Successful comeback
The princess was wealthy and generous, and since she was satisfied, she naturally wouldn't just reward her with one poem.
After she finished writing, she simply gestured to the maid beside her with her eyes. The maid immediately stepped forward, grabbed a handful of golden melon seeds from a small jade box, put them in a handkerchief, and handed them to Pei Qingwu: "Master Pei, you have worked hard to organize the Spring Festival banquet. This is a tea party that our Highness invites you to have some tea."
Pei Qingwu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Golden melon seeds! Gold! A handful!
In the eyes of the princess and her personal maid, it was just a casual "tea-drinking" affair, much like how she could casually order a cheap, low-quality cotton T-shirt for 9.9 yuan on a cheap online marketplace in modern times.
No, if it were the end of the month and living expenses were tight, she wouldn't be willing to spend 9.9 yuan.
"This humble servant thanks Your Highness for your great kindness!" Pei Qingwu bowed again. At this moment, in her eyes, Princess Shouchun was no longer a princess, but a walking god of wealth.
The princess smiled slightly and raised her hand demurely: "I really like Master Pei's pastries. I hope that Master Pei can make some fresh ones and send them over when he has time in the future."
"Of course, Your Highness will obey your orders."
On the way back, Pei Qingwu nestled in the princess's carriage, turning the handful of golden melon seeds over and over, unable to count them all. He tried several times but kept getting confused, so he simply picked up a larger one, popped it into his mouth, and took a bite—
Wow, it's real gold!
I'm rich! I'm rich! Hahahaha...
Pei Qingwu was inwardly laughing wildly. The dog secretly stuffed the golden melon seeds into the pouch it carried with it and pressed it tightly to its heart, like a little hamster that had finally stocked up on enough food.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop in front of the Sushan market, Pei Qingwu, having already tipped the driver, hurried into the courtyard. Yin Lan, who was sweeping snow, saw her walking excitedly and immediately guessed what was going on: "Master, the princess means..."
"The princess really liked our pastries and said she would make them for her often. Also, she rewarded us with a poem!" Pei Qingwu happily unfolded the paper in his arms. This royal calligraphy immediately attracted the attention of the other three.
The ink flowed freely, and the princess's handwriting was exquisitely beautiful, like a magnolia blossom just beginning to bloom. With each stroke, there was both the gentleness and elegance of a woman and the dignified bearing of an empress. Every stroke was just right, like silver hooks and iron strokes, clean and crisp. The strength at the turns was subtle, yet it revealed strength and vigor everywhere.
The arrangement is also well-balanced, like pearls scattered on a jade plate, with an inner radiance.
Of the three, only Qian Tao had studied calligraphy, but even though the other two were not well-versed in it, they could still see that the work was extraordinary and found it extremely pleasing to the eye.
"Ah Heng, take this calligraphy out and find a master to frame it properly. Then hang it in the most conspicuous place in our shop so that everyone can see that even Princess Shouchun praised our Su Shan Xiao Ji pastries!"
Gu Heng replied, "Yes."
The poem, once displayed, became the best advertisement, and the rumors about Sushan Market were dispelled. Business at the shop began to pick up again.
Furthermore, although Young Master Cui was unhappy that Pei Qingwu had redeemed Qian Tao, there were still many girls in Zuiyue Tower. After listening to a few songs, he forgot about Qian Tao and didn't bother to cause trouble for Sushan Xiaoji.
With the gold bestowed by the princess, Pei Qingwu went to the brokers and not only bought the entire courtyard but also the back. The space became much more spacious, and Yin Lan and the others could move to the back, each with their own room, so it wouldn't be crowded anymore. The front street-facing shop was enlarged, and in addition to the counter, new tables and chairs were added, so they could have dine-in service from now on.
Looking at the brand-new storefront, Pei Qingwu was full of fighting spirit.
This is the An Ye Fang flagship store of Su Shan Xiao Ji. Once the brand is fully established and she has apprentices who are ready to graduate, she will open branches here and there. She wants to open branches all over Longyou Road, except for Qinzhou. Maybe she can even open one in Chang'an!
