Shen Yun frowned helplessly, seeing her usual greedy look.
When would she ever see him as more important than money?
Perhaps only when he was worth more than money!
Shen Yun had given up struggling and changed the subject, asking Su Xiaoqi if her luggage was packed.
They would depart for the prefectural city in two days, on the fifth of August.
This was because the exam was on the ninth, but the authorities required participants to enter the examination hall a day earlier, on the eighth of August.
It would take them more than half a day to reach the prefectural city. They would arrive before sunset on the fifth, find an inn to stay, rest on the sixth and seventh, and enter the examination hall on the eighth.
Su Xiaoqi had planned this schedule herself.
Su Xiaoqi said that everything necessary had been prepared.
Furthermore, she added lotus root powder to his exam meal list.
Su Xiaoqi said that since time was so tight, it was better to act now than to wait. She would go to the Gu family while taking her younger sister to town, and deliver the lotus root powder.
While she said this, Su Xiaoqi actually intended to take the lotus root powder to Chen Jinji for sale.
Because she needed to be a bit calculative, she didn't want Shen Xiaomei to be involved.
Therefore, she had to go in person.
As usual, she first took Zhao Xiaozhu to Granny Wen’s, and then took Shen Xiaomei to Chen Jinji.
Su Xiaoqi specifically avoided others and found Chen Jinnian alone, whispering something to her.
Chen Jinnian looked at the lotus root powder in the porcelain jar in her hand, her face filled with shock.
“You actually managed to make it?”
Su Xiaoqi nodded heavily, “Of course, I’ve tasted it, and it tastes very good.”
She gave Chen Jinnian a brief explanation of how to prepare lotus root powder and how to identify its authenticity.
This way, she would have something to say if anyone questioned her.
“The maid of that Marquis’s wife really liked our mooncakes with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk.
She comes to buy them every day, so if she sees this, there shouldn’t be any problem,” Chen Jinnian nodded repeatedly after hearing Su Xiaoqi’s plan.
She was a little excited; if this business succeeded, it would elevate them to another level.
She excitedly held Su Xiaoqi’s hand, her heart pounding rapidly.
She felt that her Chen family had hope of rising again.
Su Xiaoqi told her to find someone to make some beautiful wooden boxes, put the lotus root powder in porcelain jars of various sizes, and then sell them in wooden boxes.
Chen Jinnian, now thoroughly understanding the essence of packaging, nodded repeatedly.
After giving her instructions, Su Xiaoqi asked Chen Jinnian for two boxes of the most expensive mooncakes to take with her and, without delay, got into the mule cart with Shen Yun, who was waiting for her.
They did not stop on the way this time and went directly to the Gu family, who lived on Yu Tongzi Street.
Jumping off the mule cart at the entrance, Su Xiaoqi suddenly called out to Shen Yun, hesitantly saying, “Hey, bring the jade pendant, I’ve made a tassel for it.”
Since returning from Yu Family Village, although she was busy making lotus root powder, she hadn't forgotten Shen Yun's request.
So, whenever she had time, she would secretly make tassels and embroider sachets.
Fortunately, with Zhao Xiaozhu, a master embroiderer, there to guide her a few times, she had managed to learn how to embroider sachets.
However, time was too short, and the design was frankly not good enough, so she planned to study more and embroider a new one.
Fortunately, making tassels was simple, and she easily made two, intending to appease Shen Yun for the time being.
Shen Yun glanced at the red silk tassel in her hand. The style was simple and elegant, and it was quite satisfactory.
The key was the gesture!
He handed over the jade pendant and let her tie it, gesturing for her to tie it to his waist.
Su Xiaoqi bent down and tied it for him, then took a step back to admire Shen Yun.
He was dressed in a moon-white scholar’s robe, his hair tied high, wearing a scholar’s cap, his face refined and handsome. The white jade pendant on his waist swayed in the wind, instantly giving him the demeanor of a graceful young scholar.
They exchanged a glance and walked into the Gu residence side by side.
Gu Shicheng, having heard the news, was already waiting for them in the main hall.
Neither of them expected Gu Shicheng to be so courteous.
Logically, he was their elder and a renowned scholar in the Daliang Dynasty; people were expected to wait for him.
This showed the respect he accorded Shen Yun.
They bowed and took their seats.
Soon, a servant served bitter buckwheat tea.
Su Xiaoqi could not get used to the expensive teas here, but she found the bitter buckwheat tea more to her liking.
After some small talk, Shen Yun presented the mooncakes and said, “Sir, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, but I will have to stay in the prefectural city for the examination.
These are mooncakes from Chen Jinji, specially prepared by my wife for you, to show my respect.”
