The first batch of high-yield artichokes were trial-planted on the dry fields of Zhang Cuiying's family, and Fan Li also went to check when the artichokes were harvested, and the two naturally knew each other, but they were not very familiar with each other, and most of the time Gu Yunji was in contact with them.

Seeing Fan Li, Zhang Cuiying was also stunned, and then quickly reacted, smiling at him: "Fan is good." ”

Gu Yunji stood up with a smile: "You came just in time, let me introduce you to a novel crop - chili peppers." ”

After listening to Gu Yunji's introduction and narration, Zhang Cuiying muttered: "Listen to what you mean, Lord Gu, do you want to promote chili peppers and artichokes in Xuzhou Mansion?" Master Gu rest assured, my family's fifty acres of dry land were originally won back by you, as long as you can use it, just ask. ”

"I can use it, but I won't use it for as much as I used to." Gu Yunji smiled meaningfully, and then said, "Zhang Cuiying, Fan Li, I have already thought about the promotion method of chili peppers - I want to do business with the two of you." ”

Zhang Cuiying and Fan Li were stunned: "Do business? ”

Gu Yunji said: "Yes, do business." Chili pepper is different from artichoke, it is not high-yielding, and it cannot be used as a staple food to satisfy the stomach, it is just a seasoning, if it is promoted by the government in various places like artichoke, the effect will definitely not be good. ”

"So I want to bypass the government, and in my own name Gu Yunji, I will open a chili product shop with you, and slowly radiate to Xuzhou Mansion and even further away through sales. This will not only help promote chili peppers, but also bring benefits to ourselves, which can be described as the best of both worlds. ”

Potatoes can be distributed free of charge and planted by the government in various parts of Xuzhou Prefecture because it is a staple food that can meet the basic survival needs of the people. And chili peppers are just condiments, even if they can bring fresh and spicy taste stimulation to eating, they can't fill their stomachs, and for those who can't even eat enough, it's a meaningless thing.

But Gu Yunji knows how much impact chili peppers will have on people's diets in the future, and in the history of his previous life, it was only after a long period of exploration and experimentation that he gradually developed a variety of ways to eat. Nowadays, if you want to speed up this process, in addition to government promotion, selling is the best way.

The market has a lot of vitality, and once a new hot spot appears, it can often quickly attract a large number of people to follow the trend, thus forming a popular craze. Gu Yunji can foresee that if chili peppers appear in the market and people's tables, they will soon become popular, which will lead to the prosperity of upstream and downstream industries and help further promote chili peppers.

On the other hand, Gu Yunji's choice to join in his personal name also learned the lessons of the last artichoke promotion, Yan Zhengqian and Chen Xunzhou are stubbornly conservative, and cooperating with them will only bring many obstacles, making things more and more complicated, it is better to bypass them and choose the more familiar Zhang Cuiying and Fan Li.

Fan Li was an experienced businessman, and he quickly figured out the joint behind this and Gu Yunji's intention to do this, and asked:

"Master Gu's proposal is indeed a feasible method, but what is our store going to sell? Do you sell chili directly? Although the people of Shuzhong are spicy, chili peppers are a novelty after all, and everyone has never seen them, and they don't know how to eat them, so they may not be willing to buy it. ”

Gu Yunji said: "Of course, we don't sell chili peppers directly, what we want to sell is 'chili products', that is, all kinds of things made from chili peppers, such as chili powder, chili oil, chili sauce and so on. And I think the first product we can launch is chili sauce, please take a look. ”

As he spoke, Gu Yunji took out a small clay pot the size of a palm, which contained a small half jar of oily chili sauce, and as soon as he opened it, he smelled a strong spicy aroma.

Gu Yunji introduced: "This is what I researched with my wife at home a few days ago, because there is not much left of the chili pepper, and the time is in a hurry, so it will only be made like this for the time being, if we want to open a store in the future, we can carefully improve it, and the taste will definitely be better." ”

Zhang Cuiying is an authentic Xuzhou native, with a common spicy preference of Shu people, and is a spicy lover like Fan Li. As soon as they saw this chili sauce, their eyes lit up at the same time, and they were hooked by the aroma, and they subconsciously swallowed their saliva.

Gu Yunji smiled when he saw this, called someone to bring chopsticks and a few boiled potatoes, and handed them to the two: "Chili sauce with artichoke, two of you to taste?" ”

The taste of boiled potatoes in white water is bland, and the chili sauce with heavy oil and salt neutralizes each other, which is just right. It's okay not to eat, as soon as the two of them eat it, they will eat the potatoes with chili sauce in three or two clicks, and they will reluctantly look at the rest of the chili sauce when they are done, if the potatoes have been eaten, I am afraid that even the soup and water in the jar can be scraped clean.

Fan Li licked his lips unsatisfactorily: "I only felt spicy enough when I ate raw chili peppers before, but I didn't expect that the taste would be so good after making chili sauce, and it directly turned the bland artichoke into a delicacy in the world, maybe it can be accompanied by artichoke in the future, so it will be better." ”

Gu Yunji said with a smile: "Chili sauce can not only be paired with artichoke, but also bibimbap and make food, there are many ways to eat, and it can be stored for a long time, it will not spoil in the short term, and it is suitable for sales as a commodity." ”

"Chili sauce uses a lot of salt, it just so happens that we have good well salt in Fushun County, Xuzhou Prefecture, the salt quality is pure, and it is best to make pickles. Pepper has been planted in the coastal Zhejiang area, we can buy directly, the raw materials for making chili sauce in the early stage are not worried, and the focus of the store is mainly on the development of chili products and the cultivation of improved varieties.

"Later, when the peppers are popularized, we can spread the planting technology, which will benefit the people on the one hand, and provide us with more abundant raw peppers. And ourselves, we only need to hold the recipe of chili products and the good varieties of chili peppers in our hands. ”

After speaking, Gu Yunji looked at Fan Li and Zhang Cuiying with a smile: "The above is my general idea, what do you two think?" Would you like to partner with me in this chili business? ”

For Zhang Cuiying, Gu Yunji is kind to her family, with broad vision and rich knowledge, and she will definitely do nothing wrong, so she agreed without hesitation: "Master Gu has a great cause, whether it is artichoke or chili, it is a good thing for the people and self-interest, and it is my honor to be able to contribute to it." ”

"Since my lord wants to do the chili business, I, Zhang Cuiying, will give my full support, as long as it is within my power, my lord will tell me."

Fan Li is a businessman, and when it comes to the business field he is good at, he naturally has to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. He has tasted the taste of chili sauce, and it is indeed a food that can cause popularity in the future, let alone in a spicy area like Xuzhou Prefecture, as long as they make it, they don't have to worry about not being able to sell it.

Moreover, as Gu Yunji said, the raw materials of chili peppers in the early stage can be purchased from the coast, and the salt can be used from Zigongjing salt produced in Fushun, and the conditions in all aspects are sufficient. The cost of investment at the beginning does not need to be too much, open a small shop first, and then expand production after business is good.

Besides, the five thousand taels of silver that were used to buy the good seeds of artichoke were all out, and it was not bad.

Thinking of this, Fan Li made up his mind and affirmed: "Master Gu, I, Fan Li, am willing to partner with you and Zhang Cuiying in the chili business." ”