It’s Becoming a Rumor
I got a message from the head chef asking what to do about the barley we had ordered.
Ah, that’s right, I had asked them to get some.
Looking at the barley, it was round with a groove down the middle.
I wondered what the difference was from the petit barley.
I decided to have them cook two types: one with two parts white rice to one part barley, and another with one part white rice to one part barley.
They’d probably need more water when cooking rice with barley.
I tried the finished rice, there was a bit of a pop to it, but it was a little hard. Maybe they didn’t use enough water.
Personally, two parts white rice to one part barley felt just right.
Next, to make fried rice, I had the chef beat some eggs and make scrambled eggs.
After taking the eggs out of the pan, they sautéed minced onion and meat, then mixed in the rice with barley, the scrambled eggs, and chicken broth from the Cocotte.
Mixing air into the rice removed the stickiness, though I couldn’t figure out how to explain it, so I gave up.
I tried it. The rice, which had been a bit firm, softened just right with the chicken broth—it was okay.
Not quite delicious, though. Probably lacking seasonings.
If I leave the fine adjustments to the chefs, it’ll surely taste better.
“Which ratio should we cook?”
“For the first batch, two parts white rice to one part barley. If we run low on white rice, then one-to-one.”
Hopefully, this will also increase how often people eat curry rice.
Since the original purpose was to stretch the white rice, this should work.
I’d like to make rice balls too, but we don’t have nori and there isn’t enough rice, so that will have to wait.
A paper wholesaler came by with a prototype.
It was a 3D container, similar to the fries packaging from my previous life.
“Ah, the paper’s thickness is different. Did you layer paper to make it thicker?”
“No, we had thick paper made in Ayns Village.”
I see... if you layer it, the extra effort would raise costs. Better to make thick paper from the start.
This is good, but…
“Should we make three sizes?”
I decided today’s prototype would be medium, and we needed small and large too.
S size should fit two or three Cocotte breaded chicken or fried pieces, and L size could be 1.5 times the medium. Some people want just a little, some want a lot.
“Indeed, having three quantity options would be good.”
“And also, make a takeout version that holds five medium prototypes together.”
I folded straw paper to explain a box with a lid, with cuts on the sides for the lid to fit securely.
“This is amazing. Just adding cuts keeps the lid from opening easily.”
“But we need to experiment to get the cuts just right, not too many, not too few.”
“This will be copied quickly.”
“That’s fine. Making thick paper in the first place is the hard part.”
“Please check with the merchants’ guild.”
“Reinhardt, I think you should confirm with the guild master.”
Rosa, who was sitting next to me looking at the prototype, agreed. She had wanted to stand behind the sofa, but I told her she needed to see the prototype up close, so she sat next to me.
“Alright, Rosa. Which products can we use this for?”
“For products where straw paper doesn’t work well, it seems suitable for all.”
“We’ll need to ask Ayns Village to expand pine cultivation.”
“They already started, but if the demand grows, supply might not keep up.”
“Initially, New Town won’t be crowded, right?”
They both shook their heads.
“People know the dishes from the exhibition, and those who visited the hot springs are telling others they want to go again. There are also rumors that Reinhardt is developing sweets we haven’t tried.”
“Where did that come from?”
“From some village.”
Savai Village, huh. We served dorayaki while expanding the petit barley fields.
The shop owner said they’d return when the prototype was ready.
“So the dorayaki we served in Savai Village is turning into a rumor…”
I muttered, leaning back in my chair in the administrative office.
“The dorayaki is delicious, unlike anything I’ve tasted. If Savai Village is suddenly expanding the petit barley fields, people nearby will definitely ask why.”
Savai Village is close to Zwei Town. Petit barley dishes have existed forever, but a sudden expansion would make people wonder what’s happening.
Wait, I promised the villagers a dorayaki festival if we harvest a lot in spring.
Will people come from Zwei Town too?
This is bad, I haven’t reported it yet.
“Rosa, what do you think would happen if we held a dorayaki festival in Savai Village?”
“Not as crowded as the exhibition, but people would rush in… Reinhardt?”
“I promised them. Only if we can produce a lot, though.”
“Have you reported this to your father?”
“… Not yet, I guess.”
Rosa immediately stood from her chair and pulled me toward my father’s study.
“Rosa, could you just report lightly to Father?”
“You’re not giving up easily.”
What do you think about this chapter?
