Transmigrated To Ancient Time: Thrive With An Auction System!

Chapter 267: Sky-high Price Sauce ( 4 )

To avoid any trouble, Zhou Boming even asked the town guards to help them keep order. With the guards patrolling around the area, no one dared to cause trouble, and everything went smoothly.

Even with so much sauce, it only took them 40 minutes to sell everything. When the last customer left with half a jar of soy sauce, those who were unable to buy anything couldn’t help but complain.

Hearing this, Zhou Boming cupped his fists, bowed to them, and said, ”Apologies, everyone. It’s not that we are unwilling to stock more sauce. But the process of making these sauces takes months. We are really unable to produce more.”

After he said this, a middle-aged man frowned and said, ”Boss Zhou, I traveled from Luo City just to buy your sauce. Since you didn’t have enough stock, you should lower the purchase limit so everyone can get some.”

”I have wasted so much time and effort. How can I go back and report to my Master?” he asked with a hint of anger.

Although he couldn’t be blamed, Zhou Boming still nodded and replied, ”This is indeed my negligence. How about Steward Yang placing a deposit to ensure that you get some sauce next month?”

At first, the servants from other cities and towns were skeptical and thought that this was just a gimmick used by Zhou Boming to increase the reputation of his shop.

They never expected that the popularity of these sauces was so high that the line of people waiting when they arrived had reached several alleys.

Now that they ended up empty-handed, they could only listen to his suggestion and place the deposit.

Before they left, Zhou Zihong suddenly walked out from the back room and said, ”Father, the chili sauce has been delivered to the auction house. We can go over tomorrow.”

The moment he said this, a large group of people suddenly stopped and turned around. Meeting their gaze, Zhou Zihong took several steps back unconsciously.

”Young Master Zhou, what is this chili sauce you are talking about just now?” Steward Yang asked.

”Boss Zhou, did you obtain new sauce and want to auction it tomorrow?” another steward asked.

Facing their eager gazes, Zhou Boming remained calm and let out a sigh. ”This chili sauce is not mine. I was entrusted by the supplier to send it to the auction house.”

”I have never heard of this sauce. Boss Zhou, have you tried it yet?” a young man asked.

Just after he said this, Zhou Zihong quickly took out a small box from the back room and said, ”Father, this is a sample of the chili sauce.”

”The supplier said that this sauce is made of chili, garlic, onion, and vegetable oil. It’s spicy and savory. For those who have never tried it, it should be taken with caution since it could upset the stomach.”

When he heard this, Zhou Boming took the box, opened it, and took out a small earthen jar. This was actually a sample he prepared himself.

Yao Zhi gave him 400 jin of chili sauce, and he kept 350 jin, sending 50 jin to the auction house. He planned to auction off this sauce in 2 parts. The first auction would be used to spread the news and gather some reputation first. The second auction would be the real business.

Opening the lid, an aromatic fragrance with a strong, fermented, umami scent filled the air.

When they took a deep breath, they could smell a hint of smoky aroma. While the smell was strong, it was a balanced mix of pungent fermented beans and savory fried crisp, rather than just sharp heat.

Everyone’s eyes lit up instantly. Even before tasting the sauce, they knew that this was good stuff.

”Boss Zhou, can we have a taste of the sauce?” Steward Yang asked.

He was the steward from the Xie family of Luo City. This was the maternal family of the General’s wife, and most people would give him a face, including Zhou Boming.

Hearing his request, Zhou Boming asked his son to fetch a small spoon and take a little bit of chili sauce.

”Everyone, there is not much sauce in this jar, so I can’t let everyone taste it,” he said apologetically while handing the spoon to Steward Yang.

Everyone nodded in understanding and waited for Steward Yang’s assessment. He was someone who had tasted lots of delicacies as he worked for the wealthiest family. His judgment about food and materials rarely went wrong.

Steward Yang was pleased by his words and accepted the spoon. Looking at the reddish, oily chili sauce, he couldn’t help but salivate.

Most people used lard for cooking. While it was fragrant, lard would harden over time. This was the first time he had seen this kind of oil.

At first, he felt that Zhou Boming was stingy as he only gave him this small amount. But after he tasted the sauce, he couldn’t help but tear up and felt his mouth burning.

Although it was painful, he refused the water poured by Zhou Zihong and insisted on tasting the sauce carefully.

After the initial heat, he was finally able to taste the savory, salty, and moderately spicy flavors with a deep umami taste and a satisfyingly crunchy texture.

He even felt that it was smoky-sweet after a while. The more he tasted it, the more addictive he found it.

His eyes lit up, and he explained the taste to everyone. At the end of his explanation, he added, ”This is the best sauce I have ever tried.”

With such a high evaluation, everyone was eager to buy the sauce.

Noticing their intentions, Zhou Boming quickly said, ”Everyone, I only have this small jar. If you want to buy more sauce, please wait until tomorrow and bid for it at the auction house.”

The moment he said this, everyone realized that he was right. Those who worked for restaurants quickly took their leave and went to inform their Masters.

With such a delicious sauce, would they have to worry about not having delicious dishes in the future?