lucky draw
As always, the princess loved the pastries Pei Qingwu made.
She is now in her second trimester, and her belly is showing; her round belly under her dress looks like a plump pomegranate.
"Your desserts are still the best; they really give me an appetite," the princess sighed, unconsciously touching her lower abdomen. "Sigh... this annoying little one, I wonder how much longer it will take before he comes out..."
“Pregnancy is inherently difficult for women, otherwise why would everyone say that mothers are the greatest?” Pei Qingwu said.
The princess nodded, absentmindedly fanning herself with her fan, her gaze drifting into the distance. She seemed to casually mention to Pei Qingwu, "Do you know that the Longyou army is short of food?"
Her husband, Wu Cheng, was in the army and at the front lines, so it was only natural that the princess was worried and concerned about him.
"I've heard that the guard Shi in my shop used to be in the Longyou army. He mentioned it to me."
"Sigh..." The princess sighed heavily, "Without provisions, the army can't fight. I really don't know what the person in charge of the army's provisions is doing..."
When it came to matters of the court, Pei Qingwu dared not interrupt and could only listen silently to what the princess had to say.
Several crabapple trees outside the window were in full bloom, their pink and white petals falling silently to the ground on the bluestone slabs in the gentle breeze.
"Some time ago, I sent someone to ask Cui Yanci, the military governor of Longyou, but he only knew how to make excuses and didn't tell me the truth."
The princess spoke, her face filled with unconcealed sorrow.
Pei Qingwu lowered his eyes to look at the Yue kiln celadon teacup on the table. The tea had cooled down, and the two tender leaves that had been floating there had quietly sunk to the bottom of the cup.
The delay in military supplies involved more than just the weather and bandits; it also involved a complex power struggle within the imperial court.
These are things that she, as the owner of a small pastry shop, shouldn't have heard about, much less asked about.
"Alright, alright, a few days ago, the palace bestowed some Shu brocade upon us, and I saw a piece with a beautiful sky-blue color after the rain." The princess suddenly changed the subject: "I'll give it to you."
As she spoke, she gave the maid a wink.
The maid understood, and soon a piece of shimmering brocade was presented.
Pei Qingwu hurriedly stood up to express his gratitude: "Your Highness's kindness is beyond my comprehension. I recently came up with a new dessert recipe, which uses sugarcane juice to balance the sourness of the original cherry piroue. It is very appetizing. Would you mind making it and sending it over tomorrow?"
A genuine smile finally appeared on the princess's face: "You're the only one who knows how to care for people."
It was already late afternoon when they left the princess's residence.
At this time, Qinzhou was bustling with activity, with wine flags waving and merchants hawking their wares. However, Pei Qingwu had no interest in lingering and went straight back to Sushan Market.
In the backyard of the shop, Shi Dayong had returned and was squatting by the well, scrubbing it.
Seeing Gu Heng step forward to help Pei Qingwu unload the food box, he immediately stood up and lowered his voice: "Master, I've found out some things."
The three entered the small tea room in the backyard. Gu Heng cleverly closed the door and stood guard under the eaves.
"The grain transport team wasn't stuck in the Qilian Mountains. It was after crossing the Qilian Mountains that they were spotted by Tibetan cavalry near the old fort of the Chishui Army." Shi Dayong said in a heavy tone, "The captain leading the team didn't dare to take any risks and has been staying in the fort for seven or eight days. The terrain there is open and easy to attack but difficult to defend. The Tibetans aren't launching a strong attack either. They're just holding out like this. They're clearly trying to cut off our army's lifeline."
Pei Qingwu's heart tightened: "From the old fortress of the Chishui Army to the Longyou camp, it would only take two or three days to travel at a fast pace, and there's no support?"
"They said they sent two groups of people, but the Tibetan squads intercepted them both. That place is now a thorn in our side; we can't remove it or move it." Shi Dayong sighed. "The imperial court's approval is delayed, and the military governor of Longyou doesn't dare to mobilize a large number of troops without the Ministry of War's document, for fear of falling into a trap."
A dilemma loomed before them. The grain transport team was nearby, yet seemed impossibly far away.
