What do rich people want? Isn’t it just novelty? These merchants use tofu to pry open the doors of the wealthy, and there are plenty of benefits! The main goal here isn’t to make money, but to build connections and relationships. It’s just like how, in later generations, luxury goods are sold at such high prices, yet countless people still flock to buy them. Some people aren’t after the product itself, but are willing to pay just for the prestige of owning a luxury item.

At this moment, a child ran out from the side. Upon seeing Andrew Bennett, he shouted, “The jinx is here, run!”

Several merchants, who had been thinking about how to use tofu to break into the high-end market, slowly turned to look at Andrew Bennett when they heard this.

The story about the jinx had already spread, but the details weren’t clear to outsiders yet.

So the jinx is actually this tofu maker, Andrew Bennett?

In an instant, the faces of several merchants turned deathly pale. One of them’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, crying, “I’m doomed today!”

Uh...

A few villagers watching the commotion from behind couldn’t help but shake their heads and sigh, thinking that Andrew Bennett, this jinx, really brings people bad luck. Who knows how unlucky these merchants will be when they go back.

Andrew Bennett knew that the reputation of being a jinx would gradually spread, eventually reaching Chang’an, so he remained calm and said, “Tofu will still be sold at this time tomorrow. Anyone interested can come.”

He turned and went inside. Several villagers quickly stepped aside, as if avoiding the plague.

David Clark followed behind with a basket, feeling utterly hopeless, and said in a low voice, “Ping’an, I’m afraid they won’t come back again?”

The tofu business was just getting started. If the merchants were too scared to come, how could they make money?

At this moment, what David Clark regretted most was that his cousin hadn’t sold the recipe. Now, if they wanted to sell it, no one would pay a high price.

Thinking that the Jia family’s plan to get rich was ruined, he couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

“Don’t worry about that.” Andrew Bennett’s tone was full of confidence.

To be honest, the business environment in the Tang Dynasty wasn’t great, at least not at this moment, and couldn’t compare to the Song Dynasty.

“What is a merchant?” Andrew Bennett hadn’t intended to say more, but remembering that in the four years since his parents passed away, it was his cousin who had always taken care of him—his only family—he decided to treat him differently.

“It’s someone who makes money,” David Clark said. Having lived in the countryside all his life, his knowledge was limited.

“If a business deal offers a fifty percent profit, merchants will dare to take risks. If there’s a one hundred percent profit, they’ll risk their heads for it...”

The idea that a jinx brings misfortune is just a vague concept, with no standard to measure it. For example, whether Old Jia brings bad luck to someone or not.

In this situation, if the merchants really backed off, that would be the strange thing.

He had knowledge spanning a thousand years, far beyond David Clark and those people, so he was full of confidence.

Village chief Brian Clark was taking care of his wife when a neighbor came in, excitedly saying, “The jinx, the jinx really is a jinx!”

Brian Clark was surprised. “What happened now?”

The neighbor said, “That Andrew Bennett, I don’t know what he did... tofu, apparently, and it actually attracted several merchants to buy. But when those merchants heard he was the jinx, their faces changed dramatically. Looks like he won’t be able to keep this business going.”

“Ah!” Brian Clark sighed, got up and left the room, saying, “I remember that year, a great scholar passed through our Yangjiawu. At the time, Andrew Bennett was preparing to go meet him, probably hoping for an opportunity. But as soon as he stepped out the door, he was chased by a dog and fled in a panic. By the time he got away and went out again, the scholar had already left. You see, this person not only brings bad luck to others, but also to himself. This... is normal.”

Everyone thought it was perfectly normal for the jinx to be so unlucky.

“It’s just that white jade tofu of his...”

The neighbor said regretfully, “He’ll probably have to sell the recipe. Last time someone offered five strings of cash, this time at most three. Andrew Bennett just isn’t destined to get rich!”

Brian Clark said, “Look at him. From birth, he’s been unlucky, bringing misfortune all the way, and nothing he does ever goes smoothly. How could someone like that ever get rich?”

...

“Cousin, buy twenty jin of soybeans.” When he got home, Andrew Bennett gave this instruction.

David Clark thought his cousin must have lost his mind, and couldn’t help reaching out to feel his forehead. “Aren’t you afraid those merchants won’t dare come back?”

“Just go.” Andrew Bennett thought of wheat rice and immediately got interested. “Cousin, buy some rice while you’re at it. Let’s make some white rice to eat.”

Just thinking about white rice, he couldn’t help himself.

David Clark might look small and thin, but he’s actually quite strong. Later, after buying the things, Andrew Bennett personally cooked, using a clay pot to make fried rice, which scared David Clark half to death.

“Ping’an, when did you learn to cook?”

After uncle and aunt passed away, it was always David Clark who took care of Andrew Bennett. When had Andrew Bennett ever cooked?

But now, this fried rice was so good he almost swallowed his tongue.

Yeah!

That was a question.

Andrew Bennett realized he’d overlooked this, but quickly came up with an excuse. “There’s a house of gold in books; books have everything. I’m just a genius at cooking.”