Manager Bai subconsciously replied, "They are all delicious!"
At the thought of launching these three new dishes, he realized he could satisfy both customers with a sweet tooth and those who preferred spice. A vision of silver coins raining down before him danced in his mind.
"Come, let us go to the study to discuss the details."
Manager Bai grabbed Zhao Shuyu by the arm and headed toward the study, his face beaming as if he had just encountered the God of Wealth.
"Brother Zhao, have some tea. This is top-grade tea, just delivered from the Capital."
Once they were seated, Manager Bai personally brewed the tea for Zhao Shuyu, treating him with a level of hospitality far different from before.
"Brother Zhao, I never expected you to be such a master in the kitchen. I won't beat around the bush—I want to buy all three of these recipes. Name your price."
"Since you, Brother Bai, have managed a restaurant for so many years, you must have a good idea of the profit these three recipes will bring. I dare say that in all the land, only I know how to prepare them. Why don't you offer a price first, and I will listen."
Zhao Shuyu sipped his tea and countered.
Manager Bai held up five fingers. "Five hundred taels?"
Zhao Shuyu was secretly surprised, though he did not show it on his face. He chuckled, "Manager Bai, that is not a very generous price."
"There is more than just Baiwei Restaurant in Pingyang County. If I were to sell these recipes to others one by one, what price do you think I could fetch?"
Manager Bai’s smile stiffened for a moment. He instantly understood Zhao Shuyu’s implication and raised his hand to pour more tea.
"Brother, I am sincere about buying. You name the price, and I will see if it is feasible."
Zhao Shuyu held up one finger and shook it, smiling without a word.
Manager Bai’s face changed as he looked at him; a "how do you not just go and rob someone" almost escaped his lips. Seeing Zhao Shuyu as steady as a mountain, he realized this young man was far more shrewd than he appeared.
A typical hunter would never have seen five hundred taels of silver in his life. He hadn't expected to misjudge him so thoroughly.
"Brother Zhao, that price is truly a bit high. Even if I wanted to buy it, I wouldn't have the authority to decide."
"Manager Bai, you jest. I have long heard that Baiwei Restaurant has branches all over Da Qian. I am well aware of how much profit these three recipes will bring you. I simply have no desire to run a restaurant myself; otherwise, even if I didn't cook, I could simply invest in one and ensure a profit. This price is very reasonable."
After calmly stating his piece, Zhao Shuyu drank his tea and waited for Manager Bai to reflect.
Manager Bai calculated the figures in his mind and ultimately agreed to the deal.
"Fine. Today, I will consider that I have made a friend in Brother Zhao. If you have other good things in the future, you must think of me first."
His readiness surprised Zhao Shuyu. His initial expectation had been three hundred taels, and he had not imagined he would sell them for one thousand.
It seemed he still lacked a full understanding of the current market prices.
The two immediately signed a contract. Zhao Shuyu handed over the recipes and personally taught Chef Li how to prepare the dishes.
Once he had the silver, Zhao Shuyu went straight to pay off his debts at the gambling den and destroyed the promissory notes. To intimidate them, he crushed one of their teacups into powder with his bare hand.
With the silver banknotes tucked away, Zhao Shuyu went on a shopping spree before heading home as the sun set.
With money in his pocket, he was at ease. Zhao Shuyu settled into a leisurely routine of caring for the child, practicing martial arts daily, and hunting in the mountains, where he would occasionally run into Chu Ning to make his presence known.
Having become familiar with the surrounding hills, he decided to venture deeper into the mountains to trap some rare animals.
Expectating that he might not return for a few days, he told Zhao Shuyan to look after the house properly and go to Auntie Zhang’s house for meals on time.
Zhao Shuyu gave Mother Wang fifty wen for the meals and asked her to occasionally check on Zhao Shuyan. After a bit of back-and-forth, Mother Wang accepted twenty wen.
The mountain forest was dense and lush. Having spent his recent days trekking over hills, he was quite familiar with the terrain and ran straight toward the deep mountains.
He had no special success on the first day, but Zhao Shuyu was not discouraged and rested beneath a large tree.
