Chapter 364

First Volume, Chapter 364: Jiangnan Candy

At this question from the old steward, Wang Cheng fell silent: "It's not that we gave not a single coin—we sold at military grain procurement price, ten wen per sheng… But my Jiangnan grain has always been forty wen per sheng; that's a threefold difference—what's the difference from outright robbery?"

Hearing Wang Cheng's reply, the old steward let out a light snort, waved his hand, and signaled Wang Cheng to leave.

Wang Cheng, confused, pressed a few more questions, but was met with a glare from the old steward.

"Master Wang, what am I to say to you? Are your Wang Ji Grain Shop's grain stocks all sitting out in the open to be snatched at will? Aside from the small stock on the counter, the rest are locked in the granary—I refuse to believe Qin Feng's men would storm straight into your granary."

"In the end, isn't it just that you're too timid? One threat from them, and you meekly handed over your grain?"

"At ten wen per sheng, the payment has already been made to you—it's a purchase, not a robbery, and this has always been lawful since ancient times. Even if you take this to the Zhou Fu, you have no legal standing."

The deed was done; there was no room for reversal.

Qin Feng spent ten thousand liang of silver to forcibly buy ten thousand shi of grain; no matter how you spin it, it's merely "strong purchase."

If Wang Ji tries every means to reclaim the grain, what crime is seizing military rations? Minor penalty: execution. Major penalty: extermination of the entire clan!

This is precisely Qin Feng Xiao'er's talent—he excels at turning small gains into massive victories.

If Wang Ji abandons these ten thousand shi, Qin Feng reaps a fortune; if Wang Ji tries to reclaim them, they risk grave punishment.

Hmph!

In the end, it's still Wang Cheng who's a coward!

Wang Cheng looked aggrieved: "Don't blame me—Qin Feng's military officers are all brutal. Only three came, and before a word was spoken, they beat my clerks bloody. Especially that man with the bone club—he brought it down once, and smashed my old elm table clean in half. I nearly died of fright."

"Those men aren't soldiers—they're no better than bandits."

"We deal only with refined, courteous people—how could we ever have encountered such lawless brutality?"

Seeing Wang Cheng's distress, the old steward sighed. He couldn't entirely blame Wang Cheng—no one had expected Qin Feng to move so fast, not even the Lin Family had prepared.

At that moment, a Lin Residence servant ran up, panting.

"Old Steward, we bought it—this is the new rarity just launched today by Qin Shi Trading House, called Candy."

The old steward took the small cloth bundle from the servant.

Unwrapped, inside were dozens of Paper Eggs, their shells extremely hard.

When cracked open, they revealed translucent, gem-like sugar balls.

"This is Candy? Never seen it before—novel."

The old steward hesitated, then put a Candy in his mouth. His eyes, weathered and long unshaken by emotion, suddenly sparkled with boundless wonder.

"Hm?!"

The old steward kept making muffled sounds, unable to utter a single coherent word.

The flavor of the Candy rewrote the old steward's understanding of sweetness.

Seeing Wang Cheng watching eagerly, the old steward handed him one.

Wang Cheng popped it in his mouth, chewed, and his expression instantly transformed.

Astonishment, curiosity—but mostly fear.

After chewing for a long while, Wang Cheng slapped his thigh: "Damn! Once this Candy hits the market, it'll sweep across all of Jiangnan!"

"Jiangnan is steeped in scholarly culture—those literati adore such novelties. This tiny Candy will become the new darling of their circles; even tea and wine may be outshone."

"And yet this Candy is exclusively operated by Qin Shi Trading House—what can we do but envy?"

The old steward praised the Candy's flavor endlessly, then waved his hand, signaling Wang Cheng not to worry.

"If it's an exclusive business, let Qin Shi Trading House have it. This Candy, though delightful, is merely a pleasure—nothing compared to our trade in Sugar, Tea, Salt, and Grain. Common People can go without Candy, but they can't go without rice."

Seeing the old steward dismiss the Candy entirely, Wang Cheng said no more.

After all, Wang Ji Grain Shop had always followed the Lin Family's lead.

The old steward glanced at the servant: "Why does this Candy taste like tea?"

The servant hurried to explain: "According to Qin Shi Trading House's description, this is Tea Candy—made by blending the finest tea leaves with sugar; one bite gives you both sugar and tea. There's also Health Sugar, said to contain many medicinal herbs. Plus Liquor-Filled Candy, Fruit Candy, Grain Candy, Milk Candy—many varieties indeed."

The old steward couldn't help laughing: "This Qin Feng is just as rumored—always coming up with new novelties. But this Candy has nothing to do with our Lin Family's business—no need to pay it much mind."

Meanwhile, Qin Shi Trading House was completely surrounded.

The scene was deafening with voices; customers, drawn by word of mouth, streamed in endlessly.

"Give me twenty Tea Candies."

"I want fifty Health Candies, thirty Fruit Candies."

"Liquor-Filled Candy? Novel! So one bite means both sugar and alcohol? Give me ten to try first."

"Qin Shi Trading House really has some ingenuity—actually packaging liquor inside candy."

"Strange—how is this even done? These Candies look translucent, like gems."

People in Tangqi don't lack silver.

Since Lu Ming delivered the first batch of Candy and launched it officially, in just one day, Qin Shi Trading House's revenue reached eight thousand liang of silver.

If this continues, once Candy sweeps all of Jiangnan, daily profits of a thousand liang won't be far off.

Qin Feng sat in the Back Courtyard of the trading house, his mood complex.

He occasionally chuckled foolishly, imagining himself as a Candy magnate.

But seeing the letter on the table, he felt like dying of frustration.

He hadn't even sat down in Tangqi when a royal decree arrived, ordering him to return immediately to Beijing!

Damn it!

No need to guess—it was surely pressure from Lord Lin and the Imperial Consort.

But this outcome wasn't unexpected.

After all, Qin Feng had come to Jiangnan without prior approval from the Ministry of Personnel—it was an unauthorized move.

Now, just as Qin Shi Trading House had opened, he was being recalled to Jingdu—this would cripple his commercial plans.

What he didn't realize was that Qin Feng's gloom stemmed only from his reluctance to leave Jiangnan's customs and scenery—here was far more interesting than Jingdu. As for the Survival of Qin Shi Trading House in Jiangnan, Qin Feng had no worries at all, for Ning Hu and others were guarding it; if the Lin Family dared to act against Qin Shi Trading House, they could simply roll up their sleeves and fight.

As the saying goes, brute force overcomes ten techniques; violence almost always yields remarkable results.