CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: BUSINESS DELIVERED TO THE DOOR

"Shopkeeper? Why is the shopkeeper looking for me?" Lin Wanwan was puzzled.

But soon, after inviting this group of people into the house and understanding their intentions, Lin Wanwan figured it out.

A few days ago, the Guest Welcoming Building’s newly appointed chef suddenly launched a series of premium pastries. The fluffy and fragrant steamed cakes and flatbreads instantly attracted the attention of every foodie in Xiaoxi Town and stole everyone’s business.

As competitors, everyone naturally had to use their own skills to find out what was going on. After a round of threats and temptations, they quickly traced it back to Lin Mengli and then to the Lin Family Manor.

Lin Mengli had cheerfully sold all remaining baking soda to Shan Xinrong at the Wanghai Town inn (On the day Shan Xinrong won the competition, he used all his family’s savings to buy out Lin Mengli’s baking soda) at 200 coins per bottle, which was given to him by Lin Wanwan.

He was even thinking of returning home at the end of the month to share the good news with Lin Wanwan!

However, he never imagined that a few days later, people would come to him one after another to buy baking soda. If he still had that baking soda now, it would easily sell for double the price, and people would still be fighting to get it, making him too embarrassed to return to the village and face Lin Wanwan.

The formula that removes the sour taste from pastries and improves the texture was extremely popular and quickly became a craze among the upper-class in Xiaoxi Town.

The wealthy households now all focused on Shan Xinrong of the Guest Welcoming Building, making his value increase significantly. He only sells small amounts daily, with the rest being reserved by wealthy families, completely unable to meet the demand.

Shan Xinrong transformed into a sought-after chef, although steamed cakes are not great dishes, they were fresh and delicious. When other dishes were about the same, diners naturally chose the Guest Welcoming Building with the White Cloud Steamed Cake.

The shopkeepers followed Lin Wanwan into the courtyard, were amazed by the glass greenhouse, and then astonished by the Agarwood Pavilion, making their smiles on their faces three degrees warmer.

Along with them came the Clan Leader, Lin Mengjin, Lin Mengbo, and several other clan members.

They all stood behind Lin Wanwan, each with a burly physique and fierce expressions, intimidating the visitors, fearing she might suffer any loss.

The shopkeepers of the taverns occasionally interacted with the Lin Clan, often being deceived by them, so they were not fond of these people. In their hearts, tavern people exploit the poor fishermen who risk their lives for their catches, and they should be reprimanded.

Lin Wanwan glanced at the Clan Leader and pretended to ask, "Uncle Clan Leader, aren’t they talking about the steamed cakes and pastries made by our village’s sisters-in-law and aunts?"

The Clan Leader was stunned for a moment; weren’t they talking about the baking soda formula? But he quickly reacted and replied, "Yes, yes, yes."

The shopkeepers looked at each other, realizing they faced a worthy opponent.

Next came negotiations led by the Clan Leader, with Lin Wanwan occasionally chiming in (critical comments related to price), and those shopkeepers didn’t expect that these people from the poor mountain village could be so tough, indeed having the backing of some legendary hermits made a difference.

To outsiders, hermits seem to retreat to the countryside, but they are not peasants; they are from the aristocracy. Lin Wanwan, being a direct lineage of Hou Tao from the Lin Clan and raised by a hidden sage, naturally stood out in the eyes of others.

Seeing the Lin family’s glass greenhouse and windows, the shopkeepers understood they couldn’t deceive this group of rough folks; these people had a backbone now and couldn’t use force.

Behind these shopkeepers, there were hints of large families. If today only the fallen Hou Tao’s Lin Clan had the secret recipe, they wouldn’t have bothered to come properly for business talks; lowly pigs are unworthy at the tiger’s table. The fatter the pig, the happier the tiger when it eats.

But knowing Lin Wanwan had the backing of the prestigious Jiangnan Xiao family, it was a different scenario. Both being of aristocratic lineage, they could cooperate for mutual gains.

In the rigorously hierarchical Great Tang society, personal power was diminutive, no matter how strong, it meant nothing. Even the stronger one died sooner; the vested interests would naturally eliminate any protruding stakes.

What truly intimidates people is the strength behind an individual’s family or clan.

The shopkeepers initially wanted to buy out the Lin Clan’s secret recipe, but they realized these farmers were only willing to sell finished products. They feared the retaliations from Lin Wanwan’s hermit-backed family and the Xiao family, fearing a loss that wouldn’t justify the force; hence, they accepted it reluctantly.

Of course, this is also because the benefits aren’t substantial enough; after all, it’s only about pastries. If today Lin Wanwan had concocted glass or alcohol, even with implicit backing from some individuals, if Hou Tao’s Lin Clan wasn’t inherently strong, the others would still test the waters with blood.

Lin Wanwan, through the Clan Leader, has now finalized cooperation agreements with several taverns that came running.

Although Lin Wanwan would have liked them to outbid each other, giving the highest price.

But clearly, this group of seasoned shopkeepers isn’t foolish; they wouldn’t indulge in mutually destructive scenarios. While awaiting Lin Wanwan’s return, they must have consulted among themselves.

Finally, they offered a price of 3 coins for a steamed cake (bun) and 8 coins for a meat steamed cake (meat bun). Each tavern supplies a hundred steamed cakes and a hundred meat steamed cakes daily.

There were five taverns in total, indicating that the clan will need to produce five hundred steamed cakes and five hundred meat steamed cakes daily.

After sending off the shopkeepers, the Clan Leader’s joy lifted his mouth corners to a smile; tonight, the entire clan could indulge in a sweet sleep.

Lin Family Manor thrives on fishing, the sea is perilous, with unpredictable storms and pirates, making collective labor essential for sea fare. The entire clan is essentially a communist collective, a grand family. They labor together, with the Clan Leader allocating labor results according to strength.

The agreements signed with the five major taverns represent communal wealth for the clan, inducing delight among all.

A sack of wheat costs three hundred seventy coins, milled into refined flour of fifty coins per peck; based on production cost calculations, a steamed cake with baking soda costs two coins, selling for three, earning just one coin profit—but it suffices. Meanwhile, meat steamed cakes, due to the expensive lamb, add up to five or six coins, but each meat bun profiting two to three coins is worthwhile.

Moreover, selling such agricultural products doesn’t count as commerce; it merely supplements farmers’ and fishermen’s lives, which the court encourages.

Despite the strict hierarchy of the Great Tang, the ruling class welcomes the lower-class people to shine in food, clothing, and housing.

After leaving Lin Wanwan’s home, the Clan Leader assembled elders and able-bodied men for a clan meeting to discuss steamed and meat steamed cake production. These tasks certainly fell to the household women, but overall, the Great Tang still leaned patriarchal, thus the clan meeting naturally comprised mostly men.

Lin Wanwan would not bother with these matters.

Indeed, Lin Wanwan wasn’t adept in business; they were all crossing the river by feeling for stones, but she could afford losses, as, regardless of circumstances, she held the recipe, positioning herself invincible.