Chapter 106 [VIP]
Early in the morning, before dawn, Uncle Chen drove his mule cart into the city, loaded with fresh vegetables.
When the official entering the city checked the vegetables, he exclaimed in surprise, "What season is it? Where did you get so many fresh vegetables?"
Chen Bo took out the token of the prefect and said, "These are vegetables that Lord Wang's nephew brought from the estate. There is a warm spring there, so vegetables can be grown even in winter."
Upon hearing this, the official quickly withdrew his hand from the vegetables and hurriedly let the person pass.
This story was prepared in advance by Wang Ying, and regardless of whether Wang Tongzhi had a nephew or not, the gatekeeper did not dare to verify it.
When someone later inquires about the origin of their dishes, it will naturally lead to the revelation of this identity. Then, if the other party wants to do anything else, they will have to think twice about the powerful backer behind Wang Ying.
Of course, these were all Wang Ying's worst-case scenarios. Perhaps his small business wouldn't attract any attention, and making money quietly would be the best outcome.
The carriage stopped in front of the vegetable shop, where Wang Ying and the others were already waiting. "Was the journey into the city smooth?"
Uncle Chen nodded and handed the plaque in his arms to Wang Ying. "As soon as they said it was Lord Wang's nephew, the city guard immediately let them pass without even looking closely at the vegetables on the cart."
Wang Ying felt relieved. "Hurry up and move the vegetables down and set them aside. We'll wait to open for business."
"Yes." Ma Qianzi and Tian Daniu stepped forward to help unload the truck.
Around 5 a.m., Li and Qingyun arrived with Yuanbao. Mutou, Chunsheng, and the two boys from the Huang family also came along. The opening day was bustling with people.
With everyone pitching in, the vegetables were quickly arranged. They were all common vegetables, such as cucumbers, green beans, coriander, lettuce, spinach, chives, and celery.
These vegetables may be ordinary, but their freshness is their greatest asset. The leaves are bright green and still glistening with dew, making them look quite rare at first glance.
In addition, it's already the Cold Dew season, and most families in the village don't have any fresh vegetables to eat anymore. If wealthy families have heated houses, they might still be able to eat a few fresh vegetables, but otherwise they can only eat radishes and cabbages.
The prices of the dishes were also pre-ordered and written on wooden boards with a brush, clearly marked.
The most expensive item is the cucumber, which costs 60 coins per pound. Ordinary people probably can't afford it. This basket of cucumbers picked this morning weighs 30 pounds. If it's all sold, I can earn 1.8 hundred coins.
The cheapest vegetable is chives, which cost ten coins per pound. The main reason is that chives grow so fast that you don't need to turn on the speed setting; just adjust the temperature and humidity, and a new crop will grow every three days. If you don't harvest them, they will become too old.
As for the tomatoes, not many are ripe yet, so Wang Ying has stored them in the experimental field. People in Fucheng have never eaten this before, so she's worried they won't sell well. She'll bring them out when she has more regular customers.
Before the firecrackers were even lit, people started coming over to ask what the shop sold.
Upon learning that it was a fresh vegetable stall, many people came in for a look around. Although they were curious, no one asked where the vegetables came from, since it was their business and they probably wouldn't tell you even if you asked.
A quarter of an hour before Chenshi (7-9 AM), the Wang family's steward finally arrived.
Wang Qi arrived in a carriage, and as soon as the carriage came to a stop, Wang Ying and her family came to greet him, saying, "Thank you for making this trip in person."
"No need for such formalities. The master was unable to come today due to other matters, and specifically instructed me to come and take a look, and also to deliver a plaque to the young master."
The servant behind her carried over a plaque carved from ebony that read "Business is booming." Wang Ying was flattered and quickly had her attendants take it down and nail it to the wall to hang it up.
Wang Qi went into the shop and looked around. He thought it sold dried vegetables, but it turned out to be fresh vegetables, which was quite unusual.
"The lady of the manor was just complaining the other day that there weren't any fresh vegetables to eat. It just so happens that you opened this shop. I'll have my servants come and buy vegetables from now on."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ying quickly picked up a basket and filled it with vegetables, saying, "Just pick whatever you like, these vegetables are free."
