Chapter 175: A Miscalculation

Early the next morning, the pastry shop took down its plaque and changed it to 【Xia Ri Yin Pin】.

However, at first, everyone didn't notice the change to the plaque.

They only saw the low tables and small stools placed outside the pastry shop, and quite a few people were a bit curious.

A woman dressed in fine clothing brought her daughter to the pastry shop; they were truly quite curious.

Upon asking, they learned that they had switched to making drinks, all of which were iced, with a peerless effect for relieving summer heat.

Madam Lin smiled and asked the Manager: "I'll take two servings of shaved ice, one watermelon-flavored and one mango-flavored, and then another serving of watermelon juice and grape juice, and also..."

At this, Xiao Shi asked: "Madam, are the two of you eating?"

Madam Lin nodded.

Xiao Shi said somewhat embarrassedly: "This shaved ice is too cold; women shouldn't eat too many cold things, and you've ordered a bit much..."

Madam Lin found it strange; how could a shop tell its customers to buy less?

In the end, Madam Lin bought one bowl of mango shaved ice and a small serving of watermelon shaved ice, and the mother and daughter sat on the small stools at the entrance eating the shaved ice.

At this time, people began to arrive one after another.

"What, a bowl of shaved ice costs one hundred wen?"

"This is too expensive; a bowl of sweet soup next door is only five wen."

Xiao Shi shouted loudly: "Everyone, don't crowd, don't crowd; those who want to buy can come over, and those who don't want to buy, please don't block the way."

"Heh, you're even worried about us blocking those who want to buy? So expensive, who would buy yours?"

"Exactly, even if you cut the price in half, we wouldn't buy it."

"Is your shop just trying to swindle people? I can't even be bothered to buy this shaved ice."

On the other side, Yan Ning, who was sitting in the teahouse drinking tea, watched this scene and said to the palace maid beside her: "Alright, let's head back first."

Cuilan hurriedly said: "Your Highness, are we just giving up on the business of that fruit drink shop like this?"

Yan Ning shook her head: "No, they will eventually find it 'truly fragrant'."

Cuilan couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, what does 'truly fragrant' mean?"

Yan Ning explained: "They are clamoring not to buy it now, but I guarantee that within two days, they will come back scrambling to buy it."

Cuilan was a bit confused.

But whatever the Crown Princess said must be right.

After saying this, the two returned to the Imperial Palace together.

However, what Yan Ning said wasn't quite accurate; it didn't even take them an hour before they started finding it "truly fragrant."

At this moment, others were still clamoring for them to lower the price, but unfortunately, although Xiao Shi hesitated a bit, they still did not lower the price.

By this time, Madam Lin and her daughter had already finished the shaved ice, and she said with a smile: "Pack two more servings of shaved ice for us."

Xiao Shi immediately did as requested.

Madam Lin was surrounded by the crowd, and everyone asked in a jumble:

"Madam, is this thing tasty? Why did you buy two servings and then pack two more?"

"One hundred copper coins, is it worth it to buy this shaved ice?"

Madam Lin had a good temper, so she said: "This shaved ice is soft and fluffy when it enters the mouth, and there is nothing to criticize about the taste; the fruit flavor is very rich, and it's icy and cool when eaten. I can only say it's worth more than the price. If you think the shaved ice is expensive, you can try buying the drinks; those drinks are only eighty wen a cup."

Madam Lin didn't stay long; after the two servings of shaved ice were made, she immediately took them back for her husband and eldest son to eat.

She had to walk quickly, otherwise, the shaved ice would melt.

After Madam Lin left with the shaved ice, a few people also tried buying a bowl; after all, it was only one hundred copper coins—expensive, yes, but they could afford it.

If it wasn't tasty, everyone wouldn't come back next time.

Sure enough, just as Yan Ning had thought, after eating one bowl, they couldn't stop.

If it weren't for Xiao Shi saying that drinking too much was bad for their health, they would have bought more.

Three days later, Yan Ning came out again.

She was still sitting in that familiar teahouse, and through the window, she could see that the area outside the Xia Ri Yin Pin shop was packed with people.

Cuilan looked on with a smile on her face: "It really is just as Your Highness said; it's only been three days, and business is already very good."

Seeing that Yan Ning was a bit hot, Cuilan went down to queue for two bowls of shaved ice and placed them in a food box.

However, when Cuilan was returning, she heard someone talking about the drink shop.

"Hey, why are you still spending those one hundred copper coins to buy cold drinks? My place only charges fifty a bowl, and the taste isn't bad either. Are you really not considering it?"

"The things that can be made are more or less the same; why would I lie to you? The taste is really not bad."

Cuilan frowned.

Since she was already there, she might as well buy one more bowl.

When Cuilan went over, she hesitated and bought a bowl of mango shaved ice.

Cuilan took the three servings of shaved ice back to the teahouse.

Once she returned, she was a bit anxious: "Your Highness, someone is actually impersonating the Xia Ri Yin Pin shop and making shaved ice themselves."

As she spoke, Cuilan handed the shaved ice to Yan Ning.

Yan Ning only took one bite and frowned: "The shaved ice is too coarse, and the mango flavor isn't very good either. Don't worry, their taste isn't as good as ours."

Yan Ning didn't take this matter to heart either.

These things didn't have copyrights, so it didn't matter if others tried to make them.

Those who pursued quality would definitely choose their shaved ice.

Yan Ning stopped after eating one bowl of shaved ice, and Cuilan handed the remaining bowl of shaved ice to Wei Wu, who was guarding behind Yan Ning.

Wei Wu pointed at the coarse shaved ice and said: "I'll just drink this bowl; it's a good chance to taste the mango flavor."

After staying in the teahouse for a while and listening to the storyteller, Yan Ning returned to the Imperial Palace.

However, what she did not expect was that the next day, Wei Wu asked for leave.

It was said that when Wei Wu returned last night, he started having diarrhea, and he was somewhat dehydrated.

Today, he could not even get out of bed.

Yan Ning had an Imperial Physician check on him and instructed him to drink more water to avoid dehydration.

Cuilan and Yan Ning both felt it was a bit strange.

The food from the palace in the evening was fine, and others had eaten it as well, with no issues.

In the end, Yan Ning locked onto the target, which was that bowl of mango shaved ice from earlier.

Thinking of this, Yan Ning immediately left the palace, with Cuilan and another guard following, and they went to that cheap shaved ice shop together.

In the carriage, Cuilan could not help but ask, "Your Highness, how did you guess it was that bowl of shaved ice that caused it?"

Yan Ning frowned and explained, "I taught the beverage shop to use Niter to make ice, but the other shaved ice shop might be using stored ice; that ice was likely chiseled from a river surface, and it might contain dirty things."

Before long, the carriage slowly drove to the entrance of that Jiang Shi Sha Bing Pu Zi.

At this time, the doors and windows of the shaved ice shop were tightly shut, and over a dozen people were cursing at the entrance:

"Jiang Shisheng, you shameless thing, we came to your shop to eat shaved ice, and as a result, everyone who ate it got diarrhea; you are actually playing dead about this matter!"

"If you don't come out again, we will go find the County Magistrate and have him help us resolve this!"

"Jiang Shisheng, if you don't come out again, don't blame us for turning hostile."

How could Jiang Shisheng dare to come out?

He himself had not expected why they would have diarrhea after eating it; he and his wife and children had eaten it too, and they were also tossed about for quite a while.

"The County Magistrate is here!"