The other two looked at Ye Liu.

He shook his head, "I believe I have to disappoint you, my good man. We don't."

The shopkeeper let out a regretful sigh, then Ye Liu spoke again.

"But we do have a large amount of dried bamboo shoots in stock. It makes for easy transportation. If you want some, we can still work together.

"Stripped of their astringent elements and left to dry, they are just as good as the fresh ones, maybe even better. I brought a few jins over. You can try them first before making a decision."

He brandished a smile, like a sly fox waiting for its prey to surrender.

Li Wazi went to get the sack of dried bamboo shoots.

He and Ye Mo had been clueless when Ye Liu told them to bring it along. They thought Ye Liu would only begin selling them when they had completely run out of bamboo shoots.

"Alright, since you said so, I'll have to believe you," the shopkeeper said, overjoyed.

Li Wazi brought the sack inside, opened it, and got a handful of dried bamboo shoots, "Here, steep these in water for a while, allow them to swell then they're ready for frying. Braising them is tasty too."

He gave an honest introduction.

When the shopkeeper saw it, he immediately asked his kitchen staff to bring them to the back kitchen.

"So, how much do the dried bamboo shoots cost?" he asked Ye Liu.

He dared not believe it would be sold at the same price as the regular ones. The shoots had gotten much lighter after they were dried.

Ye Liu had been waiting for this question. He smirked, "A good price, I must say. We're all pals here. We spent a lot of time preparing these dried ones, and they turned out pretty light. Ten wen per jin certainly wouldn't do."

"You can have them for thirty wen per jin, how about that?"

The shopkeeper furrowed his brow? Thirty wen per jin? That was too high!

He considered for a moment before saying, "Boss Ye, could you perhaps lower the price? If it's thirty wen per jin, how could I sell them?"

"My good man, these dried bamboo shoots that I'm selling you are a lot lighter now, but when they've been steeped in water, they turn out just fine! Also, they provide a much better taste. You could always hike up your prices a little."

He knew, that the dishes the shop made with bamboo shoots didn't come in great portions, but they were still expensive.

Even if he raised the prices for these dry bamboo shoots, there was no way the shopkeeper wouldn't do the same to his dishes. And they came with a unique flavour too, and the sales from bamboo shoots would increase the sales of other dishes, so how could he be losing business?

He knew Ye Liu probably wouldn't bring the price down, so the shopkeeper gritted his teeth and finally agreed.

A broad smile stretched across his face. Ye Liu said, "Alright, deal. The dried bamboo shoots I gave you just now can serve as a tester. They're yours for free!"

He had tried it out with sauteed meat. It had a peculiarly unique flavour compared to its fresh counterpart.

He was certain the dishes with dried bamboo shoots would be just as popular.

After their agreement, the three left the restaurant with their well-deserved income.

They went to the neighbouring villages to see how many bamboo shoots they could still buy.

They would have to stop after a few more days.

"Liu, after we finished selling the dried bamboo shoots, what's next?" Li Wazi asked.

Ye Mo thought, he would be free by then, so he would probably help Ye Yang with the farm work.

Ye Liu stroked his chin, "We could imitate the dried bamboo shoots by trying it with other dried vegetables. I haven't figured out which ones."