Kevin Thompson looked at the old man, who seemed honest and sincere. Seeing someone of such advanced age still carrying a load and working hard to make a living, he felt a twinge of pity and wanted to help him. Smiling, he said, “Grandpa, would you like to make a bit more money?”

Well, isn’t that obvious? Who would ever complain about having too much money?

The old man’s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, “Young man, are you planning to buy a few more sesame cakes?”

Sweat! Buy more? Do you really think I have a death wish?

Kevin Thompson shook his head and said, “Even if I buy a few more of your cakes, that would only help you for a moment. If you want to keep this business going for the long run, the key lies in the cakes themselves.”

The old man saw that Kevin Thompson wasn’t planning to buy his cakes and looked disappointed, but after hearing the rest, he became puzzled and asked, “Young man, are you saying there’s something wrong with my cakes?”

“Not just something wrong—there’s a big problem.” Kevin Thompson first startled the old man, then continued, “To be honest, the taste of these cakes is really hard to swallow. So, if you want your business to thrive, you have to make some changes to your cakes.”

“Changes?” the old man asked in confusion.

“Exactly!”

Kevin Thompson nodded and smiled, “Let me guess how you make your cakes. You use cold water to mix the flour, then stir it with chopsticks. Once it’s evenly mixed, you knead it into dough, and finally, you put it straight into the oven to bake.”

After hearing this, the old man exclaimed in surprise, “Young man, does your family also sell sesame cakes?”

If I were selling cakes, would there still be a place for you?

Kevin Thompson broke out in a cold sweat and said, “Just tell me, am I right or not?”

The old man quickly nodded, “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, young man. That’s exactly how I do it.”

“That’s it.” Kevin Thompson nodded and said, “Using this method, the cakes turn out coarse and hard, making them difficult to eat. So, customers only come once and never return. That’s a big taboo in business, especially in the food industry. You have to attract customers with the taste of your food—that’s the most basic thing.”

The old man nodded and asked, “So, young man, how should I make these sesame cakes according to you?”

Kevin Thompson smiled slightly and said, “It’s very simple. First, you need to use warm water to mix the flour, and as you stir, slowly add water. This way, the dough will be softer. When there’s no dry flour left, knead it by hand into a soft dough. Remember, after kneading, let the dough rest in a warm place for a quarter of an hour before putting it in the oven to bake.”

By now, the old man had no doubts about Kevin Thompson’s words and hurriedly nodded, “Yes, yes, I’ve got it—use warm water to mix the flour, add water while stirring, and let it rest in a warm place for a quarter of an hour.”

Hey! This old man actually has a pretty good memory.

Kevin Thompson smiled slightly and continued, “But that’s just the basics. If you want everyone to come buy your sesame cakes, you need to make some cakes that are unique.”

Chapter 0010: Lao Gen’s Egg Pancake

“Unique cakes?” The old man looked at Kevin Thompson in confusion.

“Exactly!”

Kevin Thompson nodded and said, “You need to make a kind of cake that no one else can make.”

Speaking of cakes, by the time Kevin Thompson was twelve, he already knew how to make more than fifty different kinds of pancakes. He originally wanted to teach the old man some complicated and distinctive recipes, but he was worried the old man wouldn’t remember them.

What kind of cake is tasty, easy to make, and also inexpensive?

Kevin Thompson frowned in thought, then suddenly his eyes lit up. “Got it—scallion and egg pancake.”

“Scallion and egg pancake?” the old man asked in surprise.

Kevin Thompson replied with a “mm.” This scallion and egg pancake was his favorite breakfast as a child—suitable for all ages, very easy to make, and most importantly, in this Northern Song era, scallion and egg pancakes didn’t exist yet.

Then Kevin Thompson explained in detail to the old man how to make the scallion and egg pancake, along with some key tips.

After listening, the old man’s face first showed joy, but then he became a bit troubled and said, “Young man, you don’t know—these sesame cakes barely make any money as it is. If I add eggs, I’m afraid—!”

This old man really doesn’t know how to adapt. Kevin Thompson smiled wryly and said, “That’s the simplest part. Just raise the price a bit. There’s no price bureau here anyway, so you set the price. As long as your cakes taste good, you won’t have to worry about customers. Oh, and let me remind you—your cakes are too thick. Even if they taste good, people get full after one and can’t eat more even if they want to. So, make the cakes thinner and a bit bigger, so they look appealing. That way, not only are they easier to eat, but you’ll earn at least several times more than you do now.”

With just a little guidance from Kevin Thompson, the old man immediately understood a lot, nodding and smiling, “Young man, I know what to do now. Thank you so much.”

Kevin Thompson sighed, “Actually, when it comes to business, in the end, you have to rely on your own practice and understanding. Take hawking, for example—there are a lot of tricks to it as well.”

The old man asked in surprise, “There are tricks to hawking too?”

“Of course. Do you know what brand effect is?” Kevin Thompson asked.

The old man shook his head blankly. He wasn’t a time traveler, so how could he know about brand effect?