Xia Yan looked at Liu Mingyuan with a smile, her eyes gleaming with a sly light.
Upon hearing this, Liu Mingyuan's anger intensified. He abruptly flicked his sleeve and shouted sharply.
"Hmph! You swindlers and con artists, what good stuff can you sell if not talisman water?"
"Can you conjure food out of thin air?"
Xia Yan's smile grew even brighter, and she snapped her fingers, making a crisp sound.
"Hey, you're absolutely right!"
"What we're selling is grain!"
She paused, then added.
"Not only is there food, but also lots and lots of daily necessities!"
Liu Mingyuan was taken aback, then let out a sneer, his face full of disbelief and contempt.
Selling grain? With your abilities?
"Hmph! Even if you really have grain, you'll definitely take advantage of the disaster and sell it at exorbitant prices! You want to exploit the famine to plunder the hard-earned money of the people of Anping County!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Shuiyi stepped forward gracefully, her elegant face carrying a hint of solemnity.
"My lord, you are mistaken!"
Her voice was soft yet incredibly penetrating, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.
"Our Mountain Goddess is compassionate, and the supplies she brings will naturally benefit the people!"
Chen Shuiyi raised her voice slightly and announced loudly.
"Today, the fine white rice brought by our caravan is ten coins per bushel!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd erupted in uproar, hardly able to believe their ears!
Rice for ten coins a bushel? That's even cheaper than in a bumper harvest! In a bumper harvest, it costs twenty coins, let alone fine rice!
Chen Shuiyi smiled slightly and continued, her voice tinged with pride.
"And sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn—these are extremely high-yielding and rare crops—are even cheaper!"
"For just fifty coins, you can exchange it for a whole shi (a unit of dry measure)!"
"boom!"
The crowd erupted in uproar! Sweet potatoes and potatoes costing fifty coins per shi (a unit of dry measure)? What kind of concept is that?
That weighs over 100 pounds!
Chen Shuiyi raised her hand, signaling everyone to calm down, and her voice rang out again.
"and!"
"All devout followers of the Goddess who sincerely worship her will enjoy a limited-time 50% discount on all supplies purchased from our caravan today!"
"What? Half price?"
An old farmer gasped in surprise, his fingers trembling as he counted.
"Doesn't that mean rice only costs five coins a bushel?"
"Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn, only twenty-five coins a bushel?"
"Mountain Goddess! Is this true? Heaven has opened its eyes!"
"The Mountain Goddess has appeared! She has bestowed upon us the greatest blessings!"
Countless people were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes, and they surged toward the caravan, their enthusiasm almost overwhelming it.
"We are all devotees of the Goddess! We built a temple for her a long time ago! We go there to offer incense every day!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Our whole village are the most devout believers of the Goddess! We want to buy grain! We all want to buy it!"
Chen Shuiyi, still wearing a gentle smile, spoke loudly.
"Don't worry, everyone! There's plenty of food! We guarantee that every believer can buy some!"
She waved her hand behind her.
"Someone come here! Show the villagers of Anping County the wonderful things bestowed upon us by our Mountain Goddess!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen burly men stepped out of the caravan.
They slung heavy sacks over their shoulders and placed them easily at the front of the line.
A burlap sack was untied, and plump, round, and translucent white rice shimmered with an enticing luster in the sunlight.
"Fellow villagers, look at this rice! Every grain is plump and distinct! This is top-quality rice!"
Then, several more sacks were opened.
Potatoes, each about the size of a fist, with smooth skin.
There are also sweet potatoes of various shapes and colors, some red and some yellow.
And ears of corn, plump and golden, piled up into small mountains.
"And these too! Sweet potatoes! Potatoes! Corn!"
"This is all high-yield super grain! It can produce several thousand catties per mu!"
Meanwhile, some members of the caravan quickly set up several large pots and ovens.
Soon, an indescribable fragrance filled the air.
It has the unique caramelized sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes, the rustic aroma of roasted potatoes, and the refreshing sweetness of boiled corn.
When mixed together, it's so tempting that it makes your stomach rumble.
"Come on, folks! Come and have a taste!"
"These are all divine foods blessed by the Mountain Goddess. They are not only delicious, but also good for your health!"
Xia Yan also picked up a golden-brown, oily sweet potato with a smile, broke it open, and found it steaming hot and fragrant.
An elderly woman with gray hair and a thin frame walked over, trembling, supported by her granddaughter.
She took a small piece of steaming hot roasted sweet potato; the flesh was golden yellow and emitted an enticing sweet aroma.
The old woman carefully blew on it, then took a small bite.
The soft, sweet flavor instantly filled her mouth.
A warm current slid from my throat into my empty stomach, dispelling the hunger and cold of the past few days.
"Waaah..."
Large tears suddenly welled up in the old woman's cloudy eyes.
"It's sweet, it's sweet grain..."
She choked back tears, her voice hoarse, as if she wanted to swallow all the suffering she had endured these past days along with this sweet and sticky sweet potato.
"This old woman has never tasted anything so delicious in her entire life!"
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