Chapter Thirty-One Partners
Recently, Lin Miaomiao often saw Li Yanhe riding out on horseback. Feeling a bit bored, she played with a stalk of foxtail grass, then directed An Qi, Cui Liu, and Lanzhi to make some pastries.
Over the past few days, An Qi had driven the ox cart and brought Lin Miaomiao to the countryside. Most of the common folk here lived in poverty; they could scarcely bear to eat the crops and grains they harvested. Everything was sold in the city to exchange for a bit of money. Lin Miaomiao had come this time hoping to find families who raised chickens and could supply her with a steady stream of eggs.
She had decided to sell pastries in the shop she had taken over, and most of those required eggs. Thus, she resolved to source them directly from the countryside. Lin Miaomiao understood the local purchasing power: opening a luxurious, high-end dessert shop here was simply not feasible. But if she could sell these pastries in the capital, there would be a fortune to be made.
She had planned everything out. When the villagers heard Lin Miaomiao was looking for eggs, they all expressed their willingness to raise chickens and sell her all the eggs. After spending a couple of taels of silver to buy eggs, Lin Miaomiao began making pastries. It was then that her shop welcomed its first customer.
An Qi, upon seeing the visitor, instinctively gripped her knife, but quickly relaxed. “Boss, your pastries look excellent. Interested in discussing a business proposition?”
Lin Miaomiao looked at the middle-aged man. He was undeniably handsome, though his demeanor was tinged with a certain roguishness. He held a fan, which he waved incessantly. Lin Miaomiao suddenly recalled a saying she’d heard in a video once: if a man fans himself in the dead of winter, he’s either a martial arts hero or a fool. He was indeed good-looking, but carrying a fan in the middle of winter? She simply couldn’t comprehend his aesthetic.
She wanted to laugh, but held it in, then sat down across from the man and asked, “Sir, how may I address you?”
“I am surnamed Li, given name Zheng. I see your pastries are quite good, and I wonder if you’d be willing to sell some to me,” he replied in a refined tone.
As Lin Miaomiao listened to Li Zheng speak so elegantly, she couldn’t help but wonder: he’s so handsome and his voice is pleasant, but why is he so ridiculous?
Back in modern times, Lin Miaomiao was also rather fond of handsome men. Whenever she spotted good-looking guys, she’d always offer them discounts. As the saying goes, good looks score you extra points—Lin Miaomiao always considered herself a bit shallow.
Whenever she set up a stall at school, all the handsome underclassmen would flock to her booth. As long as they sweetly called her “sister,” her heart would melt and she’d treat them with extra kindness.
Lin Miaomiao smiled gently, but in Li Zheng’s eyes, her smile seemed a bit fawning. The regular customers nearby, seeing her grinning so widely, couldn’t help but wonder if their young boss had taken the wrong medicine today.
The shop had opened not long ago. Due to recent policies, many people were unable to leave, and the wealthy, fearing their money would be looted should invaders arrive, decided to spend it themselves rather than let it be stolen. As a result, purchasing power in the area had suddenly surged.
Lin Miaomiao’s pastries were both affordable and delicious. Business boomed from the very start, leaving her busy these past days—inspecting food safety, running promotions, and organizing sales events.
She glanced at Li Zheng, her eyes turning shrewd. “Mr. Li, if you want to discuss business, it depends on how much you’re buying.”
She personally brought out mung bean cakes, soybean cakes, and other pastries, placing them in front of Li Zheng. “If you’re buying retail, it’s a tael and a half per jin. For wholesale, it can be cheaper.”
“What does wholesale mean?” Li Zheng asked. Lin Miaomiao smacked her forehead. “It means if you buy more than ten jin, that’s considered wholesale.”
“Of course, we also have many other products. Besides pastries, we can also wholesale materials—like hotpot base, for example.”
She had recently decided to make hotpot base a specialty. Back in the modern world she’d once made block-style hotpot base, so she’d been experimenting daily, trying to recreate the flavors with local ingredients. After using a variety of expensive materials, she’d finally succeeded.
