As soon as Shen Youyou finished speaking, Xu Gang immediately understood her intention.
He was both the owner and the chef, with a natural sensitivity to flavors. Having just tasted her duck, he knew this dish would be a hit—especially with customers who enjoyed a drink. It was the perfect accompaniment.
Moreover, the partnership she proposed carried almost no risk for him. His eatery wouldn’t need to invest anything, yet they could have a one-of-a-kind signature dish.
After a moment’s thought, Xu Gang said,
“I’ll take four, you take six. If that works, we can let the customers try it for free today.”
At this, Mo Yan almost lost his temper. Four-tenths of the profit for just supplying the dish? He was about to argue when Shen Youyou stopped him.
She hadn’t expected haggling—her offer had already included some margin. Hearing Xu Gang’s suggestion, she quickly replied,
“All right, let’s meet halfway. Seven to me, three to you. If that works, it’s a deal.”
“Miss Shen, you’re decisive. Done. I’ll have the staff prepare samples for the customers shortly,” Xu Gang said.
He hadn’t expected that such a young girl could be so straightforward. He admired her bold, generous personality and was more than happy to cooperate with her.
“Well then, we’ll be on our way. I’ll return to town the day after tomorrow. If the customers like it, we’ll sign the formal agreement on the spot,” Shen Youyou said, standing to take her leave and bidding farewell to the Xu couple.
“No problem. It’s settled then,” Xu Gang replied politely, seeing them out.
Once they were gone, Shi Niang (Xu’s wife) said,
“Husband, this girl’s skills are really impressive. I think this duck will be loved by our customers. I personally enjoy the flavor very much.”
Xu Gang nodded in agreement. In their business, taste was everything—good food kept customers coming back.
He had been trying to develop new dishes himself, but none had quite met expectations.
Back in the main room, Xu Gang picked up a duck wing, inhaled its aroma, and took a careful bite. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t figure out the exact seasonings. He smiled, realizing why Miss Shen had claimed it was one-of-a-kind. Without the secret recipe, no one could reproduce it—not even him.
Taking the entire basket of duck, he went to the eatery to serve the customers at lunch, giving them free samples to gauge reactions.
Just as he stepped into the courtyard, a six-year-old girl ran up, shouting,
“Daddy, Daddy! Did you make something new and yummy? Niuniu wants some too!”
Shi Niang affectionately lifted the little girl and said gently,
“Niuniu, you want some? Wait a moment, I’ll give you a small portion. This meat is very tasty.”
Xu Gang also pinched his daughter’s chubby cheeks lovingly, following them into the eatery.
In the kitchen, he instructed the waiter to divide Shen Youyou’s ducks into small dishes—ten plates in total. One five-spice portion was reserved for his daughter, and the remaining nine were distributed among the customers outside.
Meanwhile, Shen Youyou felt relieved. She was confident this venture would succeed. From the expressions of Xu Gang and his wife when tasting the duck, it was clear.
People in this era enjoyed flavors similar to those of the future. Her duck would definitely be popular.
As they passed a stall, Mo Yan suddenly said,
“Wait for me a moment, I’m going to buy something.”
He ran to a nearby stall, and Shen Youyou saw it was selling candy. Sure enough, he returned shortly, looking a bit sheepish, and explained,
“I bought some candy for the three little ones at home. They’ve been craving it. Let’s head back.”
Shen Youyou hadn’t expected him to buy candy, especially since she knew Mo Yan was extremely poor.
She quickened her pace to catch up, asking,
“Where did you get the money?”
He explained,
“I caught a few snakes in the mountains before. The kids wouldn’t eat them, so I sold the snake bile to the clinic and the meat to a meat vendor. Made a little money. But after buying new clothes for Tuanzi and Yuanzu last time, I’m down to just a few copper coins.”
After saying this, he realized how meager it sounded—he used to be someone who spent lavishly. Life really had a way of humbling people.
Shen Youyou didn’t press further. She already knew snakes had value, but she was too squeamish to touch them anyway.
As they chatted, they returned to Shen Family Village.
By coincidence, they ran into Shen Dong, the second son of Shen Shan who always bullied her. Now ten years old, he was spoiled by the main branch of the family. Though he, like Shen Qiu, attended the academy in town, he was uneducated and mischievous. Yet Shen Lao Tai still believed he was a genius destined for greatness.
Shen Youyou, wanting to avoid trouble, tried to pass him by.
Shen Dong blocked her path, sneering,
“Hey, isn’t this big fool? Still alive, huh? Where have you been?”
Shen Youyou, exasperated, rolled her eyes. This brat was asking for a beating. She didn’t indulge him and immediately gave him a hard smack on the head. Shen Dong, shocked that this silly girl dared hit him, wailed loudly, sitting on the ground in mock outrage.
His cries brought Hu Shi, the matriarch of the main branch, running. Seeing his mother arrive, Shen Dong immediately complained,
“Mom! That idiot just hit me! You’ve got to get revenge!”
Hu Shi, furious at anyone hitting her precious son, recognized that it was the girl from the second branch she disliked most. She immediately raised her sleeve and grabbed a broom, ready to teach Shen Youyou a lesson.