Chapter 318: Chapter 169: Selling Their Own Things (Part 2)

But he was unique. Although he observed them with great curiosity and listened intently to everything they said, he showed no signs of extreme envy or inferiority.

Li Changyu looked at Zhang Huai, his heart filled with a mix of happiness and complex emotions. ’Huai Zi and Qingmu just lack opportunities,’ he thought. ’They’re actually far more capable than I am.’

Fang Jingyu nodded and sighed. "I underestimated you. I think that Xiatang Market might just become a booming place in the future."

Just then, Xiao Er brought over two platters of steamed sausage, and Chen Yu invited everyone to have a taste.

Fang Jingyu picked up a piece of sausage from each of the two platters and ate them. He slowly nodded and said, "They really are different. Is this platter from the pigs raised in Younger Mr. Zhang’s village?" he asked, pointing to one of the platters with his chopsticks.

Chen Yu gestured with his eyes for Xiao Er to answer.

Xiao Er smiled and replied respectfully, "The Shopkeeper said this platter is the Qingshan sausage."

Chen Yu smiled. "Old Mr. Fang truly has a discerning palate. Just as expected from someone who has tasted delicacies from all corners of the land."

Everyone waited until Old Mr. Fang had finished tasting before they picked up their chopsticks. Some could tell the difference between the two types of sausage, while others couldn’t at all, but they all praised it unanimously, calling it flavorful but not greasy.

Fang Jingyu smiled at Zhang Huai. "I’m really starting to have high expectations for you all. Besides supplying the Chen Family’s restaurant, if you have any extra sausage, just sell it all to me. It’ll save you the trouble of finding another buyer. Chen Yu can help pick up the goods, and he can also pay you on my behalf."

He then said to Chen Yu, "You can just transfer the goods to Hongfa Inn when the time comes." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Chen Yu hurriedly nodded in agreement.

For some reason, Fang Jingyu had a faint feeling that this young man and the village he spoke of could not be underestimated. He was a shrewd merchant with a keen intuition, and he always knew how to accurately seize upon that feeling and turn it into a part of his enterprise.

’What kind of opportunity will this young man bring me?’

’Actually, there’s nothing to worry about. With his financial resources, a small investment could provide significant help to this young man and his village, and in the future, he would be well-deserving of a bountiful return. Even if his intuition was wrong, the loss would be minimal—truly just a tiny "little bit"!’

He said to Zhang Huai, "I’m very interested in these ’things of your own’ that you mentioned. From now on, if you run into any trouble and need help, feel free to come find me through Chen Yu. I’ll have a word with Manager Song. Chen Yu, you should also help them out whenever you can. If you encounter a problem you can’t solve, come to me."

Chen Yu quickly replied, "Of course. This sausage is selling very well in my restaurant, so helping them is also helping myself!"

Fang Jingyu gave him an appreciative glance. ’He has good judgment,’ he thought. ’My high opinion of him isn’t misplaced.’

Seeing that Old Mr. Fang had taken a keen interest in Zhang Huai, Chen Yu secretly decided he must help the Zheng Family and Qingnan Village. He had another thought as well: ’If it weren’t for Juhua’s recipes, my restaurant wouldn’t be this popular. For that reason alone, I have to help them more.’

Since Fang Jingyu was now invested in what Zhang Huai was saying, he began to consider it more seriously and asked, "Your village can’t raise that many pigs, so the supply of this sausage is limited. It won’t be easy to scale up the business."

Zhang Huai smiled a little sheepishly. "We’re not businessmen, after all, so it’s not like we can easily run a large-scale operation. Many people will surely start copying this sausage in the future; we can’t monopolize it forever. The only thing we can maintain is our unique flavor, because this pork can’t be replaced by any other. We have other products, too. Even though they might be produced elsewhere, we can guarantee that what comes from Little Qing Mountain is unlike any other."

Fang Jingyu’s interest was piqued upon hearing this. He whispered a few words to Chen Yu, who nodded in response.

Having heard Zhang Huai mention Little Qing Mountain more than once, Fang Jingyu couldn’t help but ask, "Is Little Qing Mountain very beautiful? It seems you use ’Qingshan’ as the brand for all your products!"

Zhang Huai smiled. "Little Qing Mountain is very beautiful. I don’t even need to mention spring and summer, when the mountains are covered in trees, flowers, and grass—it’s naturally beautiful then. In the autumn, the mountains are full of oak trees, and their leaves slowly turn red. It’s a gorgeous, multicolored sight. Even the fields at the foot of the mountain are filled with wild chrysanthemums, which look stunning against the red leaves on the mountain."

He hadn’t read many books, so he didn’t use any particularly eloquent or precise words to describe it, relying instead on simple phrases like "very beautiful" and "looks stunning." But as he spoke, his face was wreathed in a smile, his eyes filled with longing and nostalgia, as if he were lost in a memory. His voice softened, causing everyone listening to feel that same sense of yearning.

Chen Yu looked at the young man and, for some reason, was reminded of Juhua—that pockmarked, ugly girl who always covered her face. ’She must be the one who made this sausage,’ he thought. ’She truly has a sharp and clever mind.’

After the meal, Chen Yu followed Old Mr. Fang’s instructions and asked Zhang Huai and Li Changyu to stay behind.

Fang Jingyu looked at Zhang Huai, who was seated before him, and asked, "Let me hear what you meant when you said you can’t monopolize this sausage forever. Are you planning to sell the secret recipe?"

Once again, Zhang Huai was filled with admiration for Juhua. ’She worried that once the sausage became famous, others would covet it. So she planned to sell the recipe at the right time, which would both mitigate the risk and earn them a sum of money.’

Li Changyu was clearly unaware of this plan. He looked at Huai Zi in confusion. ’Was this something Qingmu and Juhua instructed him to do?’

A sense of disappointment and regret washed over him. The three of them had grown up together, working in perfect harmony. He, on the other hand, had to go to the Zheng family’s house just to ask for their ideas, only to be warned repeatedly, as if he were some petty person who would betray his friends for profit. It seemed even Juhua didn’t fully trust him.

’How ridiculous of me to wonder if Juhua would even be willing to marry Huai Zi,’ he thought. ’Looking at things now, is there any doubt?’