Chapter 38 The Coconuts Have Been Sold
Yuan Hongqu thought for a moment. At the banquet in Rongguo Mansion, a pigeon egg costs two taels of silver. This coconut is bigger than a pigeon egg. It's not too much for her to ask for one hundred taels each!
She set such an exorbitant price, never intending for it to actually sell.
"Write down 100 taels per piece. Everything in the shop is fixed price. It doesn't matter if there's no business," Yuan Hongqu instructed Wu Tian.
Although Wu Tian also felt that the item was too expensive, he did it because his employer said so.
Half a month later, Yuan Hongqu picked two more jackfruits and prepared to put them in the shop.
After all, it was a bit strange that she only had twelve coconuts in her shop and nothing else.
Fruits and vegetables like tomatoes that she usually takes out don't keep well, so Yuan Hongqu doesn't plan to put them in the shop for the time being.
She plans to build a greenhouse after she buys the land and grow some rare fruits and vegetables, and then use a small portion of them to supplement the shop.
Yuan Hongqu went around in a circle, entered through the back door, and then took the jackfruit, which was in a burlap sack, out of her space and placed it on the ground.
Then he called Wu Tian, who was at the front, to come and move the goods to the front.
Yuan Hongqu found it strange that Wu Tian did not respond after she called out twice.
She walked to the front and saw three or four people surrounding Wu Tian. Upon seeing Yuan Hongqu emerge from behind, Wu Tian cried out as if he had seen a savior:
"Master, you've finally arrived!"
Upon hearing this, one of them rolled his eyes, then went to Yuan Hongqu and bowed.
"Boss, do you still have any coconuts left in your shop? Could you spare two for us? We'll pay 120 taels each..."
"Bah! My family will contribute one hundred and fifty taels!" another steward-like figure shouted from the side.
Yuan Hongqu was completely bewildered; the coconuts had actually been sold?
She didn't speak, glanced at Wu Tian, and then went back inside.
Wu Tian saw everyone out, promising that if he got coconuts, he would immediately post a notice at the door before closing the door and going in to give a reply.
Before Yuan Hongqu could ask any questions, Wu Tian took the account book and banknotes.
"Master, twelve coconuts sold for a total of 1,300 taels of silver, and the last four sold for 500 taels of silver." Wu Tian was overjoyed. This shop of his master truly lived up to the saying: "Three years without business, then three years of feasting when it opens!"
"Do you know who bought the last four?" Yuan Hongqu felt uneasy.
"They were bought by the Prince Xian's family. There were only a few left, and both families were vying for them and bidding up the price. Later, one family mentioned the Prince Xian's name, and the other family stopped bidding."
"Take a coconut to Prince Xian's house in a bit and say that the last batch didn't arrive, but now that it has, we're sending it over to the prince's house. Our shop has clearly marked prices and is honest with everyone, young and old. From now on, we'll only sell on a first-come, first-served basis. After it's sold, they can raise prices and fight over it as they please, that's their business, our shop won't get involved."
Yuan Hongqu never expected that all the coconuts would be sold. She had never thought about doing business, and she certainly didn't want to offend the important people in the capital because of this small shop.
She considered closing the shop, but quickly changed her mind.
It's still more convenient to do things with this shop around.
Yuan Hongqu had Wu Tian move the two large jackfruits from the sack to the front. While he was moving the jackfruits, Yuan Hongqu quickly took out the three coconuts she had left behind from her spatial storage and moved them to the front herself.
"Master, what is this? It looks very strange."
These two jackfruits, each weighing forty or fifty pounds, were carried to the front by Wu Tian and placed on the shelf, making them look even more impressive.
"This is a fruit from Southeast Asia called jackfruit. You eat the flesh inside. Let's put it here for now, priced at five hundred taels each. Whoever buys it, we'll give them the instructions on how to use it."
Yuan Hongqu took out two pieces of paper, each with a drawing of a jackfruit on it, along with descriptions of the jackfruit's characteristics, taste, how to eat it, and precautions to take when consuming it.
She wondered to herself which spendthrift would buy this thing.