"I appreciate your kindness, sir, but you eat quite a lot of food every day. If I keep coming to take your business, how am I supposed to continue doing business?"
Wang Ying smiled and scratched her head, "Then it's free this time. Take it home and try it. If you like it, come back next time!"
Steward Wang did not refuse again, and had a servant take the basket. "I am busy with miscellaneous matters in the manor. If there is nothing else, I will return first."
Wang Ying originally wanted to treat him to a meal, but seeing that he was busy, she had no choice but to send him back to his car.
Just then, the time came, and Tian Daniu called out, "Boss, shall we light some firecrackers?"
"Light it!"
The crackling sound of firecrackers rang out, and the children covered their ears and started laughing. The lively atmosphere attracted the attention of passersby on the street, and many people rushed over to inquire what the shop sold.
Wang Ying generously replied, "Vegetable seller, we have all kinds of fresh summer vegetables here, all with flowers and thorns still on and covered in dew!"
Upon hearing this, people flocked into the shop. Some left because they thought the prices were too high, while others, not caring about the cost, bought a few dishes to try.
In no time, she earned more than 500 coins. Qingyun was in charge of collecting the money. She was used to doing this job in town before. She skillfully counted the money and strung it with hemp rope. Her eyes were filled with uncontrollable joy. She didn't expect to have business as soon as she opened the door!
There were too many people in the shop, so Li took Yuanbao and the children home first. Huang Baiguan didn't go back; he stayed to help.
This kid is already twelve years old. In the village, a child his age can basically be bossed around like half an adult.
He had studied the Five Elements techniques with Huang San for several years when he was at home. Although he was not a big man, he was quite strong.
Wang Ying didn't stop him from staying and helping out. She wasn't a saint; she couldn't support them forever, since they were strangers. She wanted him to broaden his horizons and acquire a skill so he could survive in the future.
*
Meanwhile, Wang Qi returned to the mansion carrying a basket of fresh vegetables, just in time to run into the master returning from the yamen.
"Where did this vegetable come from?"
"Reporting to your master, I just came back from the vegetable shop run by that young man Wang Ying. He insisted on filling a basket with vegetables for me to take back and eat."
Seeing that the cucumbers looked unusually fresh, Wang Tongzhi couldn't resist picking one up, wiping it, and taking a bite. "Hmm, crisp and sweet, quite fresh indeed. Where did he get them?"
"I didn't ask in detail, but it's probably from somewhere else. If you like it, sir, I'll go and buy some more."
Wang Tongzhi waved his hand, "He definitely won't ask for money. Just go to the kitchen's purchasing department to buy it. It's not easy for them to do a small business from so far away. We can't let them go hungry." After saying that, he laughed heartily and walked towards the study.
*
In one morning, the vegetable stall made more than three strings of cash. At noon, Wang Ying bought several bowls of wontons from the wonton stall next door. After eating, everyone was full of energy.
After finishing the meal, the owner of Yang's Trading Company across the street came over to greet us.
Yang's Trading Company was one of the largest trading companies in the prefectural city, operating shops including grain shops, oil mills, and wineries.
The boss's name was Yang Deguang. He was a man in his forties, not very tall. He wore a brocade robe and had a large string of jade pendants and sachets hanging from his waist. They jingled as he walked, which made him look very impressive.
So much so that Wang Ying barely listened to him when he spoke, her attention was all on the ornaments he was wearing.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Boss Yang suddenly spoke up: "When we opened this morning, I saw people from Lord Wang's residence also come, and they even presented the young master with a plaque?"
Wang Ying pointed to the plaque hanging in the room, "Yes, my uncle sent it over, but he was too busy with official duties to come over."
Upon hearing Wang Ying address Wang Tongzhi as "Uncle," Yang Maode immediately understood the situation, and his expression warmed up considerably. "Judging from your accent, young master, if you encounter any difficulties in our Jizhou Prefecture, feel free to ask me!"
Wang Ying thanked him reservedly, but after he left, Tian Daniu said warily, "Boss, we don't know this person. Why is he so enthusiastic? He must have ulterior motives!"