Lin Miaomiao loved hotpot in her previous life. She used to joke with friends, “If I can’t find a job after college, I’ll open a hotpot restaurant.”
Li Zheng hadn’t expected such variety from her shop. He glanced at the pastries—just now, when he tried one, he found it delicious.
He turned to Lin Miaomiao. “We intend to transport these pastries to the capital. Will they spoil on the way?”
Lin Miaomiao smiled and shook her head. “These pastries are a luxury, really only affordable to the wealthy. If you’re buying in large quantities, we offer a packaging service.”
“For smaller purchases, we don’t provide that service. But for bulk orders, we’ll ensure your pastries reach their destination safely.”
Li Zheng raised an eyebrow. “What sort of packaging service?”
Lin Miaomiao explained, “Each order comes with a small box filled with ice. This keeps the pastries fresh for longer during transport.”
“Of course, that’s just for short-term cooperation. If we work together long-term, I can share the pastry recipes with you. The key with pastries is to keep innovating—only then will customers keep coming back. If there’s only one type, profits won’t last.”
Li Zheng narrowed his eyes at the young woman before him. Lin Miaomiao dangled her feet as she spoke. When her throat grew dry, she picked up a cup and gulped down its contents.
Li Yanhe returned from his errands just then, spotting Li Zheng in the shop. He raised his eyebrows and addressed him, “What brings you here?”
Li Zheng looked at his nephew, smiling. This uncle of his—the palace’s “Shadow Dragon”—sighed in response.
“Why have you come?” Li Yanhe asked again, this time using honorifics. Li Zheng glanced at him and replied, “Your young friend here is full of ideas. I’m getting on in years and, having lived a colorful life, now want to save up a little silver—build a nest egg for a wife.”
“The real reason, though, is that I get along with your young friend. If I do business with her, I can guarantee her safety. You know your own circumstances.”
Li Yanhe understood immediately. Lin Miaomiao looked at the two men exchanging cryptic messages, then muttered, “Why not just say you want to make money?”
“Are you Mr. Li’s relative? Even if you are, accounts must be clear between us. I won’t treat you differently just for his sake.”
Li Zheng, interrupted by Lin Miaomiao, felt the tension dissipate. She sat there, calmly eating pastries and sipping tea, as if watching a movie.
She sighed and looked at Li Zheng. “Honestly, can’t you share some juicy gossip? Like embarrassing stories from Mr. Li’s past, or his old romances? I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying!”
Her legs swung idly, completely ignoring the silent duel between Li Zheng and Li Yanhe, as well as the aura they exuded.
An Qi glanced up at Lin Miaomiao, secretly thinking, “Doesn’t Miss Lin feel a bit cold?” Watching the two men play games with words, Lin Miaomiao suddenly felt bored.
She sighed and said to Li Zheng, “You look like an important official. I’m happy to do business with you.”
“But you’ll have to provide the capital. We’ll split the business fifty-fifty—profits and losses both.”
Li Zheng agreed readily. Lin Miaomiao instructed Lanzhi to go with him—Lanzhi was young and quick to learn.
“This is my cook. You may take her with you. She’s very talented, but will need to return after some time.”
She paused, then added, “Or you can send your own cooks to learn from me. Whenever there are new pastries, I’ll send you the recipes directly.”
After considering for a moment, Li Zheng said, “I’ll send people to study with you. If you develop something new, write down the formula and method, and my people will collect it.”
Lin Miaomiao nodded and looked at Li Zheng. “I’m rather lazy. Why don’t you handle the operations, and I’ll focus on research?”
Li Yanhe nodded his assent as well.
Lin Miaomiao continued, “We’ll use a common signboard; everything we sell will be under the same name.”
Li Zheng agreed, looking at fair and delicate Lin Miaomiao. “Agreed. As for the dessert shop you mentioned—how would you run it?”
She thought for a moment, then explained, “It would be a shop specializing in pastries, decorated warmly, where affluent ladies could come to enjoy the treats, drink tea, and chat.”