Chapter 81 Selling Medicinal Herbs to the Capital
Yuzhou is a mountainous region bordering the Five Ridges, a remote and uncivilized area with many bandits, making it a headache for the imperial court.
Naturally, it was also a place of demotion.
I heard that several county officials in Yuzhou were formerly high-ranking officials in the capital.
The Prince Cheng's Mansion is not yet fully repaired, and there is constant clanging and banging from morning till night.
Yao Shisan got up early in the morning.
She still needs to go and see what small businesses she can start in Yuzhou.
Yuzhou is very different from the capital, and also different from Jinzhou and Ningzhou.
Here you can also see elderly people wearing straw sandals, carrying fish on long shoulder poles and selling them along the street.
It was nothing like the prosperity of other prefectures and states.
Yao Shisan took Wen Xi out the door.
Since they are unfamiliar with the place and the people, Shuang'er and Fu'er can stay in the manor. Wen Xi knows martial arts, so it would be perfect for her to accompany them.
There were also many kinds of food they had never seen before by the roadside.
Unlike the flatbreads that are readily available in Beijing, the pastries here are mostly steamed.
The air was filled with the aroma of rice.
Next to the stall was a small stone mill. The stall owner and his wife would push the stone mill to crush the rice, which would then be collected in small bamboo urns.
The stall owner's wife then added brown sugar to the bamboo jar and steamed it in a steamer.
Seeing their curious eyes, the stall owner said, "This is steamed rice cake. It's soft, fluffy, and sweet. Would you two like to try some?"
"Two, please!"
The rice cake is soft and fluffy, unlike the caramelized aroma of Beijing sesame cakes.
The first taste is the aroma of rice, along with the sweetness of brown sugar.
It's very simple to make, but it's incredibly delicious!
Yao Shisan swallowed. She hadn't eaten well and had little appetite while traveling, but now that the rice cake was in her mouth, her appetite was suddenly awakened.
Wenxi was also eating something like this for the first time; it was sweet, soft, and melted in her mouth.
"Who says Yuzhou is a barbaric land? I think it's quite nice."
The stall owner could tell from their accents that they weren't from Yuzhou.
"Yuzhou has beautiful mountains and rivers, it's definitely a blessed land. It would be even better if there were a good official there!"
Wen Xi said, "Isn't Governor Zheng of Yuzhou good? I heard he was the top scholar in the imperial examination during the Yongfeng era."
Before the stall owner could speak, the customers eating rice cakes at the stall couldn't hold back any longer.
"What Governor Zheng? He's nothing but a coward!"
The people nearby burst into laughter.
“Our Lord Zheng is being coerced by bandits, and we need Lord Qin from Ding County, who is over fifty years old, to rescue him.”
Wen Xi then asked, "Is the Lord Qin of Ding County Qin Daolin from the capital?"
The man glanced at Wen Xi and said, "Your accent is somewhat similar to Lord Qin's. Are you both from the capital?"
Before Wen Xi could respond, he snorted coldly, "It must be that Prince Cheng's mansion! Go back and tell your damn prince and damn emperor..."
Yao Shisan was startled and grabbed Wen Xi, and ran away.
They were afraid that if they stayed any longer, they would say something outrageous.
Wenxi angrily shook off her hand, "Why are you pulling me? A man like him should be sent to His Highness!"
Yao Shisan comforted her, "Miss Wenxi, please calm down. He dared to say such treasonous things in broad daylight, which means that there are quite a few people who say the same thing."
"With Lord Zheng's inaction, bandits are rampant, and the people are suffering terribly. Naturally, they are dissatisfied with their superiors."
Wen Xi glanced at her sideways, "Madam Yao is quite insightful."
Yao Shisan pursed his lips. "I'm not insightful. I'm just an ordinary citizen now."
“I want to do business and trade. If bandits are rampant, my goods will not be able to get out, and I will suffer heavy losses. Naturally, I will also be dissatisfied with the officials of Yuzhou.”
Wenxi, "So what kind of business do you want to do?"
Yao Shisan shook his head. "I don't know yet."
Small-scale business is definitely not going to work; you couldn't earn back 20,000 taels in ten lifetimes.
The two arrived at the entrance of a pharmacy.
A skinny little boy came out cursing.
"My wild ginseng is so big, yet it only yielded ten taels!"
The pharmacy manager snorted, "Why don't you ask around? Everyone knows that Shanxiantang offers the fairest prices!"
Yao Shisan's gaze fell on the wild ginseng. What kind of shady shop is this? Such a big ginseng is only worth ten taels?!
If this were in the capital, how could you buy it for less than several hundred taels of silver!
She called out to him, "Little boy, how much is this ginseng?"
The child was thin, but full of energy.
Her eyes were bright and sparkling.
"One hundred taels!"
Before Yao Shisan could speak, the pharmacy manager sneered, "Didn't you just charge fifty taels? Now you've doubled it?"
The child snorted, "Just because you don't know its value doesn't mean I can't sell it to someone who does!!"
Wenxi now only has the impression of the people of Yuzhou as being arrogant and domineering.
She frowned and said, "You kid, the pharmacy sells it for fifty, but you only give us a hundred!"
Yao Shisan is now completely immersed in the joy of getting a bargain.
Even if this ginseng costs 100 taels, it will cost 500 taels in the capital, and you can make a profit of 400 taels just by reselling it!
"Kid, can you give me a discount? I'll buy it."
