Chapter 555 - 294: Village Surrounds City
In the following days, both Hope Village and Zhou Bai were systematically improving themselves.
Meanwhile, as Hope Village quietly developed, its reputation exploded outward at an incredible pace.
For many merchant teams that brought goods back from Hope Village and sold them in their own territories were making a fortune. Such profitable matters always attracted eager interest. Now, more and more people were inquiring about the origins of these goods.
Even though the mercenaries who profited wanted to keep it a secret, they were not the only ones who had the opportunity to visit Hope Village.
Almost effortlessly, Hope Village entered the radar of many, becoming a hot topic among territory mercenaries and a "cornucopia" in their hands.
"What’s the story behind this Hope Village that has so many great items?"
"That’s right! And the prices are so cheap."
"Low prices mean low costs. If we learn how to make these items, there’s a lot of profit in it."
"Yeah! Is there a chance to get the recipes?"
"Er, well, I know that they make their culinary goods in front of you, using visible ingredients."
"Isn’t that..."
"You’re thinking too much. Take that hot and sour rice noodles, for example; when we see it, it’s already the finished product, and so are the seasoning ingredients. You can only get these items at Hope Village. If you want the authentic taste, you still have to spend your money there."
"So, if you buy the seasoning ingredients, can you make the hot and sour noodles?"
"Of course you can. Why do you think that new restaurant is so popular? They’ve bought a whole set of ingredients and even learned the technique of making hot and sour noodles. Although there’s a slight difference in taste, it’s... pretty delicious."
"What if everyone learns and comes back... will there still be business?"
"Well, Hope Village has more than just one product. If one is out there, just learn another, right?"
"Right!"
"But will Hope Village really reveal everything?"
"They will! The shops in Hope Village have started offering franchise stores. Hope Village’s is the number one head store, and then the store numbers are given out based on the order of franchises. As long as you’re a franchise, someone will teach you how to make it, step by step. Even if you can’t make it yourself, Hope Village will supply the finished products for you to sell. The price given to franchisees is unified, but how much you sell depends on the franchisees themselves. Anyway, there’s plenty of profit margin. Now I hear those shops are making a killing from the franchise fees!"
"The people in Hope Village are really amazing at doing business!"
"It’s pretty good, actually! It’s not like some nobles, who keep some precious items all to themselves in one store, charging scary high prices that ordinary people can’t afford."
"That’s true, and most importantly, for now, Hope Village is only targeting villages and territories of level three and below. They haven’t even reached the small towns and cities yet! There’s a lot of room there."
"I’m going to Hope Village right away."
"But this business isn’t for just anyone to do. You need money to franchise, to purchase goods, and also money to own a shop in your own territory."
"Let’s take it slow! Start with reselling first! And since we are a level three village, there are many level one and level two villages that don’t have Task Centers, and they can’t go to Hope Village. So we can get there first and dominate the market!"
"..."
Similar conversations could be heard in every corner of level-three villages. As the number of people getting rich from Hope Village increased, naturally, more and more people began to flock there. After raiding Hope Village for goods, they would center around their own territory to sell them in the neighboring lands.
Thus, the products from Hope Village gradually spread through the village-level territories and, without anyone realizing it, indirectly started to surround the towns and cities.
**
Outside the gates of Sorrel Town.
"Sour and spicy rice noodles, both sour and spicy, an addictive taste, just 10 copper coins a bowl."
"The hottest culinary delight from Hope Village, guaranteed to leave you craving more."
"Come get your fresh grilled skewers, vegetarian for 3 copper coins, meat for 5 copper coins, both cheap and delicious."
"Hot meat-stuffed buns, only 4 copper coins."
"Sweet and savory fruit tea, just 5 copper coins a glass."
"..."
The relentless cries of hawkers instantly attracted a slew of attention.
Many passersby promptly gathered around.
First, the food they described was something they had never tasted or drunk before, and second, the aroma of these dishes was so overpowering that one could catch a faint, seemingly elusive scent even from afar.
In such a scenario, it would be a lie to say anyone could resist checking it out.
And some, upon seeing the vendors, were slightly surprised, for these were all familiar faces.
They were the mercenaries from the villages surrounding Sorrel Town, often setting up stalls in Sorrel Town to earn extra money by selling cheap supplies, gathered materials, and sometimes precious equipment or ores that had fortuitously dropped from Demon Beasts.
As they frequented the town, the residents of Sorrel Town gradually came to recognize them.
Unexpectedly, they were now selling food instead of those items.
But it seemed pretty good.
"You guys switched to selling other stuff!" a mercenary said to the owner of the hot and sour noodle stall.
"Yes, the taste of these noodles is truly exceptional. Why not give it a try? It’s free if it’s not delicious," the noodle stall owner replied with a beaming smile, comfortably dealing with "regular customers". As for his latter comment, that was a line they learned at Hope Village, which they thought perfectly suited to welcome patrons.
Hearing that, the mercenary said with interest, "Well then, I definitely have to try it!"
"All righty, just wait a sec." The owner of the hot and sour noodle stall quickly got to work at his stand.
This opportunity also made everyone unconsciously start observing his cooking process.
They watched as he took out something resembling dried noodles from beneath his stall and tossed it into a steaming pot of boiling water. Then with a ladle full of holes, he scooped out the clump, hanging it to one side. After covering it with a lid, he took out a bamboo bowl.
Once the bamboo bowl was in his hand, he opened a wooden jar lid on the stall’s shelf, revealing a variety of seasonings inside, some powdered, some liquid. Each was taken by the spoonful—or half-spoonful—and added to the bowl, stirred, and then he uncovered the boiling water pot, pouring the steaming water into the bowl with a big spoon.
As soon as he finished pouring, a distinctive fragrance wafted into their nostrils.
Following that, the "noodles" were placed into the wooden bowl, and finally, a fork was taken out and handed to the mercenary who had bought the hot and sour noodles.
"There you go, give it a taste!" the noodle stall owner said with a grin.
On cue, the mercenary took the fork and started to eat.
The moment the "noodles" hit his mouth, he experienced the smooth texture and the spicy and sour flavor.
It was so delicious!
He felt it was the tastiest thing he had ever eaten in his life.
The next moment, he ate even more eagerly, finishing everything in just a few bites, even drinking all the soup without leaving a drop. Most importantly, after drinking the soup, he felt warm all over, as if he even broke a sweat.
Indeed, if one ate this bowl of noodles in cold weather, it would be utterly blissful.
He handed over 20 copper coins and said, "Another bowl, please."
"Sure thing," the noodle stall owner replied happily, not at all surprised by the mercenary’s reaction.
No one could resist the temptation of hot and sour noodles.
And the onlookers drawn by the commotion could tell from his reaction just how delicious the noodles were.
"One bowl for me."
"I want one, too."
"Count me in."
"..."
In no time, the entire stall became bustling with activity.
And it wasn’t just this stall—others were also surrounded by crowds.
In less than half a day, these few stalls had become the most popular in the market, with a constant stream of customers.
Naturally, such a scene caught the notice of some people in Sorrel Town.