The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 172 Is a single prescription really that valuable?

Shen Cao gave the money to her father and told him to keep it safe.

Manager Ma took out another twenty taels of silver, placed it on the table, and pushed it to Shen Cao.

Shen Cao looked down at the silver on the table. "Manager Ma, what's this?"

Manager Ma said somewhat embarrassedly, "Miss Shen, it's like this. I have a favor to ask."

"The meat sauce business is doing so well, all thanks to Miss Shen's culinary skills."

"With Miss Shen's meat sauce, my inn's business is visibly improving."

"All the inns around me started to make my sauce with envy."

"Although it doesn't taste as good as my family's, it's about 50% similar."

"They sold it cheaply, and they still managed to steal a couple of cents from the business."

Shen Cao nodded. That's how the food business works. Once you sell well, others will imitate you.

Although I can't replicate your essence, the flavor will always be acceptable to some people.

"What I mean is, this meat sauce is really delicious, but you get tired of eating the same thing all the time."

"Miss Shen, do you have any other sauces here?"

Shen Cao understood what Manager Ma meant; he wanted to ask her if she had any new flavors of sauce.

She pondered for a moment, "Manager Ma, you know my meat sauce is delicious; I've put a lot of effort into it."

"I hadn't considered what you're talking about before."

"But your words have indeed reminded me."

"Okay, let me study it some more, give me some time."

When Manager Ma heard that the matter seemed promising, he felt relieved.

He smiled and said, "Miss Shen, this is indeed something I didn't consider carefully, and it will definitely take time."

"No rush, take your time to study it."

"In addition, I also brought the agreement. Originally, we were supposed to split the profits 40/60, and I already felt guilty about it."

"Although you are not involved in the sales, the recipes for these sauces are all yours."

"Let's change the profit split to 50/50 today, that way I'll feel more at ease taking the money."

After thinking it over, Shen Cao realized that if she were to continue in the sauce business for a long time, she wouldn't be able to argue with Manager Ma, so she had no choice but to change the profit split to 50/50.

Manager Ma carefully put away the revised agreement, saying, "Now I feel a little more at ease."

"Only then will I have the nerve to trouble Miss Shen."

Shen Cao pushed the twenty taels of silver on the table back to him.

"Manager Ma, I can't accept this money."

"The sauce business was originally a matter between our two companies, but now the profit-sharing arrangement has been changed."

“Researching new flavors is part of my job, so I’m really embarrassed to accept money.”

Seeing Shen Cao's serious expression, Manager Ma had no choice but to put away the money on the table.

He admired the young girl in front of him more and more; the most important thing in doing business is integrity.

He couldn't see a trace of a businessman's calculation in Shen Cao, only sincerity, honesty, and earnestness.

She earns money, but she's not greedy.

He was increasingly grateful that he had been willing to shamelessly ask her older brother about the meat sauce that day.

Manager Ma glanced at the empty wonton bowl on the table, and an idea suddenly popped into his head.

He tried asking Shen Cao, "Miss Shen, may I learn how to make these wontons?"

"I paid for the secret recipe."

Shen Cao thought for a moment and replied, "Sell."

"Manager Ma also wants to sell wontons in your shop?"

Shopkeeper Ma nodded. "Originally, I didn't want to sell them, but your wontons are really delicious. Now that it's getting cold, it would be great for travelers to have a bowl of hot wontons to ward off the chill and warm themselves up."

Shen Cao nodded; Manager Ma was indeed a shrewd businessman.

"Then shall I write you a prescription?"

Manager Ma waved his hand, "No rush, I'm not going back until tomorrow morning. I'll come here for breakfast tomorrow morning, and you can give it to me then."

After seeing Manager Ma off, Shen Cao and his father closed the door of the Shen Family Restaurant, knowing there would be no customers that night.

"This Manager Ma is an honest man," said Shen's father, holding the empty bowl that Manager Ma had just finished eating, to Shen Cao, who was wiping the table beside him.

“Indeed.” Since doing business with Manager Ma, she hasn’t felt any discomfort.

In many ways, Manager Ma stood by her side and considered her interests.

She's willing to lend a helping hand to someone like that.

Besides, the Great Xia Kingdom is so vast that even if she were incredibly capable, she couldn't possibly monopolize all the food businesses.

"I never imagined that this sauce business would be so profitable." Father Shen locked the sixty taels of silver in the money box.

As expected, Manager Ma came to have breakfast early the next morning.

Shen Cao gave him the recipe for wontons. The recipe not only showed how to prepare the filling, but also how to make scallion oil, soup base, and seasonings.

There were some seasonings that Manager Ma couldn't buy elsewhere, so she packed a jar of each for him and thoughtfully labeled it with his name.

Manager Ma was once again impressed by Shen Cao's meticulously written prescription.

She didn't seem worried at all about her learning her skills.

Manager Ma handed over the prepared silver notes, thinking that the money was well spent.

"Miss Shen, this is my estimated price based on the market, no more, no less."

Shen Cao was astonished when she saw the hundred-tael silver note in front of her.

Is a recipe really that valuable?

If I had known she wouldn't have opened a restaurant, she could have made that money by selling a few recipes.

After seeing Manager Ma off, she went to the backyard to have breakfast.

At the dinner table, she noticed the blisters on her younger siblings' lips and said with concern, "You're all suffering from internal heat. Try to eat less meat these days."

Upon hearing Shen Cao's words, the group all pursed their lips.

"Ah, Sister Cao'er, is there any other way besides eating less meat?"

"Isn't my brother coming back soon? He hasn't had your cooking in so long, how can you bear to leave him?"

"You little devils, just eat less when the time comes."

"Alright, the dry winter weather does make it easy to get a sore throat."

"I'll cook more cooling and detoxifying soups these next few days, so you can drink more of them."

"Also, my eldest brother will be back soon, so you guys should take advantage of your free time these next few days to review your lessons."

"Your eldest brother is coming back to test you."

"If the eldest brother is dissatisfied with anyone, he won't get any New Year's money this year."

Upon hearing Shen Cao's words, the group's initial cheers turned into mournful cries.

Whether it's a past life or a present life, homework is always a headache for both parents and children.

Taking advantage of having nothing to do in the afternoon, Shen Cao went to Wan'an Hall and bought some medicinal herbs.

That afternoon, I boiled apple and fig water.

Those children had originally planned to play with their friends that afternoon, but they canceled their plans.

A group of people were studying in the Shen family's study.

When Shen Cao brought in the apple and fig juice, she saw them shaking their heads and reciting classical Chinese phrases.

Shen Cao smiled and shook her head. After putting down the water, she quietly withdrew.

The child is quite obedient.

"Cao'er, someone's looking for you outside!" Before Shen Cao even entered the kitchen, her mother rushed in.