Chapter 139: Chili Futures
Young Master Zhu ate a few slices and put down his chopsticks. He took the handkerchief offered by his attendant to wipe his mouth and said, still savoring the flavor, "I can taste the Sichuan peppercorns and cumin in this pan-fried meat, but there must be something else."
He looked at Gu Fei. "What is it?"
Gu Fei smiled and took out a paper-wrapped packet of chili powder.
Young Master Zhu looked at the red powder in the paper packet. "This is it?"
Gu Fei nodded. "It’s a type of wild fruit I stumbled upon in the mountains near my hometown. It’s called a chili pepper. When it’s dried and ground into a powder, it looks like this."
Young Master Zhu rubbed his chin. "You went out of your way to make a plate of pan-fried meat for me just because you want to sell me your chili peppers?"
His family was in many businesses, and plenty of people sought him out all day long looking to do business.
That wasn’t actually Gu Fei’s intention. She was just thinking that if Young Master Zhu liked spicy food, she could give him some chili peppers to get on his good side. If she flattered him a little, maybe she could convince him to spare a few acres of his land for her.
But since Young Master Zhu had said it, Gu Fei went with the flow and nodded. "Chili peppers can be added to dishes to enhance their flavor. Dried chilies are a type of spice that can be added to many dishes, while fresh chilies are a vegetable that can also be used in cooking."
Young Master Zhu was already somewhat interested in these chili peppers, but he shook his head. "These chilies are good, but the palates in the Jiangnan region are accustomed to milder flavors. I’m afraid not many people would like them."
Gu Fei smiled. ’It’s true that people in Jiangnan prefer milder flavors—it was the same in my past life. But does that mean they don’t eat barbecue? Or hot pot?’
’What barbecue or hot pot place doesn’t use chili peppers?’
Gu Fei smiled. "It’s true that some people don’t eat chili, but those who like it will only find it more and more addictive."
"Besides, there are so many dishes you can make with chili."
"You can make Kung Pao Chicken, Hot and Sour Soup, Steamed Fish Head with Diced Chili, Spicy Crab, Spicy Cabbage, Stir-fried Pork with Chili—"
Gu Fei was about to continue, but Young Master Zhu felt his mouth starting to water uncontrollably.
"Stop, stop! You know how to make all these dishes?"
Gu Fei nodded. "Of course. Not only can you eat chilies fresh or dried, but you can also make them into chili sauce. And there are many kinds of chili sauce. In short, there are just too many ways to eat chilies."
"You can even use chili water as a spray to ward off wolves—" Gu Fei got carried away and couldn’t stop herself. She gave a light cough. "Ahem, that’s not important."
Young Master Zhu sat up straighter. ’A slice of pan-fried meat seasoned with chili powder wasn’t enough to completely win me over, but if chili could be used in so many different ways, then it was worth considering.’
’Ping’an City was full of restaurants. To make big money, the most important thing was to have something unique!’
’The people of Jiangnan had mild palates, but Ping’an City was teeming with merchants from out of town. If I could accept this flavor, surely others could too.’
’His family’s restaurant had been languishing for the past year. Perhaps this was an opportunity.’
He slowly nodded. "How much of this chili do you have? If I buy it from you, can you guarantee a supply for my restaurants?"
Gu Fei said, looking a bit sheepish, "Young Master Zhu, I only have about twenty catties of dried chilies on hand right now."
Young Master Zhu was greatly disappointed. "That’s it? That’ll only last a few days!"
’Gu Fei hadn’t originally planned on selling the chilies yet. After all, she hadn’t even planted them. What if the crop failed?’
’But she wanted this land so badly. It was only about half an hour’s journey from the city, which made everything convenient. Most importantly, Ping’an City was a massive consumer market.’
Gu Fei mustered her courage. "Although I only have this small amount of chili on hand now, I have seeds. I can plant them in the spring, and we’ll be able to harvest fresh chili peppers by next April or May."
"Once we have fresh chilies, we can make chili sauce and pickled chilies. Both are easy to store and preserve, and they’re very convenient to use."
Young Master Zhu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Next April or May?"
’That wasn’t too long. It was already mid-December, which was only about half a year away.’
Young Master Zhu unconsciously tapped on the armrest, his mind racing.