Su Xiaoqi returned to the back courtyard, and Granny Wen had just finished preparing the meal.
Xiao Xique proactively helped serve the food.
The rest of them gradually gathered around.
Su Xiaoqi remembered that Zhao Xiaozhu was still waiting for her at the entrance of the county school.
She simply called Xiao Er to run an errand and have him bring Zhao Xiaozhu over to eat lunch together.
After the meal, Xiao Xique happily led Su Xiaoqi around the second courtyard.
She proudly showcased the results of their morning's labor.
Out of two thousand jin, five hundred jin had already completed the first three steps of tea processing.
This was a good start.
Su Xiaoqi was also very happy and promised Granny Wen that she would buy them pastries when she went grocery shopping the next day.
“Sister Xiaoqi, can you buy some toast bread?
Last time, Xiao Xique waited at Chen Jin Ji and managed to pick up a piece of leftover bread someone had eaten. He said it tasted exceptionally good.”
Su Xiaoqi froze, and the words from Xiao Sanzi made her heart ache slightly.
Why were they so pitiful?
Just for a piece of toast bread, was it that big of a deal?
“Alright, everyone will get some. I’ll go personally and buy it for you.”
Su Xiaoqi thought that she had also wanted to visit Chen Jinniang’s place.
She hadn’t been there since she renamed Chen Ji Grain Shop to Chen Jin Ji.
When she went out, she had to bring Zhao Xiaozhu, who had an excellent sense of direction.
The two of them strolled to Chen Ji Grain Shop.
No, it had already been renamed Chen Jin Ji.
Not only did they sell rice and flour, but they also sold all sorts of fresh pastries.
The freshness here didn't just mean fresh ingredients; the pastries weren't stale.
It also meant novelty and uniqueness.
In Su Xiaoqi's words, the pastries sold here, even if not the entire Daliang Dynasty,
it was unlikely they could be found elsewhere in Mianzhou City, or even Yizhou Prefecture.
Therefore, Su Xiaoqi sent a message to Chen Jinniang through Shen Xiaomei, telling her to sell them freely and price them at ten times the cost of ingredients and labor.
When Su Xiaoqi said that to Shen Xiaomei, she sounded quite imposing.
But since she hadn't personally witnessed the business, she was actually a little apprehensive.
But now, it was good.
Before Su Xiaoqi and Zhao Xiaozhu even got close to the shop, they smelled a strong milky aroma from the street corner.
Tsk tsk, that smell was so pleasant, it made one's mouth water.
They also saw the long queue outside, all of them there to buy cakes.
Su Xiaoqi's heart filled with joy. It seemed that Chen Jinniang and Xiaomei had done their best with the pastry recipes she had provided.
It was a great success.
Su Xiaoqi narrowed her eyes and saw Shen Xiaomei and Chen Jinniang busily working inside, so busy they didn't even have time to drink water.
She quietly approached, intending to tease them.
But a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Hey, Sister Xiaoqi, it’s me.”
The familiar voice made Su Xiaoqi stop abruptly.
She looked at Su Jiamo standing on the steps to her left, holding a folding fan.
He looked at her with a smile, his face full of sincerity.
She wanted to pretend she hadn't heard him.
But Su Jiamo gave her no such opportunity.
He pointed to a young man dressed as a servant, standing second in line and said:
“Sister Xiaoqi, you’re here to buy pastries too. See? It’s almost my turn. What do you want? I’ll buy it for you.”
Su Xiaoqi didn’t want to deal with him.
Considering he had helped her somewhat yesterday, she promised herself not to hit him today.
But Su Jiamo was not so easily dismissed.
He was now hesitant to go to Zhaojia Village. Shen Yun had warned him multiple times, both openly and subtly.
His words implied that if he dared to do anything indecent in Zhaojia Village, he would deal with him.
Su Jiamo wasn't afraid of Shen Yun, but he had suddenly realized.
The current Su Xiaoqi was different from before.
She didn't want him to be too intimate with her in front of the villagers.
Moreover, she heard that last time he had caused her to be thrown into the river by the villagers.
If she hadn't been lucky, she probably would have already perished.
He hadn't just learned about this.
But he had only felt regret about it before, because he hadn't managed to "eat her up" in the end.
But now he didn't think that way anymore.
He felt heartache for the harm she had suffered in the village at that time.
He even wondered if she was angry with him because of that incident.
Therefore, he was now making every effort to please her.
Hoping she would remember their past affections.
“Xiaoqi, the pastries here are especially fresh and delicious. You’ve always liked sweets, so you’ll definitely like them.
How about getting one of each?
Oh, and they have millet cakes here too. I saw you liked to eat them before, can you get more?” Su Jiamo completely ignored Su Xiaoqi’s cold shoulder.
