After sending Xiao Hua to kindergarten in the morning, Jiang Chan turned around and went back to the food factory. Recently, she had been researching some Western style pastries. Modern supermarkets were full of these kinds of desserts, and Jiang Chan wanted to try making them herself to see if she could pull it off.
She was now very proficient with all kinds of equipment. Working alone for over an hour, a sweet fragrance gradually spread through the workshop.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around Jiang Chan. From the machine, one white ball after another was produced. These were the dry eaten glutinous rice balls commonly seen in modern times, also known as mochi.
A layer of soybean powder was coated on the outside. Liu Yuan was quick to grab one. This had become his recent habit. As soon as Jiang Chan stepped into the workshop, Liu Yuan’s eyes would light up.
He knew that Jiang Chan would not be able to resist experimenting. Sure enough, after wandering around the workshop for a bit, he saw Jiang Chan tinkering with something. Now that he saw the finished product, just from the appearance alone, he knew it would not disappoint.
Snow white and visibly springy, it looked extremely appealing. Taking a bite revealed a peanut filling. It was cool in the mouth and not overly sweet at all. It was incredibly delicious.
“I got peanut filling.”
“I ate a sesame one.”
“Mine is red bean.”
“……”
Counting carefully, Jiang Chan had made eight different flavors. Liu Yuan’s small eyes instantly lit up. He rubbed his hands together. “Sister Jiang, this little ball…”
Jiang Chan picked one up and tasted it. “It’s still lacking. Not chewy enough. This is called dry eaten glutinous rice balls. Look, doesn’t it look similar to regular tangyuan?”
“Still lacking? I think the flavor is already very good.”
At some point, Chen Xiaopei had also slipped in and tasted one. Honestly speaking, this was something novel. She had never seen it before. Hearing Jiang Chan call it dry eaten glutinous rice balls, Chen Xiaopei immediately understood.
Once she spoke, everyone turned to look at her. After all, she was a new face. Jiang Chan, standing at the center of the crowd, glanced at Chen Xiaopei. Just that single glance was enough for Jiang Chan to take in her entire appearance.
A delicate oval face, willow leaf eyebrows, and refined features. Her clothing and styling were also very fashionable. With just that brief scan, Jiang Chan knew this woman was not ordinary.
To be honest, in this era, there were still very few people willing to be pioneers, especially women. Jiang Chan faintly saw the shadow of a strong woman in Chen Xiaopei, which stirred a bit of excitement in her.
Seeing everyone watching her, Chen Xiaopei remained completely composed. Under everyone’s gaze, she calmly finished eating the glutinous rice ball in her hand.
“This dry eaten glutinous rice ball is very good. Is there anything that still needs improvement?”
From Chen Xiaopei’s perspective, if this product was put on the market, it would definitely sell extremely well. She could also see clearly now that Jiang Chan was the core figure here.
“It’s not chewy enough and lacks bite. It still needs more research,” Jiang Chan said, pressing her lips together. She had a very picky palate and could detect even subtle differences.
If she had to rate it, she would give this dry eaten glutinous rice ball at most eighty points. To truly satisfy herself, she would need to refine it further.
Hearing Jiang Chan list flaw after flaw, everyone fell silent. Not everyone had such an abnormal sense of taste.
“Hello, my name is Chen Xiaopei. I am a sales representative from Xiangyang Company in the capital,” Chen Xiaopei said, taking out a business card from her bag and handing it to Jiang Chan with both hands.
Jiang Chan glanced at it, then passed it to Liu Yuan standing nearby.
“This is President Liu of Xinxin Food Factory. If you have any business, you can discuss it directly with President Liu.”
Seeing that Jiang Chan did not speak further, Liu Yuan’s sales manager quickly stepped in to keep the conversation going. Jiang Chan narrowed her eyes slightly. She had been thinking about going to the capital herself, and now Chen Xiaopei had delivered an opportunity right to her doorstep.
She had given serious thought to taking Xiao Hua to the capital. First, the medical standards there were definitely higher than here. Second, at this time, the capital was practically full of opportunities. She also wanted to see it for herself.
Lastly, the capital was far away. Even if Zhou Dayou’s family wanted to look for them, with such distance, they might not be able to find them.
“President Liu, hello. My hometown is in this province. I came back this year to spend the New Year. I normally work in the capital and travel around looking for good pastries…”
Jiang Chan followed behind Chen Xiaopei and Liu Yuan, thinking things through. As soon as she heard Chen Xiaopei’s intentions, Jiang Chan understood. In simple terms, Chen Xiaopei was aiming for the agency rights for Xinxin Food Factory in the capital.
Honestly, that was not a bad idea. Xinxin Food Factory’s products were indeed excellent. What they lacked now was exposure. If they could enter the capital, profits would surely follow.
But giving everything directly to Chen Xiaopei felt a bit too cheap. Why not go to the capital and open her own food trading company instead, one that specifically promoted Xinxin Food Factory’s products?
This thought suddenly surfaced in Jiang Chan’s mind. The more she considered it, the more feasible it seemed. She subtly tugged at Liu Yuan’s sleeve. Liu Yuan instantly understood. While Chen Xiaopei was drinking tea in the office, he asked Jiang Chan about it.
After Jiang Chan explained her idea, Liu Yuan thought it over and felt it was workable. However, he hesitated. “Master Jiang, once you go to the capital, who will hold things down here? You are our stabilizing pillar.”
Jiang Chan said helplessly, “Xiao Wu has learned almost everything and can handle things now. Whether I’m here or not does not make much difference.”
Liu Yuan still struggled. “But Xiao Wu can’t come up with new pastries. How does your mind come up with so many ideas?”
Jiang Chan immediately understood. She thought for a moment and said, “How about this. I’ll return to the factory once every two months. If anything comes up, you can contact me directly. I won’t hold anything back.”
Seeing that Jiang Chan’s attitude was firm, Liu Yuan stopped insisting. He had long sensed that Jiang Chan would not stay here forever. Xiao Hua’s face would eventually require seeking better medical treatment elsewhere.
Now that Jiang Chan promised she would still return regularly, Liu Yuan felt reassured. He could only hope that Xiao Wu truly had learned Jiang Chan’s skills as she said.
The company Jiang Chan planned to establish was essentially a trading company. It would serve as Xinxin Food Factory’s external front, although that front would be located quite far from the factory itself.
This company would mainly handle promoting Xinxin Food Factory’s pastries. Once orders were secured, they would be sent to the factory for production, and the finished goods would then be delivered to clients.
This was far better than handing over agency rights to Chen Xiaopei. Compared to Chen Xiaopei, Liu Yuan trusted Jiang Chan more. After all, Chen Xiaopei was an outsider, and she could not compare to Jiang Chan in that regard.
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Thanks for the chapter!