Chapter 419 Yingcheng

Having decided to continue doing business in the capital, Lin Yuesha focused her attention on making money.

As the carriage passed through a town, Lin Yuesha wrote a long letter, truthfully relaying the information Ziyuan had given her. At the end, she comforted Jiang Baozhu, expressing her respect for Jiang Baozhu's wishes. She told her that if Jiang Baozhu found life in the border town boring, she could come to the capital to visit her, and that her family would also reserve a room for her.

After resolving a worry, Lin Yuesha continued to practice calligraphy every morning, jotting down her little ideas as she did so.

Among the stories Hongtao gave to Lin Yuesha was a travelogue about the capital city, which comprehensively introduced the local customs and culture of the capital.

To learn more about the capital, Lin Yuesha, Ziyuan, Doctor Yan, and Physician Liao chatted. All three had lived in the capital for quite some time. Yan Yan especially liked the snacks Lin Yuesha made and offered her opinion.

Opening a shop in the capital is different from opening one in the north. Peanuts that sell well in the north can also be sold in the capital, but they are time-consuming and laborious to preserve.

"The climate in the capital is different from that in the north. If it is the rainy season, the humidity is high, and the peanuts will soften overnight and lose their crispy texture."

Yan Yan doesn't know much about business and only talks about what she knows.

If peanuts are made fresh every day, unsold peanuts will be roasted a second time, wasting manpower, resources, and firewood, but the price will not increase, and the cost will increase significantly.

The young ladies from wealthy families are used to eating small snacks, valuing quality over quantity. They want something pretty and exquisite, and they don't mind if it's a bit pricey, since they're not short of money.

It's tough for ordinary people to do business; they need to accumulate wealth. Earning ten or eight coins a pound of peanuts is a small but steady way to make money. It's better to target a specific market and sell at a higher price.

"The capital city is divided into an inner city and an outer city. Within the inner city is the imperial city, where high-ranking officials and people of great status live, while the outer city is mostly inhabited by ordinary people."

Yan Yan's home was in the inner city, but it was still close to the city's edge. In the capital, one's residence symbolized one's status and position.

"Sister Yue Sha, after you arrive in the capital, you'll have to go to the Lin residence, right?"

Yan Yan looked at Lin Yuesha and drew a picture on the Xuan paper, explaining the layout of the capital city.

It takes at least two or three hours to travel from the inner city to the outer city, and it's inconvenient to manage shops located in the outer city.

"Sister Yan, I'm planning to open a pastry shop."

What Yan Yan said was exactly what Lin Yuesha was thinking, but since she hadn't gone to the capital, it was all just talk. However, even if it was just theoretical, Lin Yuesha still needed a plan and a general direction.

First of all, the shop needs to be located on a busy street. In the capital, land is extremely valuable, and any shop with a little reputation has a powerful backer. Whether she can rent a shop is the key.

There was a shop, and then manpower was purchased.

There are countless century-old brands in Beijing. Whether they are high-ranking officials or ordinary people, they are used to bringing a bag of pastries when visiting relatives and friends. As long as the taste is acceptable, a pastry shop can make a living and will not lose money.

Lin Yuesha's idea was to seek stability in the initial stage.

Although she knew a lot, Lin Yuesha wasn't particularly outstanding when it came to making traditional pastries. So she had to focus on Western-style modified desserts. Due to limited ingredients, she had to find substitutes for many of them, and the taste was definitely not as good as modern desserts. She wondered if wealthy people would accept them.

"Do you have the prescription?"

The small shops in the border town already had some very delicious snacks, and Yan Yan was pleasantly surprised to find that Lin Yuesha was also skilled at making pastries. It was like finding a treasure.

"It's not really a recipe; I just like to experiment."

Lin Yuesha clasped her hands together, feeling quite uncomfortable. Her parents and relatives assumed she had a talent for cooking and didn't suspect anything. Although she didn't need to explain these things to Yan Yan, she still felt a little guilty.

"Yes, you can definitely do it, Yue Sha."

Doctor Yan smiled and said, "Well then, we'll be resting at an inn in Yingcheng for a day the day after tomorrow. Why don't you give it a try?"

"good."

Lin Yuesha readily agreed, thinking that if she could buy the ingredients in Yingcheng, she could try it first. If the three of them, including Doctor Yan, found the taste unacceptable, she would give up the idea as soon as possible.

After traveling for several days, we finally arrived in Yingcheng a few days later.

The group found a clean and tidy-looking inn to rest and prepare to continue their journey early the next morning.

Lin Yuesha had previously promised Zhao Jingya that if she went to Yingcheng to visit Zhao Jingya's home, even though the time would be limited, she still brought white tea and Longjing tea with her, thinking that the two of them would rarely have the opportunity to meet in the future.

The Zhao residence is located on the main street of Yingcheng. Perhaps because it is near the sea, Yingcheng is not as hot as the surrounding areas. The wind is cool and refreshing, making people feel very comfortable.

Bai Cha gave a servant some copper coins to deliver a message, and someone quickly replied. Zhao Jingya came out to greet him.

"Sister Yue Sha, I never expected you would actually come to see me."

After a few days apart, Zhao Jingya looked haggard, and although she was smiling, her smile seemed forced.

Lin Yuesha guessed that all of this was related to Zhao Fendie's death. Not only did Li Ruoxue not suffer retribution, but she also married Bai Dingfeng unharmed.

Sometimes, learning the truth is cruel.

"I've come to see you, but I'm just passing through; I'm on my way to the capital."

Lin Yuesha had previously considered doing business in Yingcheng. She was delighted by Yingcheng's comfortable climate, clean and tidy streets, and abundance of seafood stalls selling fish and shrimp.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to take it with you. In this weather, it won't keep for long without crushed ice, and ice is too expensive.

Upon learning that Lin Yuesha would be leaving early the next morning, Zhao Jingya was very reluctant to part with her, but she knew that Lin Yuesha also had many things she couldn't control, and the two still had a lot in common.

Zhao Jingya remained silent about Zhao Fundie's death, and Lin Yuesha wisely avoided reopening old wounds. The two chatted idly, discussing the local customs and culture of Yingcheng.

"Sister Yue Sha, I remember you said you wanted some sea worms, do you still need them?"

The Zhao family had a villa right by the sea, where the sisters would occasionally get together and enjoy the fun of beachcombing.

Lin Yuesha was in a hurry and couldn't take too much with her, but she could keep razor clams and other shellfish in a basin of water for two or three days. If she wanted to take them with her, she could have a fresh bite.

"Yes, I want it! Where can I get it?"

Lin Yuesha immediately became excited, as this was her main purpose in persuading her mother and her entourage to stop in Yingcheng.

Sea cucumbers are highly nutritious and have a mild, nourishing effect. Eating them might be good for Dad's health. Food supplements are always much better than medicine supplements.

She planned to cook sea cucumber and millet porridge for her father. If Doctor Yan took his pulse and found it normal, it meant there was no conflict with the medicine, and he could continue to eat it. Although it couldn't cure his illness, it could at least improve his health.

Such a good thing was discarded after being given the name of a sea worm. Lin Yuesha was heartbroken!

She had considered starting a sea cucumber business, but the people weren't convinced, and the health benefits weren't something that could be seen in a short time. Instead of wasting time explaining, she figured it was better to let her family benefit first.