Chapter 129

Before the stall selling spicy cabbage, the crowd of people paying silver filled it; Li Chang heard it was two taels five mace per jar and was still shocked— the price wasn't cheap, yet it was so popular?

Do the people of Chang'an still have an eye for quality?

I've been wanting to ask what that thing the beautiful chief Honghong is— lately I've had no taste for food.

They, relying on their status, didn't want to crowd with everyone, so they just took a look around inside the shop.

The furnishings shifted slightly, the overall layout unchanged; though the room was large, it had been tidied up nicely and bright. While taking it in, I smelled a rich fragrance—the shop assistant had lit the coal stove, and a few sweet potatoes placed in the drawer underneath had been baked.

Only then did everyone notice the odd-looking iron stove in the corner; it also had a pipe extending out, stretching directly from the window to outside the shop.

Li Chang and Liang Ben, upon smelling that warm sweet fragrance, simply headed straight for the coal stove.

Assistant, what are you burning? Is it edible?

Isn't the smell nice? This stove burns our Youzhou specialty coal; down below we roast sweet potatoes, also a Youzhou-exclusive grain. Filling the stove with this much coal keeps the room warm all night! Sir, you can buy some to take home for winter—people say this winter will be cold!

Liang Ben didn't understand why this charcoal basin had a lid and also a pipe extending outside; the assistant immediately explained.

Sir, as a noble you've never entered the kitchen; let me explain. Actually, whether it's firewood or charcoal, including our coal, burning produces smoke, more or less; higher‑grade charcoal yields less smoke, but this smoke is unfailingly toxic. Some smoke is invisible yet still toxic, filling the room, so this pipe vents the smoke from burning coal. But there's no need to worry—leaving a gap in a room where charcoal burns is something we folks of the Great Jin all know; this pipe we learned from overseas merchants. This summer a merchant ship docked at the Youzhou ferry, and they used such stoves to cook rice and boil water on board. Prince You thought venting the smoke this way was not only safe but clean, so he had a few made.

Besides the two of them, many commoners drawn over by that tempting sweet fragrance also listened attentively.

Someone couldn't wait to ask, "What is this that smells so good?" "Right, it's too fragrant!"

The assistant pulled open the small cast‑iron drawer below, "The smoke rises upward; down below I've placed a few sweet potatoes, which is why it smells so fragrant. Oh, the heat is just right—roasted to a fragrant, oily crisp! Gentlemen, would you like a taste?

The assistant nimbly used tongs to pull out a steaming roasted sweet potato, wiped off the ash with a clean damp cloth, split it in two, and handed it to Li Chang and Liang Ben; then he took out the others and distributed them to the onlookers, "There's not much, I'll divide it evenly—today's opening is auspicious, please try a sample, thank you for your patronage.

The two young masters really didn't know how to tackle this fresh novelty, but holding it in hand made the aroma even stronger.

The assistant reminded them, "Peel off the skin and eat it straight—it's sweet.

Liang Ben took a bite first…… "Indeed sweet. What is this called? Give me ten catties, no—twenty catties! Wait, are you selling raw or cooked?

The assistant embarrassedly said, "…We sell coal." The Great King has to buy grain from outside to bring back—he wouldn't sell those few sweet potatoes; these are just rations they hadn't finished eating on the road.

That won't do—you still have some; sell some to this lord. I'll take this coal, and give me one of these stoves too!

The assistant had no choice but to go find Zhu Ti; Zhu Ti glanced and immediately recognized them as the two from that day at Shanglin Park. He at once said these sweet potatoes aren't for sale, but since the two lords are friends of the Prince of Guangling, they're friends of our prince—leave your manor address, and I'll send some over later.

Everyone was so open‑handed that even 'the prince's friend' felt it wouldn't do to just spend ten or eight taels and leave; each bought a cartload of coal, a stove, several feet‑long dried fish, and bundled up all the jars on display. Other onlooking customers saw that even these nobles were buying, so the goods must be genuine. Seeing the stall empty, some grew anxious; the assistant hurried to reassure them, saying the stock was all in the cellar and he'd bring it out to sell right away.

Zhu Ti saw them off at the gate with a smiling face, "Gentlemen, take your leave; in a few days a batch of cold melons will arrive, and then I'll send two to your manor for you to try—these melons are only found in our northern lands.

Turning back, he ordered the assistant to also send a share of everything sold in the shop when delivering goods to the Prince of Guangling.

