Chapter 239 A little gain Oolongs were catching butterflies in the bushes, and beavers were working hard to build their houses. Liang Qu stood by the pond looking at the beaver, thinking of the fat catfish that he couldn't move. The two water beasts he first controlled were also the most crucial step in helping him escape from poverty. From the moment he commanded the first water beast, he was destined to no longer have to go out fishing in a boat every day, which was a laborious task. Being able to control water beasts is actually the greatest help that Ze Ding has given him. To some extent, it is even more important than fusing with Ze Ling. Everyone is fairly allocated 24 hours a day. If you have to work twice as hard to catch up with others, it is equivalent to overdrawing other opportunity costs to barely achieve the status quo, and also pre-empting the possibility of further progress - because there is insufficient remaining time and energy. When we devote insufficient time and energy to a new round of resource competition, our disadvantages will be exacerbated. Your cleverness is not your ability, and my clumsiness is not my wish.

Many people make no progress in their lives, not because of their own talents, but because the disadvantages of their circumstances have accumulated to a point where they cannot be remedied. One step ahead leads to all steps, one step behind leads to all steps. When he came back from Fengbu County that day, there were four martial artists from Hebo who wanted to join him. Even though Liang Qu could no longer remember their names, he roughly understood the intentions of the four. He wanted to make up for his disadvantageous situation by building connections. There are too many people like this. Some people succeed, some people fail. Liangqu was lucky to open up another passage, making the journey easier and more comfortable. …… On the boat. The windows were wide open, and seven or eight ice platforms were bubbling with cold air, blocking out the heat waves from the river. On the nanmu table, the boiling red oil was emitting billowing hot steam. Everyone kept using their chopsticks, their faces turning red from the spicy taste. Today is June 30th, the day for a small meeting. Liang Qu got the hang of it after the first try, and boldly asked everyone to try his hot pot, and there were still all kinds of flavors. While discussing their June harvest and summing up their experiences, everyone tasted such a novel “hot stew” for the first time and enjoyed the meal with great enthusiasm. Ke Wenbin shouted: "I unilaterally announce that we will have hot pot at every monthly gathering. Who is in favor and who is against?" "I vote in favor!" Xiang Fangsu drank a mouthful of iced sour plum soup and exhaled deeply, "It's delicious. Was this 'hot pot' recipe thought up by Ah Shui alone?" "If Brother Xiang hasn't tasted the same thing somewhere else, this should be it." Liang Qu said with a smile. Ran Zhongshi exclaimed in amazement: "Brother Liang caught two followers of the Ghost Mother two days ago, but it was not as surprising as the soup I got today. I enjoyed it so much!"

"Speaking of this, I am really envious. That day, Xiang Fangsu and I went to the Great Lake to search for so long, but we only found a small base of the Ghost Mother Cult. I never thought that Brother Liang would run into two on the way. It was a great achievement for nothing." "It's not something to be envied. Being ambushed is much more dangerous than ambushing others." Ke Wenbin laughed: "That's true. I prefer to ambush others rather than be ambushed." Xu Yuelong picked up a piece of fish fillet and tasted it carefully, analyzing the flavor of the spices inside one by one. "I can taste a lot of spices, angelica root, licorice... Did you add tonics to the mushroom soup base? Wolfberry, red dates, codonopsis..." Liang Qu gave a thumbs up. "Brother Yue Long is amazing! He has a keen eye!" Warriors have a much better sense of taste than ordinary people, and all the children from noble families present here have been trained in this since childhood. Liang Qushang had studied medical skills and pharmacology in a clinic, so it was no problem for him to open a clinic to support himself. He could make a general analysis just by tasting the herbs. “A pot of soup isn’t cheap, is it?” Ran Zhongshi made a silent estimate. He was in charge of logistics, and he couldn't help but estimate the value of things he saw. There were many spices in Dashun, but they were not cheap enough to be bought casually in later generations. Just talking about the butter, ordinary people would not be willing to use such a big piece, let alone waste it after eating a whole pot. "Well, the total amount of ingredients for a pot of soup is about one tael and one qian." Spices and medicinal materials are inseparable, only the usage and preparation methods are different. Spices are as expensive as the medicinal materials. Liang Qu is willing to spend a lot of money on the ingredients for his own consumption, so the price is not cheap. If the current hot pot is really sold, it is actually a "rich man's" food. It is difficult to make a profit by opening a restaurant in Yixing Town. You have to open one in Pingyang County. Xiang Fangsu looked up from between the pots and bowls: "Have you ever thought about selling your son, Ah Shui?" "I've thought about it, but I haven't figured out how to sell it yet, and I don't have the time to find someone for it right now." Hot pot recipes are not something special, and warriors with a sensitive tongue can easily figure out the approximate ingredients. I'll try it myself, maybe I can make it taste better. Mainly better than novelty. Dashun was in a period of obvious rise, with a stable society, outward expansion, a surge in the variety of spices, and an endless stream of various delicacies. But for now, no one dares to try hot pot, a "spice master". It’s more like selling ideas than selling houses. "Sell it to me!" Xiang Fangsu put down his chopsticks. "My father loves food. He has a ranch in the north. He can't finish all the beef and mutton every year. He has seven restaurants in the imperial capital. Give me the recipe and let my father try it. I'm sure the business will be good." Ran Zhongshi and others nodded. Most of the meals for the last party were prepared by Xiang Fangsu, because he was the best at food.

Liang Qu hesitated for a moment and said, "That's fine, but how do you want to buy it, Brother Xiang?" "Brothers should not do business together. It will easily ruin our relationship. Let's not split the profits. It won't work out. We will both get tired of each other. You name a price and I will buy the recipe without any objection. If you can open your own shop in the future, you can use it, but don't sell it to others." Liang Qu thought about it and tentatively gave a number: "Five hundred taels?" Xiang Fangsu was stunned and he also hesitated. Make your own offer. If Liang Qu agrees, business will be booming in the future. There is no guarantee that there will be unhappiness and he will feel cheated. There is no problem if the other party makes the offer themselves. We are not children and can be responsible for ourselves. Even if we feel regretful, we will not create resentment. only…… Five hundred taels is too low. Xiang Fangsu said nothing, but just raised his hand upwards. "Then... one thousand taels?" Xiang Fangsu lifted it again. "Forehead……" …… At the pier, Liang Qu rubbed the thick paper banknotes in his arms with his fingertips, unable to believe it. Five thousand taels! He sold a hot pot recipe for five thousand taels! One idea is so profitable? The entire set of Thunder Seal Technique of the Intermediate Martial Arts is only three thousand four hundred taels. A hot pot recipe can more than buy a set of the Intermediate Martial Arts! Liang Qu suspected that he had opened up a new path - Dashun Xiaodangjia! By the way, he also has a recipe for fried chicken. I wonder if Xiang Fangsu would accept it? Liang Qu was very happy holding the huge sum of money. After the auction, his wallet was empty and he only had three hundred taels of silver in his possession. Now I am rich again, richer than ever before! Comfortable! Liang Qu took the reins handed to him by the servant and rode back home on Chishan Mountain. Pushing open the door and walking around the screen wall, there was still candlelight in the west wing. The old monk now works late into the night every day and seems to have forgotten the original purpose of coming to find the evil monk. As you hear the news, you can die in the evening. Or the Tao is more fascinating! The horse rein was handed to Fan Xinglai. Liang Qu was about to wash up and go to bed when the door of the west wing suddenly opened. The old monk crossed the threshold with his rosary in his hand and clasped his hands together. "Donor, after studying for many days, I have gained a little."

(End of this chapter)