Although there are many wealthy people in the capital, they wouldn't be foolish enough to spend five hundred taels to buy something like this, it's not an antique!
“Master, the young prince from the Xianwang family came over last time and said that if you have any novelties, just tell their household first. Money is not a problem. What they want is something unique!” Wu Tian hurriedly replied.
"Is Prince Xian such a powerful figure?"
"Prince Xian is the current emperor's own brother, and he helped the emperor ascend the throne." That's all Wu Tian knew; he only heard it from his former employer.
"In that case, don't bother sending the coconuts." Yuan Hongqu didn't want to have anything to do with this kind of person. There was no such character in the original Dream of the Red Chamber, and she didn't know anything about him. It was better to stay away from him.
Wu Tian didn't know what his master was thinking, but he did whatever his master told him to do.
"There weren't many coconuts this time, so I'll take these three back." Yuan Hongqu had an idea. Since coconuts were already available in the capital, they probably weren't that rare anymore. It would be good for her to take them back; it would also make her sound more reasonable.
Since Daiyu had been craving coconut chicken since the last time we had it, this is a good opportunity to make it openly and legitimately. We can also use the coconut meat to make her some snacks.
Yuan Hongqu put the three coconuts into a bag and took them away. She then went to the small street next door and bought two chickens.
Authentic free-range chicken, the taste is in no way inferior to the chickens grown in the kitchen.
Just as Yuan Hongqu returned to Rongyue Courtyard, Wang Xifeng, having received instructions from the old lady, came to Rongyue Courtyard to select materials and styles for Daiyu to make summer clothes; she also brought a catalog of jewelry and headwear for Daiyu to choose patterns so that new jewelry could be made for her.
"Second sister-in-law, why don't we let all the sisters choose together? That way we can know what each of us has chosen, and avoid any duplicates. It would be so embarrassing if we all wore the same clothes."
Lin Daiyu flipped through the picture album and said casually.
"They will come to choose after their younger sister has made her selection."
"Then I feel really bad. Why don't you invite the sisters to come along? It would be more lively, and it would save Second Sister-in-law from running around and getting tired." Lin Daiyu put down the booklet.
Yuan Hongqu had already instructed the people at the Lin residence a few days earlier to search the entire capital for fresh and stylish designs, and had also obtained various sample fabrics. The designs had already been selected and were being made by several people in the sewing room.
The summer clothes at Rongguo Mansion were made a little late.
It's already April; by May, it'll be time to wear summer clothes.
Lin Daiyu had already made her selection once, so she was not very interested in the items that Wang Xifeng brought. However, she did not want to go against the old lady's wishes, so she thought of making her selection with the three sisters.
"Second Madam, please invite the three young ladies to come along. We acquired some fine things today; let them come and have a taste," Yuan Hongqu said.
Wang Xifeng instructed someone to invite the three sisters, and since the three sisters had been invited, Baoyu was certainly indispensable, so they were all invited together.
The five people sat around the table, chattering away, praising the color and the pattern.
When Wang Xifeng had a spare moment, she went to talk to Yuan Hongqu.
"Second Madam, you're the head of the household. Don't let people look down on you by constantly running to the kitchen," Yuan Hongqu said casually.
"Sister Yuan, ever since you sent me cherry tomatoes last time, you've only had people bring me soup every day. Every time I come to see you, you avoid me. Why is that?" Wang Xifeng said, feeling wronged.
During this period, Yuan Hongqu brought her soups and broths, which she found very beneficial. She felt much better and her period was on time this month, and it didn't drag on as long as it used to.
When the family invited the imperial physician to take the old lady's pulse, Wang Xifeng also asked the physician to take a look at her as well.
After taking her pulse, the imperial physician said that she had been recuperating well recently. Her body, which had been weakened during childbirth, had recovered to about 70-80%. If she continued to recuperate like this, she would be fully recovered in no time.
Wang Xifeng knew that this was all due to the effects of Yuan Hongqu's daily dedication to having someone deliver that pot of soup to her.
She was very grateful to Sister Yuan, but Sister Yuan always ignored her. What should she do?
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