Only saying that the gorgeous beauty personally saw them out with enthusiasm, Li Chang and Liang Ben still felt quite honored. Outside, people who had originally shown no interest in the new stall selling pickles and coal, upon seeing the three emerge from the doorway, couldn't take their eyes off them.

How could a beauty of that stature show up in public to do business? Is this something you can watch for free?

Zhu Ti returned to sit behind the counter, feeling the shop getting more and more crowded, and all these people just staring at her—what could they possibly want?

The head manager's outfit was eye‑catching in Youzhou, and not lacking in Chang'an either. The Great King's cosmetics were all the rage among Chang'an nobles, but they'd bought them and taken them home; their skill couldn't compare to Zhu Ti's.

Noble young ladies on the street glanced at Zhu Ti, then a few followed her into the shop.

Her nails were distinctive, her clothing distinctive too—I wonder what shade her lipstick is?

Anyway, the people coming in had various purposes, but since they were here they inevitably left with two jars of spicy cabbage; Zhu Ti calculated that this morning alone she'd sold over 800 jars—Chang'an really has limitless potential.

They sold at the Eastern Market for over ten days, and afterward each day had repeat buyers coming back for more. These two pickles had become a hit in Chang'an, with strong withdrawal cravings—even the Prince of Guangling sent people to buy them twice. Zhu Ti worried they'd get overheated, so naturally she took some tea bags from the Great King's warehouse and sold them along on the side.

Funny enough, the Great King of Youzhou, mired in war and famine, had his brother Bai purchase cooling tea bags on his behalf.

Chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, wolfberry, and rock sugar, red and green bundled in a transparent mesh bag, steeped in a tea cup give a bitter‑sweet fragrance; the presentation looks nice too.

Then the Prince of Guangling still hadn't climbed out of the spicy‑cabbage pit before falling into the flower‑tea pit.

Time had just entered November when Youzhou's resupply team arrived.

The team was led by Manager Zhou of the Aquatic World; the king had sent him to replace Zhuti, and keeping Zhuti in Chang'an to watch over this little shop seemed a bit wasteful.

Manager Zhou's team brought the freshly harvested cold melons from Youzhou; as soon as they arrived in Chang'an, Zhuti sought out the Jin family.

Jin Fengxian found it strange that Zhuti was looking for him; the Shengping Merchant House has been all the rage in Chang'an lately—does Manager Zhu really have time to come see him?

Anyway, the noble ladies who bought cosmetics from him couldn't apply them, so they all went to ask Zhuti; Zhuti's after‑sales service is thorough—she accepts all comers and answers every question.

"How does Manager Zhu have time to come?"

Zhuti stepped aside, letting the two assistants behind her come forward, and said, "People from Youzhou have arrived, bringing some new products; I don't know if Manager Jin is interested in taking them on."

One tray held a full plate of nail polish, another tray held the newly released lipstick and eyebrow pencil.

Jin Fengxian: …He dares say he's not interested!

Earlier, when he learned that Zhuti planned to open a shop in Chang'an, he was still worried she would also sell cosmetics—after all, these items are expensive to procure, and a trip costs them a lot; if she got involved in Chang'an's cosmetics trade, it would be highly detrimental to the Jin family. Fortunately, she honestly sells coal, and she's on good terms with the son of the Grand Minister of Agriculture; it's said she's determined to get her coal into the Military Affairs Bureau.

"I wonder how Manager intends to sell them?"

"Just at Youzhou's prices."

Jin Fengxian finally relaxed and said, "Just these goods? I'll take them all."

"No, these are just samples."

Jin Fengxian: …

…………………………………………

………………supplement……………………

………………new chapter…………………

………………new chapter…………………

"Manager Jin, your previous shipment had no nail polish, but thanks to my promotion these days, nail polish has become all the rage in Chang'an; if you let it be known you have stock, it will surely sell well. I've tried the shades of the new lipstick myself, and quite a few people have inquired about them before; this time I've also brought special lip brushes for applying lipstick, which I'm sure will start a new trend."

Manager Jin, feeling put on the spot, said: "The stuff is good, but the price is indeed steep; we just restocked from Youzhou and still have a mountain of unsold goods—it's all money!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuti sighed ruefully: "True, maybe I should sell it myself? The pickled cabbage is sold out, you Chang'an folks don't really appreciate it, selling coal really has no future, and the prince hasn't summoned me back—I can't just stay idle like this…"

Jin Fengxian was just making small talk; hearing this, he immediately smiled and said, "I'm just venting to Manager Zhu, after all I only just learned you're from Youzhou's royal family, so we're practically our own people—now we can talk more freely. We've already opened new rouge shops in Luoyang and Jiankang; we can take as much of the new stock as you have." He felt that her meaning was simply to inform them and seize the business.