The strychnine next to him tapped him on the head, "Are you stupid? He's not here for our young master."
"Huh? What are they heading for?"
"Naturally, I'm trying to befriend him because he's the nephew of the Assistant Magistrate."
Wang Ying gave him a look that suggested he was teachable. He was just a young man from out of town, not someone worth befriending. She was only there to chat with him because of Wang Tongzhi's status.
Even more customers came in the afternoon after hearing the news. It has to be said that the purchasing power of the prefectural city is truly amazing. In the town, cucumbers that cost 20 coins a pound are hard to sell, but now in the prefectural city, the price has tripled, and people buy them without batting an eye.
As the vegetables dwindled, the smiles on everyone's faces grew wider. The sale continued until evening, when the vegetables in the stall were almost completely sold out, and some who arrived late didn't manage to buy any vegetables.
"Boss, will you have any fresh vegetables tomorrow?"
"Yes, yes, but you have to come early, or they might be sold out."
"Then please save me two pounds of celery in advance, I was thinking of making some dumplings."
"Okay, all right!"
Wang Ying never expected the fresh vegetable business to be so booming. In the end, only a few rotten vegetable leaves were left, which she picked up and took back to feed the livestock.
After locking the gate, the group carried the money box home. They had made a total of thirteen strings of cash that day, netting about ten strings after deducting the rent.
If this kind of business can be maintained every day, it will be 300 strings of cash a month and more than 3,000 strings of cash a year. It is simply a very profitable business!
Of course, this is just a hypothetical scenario. In reality, fresh vegetables can only be sold for a maximum of four months. This is because it depends on the season; once vegetables come into season next March, they will become difficult to sell.
Secondly, the experimental field has a limited area, so even if Wang Ying wanted to sell more, there wasn't enough material!
The experimental field now covers a total of five mu (approximately 0.33 hectares). Apart from the portion used for planting fruit trees, the rest of the land is used to grow vegetables.
The experimental field has fertile soil that is resistant to drought and flood, and is free from pests and diseases, so the yield is two to three times that of ordinary land. However, crops take time to grow and cannot be grown one crop after another.
So earning 200 guan a month is the limit, but that's enough for the family's expenses.
Perhaps it was truly thanks to Lord Wang's influence that the vegetable shop went smoothly after it opened, with not a single customer ever buying on credit.
Seeing that the time was right, Wang Ying took out the tomatoes to sell.
Tomatoes were introduced from abroad during the Ming Dynasty after the sea voyages. They were not yet available during the Wu Dynasty, so the common people had never eaten them.
Wang Ying plans to recommend the place to her regular customers first.
Yang Deguang's husband, who lives across the street, is a regular customer. Initially, Mr. Yang invited him to buy vegetables to cultivate a good relationship with Wang Ying and, incidentally, to curry favor with the Wang family. Over time, he genuinely found the vegetables at Wang's shop to be quite good. Even now, in this season, when even the grass hasn't turned green, it's still possible to find vegetables.
The elderly and children in my family have become picky eaters; they feel that food tastes bland if they don't eat it for a day.
The Yang family's business is so large that they wouldn't be short of money for groceries. Today, Mr. Yang brought two old women with him to buy groceries.
As soon as I entered, I saw tomatoes displayed on the counter and couldn't help but ask, "What are these?"
Wang Ying greeted them and said, "This is called a tomato. It's a wild fruit from the mountains around here. Because it's not very profitable, we've never sold it. But it tastes delicious. You can cut it open and sprinkle it with sugar, or you can stir-fry it with chicken."
Yang Fulang picked one up and sniffed it. "How much is it? Give me a few to try."
Wang Ying took two and put them in his basket, saying, "Take these and try them first. If you like them, you can buy more next time."
Yang Fulang didn't refuse. It was only a few dozen coins anyway, and he could buy more next time. "Okay, I'll take it back and try it. If it's good, I'll buy more next time."
The two old women picked out vegetables worth over 700 coins, paid the bill, and left. After seeing off Mr. Yang, several regular customers arrived, and Wang Ying saw them off two at a time.
Unexpectedly, these tomatoes became an instant hit in Fucheng!
A note from the author:
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