Volume One, Chapter 21: The Lion’s Bold Demand

West Chamber.

On the bed.

“Burp~”

Xiao Ruoqing clutched his chest and let out a long, satisfied belch, then handed the empty plate to Ying.

“I never expected Fan Xiu could make something so exquisite,” Xiao Ruoqing said, admiration shining on his delicate face.

Ying nodded in agreement. “The most amazing part is that it’s made solely from flour. The cost per serving is only about five wen!”

“Five wen?” Xiao Ruoqing’s astonishment deepened as he murmured, “Something this delicious and unique could easily sell for fifty wen, maybe even over a hundred, at a tavern. Yet, making two hundred taels in ten days—no, now only nine days left—is still a daunting challenge.”

A thousand wen equals one tael of silver.

The profit margin on these cold noodles was indeed substantial—over tenfold. If other merchants got hold of this, they’d undoubtedly go wild.

But even earning a hundred wen per serving would require selling three thousand five hundred portions just to cover his debt.

Considering Zhiyuan County’s modest size and the limited cash the locals had, selling that many in nine days was a near impossibility.

“But that’s not all,” Ying replied. “These cold noodles are just one item. Fan Xiu has made other things too.”

With that, Ying pulled out a brown egg cracked all over.

“What’s this?” Xiao Ruoqing asked, surprised.

“First time I’ve seen it too,” Ying said. “Fan Xiu told me it goes by two names—an elegant one, ‘Top Scholar Fragrance,’ and the common name, ‘Tea Egg.’ It’s made with many tea leaves.”

Xiao Ruoqing took the tea egg, brought it to his nose, and sniffed twice.

“What a rich tea aroma. Tea is a refined thing, yet Fan Xiu combined it with an egg to create this.” Xiao Ruoqing sighed with admiration.

Peeling the egg, he took a light bite.

The darkly patterned yolk melted in his mouth, releasing an intensely fragrant tea flavor.

Though he felt somewhat full from the cold noodles, he found he could easily eat more of this Top Scholar Fragrance.

“The taste is truly remarkable,” Xiao Ruoqing marveled.

Fan Xiu really commanded a new level of respect—not only could he create such delicious cold noodles, but his inventive mind also crafted these delightful tea eggs.

It was a pity, however, that his ambition lay not in government service, but in commerce.

“Where is Fan Xiu?” Xiao Ruoqing asked.

“He’s already taken the cold noodles and tea eggs to see Master Zhao, probably to propose a partnership,” Ying replied.

Xiao Ruoqing nodded. “Let that be for now. What’s the situation in Zhiyuan County?”

“Your Majesty, the Cheng family has likely arrived in Zhiyuan County, but their numbers are few and they’re only investigating the city’s taverns,” Ying said.

Xiao Ruoqing’s face grew grave. “Keep a close eye on them. If they find nothing in the city, they’ll broaden their search. Should that happen, distract them and lead your people in a breakout.”

“Understood.”

Meanwhile,

Fan Xiu rode his little female donkey, furious enough to curse.

Since returning from the imperial exam, the donkey had been resting at home. He planned to ride it to the Zhao residence.

But damn it, the donkey would take three steps, then stop for three seconds.

When it carried Xiao Ruoqing back, the donkey had behaved well—no need to lead it, it quietly followed behind without a single bray.

Could it be that the donkey had a masochistic streak?

He tried to imitate Xiao Ruoqing and slapped the donkey’s rear.

The result? The donkey kicked up one hoof, nearly throwing him off, and then refused to be ridden anymore!

So only Xiao Ruoqing’s slaps made it work happily, but it wouldn’t tolerate anyone else?

Was that slap like a branding mark?

In the end, Fan Xiu had to coax and bribe it with plenty of food before it agreed to carry him again, albeit still with the three-step pause.

The ordeal nearly put Fan Xiu to sleep.

Thankfully, he finally arrived at the Zhao residence and presented the cold noodles and tea eggs to Master Zhao.

“Excellent!” Master Zhao slapped his thigh. “I want this project! But you can only supply me exclusively, and I won’t take more than a hundred portions. How much would that cost?”

“No charge,” Fan Xiu grinned.

“Hm?”

Master Zhao was taken aback. “No charge? Then what do you want?”

He wasn’t a fool.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

“Brother Zhao, I want sixty percent of the sales profits,” Fan Xiu said with a smile.

Master Zhao narrowed his eyes.

“Kid,” his voice lowered with a sneer, “you mean you want to use my tavern for free, then take away the profits? I know you’re poor and desperate, but trying to pull this on me is a bit of a tall order.”

Even though his daughter fancied Fan Xiu, if the boy thought he could bully him over this, he’d gladly show him the true power of a master of the house!

“Brother Zhao,” Fan Xiu quickly poured him a glass of water. “You misunderstand! You’re still the chairman of the company; the tavern is still yours and you’re still in charge. Everything’s the same as before, except now you’re selling cold noodles and tea eggs, and you bear no cost!”

Master Zhao’s tone hardened. “What shareholding, what chairman—you lost me at all that jargon.”

“Let me put it in terms you’ll understand!” Fan Xiu said. “As far as I know, Flavor Pavilion’s monthly profit is under ten taels, sometimes even a loss. These cold noodles and tea eggs are my exclusive creations; no one else in the market can compete in the short term! So, if I sell them at your tavern, I take sixty percent of the profit and help you attract more customers!”

“No,” Master Zhao shook his head. “If you want a share of the profits, the most I can offer is twenty percent. That’s enough to cover your costs and still make me a good profit.”

Fan Xiu shrugged helplessly. “Brother Zhao, if that’s the case, I’ll have to take the cold noodles elsewhere. But then, I can’t say if your tavern will survive.”

“Are you threatening me?” Master Zhao’s voice darkened.

“No threat,” Fan Xiu smiled. “Brother Zhao, as a scholar turned businessman, I’m taking a huge risk and need to prove myself. And you just said I urgently need silver! Plus, I haven’t finished inventing—there are more dishes coming! Think it over.”

After a moment’s thought, Master Zhao said, “I’ll agree, but on one condition. Fail it, and we’re done.”

“Please, Brother Zhao,” Fan Xiu said.

“You must marry my daughter.”

“Ah?”