Give It a Try

Zhao Ruxi put down her teacup, first examined the appearance of the pastry, then picked it up to taste it. After asking about the recipe, she shook her head. "The recipe is too complicated, making it difficult to mass-produce; it doesn't keep for long, and if it can't be sold, it will just go to waste."

That's what I'm saying again.

Zhou Chun knew Zhao Ruxi's requirements and repeatedly instructed the cook to do so. Unfortunately, the cook's skills were limited, and he thought that if his pastries tasted good, he might be favored by his mistress and receive a reward. Therefore, while trying his best to meet the requirements, he still made his best pastries and served them.

Zhou Chun had eaten many pastries before, most of which were made of flour and glutinous rice. Apart from those small cakes baked over a fire, there really weren't many pastries made primarily of glutinous rice that could meet Zhao Ruxi's requirements.

Therefore, he didn't make things too difficult for the cooks.

The girl was still not satisfied with the rice cakes, feeling that they were too dry and hard, and not competitive with wheat cakes, making it difficult to sell a considerable quantity in a short period of time.

Zhou Chun really felt like he was going bald.

Zhao Ruxi originally wanted to gather ideas from all sides to find the best and most suitable food for this era. However, after trying more than twenty kinds of pastries in the past few days, none of them met her requirements.

She scratched her head, looking somewhat worried.

Having failed to find suitable food these past few days, she racked her brains, trying to recall foods from her past life that met her requirements.

It wasn't until she ate the noodles made by the Earl's cook this morning that a flash of inspiration struck her, and she finally remembered a dish that met her requirements.

She said, "Have a few cooks try making a dish: grind rice into a paste, steam it, cut it into strips, and dry it. Have each of them do it exactly as I just said, and see who does it best."

She had eaten dried rice noodles in her past life; the snail rice noodles in Liucheng used this kind of dried rice noodles. This kind of snail rice noodles is similar to dried noodles, except that it is made from rice instead of wheat flour. When eating it, you soak it in cold water for a while before cooking it, and then add various condiments. The texture and taste are both very good.

She'd never seen anyone do it before. The methods she'd just described were just deductions based on common sense; she wasn't sure if they were correct. She'd let the cooks try them anyway.

With a direction in mind, Zhou Chun perked up immediately. He agreed and went out to make the arrangements.

He gave Zhou Fan a few instructions at the door, telling him to convey the request to the cook, before returning inside to ask Zhao Ruxi, "Miss, the workshop is producing quite a few things already. When will our shop open?"

The products made in the workshop, after passing the inspection by the quality inspectors specially appointed by Zhao Ruxi, would be sent to the house that Xiao Lingyan had asked her to buy, which was connected to the tunnel next door.

Zhou Chun had some doubts about this, feeling that the house was too far away to be properly protected. Even if he sent a group of people to guard it, if anything happened to those guarding it, Zhao Ruxi and he would not receive any news by the time things got better.

But as it turned out, every decision the girl made was farsighted and well-thought-out. Even if Zhou Chun had his own thoughts, he didn't raise any objections.

Just look at these workshops. Apart from the jewelry workshop, the blacksmith and carpentry workshops all adopt the "assembly line" production method that the girl mentioned. The division of labor for all parts is extremely detailed. For example, Li Laosi in the blacksmith shop specializes in making one type of part. Apart from him, no one else knows anything about this part, let alone knows how to make it.

Because Li Laosi initially disregarded the rules and regulations, after making seven or eight substandard parts, although he grumbled under his breath, he made the subsequent parts quickly and well.

Everyone else is the same. The reason is simple: practice makes perfect.

"Assembly line" production is not only highly efficient, but also extremely confidential.

If Blacksmith Li hadn't specifically inquired, even if he knew what the parts Li Laosi was making looked like from Li Laosi's description, without knowing their specific dimensions, he still wouldn't have been able to make any usable parts.

If someone in the courtyard is a spy trying to gather intelligence, they would have to ask everyone what the parts they have look like and what their dimensions are. With such a commotion, he was exposed before he could even gather all the information.

Therefore, Zhou Chun felt that Zhao Ruxi had a deeper meaning in buying a warehouse so far away to store parts.

Although Zhao Ruxi was busy with the training classes all day and didn't manage the workshop, she still received daily reports on the number of qualified parts produced in the workshop. She was well aware of the workshop's progress.

After thinking for a moment, she realized that twenty or thirty safes had been successfully made, and several printing presses and improved textile machines had also been completed. She nodded. "Okay. Arrange the staff, and once I say we can start selling, the shop will open."

Zhou Chun was Gao Xing to hear this. "Don't worry, young lady, everything is ready."

Zhao Ruxi stood up and instructed Qingfeng and Dianjiang, "Pack up all the pastries and take them to the painting academy."

After the two maids repacked the snacks in the food box, Zhao Ruxi led them to the painting academy.

During this period, the painting academy was painting real people, and Kang Shilin chose an old man who was even uglier than himself from among his servants as the model.

Because they had laid a solid foundation by drawing various objects before, especially by drawing several white marble portraits, they didn't find drawing figures difficult. Zhao Ruxi came twice at first, then left them to their own devices, only occasionally coming over.

She went in, greeted Kang Shilin and everyone, offered them some snacks, and then sidled up to Wu Zong.

"Senior brother, as you know, I've opened a workshop and have produced some things recently. There's one of them that I think you'll definitely be interested in. Would you like to go take a look?"

"What is it?" Wu Zong asked curiously.

Zhao Ruxi didn't say anything, but smiled and said, "You'll see when you read it."

Wu Zong enjoyed judging cases at the Court of Judicial Review, mainly because he had a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge, wanting to know the truth behind these cases, and finding satisfaction in uncovering the truth.

He knew his junior sister wasn't the type to be easily startled. If she said that, she must really have something good to show him.

He put down his charcoal pencil and said with great interest, "Come on, take me to see it."

Zhao Ruxi then left the painting academy with him and went to the Green Plantain Courtyard.

She led Wu Zong to the west wing and pointed to the safe, saying, "Try opening this safe."

Wu Zong looked at the cabinet, now painted a deep blue, patted it, and glanced up at Zhao Ruxi: "Iron?"

Zhao Ruxi nodded.

Wu Zong abandoned his idea of using force to open it and looked at the lock on the cabinet.

Upon seeing it, he was astonished. "What kind of lock is this?" He had never seen one before.

"I had a locksmith develop a new one, and paired with this iron cabinet, you're guaranteed not to be able to open it," Zhao Ruxi said smugly.