pdf-ebookys Chapter 88 Bargaining
Chapter 88 Bargaining
Dahei and Tian Xiaohu also gathered around, watching Li Mu's skillful movements. In no time, the fish was coated with flour, and Li Mu gently placed it into the oil pan.
As the oil temperature rises, the fish gradually turns golden and crispy, releasing an even richer aroma that permeates the entire kitchen.
Old Zhao, Dahei, and Tian Xiaohu all stared wide-eyed at the fish in the oil, afraid of missing any detail.
Seeing this, Li Mu said, "Don't worry, the best is yet to come."
As he spoke, he gently turned the fish with his chopsticks to ensure that each side was heated evenly.
In no time, the fish was fried until golden brown and crispy. Li Mu quickly scooped it out and placed it on a plate.
Next, he poured the prepared sweet and sour sauce evenly over the fish.
A delicious and visually appealing squirrel-shaped fish dish was once again presented to everyone.
The golden-brown fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, drizzled with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce that is incredibly fragrant. The patterns on the fish become even more three-dimensional after frying, resembling a lifelike squirrel, which is truly amazing.
Old Zhao was dumbfounded. He had never seen such exquisite dishes before. He couldn't help but reach out with his chopsticks, pick up a piece of fish, and put it in his mouth.
After a few chews, you'll find that the fish is tender and juicy, perfectly blended with the sweet and sour sauce, creating distinct layers of flavor that leave you wanting more.
He stared wide-eyed at Li Mu, his face full of disbelief, unable to believe that this was a dish he had made himself.
"This...this squirrel fish is absolutely amazing!" Old Zhao stammered, his chopsticks lingering in his hand for a long time.
Li Mu did it several times and was exhausted, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Dahei patted Li Mu on the shoulder and laughed loudly, "Haha, Muzi, look how surprised Old Zhao is! Your squirrel fish is absolutely amazing! From now on, our restaurant's business will depend on this dish!"
Old Zhao rubbed his hands, feeling embarrassed.
"Young man, do you have the recipe? Your squirrel fish is so delicious, could you give me the recipe? I'd like to learn how to make it so we can offer it at our restaurant in the future."
Li Mu, who wanted to establish his own reputation, readily agreed: "Master Zhao, you're too kind. Since you like it, I'm naturally willing to share the recipe. However, the key to making this squirrel fish lies in the knife skills and the control of the heat. You'll definitely be able to make it better than me after you've practiced a few times."
When Old Zhao heard that Li Mu was willing to share the recipe, he was overjoyed. He quickly took out paper and pen and carefully wrote down every step and key point that Li Mu mentioned. Then he pulled Li Mu aside and made him do it again.
After watching it once, and then twice, Lao Zhao was already able to skillfully make squirrel fish.
Li Mu had other matters to attend to, so he bid farewell to Da Hei. Da Hei personally saw him to the door, stuffing his basket full of freshly purchased ingredients, saying as he did so, "Mu Zi, if you don't have enough fish and vegetables to sell, come back to me! And that squirrel fish recipe of yours, take a look at it later..."
This was a test to gauge Li Mu's opinion; who wouldn't want to have a piece of something good all to themselves in their own shop? Da Hei knew perfectly well that a signature dish like the squirrel fish could attract a lot of customers.
Li Mu had his own plans, and they discussed them.
"Don't worry, Brother Hei, I'll tell Brother Jin and everyone else we met today that I don't plan to share the recipe for this squirrel fish for now. We'll talk about it later."
Dahei breathed a sigh of relief, then thought that squirrel fish wasn't a difficult dish to cook. Those who knew their stuff could figure out how to make it after eating it a few times.
Even if they try to hide it, it won't last long; it's only a temporary advantage.
"Okay! Come visit me again in a few days!"
"Alright, Blackie!"
Tian Xiaohu yawned: "Brother Mu, are we going back?"
"Let's go sell this bear pelt again."
"Shall we go to the Lakeside Hotel?"
At this time of year, they always managed to get a good price. The owner of the lakeside restaurant was a shrewd woman, but also very generous; she was never stingy with her price as long as the food was good.
Li Mu nodded: "No, let's go somewhere else. I heard that a new restaurant opened in the county town that specializes in buying wild game, and the prices are quite reasonable. Let's try it out there."
Tian Xiaohu rubbed his eyes, looking a little sleepy, and said, "Okay, Brother Mu, wherever you say we'll go, we'll go."
So the two of them, carrying empty fish baskets and bear skins, asked a few passersby for directions to the new restaurant.
Along the way, they walked through the bustling streets, bought two skewers of hawthorn-flavored candied hawthorns, and chatted as they walked towards the new restaurant.
"Brother Mu, do you think this new restaurant will accept our bear skins?" Tian Xiaohu asked, taking a bite of his candied hawthorn and speaking indistinctly.
"We'll see when we go. Let's try our luck first. If they don't accept it, we'll figure something out."
Li Mu appeared confident, believing that his bear pelt would fetch a good price.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the new restaurant. The restaurant was decorated in a classic style, and two large red lanterns hung at the entrance, making it look particularly festive.
It was still under renovation; the door wasn't open, but a sliver of light was leaking in.
Li Mu knocked gently on the door, and after a while, a young man wearing an apron poked his head out, looking at them with a puzzled expression.
"Who are you looking for?"
“We have some fresh bear skins here, and we’d like to sell them to your restaurant,” Li Mu said with a smile, handing over the bear skins he was holding.
Upon hearing this, the young waiter's eyes lit up, and he quickly opened the door to let them in.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go and call our manager."
A short while later, a slightly overweight, well-dressed middle-aged man walked over. He first looked at the bearskin and could tell at a touch that it was a good quality item. It was intact, without any damage, and the fur was bright and shiny. It was hung in the most conspicuous position in the restaurant lobby as the restaurant's prized possession.
"This bear pelt is nice, I'll take it. Name your price."
Li Mu already had a plan in mind: "Shopkeeper, you can give us whatever you think is fair. We're not greedy, we just want a fair price."
The shopkeeper was a shrewd businessman. He looked Li Mu and Tian Xiaohu up and down.
"Alright then, I see you're all honest people, so I won't take advantage of you. How about I give you two hundred for this bear pelt?"
"Two hundred?!" Tian Xiaohu had never seen such a low price before!
Li Mu stopped him.
"Brother, your price is a bit too low. Look at this bear pelt, the fur is bright and shiny, and it's in perfect condition. It's top-quality. Two hundred yuan seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it?"
The shopkeeper wasn't in a hurry when he heard this.
“Young man, your bearskin is indeed of good quality, but as you know, these days bearskins are rare, but not unheard of. My restaurant has just opened, so I don’t need bearskins much. Two hundred yuan is already a good price.”