If Myriad Phenomena City stops supplying the Jin family and they plan to go it alone… then the rouge shop line would have been all for nothing.

"Come on, this is a highly profitable business—how could Manager Jin not see it? Our prince also said we're one family; unless absolutely necessary, we should save face for Prince Guangling and not make things difficult for the Jin family. Look at me, having stayed in a backwater for so long, I've grown accustomed to speaking bluntly; Manager Jin, don't take offense at a woman like me."

Jin Fengxian: "Not at all, not at all, the head manager is blunt and outspoken—I, Jin, really admire your spirited lady." Inside, tears streamed down his face; it's a routine, right? This is too straightforward. Now he dares to bet that the You King has no intention of selling himself.

He thought correctly. First reason: the King doesn't want to offend his big customers over this. Second: the King temporarily lacks the strength to set up such a large stall outside. At this stage he wants more to raise the profile of Youzhou's goods, so that wealthy merchants from all over the Great Jin come to purchase, revitalizing Youzhou.

Setting up a Shengping firm has already taken away much of the King's liquid funds; his money still needs to be stored as grain. Shops on Chang'an Main Street are extremely expensive, so he temporarily won't divert funds to open a second one. Moreover, selling cosmetics to noble ladies is really unsuitable to be sold together with coal……

Zhu Ti also wouldn't suffer a loss; a pile of cosmetics was just snatched back from the Jin family as shop money. She didn't just take it—she was thoughtful enough to go to the Jin family shop and handle after-sales, teaching the shop's makeup artists how to apply the new nail polish and how to sell it.

When you recommend to customers, you must see what color suits their hands; for those with dark hands you should recommend these few versatile shades. If she applies it ugly at home and gets no praise, you won't earn the silver for her next box. For fair hands, any of these shades will do……

When you few come to work, you all apply it on your hands—that's the promotion. But you need to match it nicely……

If someone only intends to buy one bottle, what do you do? Recommend a contrasting color! Look at my hand—this green, with two fingers tipped in yellow—it looks better, convince her that this makes her stand out more, and she'll have to buy at least two bottles……

Manager Jin wiped the sweat quickly rising on his forehead, grateful that the You King doesn't want to be in the cosmetics business in Chang'an—otherwise, what would he have to do!

Waiting until the next day when Shengping firm loudly sells cold melons, he became even more certain: this rouge shop is very safe, just a routine.

Zhu Ti set up two racks outside the Shengping firm: one displayed the newly arrived big dried fish, each over a meter long; the other was filled with large green watermelons. Although they arrived a bit late and the weather has already turned cold, aren't they rare items? It would be good to have experience by next year.

The King also never expected this thing could bear so much……

As long as it's a rarity, people come to gawk; the whole day the streets are bustling.

Zhu Ti finally delivered the coal the Military Affairs Office had been asking for, having scraped together only three cartloads through pinching and scraping; Zhu Ti now doesn't consider it too little. Once they experience its benefits, they'll know the value of coal.

She has complained to the King before: these government officials are a hundred times more hateful than wealthy merchants; the way they speak makes her want to hit them, as if her charging money for goods were some unforgivable sin.

Zhu Ti bluntly said that the officialdom of Chang'an is sick, already crazy to the extent that they want to greedily take even a prince's money, wasting days talking just to get things without paying.

The Chief Steward didn't want to serve any longer, handed over the firm to Manager Zhou, and set off back to Youzhou.

Northern suburbs of Youzhou

The King was squatting with Wei Shen in the newly dug trench, and after less than five minutes of quiet he wanted to poke his little head out to look, "Shall we charge?"

No, stay squatting.

Not long after, the little head beside him started to fidget again, and Wei Shen preemptively pressed it down.

The opposite side is Zhou Ke and Zhang Tu; they're giving you face, but switching to Xianbei you've exposed yourself eight hundred times.

The King pouted.

Knowing it was a drill formation exercise, he tried his best to endure without checking the map—who knew the opposing armies would be locked in endless combat, and the King playing the odd troops waited anxiously, even past the kids' mealtime. Is it really that exhausting for eight hundred to fight three thousand?

"I've been squatting for an hour already—can we finish work today? I'm hungry."

"What hunger? The moment hasn't come yet—your flesh can go three days without food and be fine."

"Cousin, think about it—carrot and lamb filling dumplings, spicy cabbage stir-fried potato slices……"

"……Charge!"

"Okay!"