The child's eyes lit up. "Eighty, I'll give it to you for eighty."
Wen Xi frowned. "I'll give you thirty at most."
Yao Shisan glanced at her sideways, wondering when Wen Xi had become a shrewd businesswoman.
The child snorted, "I think you're just teasing me. If you're not going to buy it, don't stop me."
After saying that, he was about to leave.
"I'll buy it!"
Yao Shisan quickly took out his money.
Cash on delivery.
The child received the money and left happily.
She was delighted to have obtained the ginseng.
Only the pharmacy manager brought out a ginseng root of similar size.
“Madam, if you still need ginseng, I can sell it to you for eighty taels.”
Yao Shisan, “…”
Wenxi pulled her away.
“Madam Yao, when doing business, you should adapt to local conditions. Although ginseng is expensive in the capital, it will be much cheaper here.”
Yao Shisan's eyes were full of smiles, not because he felt he had been fooled by the child.
“Miss Wenxi, there are many mountains and medicinal herbs here. We can do business in medicinal herbs.”
Wenxi, "You want to sell medicinal herbs in the capital?"
Yao Shisan's mind was filled with images of making a lot of money in the future.
Wenxi nodded. "It wouldn't hurt to give it a try."
Seeing her delighted expression, he simply smiled and didn't say anything.
If the money she earned in the capital before was due to speculation and opportunism.
Now, we can truly see the cunning of merchants.
Back at the Prince Cheng's residence, Yao Shisan brought steamed rice cakes for Shuang'er and Fu'er.
The rice cakes were no longer warm from the stall.
Fu'er ate until her face was covered in food, her whole little face buried in the small bowl.
Yao Shisan said, "Next time I'll take you out with me. There's another kind of rice noodle, which is also soft and chewy, but it doesn't smell good when it's cold, so I didn't bring it."
Fu'er's eyes lit up. "Will it be eaten like chestnut cake?"
She pinched her daughter's cheek. "Yes, it tastes just as good!"
Shuang'er approached her mysteriously, "Several beauties entered the manor today, and then several local officials came, one of whom even dared to point at Your Highness's nose and curse."
Yao Shisan had a gut feeling that the person pointing at Xiao Shu and cursing must be Qin Daolin.
"That official was beaten by Prince Cheng?"
Shuang'er shook her head, "His Highness personally escorted it out."
Her eyebrows were slightly raised.
She suddenly realized that King Cheng being banished to a place like Yuzhou was not an expulsion.
Instead, it's like releasing a tiger back into the mountains.
In the afternoon, several beauties arrived at her courtyard.
Um?
This was delivered to the wrong place.
Chief Steward Qing said, "His Highness said that training new concubines is the Lady's duty."
She looked at his smile, and her lips trembled slightly.
She's just a fake wife!
They're already in Yuzhou and they still have to put on a show?!
The four beauties bowed gracefully, saying, "This servant greets Madam."
Yao Shisan closed his eyes; the creditor is the greatest.
He then asked, "Where are you all from?"
"This maid was recommended by Lord Zheng of the Prefectural Governor's Office. She was previously Qingwan from Wanyue Tower."
"This maid is from Yuzhou. She was recommended by Lord Zheng of the Prefectural Governor's Office. Her family makes a living by selling tofu."
“This maid is the daughter of the registrar of Jin County.”
“This maid is a fisherwoman from Ling County.”
Yao Shisan understood.
"Did you all come here voluntarily?"
The two standing in front remained silent, while the registrar's daughter and the fisherwoman behind them spoke up one after another.
"I don't want to!"
Especially the registrar's daughter, whose eyes were filled with tears.
"Please, madam, let me go back. I am already engaged and will be married next month. My father was forced by the county magistrate to send me here."
The fisherwoman's face was filled with hatred. "My brother died trying to save me, and his fate is still unknown. The corrupt officials in Ling County said that if I don't obey, my brother and mother will not survive!"
Yao Shisan nodded. "Shuang'er, take them both to find Wenxi."
Shuang'er led the two away.
The remaining two kept their heads down and remained silent.
Yao Shisan ignored them, saying, "The courtyard is only so big, go find a place to stay yourselves."
After saying that, he herded the two men into the courtyard.
This courtyard is one of only two courtyards that have been renovated. Although it is only half the size of the main courtyard, it has been fully furnished.
Qingwu glanced at the silent tofu seller, "They're stupid, but I'm not. Where can I compare to the Prince's mansion?"
Sang Qi, the tofu seller, remained silent.
She was forced into it.
The difference is that her parents also pressured her.
Qingwu chose a room with a good orientation, close to the main house, making it easier to observe when His Highness Prince Cheng would arrive.
Sangqi walked straight to the room in the far corner.
The next day.
Yao Shisan was still awake when he was startled awake by a scream.
The main courtyard isn't far from here; the sound seems to be coming from over there.
She put on her coat and went outside.
In the courtyard, Shuang'er, Wenxi, and Sangqi all looked like they hadn't woken up yet.
Only Qingwu was absent.
Is there anything else you don't understand?
Some people couldn't wait and delivered it to their door.
"She's really asking for trouble." She let out a long yawn, turned around, and went back into the house to catch up on her nap.
Sang Qi immediately noticed Madam Yao's slightly protruding belly.
She quickly went back inside.
Perhaps, they should surrender to Madam Yao.
That is the shortcut.
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