Chapter 343

First Volume, Chapter 343: The Face of a Crooked Merchant

Facing the furious Qin Feng, Li Lang shrugged and turned the blame around: "This isn't my fault—someone ran past Fuyun County faster than a rabbit."

Qin Feng gritted his back molars in rage.

He'd feared this very thing—that Li Lang, that bastard, would latch onto him—and now it had happened.

Recalling the tree stumps blocking the Official Road when they passed through Fuyun County, he now knew they'd been placed by this very man!

Qin Feng never imagined Li Lang had slipped under the cart and hung there, suspended in midair, all the way to this point.

If Qin Feng hadn't accidentally spotted the trick, would this fellow have hidden himself all the way to Changping County?

What a beast!

Qin Feng forced down his fury, face blank with despair: "Young Master Li, I give up—I'm terrified of you. Can you just go back where you came from?"

As expected, Li Lang lifted his chin, hefted his club, and said with infuriating calm: "Want me to go back? Fine—but you have to take me there."

Realizing he was stuck with this nuisance, Qin Feng resorted to virtue: "Li Lang, we're heading to Changping County to manage the famine—it'll be unbearably dull. Why not wait until I return to Beijing, then we'll meet again?"

Li Lang's lips curled into a cold smirk. He tapped Qin Feng's shoulder twice with his club: "Don't give me that crap. No matter what you're doing in Changping County—even if you're chasing courtesans—I'm sticking with you. Think you can shake me off? Dream on!"

Once this sticky plaster clings on, how easy is it to peel off?

Qin Feng silently swore to himself: from now on, he'd rather detour than ever pass through Fuyun County again.

These Li Family Brothers are truly a curse!

Just as Qin Feng was brooding, Li Lang suddenly grinned wickedly, eyes glinting: "Brother Qin, those little sugar blocks you made—give me one to taste?"

Hearing this, Qin Feng frowned and instinctively blocked the workshop cart's doorway: "What sugar blocks? I don't know what you're talking about!"

Li Lang's grin widened: "Stop pretending—I saw it all! Your iron furnace was right above my head; the sugar boiling nearly roasted me alive. Come on, hand it over—we're brothers, no need to be stingy!"

I'll shove your lungs out your ass! Who the hell are you calling brother?

At that moment, Jing Qianying suddenly asked: "Feng'er, you spent so long alone in the workshop cart—just to make those sugar blocks? I recall raw cane sugar solidifies into lumps too. Why re-boil it?"

Seeing he couldn't hide it anymore, Qin Feng sighed helplessly, said nothing, and pulled a "Health Sugar" from his robe, handing it to Jing Qianying.

This Health Sugar had already been wrapped by Qin Feng—on the outside, it looked like a small, round paper ball.

The paper used to wrap the candy had been soaked beforehand; as the moisture evaporated, it hardened into a sturdy shell.

To Jing Qianying, this was merely a "Paper Egg"—nothing remarkable.

Even the sugar inside, she was already used to—after all, all White Sugar in Shedynasty came from their own production.

But the instant she cracked open the paper shell, her expression transformed utterly.

Shock. Bewilderment. Awe.

The spherical candy before her was as translucent as glass, glowing a brilliant red—like a ruby at first glance!

Jing Qianying stared, frozen for a long moment, then snapped her head up, incredulous: "This… this is sugar?"

Xiao Xiangxiang covered her mouth in astonishment, whispering: "So beautiful a candy."

Everyone present, without exception, was awestruck.

Qin Feng said nothing, simply gestured for Jing Qianying to put the candy in her mouth.

As the perfectly balanced sweetness and the distinctive flavor of Red Flower spread through her mouth, Jing Qianying's eyes widened sharply.

This was a fresh sweetness she'd never known—filling her barren palate with new sensation.

In that instant, Jing Qianying found no word to describe the taste of this glass-like candy.

Jing Qianying stood utterly still.

The others, meanwhile, watched with eager curiosity and confusion.

Seeing this, Qin Feng handed out a piece to each person.

Xiao Xiangxiang cracked open her paper shell and found her candy was nothing like Jing Qianying's Health Sugar—it was a pale brown.

Xiao Xiangxiang gasped: "Young Master, what kind of candy is this?"

Qin Feng was about to say "Tea Candy," but the words died on his tongue.

Since this was a top-tier luxury, the name couldn't be careless.

After a moment's thought, Qin Feng's lips curled upward: "This is Zisun Tea Candy."

Xiao Xiangxiang, already stunned by the candy's translucence, now stared wide-eyed at the full name: "Zisun Tea… candy?!"

"Young Master, Zisun Tea is the finest tea—fifty taels of silver per tael! You used such precious tea to make candy?"

But then Xiao Xiangxiang realized something odd—this crystal-clear, unprecedented candy was far more valuable than Zisun Tea itself.

Qin Feng's inner calculations were already clinking like coins.

These days, there was no Tieguanyin, no Biluochun…

The finest tea was Zisun Tea.

Top-tier tea, combined with top-tier candy, created a top-tier luxury.

Though… the tea Qin Feng used was worth a few wen per tael—worthless scraps he'd toss on the street and no one would pick up—but the tea aroma blended perfectly with the sugar's sweetness—who could tell the original tea's true origin? It was whatever Qin Feng said it was.

The face of a crooked merchant, laid bare!

Xiao Xiangxiang reluctantly put the Tea Candy in her mouth; overwhelmed by its novel sweetness, she let out muffled "mmms."

The accompanying servants also received a piece—none dared eat it, instead shoving it into their robes to keep as treasures.

Zhao Yuxiong, however, tossed his into his mouth without hesitation, eyes gleaming: "Compared to this Health Sugar, that precious White Sugar looks dull."

"By the way, Brother Qin—why call this candy 'Health Sugar'?"

Qin Feng, improvising on the spot with a sly grin, explained: "'Health' means it's infused with the essence of countless precious medicinal herbs—Cordyceps, Red Flower, Ginseng—all included."

At this, even the usually composed Zhao Yuxiong marveled: "This isn't candy—it's an irreplaceable tonic!"

Qin Feng nodded shamelessly, thinking: anyone who questioned the Health Sugar's ingredients? He'd slap the lab report right in their face—and deny everything if they didn't.

Jing Qianying held the candy in her mouth, the sweetness lingering—she thought: this candy wasn't just delicious, it lasted—unlike White Sugar, which melted instantly, leaving no flavor behind.

"Feng'er, how much do you plan to sell these candies for?"