While closing his eyes to compose himself, Zhao Shuyu suddenly heard a rustling sound from the bushes not far away. He vigilantly fired an arrow toward the source of the noise.
The arrow pierced the brush, and a high-pitched, sharp cry erupted as a white fox bolted from the grass.
Zhao Shuyu reacted quickly, nocking another arrow to fire at the fox. The white fox dodged it with agility and fled. Zhao Shuyu pursued without hesitation; a white fox was a rare find—a literal jackpot.
This white fox was exceptionally nimble. He chased it for a full day before finally bringing it down.
By the time he had finished dressing the fox, it was already midnight.
In his pursuit, Zhao Shuyu had run into an area he had never entered before. Everything was silent, and the dense trees cast shadows against the night sky like ghostly skeletons.
A chill crept up his back; it felt as if something were watching him. Zhao Shuyu immediately became alert. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and he listened intently for any movement.
The shadows of the trees shifted, and a massive, jet-black old wolf leaped out from behind a tree. Its eyes were cold, and its green pupils glared viciously at Zhao Shuyu.
Zhao Shuyu averted his gaze from the old wolf. Wolves were pack animals; a pack was likely nearby. His martial arts had not yet fully returned, and a head-on collision could easily lead to disaster.
Sure enough, the surrounding wolf pack emerged one by one, their green eyes appearing even colder and more sinister in the night.
The old wolf directly in front of him opened its mouth and let out a fierce, howling roar, baring its sharp fangs like a bugle call for battle. The pack surrounding Zhao Shuyu responded, charging at him with ferocious speed, as if to tear him to pieces.
Zhao Shuyu reflexively scattered his homemade medicinal powder backward while drawing his blade and lunging toward the old wolf that had given the signal, his tip aimed directly at its eyes.
The old wolf nimbly tilted its head, its cold, sharp gaze locked onto Zhao Shuyu as it snarled and lunged, jaws wide to bite through the throat of the human who dared to challenge it.
Timing his move, Zhao Shuyu gathered his strength and vaulted over the old wolf, kicking off the large tree behind it to launch himself into the canopy. The trees here were dense and thick-trunked. He had only feigned the attack to create an opening for his escape; he could handle one or two wolves, but a pack of dozens was no joke.
Everything happened in a heartbeat. Zhao Shuyu darted through the trees, trying to shake off the pack. But the old wolf, discovering its prey had fled, let out a howl and pursued him like a ghost, snapping at his heels.
Zhao Shuyu’s powder had stunned the dozen wolves at the front, but the rest of the pack followed the old wolf in relentless pursuit.
He could only sprint wildly through the woods. Branches tore his clothes, and several gashes appeared on his body, slowly seeping blood.
Zhao Shuyu dared not stop for a moment, occasionally scattering more powder behind him. Yet, the wolves were too fast, gradually closing the distance.
The moonlight shone through the night, and Zhao Shuyu had decent night vision, but in the heat of the chase, he inevitably lost his way and was eventually cornered by the wolves in a dead end.
Looking at the sheer cliff face before him, Zhao Shuyu looked up at the sky in silence.
He thought of the novels he had read where, when the protagonist met a crisis, they either jumped off a cliff to find a secret martial arts manual and start a new chapter, or some great figure arrived to save them.
How did it end up with him having nowhere to jump?
He was stuck with a sheer cliff. If he had his full stamina, he might have been able to climb it, but he had been running for over twenty miles with the pack on his heels, and his calves were trembling.
Perhaps wary of the medicinal powder Zhao Shuyu had scattered earlier, the pack stopped and grew quiet after cornering him, choosing not to attack immediately.
The leading old wolf directed the others, seemingly discussing a new strategy.
During this time, Zhao Shuyu had made plenty of powders—for wounds, antidotes, and repellents—but he hadn't made any actual poison.
The sedative he had scattered was only something he had developed because he had happened upon the herbs and didn't want to waste them.
He dug into his pockets, but the sedative was gone. If his opponents were human, he might have been able to bluff with other powders, but wolves wouldn't understand such schemes.
Was heaven determined to end him? He hadn't even confessed his feelings yet!