With the Lantern Festival fast approaching, Pei Qingwu decided to seize the opportunity to inquire about making and selling glutinous rice balls.
Eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls) during the Lantern Festival is a traditional custom. However, tangyuan only appeared in the Song Dynasty, and the custom was only established in the Ming Dynasty. Pei Qingwu was just being opportunistic once again.
Without hesitation, she got to work.
They bought a lot of glutinous rice flour and decided on three kinds of fillings: the most classic black sesame sugar filling, red bean paste filling, and jujube paste filling. While Qian Tao and Yin Lan kneaded the dough, wrapped the fillings, and rolled them into balls, Gu Heng chopped firewood on the side. Watching the snow-white dumplings rolling in the winnowing basket, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what's this new stuff?"
His employer seemed to have countless ideas in his head.
"This is called tangyuan. On the Lantern Festival, the moon is full over the world, which is a good day for family reunion. Eating these round tangyuan is a very auspicious way to celebrate!"
After finishing, she specially bought red paper, cut it into identical squares, and wrote "Reunion Snowball" on them. Then she put up a sign that read, "Sushan Market presents auspicious Lantern Festival treats, Princess's favorite 'Reunion Snowball,' three rare delicacies, limited quantity available!"
She deliberately didn't do much, focusing instead on creating a sense of scarcity.
On the day of the official sale, Pei Qingwu set up a small pot in the store to cook the dumplings on the spot. The boiling water was bubbling and the snow-white dumplings floated up and down. After they all floated to the surface, they were scooped into a celadon bowl and then a spoonful of golden osmanthus honey was poured on top. The steam was rising and the sweet aroma was overflowing.
The black sesame filling is rich and creamy, the red bean paste filling is refreshing and flavorful, and the jujube paste filling is smooth and sweet. The novel taste and auspicious meaning, coupled with the "Princess's Choice" brand name, immediately ignited a buying frenzy.
"Give me a bowl of black sesame!"
"Two bowls of red bean paste flavor, to go!"
"Oh, this chubby little thing is so adorable!"
A queue quickly formed in front of the shop. Yin Lan and the others were so busy that they barely had time to breathe. Pei Qingwu was overjoyed as he watched the copper coins keep coming in.
She has won this comeback battle.
While selling glutinous rice balls, Pei Qingwu thought of something else.
If you want your business to grow bigger and stronger, you need stable suppliers. Not only do you save costs by eliminating middlemen, but you can also ensure quality control.
Yin Lan and Qian Tao were quite capable of handling business on their own, and Pei Qingwu wanted to train them, so he handed over the business to them and took Gu Heng to visit a few fruit farmers in the suburbs of Qinzhou.
Growing fruit is a matter of luck; if the weather is unfavorable, the harvest for the whole year will be meager. Now that they hear Pei Qingwu is willing to pay to buy the fruit, no fruit farmer would be willing to do so, as it's at least a guaranteed income.
The fields were covered with a thin layer of snow in the winter, and the wind was biting. After working for most of the day, the two finally settled on a satisfactory business partner.
On the way back, it was almost dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the Qinzhou city wall with a warm gold, but the chill was even more biting.
Pei Qingwu's stomach growled a few times. She rubbed her frozen cheeks and smiled at Gu Heng, who was following her, "Aheng, are you starving? Come on, the boss will treat you to a hot meal to reward us!"
She skillfully led Gu Heng into a narrow alley in the west of the city, bustling with life. Several steaming food stalls stood at the entrance, their enticing aromas mingling with the crackling of burning firewood, instantly dispelling the chill.
Pei Qingwu headed straight for a soup noodle stall with billowing white steam. The stall owner was an old man with a ruddy complexion. Boiling water was bubbling in the pot in front of him. He skillfully threw the torn noodles into the boiling water. Next to him, another large pot was bubbling with a milky white soup. The rich and mellow aroma of mutton filled the air, making people's mouths water.
Nearby, there were several vendors dressed as non-Han people, grilling sizzling lamb ribs on iron griddles, the oil jumping on the flames and the aroma filling the air.
"Old man, two bowls of mutton stew! Extra meat, please!" Pei Qingwu called out crisply, then pointed to the grilling stall: "And two grilled lamb ribs, please!"
