearance that made him seem very dependable.
"Hello, I'm Xiaodu. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, I'm Yushu."
Yushu thought to himself.
Xiaodu... That's a pretty interesting name. It would be even better if he could summon Ryujinmaru.
"This is Xiaoya. She handles reception and support."
Another girl stood up behind the counter and waved at Yushu.
She looked a little younger than Xiaodu, around eighteen or nineteen, with twin ponytails and a lively smile.
"Hi! You're Yushu, the one Kaixin said was amazing at making Pokéblocks? I've heard so much about you!"
"I'm all right... I'm not that good."
The praise left Yushu a little embarrassed.
"Oh, so modest! Kaixin said you're practically at the level of an intermediate Pokémon Breeder."
Xiaoya teased him.
Kaixin smiled and clapped her hands. "All right, all right, don't scare him off. Go make a pot of tea."
After everyone sat down, Yushu took the sealed container out of his backpack, set it on the coffee table, and opened the lid.
"I made a new batch of cheese, and I'd like you to taste it for me, Kaixin."
Xiaoya asked excitedly, "Is it something tasty?"
"Is this... cheese?"
Kaixin leaned closer for a look. Several pieces of creamy white cheese sat neatly arranged in the container, their surfaces smooth and fine, giving off an enticing aroma.
"Yes, I made it myself, using milk from the Miltank on my ranch."
Yushu took out a piece, cut it into thin slices with a small knife, and arranged them on a plate.
"Give it a try."
Kaixin picked up a slice and examined it carefully.
Its color was even, its texture fine.
Judging by its appearance, it was already professional quality.
She put it in her mouth and chewed gently.
A rich, mellow milk flavor blossomed on her tongue. The texture was dense and delicate, with a faint hint of sweetness.
Kaixin sighed. "Yushu, is there anything you can't do?"
"Uh... I can't fight."
Yushu told the truth. With his track record, saying he couldn't fight was indeed accurate.
Xiaoya tried a piece too, and her eyes instantly lit up.
"Wow! This is delicious! This cheese is so creamy, it melts in your mouth! Yushu, how did you make it?"
Xiaodu nodded too. "It really is delicious. The milk flavor is very pure, and the texture is delicate too. It's even better than some of the high-end cheese I've bought in Hearthome City."
"Maybe it's because the milk is good."
Yushu spoke modestly.
"Good milk is part of it, but skill matters too," Kaixin said.
This guy really is a born Pokémon Breeder.
Xiaoya had already finished her second piece. "Yushu, could you sell this cheese on consignment at our Pokémon Day Care? I guarantee it'll sell!"
"That's what I was thinking too."
Yushu nodded. "So I wanted to ask you, Kaixin, whether you knew any merchants you could introduce me to."
Kaixin thought for a moment. "No need to introduce you to anyone else. Kurokawa's Field Shop buys Moomoo Milk and dairy products. He'd jump at the chance to buy cheese of this quality."
"Kurokawa?"
Yushu remembered the young shopkeeper whose faith in life he had shaken with his haggling.
"Yes. He may be a little stingy, but he's still very reliable in business," Kaixin explained.
"His shop doesn't just do retail. He has wholesale distribution channels too. If you can get your cheese into those channels, you won't have to worry about finding buyers."
Kaixin added, "Besides, you've already worked with him once, so you're acquainted."
"All right, then. I'll go talk to him."
Yushu packed up the cheese and prepared to leave.
"I'll go with you."
Kaixin stood up as well.
"I can help you haggle."
When the two arrived at the Field Shop, Kurokawa was standing behind the counter, wiping the Poké Balls on the shelves with a cloth.
The moment he saw Yushu and Kaixin walk in together, his expression became quite a sight.
"Well, well, Kaixin! And my friend Yushu! What brings you two here?"
"We've got something good to show you."
Kaixin gestured toward Yushu with her chin.
Yushu put the food container on the counter and opened the lid.
Kurokawa leaned over to look. "Is this... cheese?"
"Yes, I made it myself. Have a taste."
Yushu cut off a small piece and handed it to Kurokawa.
"You made it yourself? You can make cheese too?"
Kurokawa took the cheese and looked Yushu up and down.
"I know a little."
Yushu answered modestly.
Kurokawa gave him a doubtful look, then picked up the piece of cheese and put it in his mouth.
After a few chews, his expression underwent exactly the same change as Kaixin's had.
After a moment of silence, Kurokawa slowly spoke.
"My friend Yushu, is this cheese for sale?"
"Yes!"
One look at Kurokawa's expression told Yushu the deal was in the bag.
Kurokawa slapped the counter. "Great! I'll take it all!"
"Wait, you haven't even asked the price yet."
Kaixin reminded him from the side.
Kurokawa waved a hand and declared grandly, "The price is negotiable! Yushu, name your price!"
Yushu thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, "I don't really know the going rate. What do you think would be fair?"
Kurokawa's eyes lit up.
Doesn't know the going rate? So he's a total newbie.
Kaixin warned him from the side, "Don't try anything sneaky. I know the market price."
Her stare made Kurokawa a little nervous, and he hurriedly quoted a price.
"Ten percent above market price. How does that sound? That's the highest I can offer."
With his eye for people, he was certain Yushu was no ordinary person. He might as well offer favorable terms right away; he had to show the utmost sincerity.
Yes, it definitely wasn't because Kaixin was standing right there.
Yushu did a quick calculation in his head.
One Miltank could produce around ten liters of milk a day, enough to make roughly three jin of cheese.
He now had ten Miltank, and with the Mareep included, the daily total could reach around fifty jin.
Even at the market price of two hundred League coins per jin, that would mean a daily income of ten thousand or more.
Of course, that was only the theoretical maximum.
In actual production, he would also have to account for losses, labor costs, and raw material costs.
Even so, the profit would still be much greater than selling fresh milk directly.
Getting rich through farming-it really was true!