The army's food supplies were exhausted. If they were to wait another day, tens of thousands of soldiers would be guarding the border on empty stomachs.
“Zhao…” Pei Qingwu subconsciously wanted to ask how Zhao Xu was, but swallowed the words back.
However, even though it was fleeting, Gu Heng still managed to capture it, and his eyes darkened slightly.
She pondered for a moment, her gaze falling on the sky-blue Shu brocade that the princess had just bestowed upon her, and suddenly asked, "Brother Shi, if your brothers in the Longyou army were to guard the beacon towers on empty stomachs, how many days could they hold out?"
Shi Dayong was taken aback, then straightened his back: "Boss, as long as the soldiers of Longyou have a breath left, they will hold the position! But after all, people are made of iron and food is steel. They can't rely on just their breath for long, especially at night when it's cold and they have no food in their stomachs. I'm afraid more of them will freeze to death than die in battle."
Pei Qingwu couldn't say anything either, and could only pray that the crisis would pass quickly.
With Liang Jingshan exiled, the rumors were dispelled, and business at Sushan Market gradually improved. Pei Qingwu took the opportunity to launch a new promotional campaign and held a lucky draw.
Every customer who enters the shop can pick up a small ball with the prize number marked on it, based on the item purchased. They are guaranteed to win, although the prizes may vary.
The most popular prize is a participation prize, where you can take home a box of Yuxu cake for free. If you don't like it, you can exchange it for pine nut cake.
Then the third prize is a box of coral bead rouge, a jar of acacia honey, and a month's supply of free snacks.
Next up is the second prize, which includes a pair of Golden Begonia Pearl Flower Hairpins, a box of Princess-style Qiongying Snow Calyx Pastries, and a quarter's worth of free snacks.
Pei Qingwu pondered the highly anticipated grand prize for a long time.
I had originally planned to use the Shu brocade that the princess had bestowed upon me, but it was too flamboyant and eye-catching. Besides, I had only had it for a few days, and it would be too unseemly to give it away so soon.
Ultimately, Pei Qingwu decided to use a pair of Yue kiln secret-color porcelain lotus cups from the previous dynasty, along with a tea grinder set made in the same kiln.
That was her most treasured possession, acquired by chance, and she had always been reluctant to use it.
Even in this dynasty, celadon porcelain was priceless, an elegant object coveted by the literati. Add to that the year-round supply of pastries from Su Shan Xiao Ji, with both new and old items readily available, and it's hard not to be tempted.
The others gasped in astonishment: "Master, this prize is far too valuable."
"It has to be valuable to attract the attention of the whole city," Pei Qingwu said. "Thanks to Liang Jingshan, business has just started to pick up, so we need to strike while the iron is hot and completely bring back the popularity."
“Master is right. Then, what else do we need?” Wu Niang asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, which of you can invite a few familiar friends?"
I'm not sure if the ancients used this kind of marketing tactic, but such extravagance would always arouse suspicion, so they would need to hire a few shills to put on a show.
“I have some,” said Wu Niang. “When I helped my parents sell tofu pudding, I made many friends. I can invite them over.”
"Yes, that would be perfect."
Preparations for the event are in full swing.
Pei Qingwu personally commissioned someone to make a bamboo cage, inside which were placed several similarly sized, polished, and painted wooden balls.
The wooden balls are painted with different colors of paint, each corresponding to a different award.
The most common plain-colored balls were the most numerous and represented the participation prize; those dotted with vermilion red were the third prize; those depicting intertwined flowers and birds were the second prize; and the only one with auspicious cloud patterns outlined in gold paint represented the grand prize.
On the opening day, the area in front of Sushan Market was packed with people, creating a lively atmosphere.
A huge signboard prominently proclaims, "Gifts for entering the store, draw lots for colorful balls, and win a secret-color porcelain piece." The aroma of freshly baked pastries fills the air inside. In front of the counter stands an eye-catching bamboo woven ball cage, with a gold-lacquered cloud-patterned ball peeking out from among the many colorful balls, piquing everyone's curiosity.
Seeing that some people were indeed hesitant, Pei Qingwu gave Wu Niang a wink. Wu Niang understood and subtly waved to her friends who had arrived early in the crowd.
