Chapter 162: Hitting a Wall Everywhere

Steward Feng was also hearing for the first time that using too much Fertilizer could affect the Seed.

Yan Ning sighed: "My fault, I didn't write down the dosage clearly at the time."

For the farmers in the surrounding area, getting a bit of Fertilizer was harder than ascending to heaven; Yan Ning truly hadn't expected that there would be someone with more Fertilizer than they could use.

Steward Feng felt incredibly guilty.

Yan Ning said: "There is still half of the Seed left; keep a small portion in reserve and plant the rest."

Steward Feng hurriedly agreed.

That piece of land that was particularly fertile would be left empty for now, to see what would be convenient to plant later.

Yan Ning asked Steward Feng, "Are the improved Seed varieties cultivated previously all ready?"

Steward Feng said busily: "They are already prepared."

Steward Feng was seen bringing over a large cloth bag, inside of which were many Cotton Pouchs, all filled with the seeds of various plants.

They were all packed in coarse cloth bags, with the variety written on them in brush and ink.

Yan Ning's sealed plastic bags were not convenient to take out, so she had to settle for the next best thing and use individual Cotton Pouchs to pack them.

The first time, Steward Feng had provided the seeds in several large bags.

Seeing her selling the seeds packed in Cotton Pouchs, Steward Feng subsequently provided the seeds to Yan Ning in these small, individual packages.

Carrying the seed seedlings, Yan Ning had not been to the Grocery Store to take a look for a long time.

The items sold in the Grocery Store were quite varied: mutton fat soap, Bicycle, Glass Pen, Glass Inkstone, Glass Candlestick, and also glass bowls and chopsticks; besides these, they also sold Seed.

At this moment, there were not many people in the Grocery Store, but the sold-out glass vessels and the fact that only a few pieces of Mutton Fat Jade remained indicated that business in the shop was quite good.

However, with such good business, not a single bag of her improved Seed had been sold.

Seeing Yan Ning arrive, the Manager hurriedly went to greet her.

Seeing Yan Ning staring at the Seed, the Manager gave a bitter smile: "The farmers think these seeds are too expensive, and the wealthy families are too lazy to bother with them; they all say, how can these vegetables be eaten, can they be eaten into flowers?"

Yan Ning pondered repeatedly, then took two wooden boards and wrote a few large characters on them: Half-price discount, the last three days, miss it and it's gone.

Whenever Xiao Shi and the Manager saw people coming over, they would also shout out a line.

But what Yan Ning never expected was that after shouting for three days, the Seed still hadn't sold.

Yan Ning frowned; the improved Seed could be promoted slowly, but for now, she could push out seeds that didn't exist in ancient times.

For example, chili peppers, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, luffa, and pumpkins.

Yan Ning wrote on another wooden board: New variety Seed, the taste is very good.

As it turned out, she didn't know what was going on, but they had no interest at all.

In desperation, Yan Ning displayed various vegetables for sale at the Grocery Store.

Three days later, there was still no movement.

The Manager was also worried.

Seeing Yan Ning looking troubled, the Manager said: "His Highness, there is no rush to sell these things; once one or two people buy them and word spreads that the taste is good, naturally people will come to buy them."

Yan Ning pondered, "So the problem is with the promotion."

The Manager comforted her: "His Highness, these strange and peculiar crops don't look very tasty..."

After thinking for a moment, the Manager told Yan Ning about what happened that day: "Someone said the others were too ugly to eat, and that person wanted to eat a chili pepper, took one bite, spat it out immediately, and felt uncomfortable for a long time."

Yan Ning was taken aback.

Eating a chili pepper directly?

Wouldn't that burn them to death?

Yan Ning's mouth twitched: "That's not how you eat chili peppers; they are just put into dishes for seasoning."

The Manager: "So that's how they are eaten."

As he spoke, he pointed to the other vegetables, "Then what about these?"

Yan Ning pointed to the tomatoes and cucumbers: "They can be eaten raw or stir-fried..."

Yan Ning explained the ways to eat all the vegetables, and only then did the Manager understand.

The Manager's expression was grave: "His Highness, this one will definitely promote the Seed well."

Yan Ning had a flash of inspiration at this moment, "It seems that won't be necessary."

She would open a restaurant right next to the Grocery Store; once people ate and felt the taste was good, they could go next door to buy the Seed.

That afternoon, Yan Ning bought the shop next door directly.

The location of the shop next door was quite spacious, so Yan Ning bought some tables and chairs, and very quickly the shop was set up.

As for the choice of chef, Yan Ning also had an idea.

That was to let Biyu be the head chef.

Biyu was a palace maid, but she was exceptionally good at cooking and eventually entered the Imperial Kitchen; Yan Ning especially liked the home-cooked meals she made.

However, Biyu was now almost twenty, which was considered an older unmarried age in ancient times.

Yan Ning found Biyu and asked her: "Sister Biyu, would you like to leave the palace and be a head chef for me for a period of time?"

Biyu was somewhat surprised, "I, can I leave the palace?"

Yan Ning nodded: "I have a shop that needs a head chef; five taels of silver per month, are you willing to come and help?"

Biyu hurriedly expressed her thanks and finally accepted the matter.

The first day of business.

Yan Ning and Biyu were busy setting things up together.

At this moment, a frivolous voice came from the doorway: "Yo, a shop opened by two broads?"

He whistled.

Yan Ning's expression changed immediately: "Get out!"

Those few people walked straight into the room, "According to the rules, opening a shop requires paying me one tael of silver in protection money every month, otherwise..."

His words were full of threats.

The few people still wanted to cause trouble, but they were knocked down by the guards beside Yan Ning.

They gritted their teeth, "You, you just wait!"

They left after saying that.

At this moment, the Manager of the Grocery Store next door came out.

The Manager said hurriedly, "Miss, these people are difficult to deal with; they are all local ruffians and hooligans. If you don't pay the protection money, they will come to the shop to cause trouble from time to time, and it is impossible to guard against them."

Yan Ning was expressionless: "I will find a way."

After saying this, she returned to the palace.

Yan Ning returned to the palace and summoned all the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard had a total of twenty thousand men, and Yan Ning said: "I need two thousand soldiers."

The Imperial Guard looked at each other, not knowing for a moment whether they should step forward.

After all, Yan Ning was currently only the Crown Princess, but she seemed somewhat different from other Crown Princes, so they did not know what to do for a moment.

At this time, Yan Ze came over, and he felt a bit strange: "Who provoked you again?"

Yan Ning was still angry: "A few local ruffians and hooligans, I must deal with them."

Yan Ze asked: "What do you plan to do?"

Yan Ning said: "Three shifts, with people patrolling the Capital day and night. I don't believe there will still be local ruffians and hooligans causing trouble."

Yan Ze said: "Draft more people, let's say three thousand, so as to avoid a shortage of manpower."

Yan Ning nodded and left with three thousand men.

Yan Ning had only one thought, which was that she must keep a close watch on those local ruffians and hooligans every day and not allow them to cause trouble.

These Imperial Guard were also quite capable; when Yan Ning went to the teahouse, she heard about this matter, and everyone no longer had to pay money.

However, there was another rumor.

It is said that the unremarkable little Restaurant next to the Grocery Store has a very strong backing.

Quite a few people were a bit curious; with such a strong background, they wondered if the food was delicious.