"Alright, my lady, please wait a moment."
The two sat down at the low wooden table of the stall, and soon, steaming hot mutton dumplings were served.
The thick, chewy noodles soaked up the rich, milky-white mutton broth, with tender mutton, bright green celery bits, and golden fat floating on the surface. Pei Qingwu couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks and take a sip of the delicious, piping hot soup. The rich aroma of mutton fat, mixed with the slight numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns and the spiciness of scallions and ginger, warmed him all the way to his stomach, instantly dispelling the chill.
The mutton melts in your mouth with no gamey taste, and the noodles are chewy and springy, coated in broth, making them incredibly delicious.
Gu Heng was also very engrossed in his meal. He used his small knife to cut the meat off the roasted lamb ribs. The ribs were roasted perfectly, with a crispy outer layer and rich, juicy meat inside, carrying the unique aroma of charcoal roasting. The simple seasoning of coarse salt and coriander was enough to bring out the most authentic freshness of the lamb.
He gave all the best meat to Pei Qingwu.
Pei Qingwu ate to his heart's content, and beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.
The sweet aroma of caramel wafted from the depths of the alley, and she followed it to buy two freshly baked giant sesame balls. They were golden and crispy, making a satisfying crunch with every bite. The sweetness of honey and the caramelized aroma of sesame blended together, making them the perfect dessert.
"Phew...that's what it means to come back to life!"
Pei Qingwu held the steaming hot mutton soup, and all the fatigue of the day seemed to melt away in the warmth of the bowl: "Aheng, what do you think it would taste like if our glutinous rice balls were served with this mutton soup?"
Gu Heng was slowly sipping the remaining mutton soup in his bowl when he heard this and almost choked. His expression was unusually complicated: "Master, perhaps we should skip it?" The scene was too beautiful to contemplate.
Pei Qingwu laughed heartily, pulled his coat tighter around himself, and stood up: "Let's go home! We still need to figure out the pork crackling filling tomorrow."
But at that moment, a heart-wrenching cry rang out.
Pei Qingwu paused in tying his cloak, looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a ragged man leading a little girl, limping forward.
The old man selling mutton dumplings sighed as he cleared away the dishes, "That scoundrel Sun must have gambled away a lot of money again and can't pay it back, so he's planning to sell his little girl..."
Clearly, everyone in the area knew this man. They looked at him and pointed at him, but Sun Laizi didn't care at all. He grabbed someone and asked, "Do you want her? This girl doesn't eat much. If you buy her, you can use her like crazy."
Seeing that no one paid any attention to him, he then cursed his daughter for being useless: "Useless slut! I can't even sell you. Otherwise, I'll have to send you to that bitch Xu at Zuiyue Tower so she can train you. When you're entertaining customers, don't forget to give your old man some money."
The little girl was about six or seven years old, but she was thin and small, like a reed. Her clothes were tattered, and her big eyes were filled with tears, but she dared not cry out. She just kept pleading with her so-called father: "Grandpa, please don't abandon me. I can work. I can mend your clothes and cook for you. I can wash clothes for Master Wang and get paid... Please don't sell me. When I'm older, I can find work, Grandpa..."
Sun Laizi ignored her and even roughly pulled her while cursing.
"Alas, what a miserable life. Back then, her parents practically knelt down and begged her, but that poor Jinniang insisted on marrying this scoundrel. He has no ambition, all he does is drink, and he's also addicted to gambling. He's already sold one woman, and now he's going to sell a second one. I think it won't be long before Jinniang is sold too."
"Jinniang can't be sold. Didn't she just give birth to a son? Even after giving birth to a son, this leper is still the same deadbeat."
“It’s no use. Even if she gives birth to a gold ingot, it won’t help. I’m afraid that Jinniang might get beaten to death by this leper one day.”
The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and Pei Qingwu, listening to it, was furious—he was actually a domestic abuser!
Just then, Sun Laizi impatiently raised his hand, ready to slap his daughter. Pei Qingwu could no longer hold back and shouted, "Aheng, break his arm!"
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