Chapter 405: Was a good opportunity
At first, Secondary Consort Hua wasn’t expecting Shi Qingluo to really come up with an idea.
Hence, she was stunned when she heard Shi Qingluo’s words.
“How do you improve the paper making process?” she asked curiously.
“By reducing the cost of making paper and also making paper with different quality and prices,” Shi Qingluo replied.
“If your paper workshop can produce paper that is much cheaper, I believe that it will not be a problem to sell in the entire Daliang.
“And after the paper workshop expands, we can open more related workshops.
“For example, a workshop to make oil-paper umbrellas. Oil-paper umbrellas are very expensive now. A common man can’t afford it at all. They all use straw capes and so on.
“When paper becomes cheap in the future, you can open a workshop to make oil-paper umbrellas. You can also make umbrellas with different selling prices.
“If the price of paper becomes cheaper, poor students or small families will be able to save a lot of money every year. They will even thank you, Secondary Consort Hua.
“Also, on subsequent rainy days, the passers-by on the streets of Northern City will all take out the oil-paper umbrellas and open them. It will be a beautiful scene.
“These umbrellas were all bought from your workshop. They will also thank Secondary Consort Hua. ”
After Secondary Consort Hua heard Shi Qingluo’s words, her originally calm heart could not help but stir.
Her highness had always wanted to win over scholars, and reducing the price of paper making was a good opportunity.
The paper in her workshop was cheaper than the ones outside, so there would naturally be more people buying it.
At the same time, she could make a lot of money.
There was also the oil-paper umbrella that Shi Qingluo had mentioned.
In the future, when it rained in Northern City, everyone would take out the oil-paper umbrella that she had made.
Just thinking about it gave her a sense of accomplishment.
Her eyes lit up as she looked at Shi Qingluo.
“No wonder they say that you’re a golden doll.
“As expected, you can make money with just a random idea.”
Shi Qingluo smiled. “You’re too kind, Secondary Consort Hua. I’m only doing my master a favor.”
“You know a lot of recipes?” Secondary Consort Hua asked again.
Shi Qingluo nodded. “Yeah, I know dozens of them.
“I’ve been eating in the restaurants in Northern City for the past few days, and I’ve felt that the dishes are too monotonous.
“If you can add some special dishes to your restaurant, I believe that your business will get better.
“When you’ve made a name for yourself in Northern City, you can train some chefs and open your restaurant in other cities or counties.
“Let more people taste different delicacies. Everyone will be grateful to you.”
The dishes at the northern border were too monotonous, and there were only a few varieties.
In this era, there were very few cooking styles.
Food was basically boiled or stewed, and there were very few stir-fried vegetables.
Hence, Shi Qingluo felt that it was necessary for King Jin to improve the dishes at the northern border.
She had asked Liang Youxiao and Xi Rui before if they wanted to set up a restaurant.
But neither of them was interested.
Bai Xu had been interested in opening a restaurant and had even taken a few recipes from her.
However, since he and his uncle started to return to the grassland to transport wool and sheep oil, he liked such business more as he found that it was more exciting.
It was also because Shi Qingluo heard that Secondary Consort Hua had a restaurant, so she said she had the recipe.
Of course, no matter if it was the recipe to improve paper making or food recipe, she could not give it to Secondary Consort Hua for free.
As long as she wasn’t stupid and wanted this to sustain, she wouldn’t want to take it for free.
Secondary Consort Hua thought to herself, no wonder my highness values Shi Qingluo so much. This girl is really amazing.
She only asked her what kind of shop she opened, and she actually talked about a recipe and even came up with an idea.
Secondary Consort Hua smiled affectionately and said, “This is a good deal!” I also think that the dishes in the restaurant are too few.”
She asked again, “Are you free tomorrow? How about we talk about it in detail?”
She had to first ask King Jin for his opinion on this matter, and she also had to ask how she was going to receive Shi Qingluo’s formula.
Shi Qingluo knew that Secondary Consort Hua could not make the real decision, so she nodded and said, ” If you are available, let’s find a place to talk tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Secondary Consort Hua chuckled.
She then mentioned the name of a teahouse and set a time with Shi Qingluo.
This teahouse was King Jin’s property, so it was not easy to leak out the matters discussed here.
The two of them talked and laughed for a long time, and they didn’t try to hide anything.
As a result, the madams and young ladies behind them all heard their conversation.
At the same time, they were extremely shocked.
They clearly did not expect that Shi Qingluo would really come up with a money-making idea just after Secondary Consort Hua mentioned it casually.
Not to mention Secondary Consort Hua, they also felt that if there was such a business opportunity, it would definitely make money.
In particular, improving the paper making process and lowering the price of paper would be greatly beneficial to her reputation.
No wonder Secondary Consort Hua was so polite to the county magistrate’s wife. If they were her, they would also be polite!
Of course, the people who were jealous of Shi Qingluo were even more jealous.
Shi Qingluo did not care about the attitudes of these madams and young ladies.
However, she was certain that after today’s incident, she would become famous in the upper-class circle of Northern City.
She could also guess why Secondary Consort Hua would ask her for an idea in front of these madams and young ladies.
Other than trying to rope her in, she also wanted these people to know.
Especially if she really agreed, it would also be a signal to the outside world that she was showing goodwill to King Jin’s manor.
King Jin might have another intention.
After the emperor’s informants found out, the emperor might be on guard against the couple or be angered.
Shi Qingluo realized that in the northern border, not only did she have to be on guard against falling into a trap, but she also had to deal with King Jin.
After that, she would probably have to deal with the other ladies and young ladies in the aristocratic families.
The purpose of the flower banquet had been achieved, and Secondary Consort Hua was in a good mood.
She also introduced Shi Qingluo and Xi Rong to the ladies of the aristocratic families in Northern City.
Most of these people were smart.
No matter what they thought in their hearts or how much they looked down on Shi Qingluo’s status as a village woman, they did not show it on their faces.
What surprised them once again was that no matter what topic they brought up, Shi Qingluo was able to respond.
When she talked to them, she was neither humble nor arrogant, and she didn’t deliberately show off, nor did it feel like she was non-existence.
In short, it was very comfortable to get along with her, and she didn’t seem like a village woman at all.
Because of this, their impression of Shi Qingluo changed again, and they valued her more.
Of course, there were also a few people who didn’t understand the twists and turns, or who always felt that their status was noble.
Their words carried a kind of haughty arrogance.
Naturally, Shi Qingluo wouldn’t stick her warm face to someone’s cold ass.
She couldn’t be bothered to deal with their cold and arrogant attitude.
Because of this, she had also left an impression of being bold and arrogant among many people.
Liu Ru also followed behind these madams.
Seeing how Shi Qingluo was able to win over Secondary Consort Hua, who was beaming with joy, and was able to talk and interact with the noble ladies with ease and skill, she could not help but admire Shi Qingluo.
It was no wonder that she had failed to seduce Xiao Hanzheng. With a wife like Shi Qingluo, other beautiful women would definitely not catch his eye.
What happened in the garden was also seen by those sitting in a pavilion on a rockery not far away.