He directly told his own servant the names of various pastries and snacks.
Then he divided them into two packages.
Su Xiaoqi saw that he had no intention of backing down, her eyes flickered, and she suddenly said: “Not enough.
Since second brother is so generous, if little sister refuses again, wouldn’t that be disrespecting second brother?
In that case, how about ten boxes of each item for me?” Su Xiaoqi asked for a large quantity.
Su Jiamo was initially overjoyed, then he received a pleading look from his own servant.
“Young Master Er, we didn’t bring enough…” Xiao Song, afraid Su Jiamo wouldn't understand his hint, spoke out.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled. This was the effect she wanted.
He, Su Jiamo, wanted to play the hero, didn't he?
Then let him play the hero.
The recipes for Chen Jinniang’s pastries were all from her.
The prices were also what she and Chen Jinniang had agreed upon.
The cheapest toast bread here, ten slices, cost a hundred wen.
And the most expensive cream cake cost one tael of silver.
The other items were priced in between. The total cost would be at least twenty taels of silver.
Even though Su Jiamo seemed so impressive every day, wandering around the city.
In reality, his pockets were cleaner than his face.
Being slapped in the face by his own servant, Su Jiamo immediately became displeased.
He kicked his servant and shouted: “Never mind, my Sister Xiaoqi wants to eat it, so buy it.
Tell the shop to put it on the account and pay the Su family’s accountant later.”
Su Xiaoqi did not stop him.
Because from the beginning, she knew that Su Baiwan was stingy enough.
Otherwise, the original owner had been his daughter for several months, and he should have at least prepared some dowry as a gesture.
But there was none, and he even claimed that marrying into a scholarly family.
She couldn't stain their reputation with those yellow and white objects.
Pah, to hell with him.
His stinginess was comparable to that of Grandet.
He even strictly controlled his sons' pocket money, only being generous to Su Yurou.
She believed that Su Jiamo understood his own father better than she did.
She thought he would refuse, but she never expected him to agree.
And to try to look impressive when he didn't have enough money.
She watched quietly, and soon Chen Jinniang effectively shut him down.
She said that their shop was small and had thin profits, and they did not offer credit.
Moreover, if he bought so much, the customers behind him would have none.
Therefore, they had limited supplies.
Each person could buy a maximum of two portions of each pastry.
Su Jiamo’s face turned red and then pale, and he glared fiercely at his servant, Xiao Song.
He asked Xiao Song if this was true.
Xiao Song weakly nodded and pointed to the front of the queue.
He said yes, what the shopkeeper had just said was written in front, and anyone who queued could see it.
So, everyone would abide by it.
“Sister, you did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Su Jiamo turned to Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi spread her hands, indicating that she had just arrived and didn't know the shop's rules.
Su Jiamo looked at Su Xiaoqi's position and the distance to the notice.
This seemed to be true.
From such a distance, even with her good eyesight, she couldn't see it.
He was conflicted.
But soon, the voices from behind the queue made him unable to pay attention to Su Xiaoqi.
The people queuing behind them had seen Su Jiamo dawdling there, blocking their purchase of pastries, and had long been impatient.
However, considering his Su family's wealth, they had tolerated him a bit longer.
But his current behavior was really too much of a rule-breaker.
Being urged on, Su Jiamo glared back at a few people and immediately decided to join the queue himself, buying four portions of various pastries.
He spent all the pocket money he had left for the month.
Then, without further ado, he shoved them all into Su Xiaoqi's hands.
“I'll have the carriage take you back.”
Su Xiaoqi pushed him away and said she would buy them herself.
“Sister, you can’t do this, are you playing with second brother?” Su Jiamo was unhappy.
He genuinely wanted to buy her something.
“Aren’t you afraid your father will be displeased if you don’t bring these pastries home?”
A fleeting trace of resentment flashed in Su Jiamo’s eyes, and he pretended to be nonchalant, saying:
“He’s my father, and my elder brother isn’t by his side.
He still has to rely on me in his later years, so what can he do.”
These words were too profound. Su Xiaoqi didn't want to listen further.
She had no interest in the grievances between Su Jiamo and his father, Su Baiwan.
However, if Su Jiamo were to act rashly like before, she might be able to beat him again.
But now that he wasn't being overbearing but was reasoning and even giving gifts.
She was momentarily unsure of what to do.
As she hesitated, she heard a magnetic and steady voice from behind:
“Thank you, brother-in-law.” Then two arms wrapped around Su Xiaoqi’s shoulders and took the pastries from Su Jiamo’s hands.
Su Xiaoqi stood frozen, her body stiff, and her face filled with awkwardness.