Gu Shicheng laughed heartily, “Mooncakes from Chen Jinji, eh? They are good stuff. Your madam likes to eat them.”
Shen Yun then pointed to the blue and white porcelain jar on the table and told Gu Shicheng, “This is the lotus root powder my wife personally made for you.”
“Lotus root powder?” Gu Shicheng’s eyes flickered.
He could hardly believe what he heard.
“That’s right, my wife made it.” Shen Yun looked at Su Xiaoqi with immense tenderness.
If Xiaoqi hadn’t brewed him a bowl after the lotus root powder was made, he would have thought it wasn’t real.
This was a tribute item; ordinary people could not easily taste it.
“Sir, this lotus root powder can promote salivation and appetite, clear heat, and benefit the lungs. It is good for the body,” Su Xiaoqi maintained a humble smile at the opportune moment, acting as a pretty vase.
In front of a renowned scholar like Gu Shicheng, she dared not be presumptuous.
“Oh, it’s really lotus root powder.” Gu Shicheng still seemed a bit disbelieving.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and said she could brew him a bowl to try the taste right away.
Gu Shicheng had been the Grand Tutor to the former Crown Prince, so he must have tasted lotus root powder before.
He would know whether it was real or not with just one taste.
And Su Xiaoqi was confident that her skills, inherited from modern times, were definitely better than the lotus root powder making skills of Sanjia Village, which were only just emerging.
“Good, good, good. Your madam loves it the most,” Gu Shicheng said, beckoning a servant to invite his wife, Madam Yu.
Su Xiaoqi’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected this great scholar, famous throughout Daliang, to talk about his wife incessantly.
She began to look forward to meeting this madam.
Soon, there was the sound of a beaded curtain being lifted from the side room.
A fresh, fragrant breeze wafted in, and two figures appeared from behind the beaded curtain.
The one in front was a woman in her early thirties.
She wore an藕荷色 (lotus-root colored) diagonally cut jacket and skirt, her hair styled in a full moon bun, adorned with a red ruby and jade hairpin. Even before speaking, her face already bore a faint smile, making her look very approachable.
The other was a young girl, dressed in a fiery red riding outfit, her hair in a bun, adorned with silk flowers, and a riding crop at her waist. Her fair face bore a look of charming innocence.
Su Xiaoqi guessed she might be Gu Shicheng’s daughter.
But then she remembered Shen Yun had reminded her earlier that Gu Shicheng and his wife had only three sons and no daughters.
So, who was this person?
As if to resolve Su Xiaoqi’s confusion, Gu Shicheng introduced the identities of the newcomers.
One was, naturally, his wife, and the other was their niece, Du Yiyi, who had come from Yizhou Prefecture.
After exchanging pleasantries, they each returned to their seats.
Gu Shicheng then began the conversation, saying:
“Hahaha, I know Yiyi will definitely come when she hears about lotus root powder.”
“Oh, Uncle, you’re joking. Auntie asked me to come,” the girl named Du Yiyi said, completely uninhibited and with a look of pure innocence.
After speaking, she looked at Su Xiaoqi with curiosity.
She had already heard that the woman before her, who was around her age, was the one who made the lotus root powder.
She found it hard to believe.
After all, in the capital, lotus root powder was a tribute item; one couldn't buy it even with money.
And her own grandmother loved it.
Her uncles were all trying to find ways to get it for their grandmother.
If she could make it, and make the real lotus root powder at that, then she would definitely buy a lot of it to have her parents pack and send to the capital to honor their grandmother.
Du Yiyi made up her mind and, with great familiarity, took Su Xiaoqi’s hand and asked if she had really made lotus root powder and if she could taste it.
Lotus root powder, unlike other things, couldn't be judged at first glance.
One could only know by brewing it with boiling water and tasting it.
Su Xiaoqi immediately recognized that this young girl was of noble status, and her words indicated that she was at least qualified to taste tribute lotus root powder.
She smiled gently and said she was just about to brew some for them.
As they spoke, a servant brought freshly boiled water and five white porcelain bowls.
Su Xiaoqi softly instructed that she needed some warm boiled water.
Su Xiaoqi poured an appropriate amount of lotus root powder into each of the five bowls in turn.
When the warm boiled water was brought, Su Xiaoqi picked it up and was about to pour it in. Du Yiyi, who had been watching her intently, couldn’t wait and whispered,
“Sister Xiaoqi, boiling water is better for brewing lotus root powder.”
Su Xiaoqi turned back with a smile and said faintly, “Miss Yiyi, please watch.”
Du Yiyi blinked her eyes, wanting to say more, but Madam Yu had already held her back and nodded at her. Her dignified face was full of curiosity.
She had heard of Shen Yun’s wife’s reputation long ago, and this time she wanted to see what abilities she possessed.