The Foolish Husband of the Landlord's Family (GL)

Chapter 11: Sugar Figurine

Jiang Yuan led Lin Kong into the tavern following the shopkeeper.

Earlier, when she asked Liu Wangcai for seasonal fruits and vegetables, she guessed their demand would be high. Although she knew that ancient people could grow off-season vegetables using ripening techniques, some dynasties historically banned off-season farming to prevent opportunistic shortcuts and ensure labor was valued. In this fictional dynasty, the situation was likely similar.

Despite this, Jiang Yuan realized the shopkeeper wasn't just interested in her fruits and vegetables but likely noticed they weren't off-season and was curious about her preservation methods.

The shopkeeper courteously invited Jiang Yuan and Lin Kong to sit and served them good tea before saying, "What price does the young man intend to sell these fruits and vegetables for?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "That depends on how much the shopkeeper is willing to offer."

"It's the dead of winter, and vegetables are in demand. My store needs a large supply, and I'm willing to offer one hundred taels of silver." The shopkeeper beamed, showing no signs of feeling shortchanged by paying a high price for cheap goods.

Jiang Yuan only smiled, anticipating his next question.

Sure enough, after a moment of hesitation, the shopkeeper asked with a smile, "These seem fresh, not off-season. In this cold weather, crops don't grow well. How do you keep them so fresh?"

Jiang Yuan noticed that while the shopkeeper constantly smiled, his eyes were sharp. She humbly replied, "Just some old family methods, not worth mentioning."

Intrigued, the shopkeeper asked, "Oh? Are these methods something you could share?"

Understanding that the shopkeeper's true interest lay in her preservation methods, Jiang Yuan parried, "It's a family secret, I'm afraid I can't share it."

"I see, indeed the mountains are full of talented people, and I am but ignorant," the shopkeeper responded, not pressing further. Instead, he introduced himself, "I am called Bai, known as Shopkeeper Bai."

"I'm Jiang Yuan," she replied, not hiding her name. She anticipated doing more business with the shopkeeper, and lying could complicate things later on.

She shifted the topic, "I also have some grain and wanted to inquire about the grain prices in Xu Prefecture."

Shopkeeper Bai stroked his beard, giving her a deep look, "This year, with heaven's blessing, the weather has been good and the harvest plentiful. Households have surplus grain, so it's selling cheap, about half the usual price."

Jiang Yuan was secretly shocked that prices had dropped by half, but she remained composed, saying, "Thank you for the information, Shopkeeper."

Shopkeeper Bai smiled, seeing Jiang Yuan unwilling to discuss her preservation method further. Instead, he turned his attention to Lin Kong, who had remained silent, "Young man, why is your face dirty? Do you need to wash?"

Lin Kong glanced at Jiang Yuan, then quickly stood and shook his head, "No... no need."

Jiang Yuan also stood, ready to leave, "Please have the goods unloaded. We'll find an inn and freshen up later."