Her friend stepped forward and asked, "This time, as long as you buy some pastries, can you enter the lucky draw?"
"That's right, young lady. Come in and take a look; there's a discount on the snacks." Pei Qingwu greeted her with a smile.
"Hmm... could you pack me a box of dragon beard candy?"
"Alright." Pei Qingwu quickly packed up the snacks, handed them to her, and then led her to the bamboo basket: "Wife, try one."
When the girl reached her hand into the bamboo cage, the onlookers involuntarily held their breath, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to see.
She felt around inside the balls several times before finally finding one and taking it out.
It only depicts intertwined flowers and birds.
Pei Qingwu immediately chimed in, "Congratulations, young lady! This is second prize! Qiantao, quick, give the prize to this young lady."
Qiantao hurriedly brought over the box containing the prizes: "Congratulations, young lady, you've won the second prize, which includes a pair of Golden Begonia Pearl Flower Hairpins and a box of Qiongying Snow Calyx Pastries. If you want to eat pastries from Sushan Xiaoji within the next three months, feel free to come and pick them up."
Even the shill didn't expect to be so lucky. He was surprised for a moment, then opened the box and took out the hairpin.
This piece was specially ordered by Pei Qingwu from Jin Yuxuan, a famous jewelry store in Qinzhou, for this lucky draw event. It is made of pure gold and is exquisite and beautiful.
The hairpin head features a lifelike, openwork, intertwined crabapple blossom. The petals are layered and unfolded, thin as cicada wings, and shimmer in the sunlight. At the center of the flower are several tiny coral beads, each a deep red and glistening, reflecting the brilliant gold.
The most exquisite feature is the three delicate gold chain tassels hanging below the flower branches. At the end of each chain hangs an equally exquisite little gold bead. As the girl takes them out, the gold bead and the gold chain collide slightly, making a very subtle but crisp "rustling" sound. The tassels sway and shimmer.
A collective gasp immediately rose from the crowd.
Seeing the girl happily putting the hairpin on her head, they no longer suspected anything and hurried over, all saying they wanted to buy some snacks too.
"No rush, everyone gets one, let's take it one at a time," Pei Qingwu quickly said.
Before long, the snacks prepared for today were almost completely devoured.
Those who won the hairpin were naturally overjoyed, and those who won the rouge were also delighted, since a box of coral bead rouge was quite expensive and usually only the wealthy could afford it.
Those who only won the Jade Floss Cake could only lament their bad luck, unlike others.
However, the golden cloud-patterned ball was never drawn out.
Even after buying the prizes and participating in the raffle, some people refused to leave and stayed, curious about who would win the Yue kiln tea set.
Even Pei Qingwu himself was very curious.
A woman came over, bought two boxes of pastries, and then gestured to her maid to draw a prize.
The maid simply reached out and scooped out the gold-lacquered cloud-patterned ball.
A burst of envious cheers immediately erupted at the scene.
"Congratulations to this lady!" Pei Qingwu hurriedly stepped forward: "You've won our prize! Here, Qiantao, give this lady the tea set."
Qiantao carefully presented the set of celadon teaware.
Sunlight falls on the lotus-shaped cup, reflecting a bluish-green glaze. Where the glaze is thick, it resembles ink marks; where it is thin, it resembles spring water. It is warm, understated, and its brilliance is inherent.
The matching tea grinder was also from the same kiln, with a simple and unadorned shape and the same glaze.
As soon as the entire set of artifacts was unveiled, the surrounding noise instantly subsided, leaving only a collective gasp and suppressed amazement.
The rare brilliance of celadon porcelain is enough to take everyone's breath away.
The woman clearly recognized its value; a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes. She didn't say much, but simply nodded slightly, signaling the maid to take the brocade box.
Then, surrounded by countless envious glances, the master and servant quietly left the noisy crowd.
The excitement lasted all afternoon.
The question of who would acquire the secret-color porcelain flower became the latest topic of conversation in Qinzhou City, and the Sushan Market, once again bustling with customers, was no longer gloomy.
Pei Qingwu looked at the mostly empty counter and the gradually dispersing crowd outside the door, and felt a sense of peace.
The event was a great success; now you can continue operating with peace of mind.
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