northernbook Chapter 262 Desserts and Drinks
Chapter 262 Desserts and Drinks
Jiang Yu's route covered five counties around Hollandpur. Considering that they wouldn't have much time to stay in each place and would actually take more time to travel, Jiang Yu and Fan Qingyin decided to ride in a carriage pulled by the Aurora Sky Horse.
The openwork carriage was rearranged, making it warm and cozy inside. In addition, the Pegasus had a stable and gentle nature, and its flight speed was fast and smooth, so Jiang Yu and Fan Qingyin could get plenty of rest even during the journey.
There weren't many lords granted to the counties near Hollandpur. During Jiang Yu's trip, only two counties had lords stationed there, sent down from the capital, but they had been there for quite some time.
The remaining lords were all established local nobles.
When Jiang Yu first arrived in the territory, the two lords from the royal city sent gifts. However, they had no further contact afterward and never visited each other.
Jiang Yu and Fan Qingyin were traveling as lords and had important matters to attend to, so it was inappropriate for them to make a hasty visit or tour the place privately. Since they wanted to push the commercial reforms into the open, they still needed to meet with the person in charge face-to-face.
Therefore, before setting off, Jiang Yu sent people to deliver visiting cards to the local lords one by one, and explained in advance that he would not disturb them by staying at the lords' mansions, but would choose to stay at hotels or post stations on his own.
Jiang Yu's first stop was the county where Uncle John lived. Although it was adjacent to Hollandpool, pearl diving was not a major industry there.
When the empire divided its territory, it clearly defined the responsibilities of each county. If pearl mining were to be carried out in all coastal areas, it would inevitably lead to resource depletion.
Therefore, in the region centered on Holmpur, only Holmpur was granted the right to mine pearls, and in the entire Ocean Empire, only five counties in the northern part near the cold seas were qualified to mine pearls.
The pearls harvested from the waters surrounding Hollandpur are among the finest, and coupled with its unique transparent coral, it is an exceptionally wealthy territory despite its remote location.
The surrounding counties and prefectures mostly rely on fishing.
Uncle John's pastries are so delicious because his recipe includes a very rare type of caviar. The juice produced by crushing this caviar is not only not fishy or greasy, but also very sweet.
Thanks to Uncle John's improvements, it became an ultimate delicacy that no one else could replicate.
When Jiang Yu arrived, she discovered that Uncle John had taken over several houses in the area and expanded the dessert shop considerably.
He even placed tables and chairs along the narrow alley, turning it into an open-air café.
"After hearing about your idea of opening a chain store, I thought about it and realized that my main store can't be too shabby, so I decided to expand it a bit." Uncle John chuckled and brought out a lot of pretty little snacks.
"I see that your store has a very consistent style and looks very neat. Do you plan to continue the same style and color scheme for future chain stores?" Jiang Yu asked with some surprise.
"This was inspired by your concept of brand effect. My wife is very skilled in textiles and decorative arts, and her two husbands are very skilled in carpentry and wrought iron. So, together we decided on the style for our brand." Uncle John said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Both the lord and the divine messenger are scions of prominent families, and their aesthetic sense is top-notch. Please take a look and see if there's anything inappropriate."
“Very good. The abundance of fabrics can create a sense of warmth and belonging for diners, which complements the sweetness of the pastries perfectly.” Fan Qingyin said with a smile, without any airs. Compared to her previous indifferent and aloof demeanor, this is arguably Jiang Yu’s greatest influence on her.
"Since fabrics are used extensively, we must be careful about fire prevention. The shop must always have plenty of fire-fighting equipment, and all staff members must be safety conscious," Fan Qingyin earnestly instructed.
"Yes, yes, we will definitely pay extra attention." Uncle John quickly wrote it down.
Jiang Yu also added a word of advice: "Especially after you open chain stores, you can't always be there to watch over them. You must make sure to provide employees with all kinds of training, especially on food safety and other safety issues."
"Lord, messenger, thank you for coming to visit us in person. This is our new drink, made with seasonal fruits. Please have a taste." Uncle John's daughter, Katie, brought over two drinks.
“Last time I went to Hollandpur, I heard the lord praise her drinks. When I came back, I started to think about it and made quite a few drinks in my haphazard research. I thought that in the future, I would not only sell desserts, but also sell drinks along with them.”
"I'll bring you the menu of the desserts and drinks we have now in a moment." Uncle John was quite excited. He never expected that after so many years of silence, he would have the opportunity to make a name for himself again. He was full of energy and very happy.
In particular, he could feel that his family members were united as one, working together towards a common goal, a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.
"No need for that, we shouldn't interfere in your own business." Jiang Yu waved his hand with a smile. "But we just can't get enough of the snacks and drinks at Uncle's place. It seems we're in for a treat these next few days."
Katie looked at Jiang Yu, her eyes sparkling: "I'll be in charge of making drinks for the lord and the divine messenger. I promise every single one will be different!"
"Lord Jiangyu, you are truly the most beautiful and kindest noble lord I have ever met! I have told all my friends about you, and they are all very envious of me!" Katie was still a little girl, and she said whatever was on her mind.
Jiang Yu looked at the adorable little girl and felt an overwhelming fondness for her. "Then when Katie comes of age and participates in the partner selection event, let's choose a young man from Hollandpool too, so she can see me all the time!"
"Definitely!" the little girl agreed immediately. "Not only that, I also want to be stationed permanently at the Hollandpur branch. I want to live in Lord Jiangyu's territory forever!"
"Well, you little brat, don't you want your father and mother anymore?!" Uncle John shouted exaggeratedly, and everyone burst into laughter.
Getting back to the main point, Uncle John, true to his royal chef background, has retained his foresight despite years of seclusion. While expanding his business, he is also actively promoting it and connecting with local merchants.
He persuaded several big businessmen to join in, which created an opportunity for Jiang Yu to meet with them.
With Jiang Yu's sincere and detailed explanation, everyone felt completely at ease and immediately expressed their determination to fully cooperate and do their utmost to join Jiang Yu's business plan.
It can be said that Jiangyu's first stop was a great success.
Jiang Yu didn't stand on ceremony with Uncle John and stayed at his house. Uncle John felt much more proud that a dignified lord and her first husband were staying at the home of an unknown commoner like him.
When people are in high spirits, they can't help but sign up for a week-long discount event.
Jiang Yu secretly admired Uncle John, thinking to himself that he had a very sharp business mind.