Chapter 52

Chapter 52

After dispatching the letter, Liang Boqing’s worries subsided; he knew it would be at least until the spring harvest of the following year before any results could be seen.

During this period, besides instructing his three disciples and requiring them to complete ten calligraphy sheets daily, he even roped in Wang Ying, making him practice alongside them.

"Old Liang, I'm not even eligible for the imperial exams. Why do I need to practice calligraphy with them?"

"Even if you can't take the exams, your handwriting must be good. Just look at those scrawls of yours—they're worse than chicken scratches."

Wang Ying wasn't offended by the scolding, chuckling, "As long as it's legible, that's good enough."

"Handwriting reflects character. If your writing is unsightly, others will form a poor impression of you. Which young master or lady from a noble family in the capital doesn't possess excellent penmanship?"

"Oh, I'm just a country bumpkin. I might never even set foot in the capital in this lifetime."

Liang Boqing, exasperated, tapped him with a ruler. "Nonsense! With my tutelage, even these three dullards are bound to make something of themselves!"

In truth, there was something else he hadn't voiced: Wang Ying's talent for crop breeding was far too valuable to be confined to the countryside. Such skills could sustain countless lives! If an opportunity arose in the future... perhaps he could even enter officialdom as a *ger*. Such instances weren't unprecedented; the Qi Dynasty even had a *ger* who became a prime minister, though the path was incredibly arduous...

Unable to defy the old man, Wang Ying joined the trio in their calligraphy practice. Over time, he genuinely developed a beautiful, delicate "簪花小楷" (簪花小楷, *zan hua xiao kai*, a refined, small-script calligraphy style). However, his sole flaw was a habit of omitting strokes or components, a lingering effect from the simplified characters of his previous life, which often left Old Liang fuming with frustration.

After their daytime practice, the two continued their "practice" in the bedroom at night.

Wang Ying traced the *Longting Fu* (长亭赋, *Ode to the Long Pavilion*) on Chen Qingyan’s chest with his finger. Halfway through, his hand wandered into Chen Qingyan’s waistband, only to be caught and thoroughly caressed.

For all this time, they had only used their hands to pleasure each other, never venturing into other methods.

One day, Wang Ying had a whimsical idea. He picked up a new calligraphy brush from the table, dipped it in water, and began writing on Chen Qingyan. The soft, cool tip of the brush grazed sensitive spots, sending shivers through Chen Qingyan.

"Brother, please stop teasing..."

Wang Ying pressed down on his chest to keep him still, then gently inserted the brush tip into a small orifice, stirring the glistening moisture there.

Chen Qingyan could no longer control himself. He seized Wang Ying’s mischievous hand, flipped him over, and slowly pushed the brush into his body.

This was Wang Ying’s first time being penetrated, yet he felt no resistance. A *ger*'s body was inherently different from a man's, and the sliding brush evoked a subtly tingling sensation.

Wang Ying bit his lower lip, swallowing his moans. After a while of stirring, the area was already slick with moisture.

"Brother, I want..." Chen Qingyan leaned in, kissing the corner of his mouth, then trailing down his chin to the fertility mark on his neck. A few licks and bites later, Wang Ying surrendered completely.

"Then... be gentle..."

Chen Qingyan was overjoyed—his brother had finally agreed!

(A river crab passes by)

The consequence of their indulgence was that both were lethargic the next day. Chen Qingyan received six or seven raps from his teacher that morning, infuriating Liang Boqing so much that he grabbed his fishing rod and stormed off to fish.

*

As the weather grew warmer day by day, the vegetables in the fields ripened in succession, but sales at the shop stagnated.

Last month, they had only earned six strings of coins. Yesterday, Dun Zi returned from delivering vegetables to town and reported that the shop's vegetables were unsold, rotting in the heat.

Wang Ying decided to pivot from selling vegetables to selling ice, but the crucial question was how to market it.

Ordinary ice was already sold in the city—a foot of ice cost ten *wen*, affordable only by wealthy families for cooling. Common folk couldn't afford it, and even if they could, they'd be reluctant to spend on it.

However, Wang Ying didn't want to sell plain ice. Demand was low, and it wouldn't generate much profit. What he envisioned selling were ice pops and frozen treats. In the sweltering heat, he believed ordinary people would be willing to spend one or two *wen* on a refreshing ice pop to beat the heat.

Once decided, Wang Ying commissioned custom-made wooden molds and enlisted the village children to help whittle sticks for the ice pops. He didn't let them work for free; they earned five *wen* for every hundred sticks carved, with older children earning up to ten *wen* a day.

Next came the preparation of the ice pop mixture. Wang Ying planned to use malt sugar and goat's milk for flavor. Lacking lemon juice to remove the gamey taste, he ground a sour-tasting herb into juice to neutralize the goat's milk's odor.

After mixing, he boiled the concoction, let it cool, then poured it into the prepared wooden molds. He then placed them in the experimental plot to chill for an hour. When he took them out, the ice pops had solidified!

Wang Ying demolded one and tasted it. The flavor was decent—nowhere near as good as modern cream ice pops—but in an era of food scarcity, it was quite impressive.

At noon, he brought some out for everyone to try.

Chen Qingsong held an ice pop and asked, "Sister-in-law, what is this?"

"This is called an ice pop. Try it and see how it tastes."

"Mmm, delicious!" On such a hot day, eating one significantly relieved the heat. Seeing the three enjoying them so much, Old Liang couldn't resist trying one himself.

"I've had iced drinks in Yangzhou before, but this is the first time I've seen something frozen on a stick. How did you make it?"

Wang Ying was prepared. He had experimented with the saltpeter method of making ice during his high school days. He placed pre-prepared saltpeter into a wooden basin, added water, and then set a ceramic bowl filled with water inside. Soon, the water in the bowl began to freeze.

Chen Qinghuai exclaimed in amazement, "Sister-in-law, is this magic? I've seen alchemists in Laizhou perform similar tricks!"

"What magic? This is just a simple chemical reaction. Saltpeter dissolving in water absorbs heat, lowering the surrounding temperature and causing water to freeze. Plus, this saltpeter can be reused. Once the water is completely frozen, you can scrape off the saltpeter and use it again."

Of course, this was just a public explanation; making ice pops in the experimental plot was far more convenient—just place them there, and they'd freeze solid without any fuss.

Everyone marveled at the demonstration, and even the well-traveled Liang Boqing had to admit his admiration, exclaiming, "This young Wang Lang truly has many talents!"

The four of them ended up eating three ice pops each before Wang Ying quickly intervened. "These are very cold; you shouldn't eat too many, or you'll upset your stomach."

Old Liang waved him off. "It's fine. It's so hot, a little coolness is good." The consequence of their indulgence was that all four suffered from digestive issues for half the night, and none dared to overindulge the next day.

After the successful tasting, with unanimous praise for the ice pops, Wang Ying began mass production.

Aside from the time spent preparing the ingredients, the process was quick with Uncle Chen's help.

He didn't dare make too many at first, fearing they would melt before being sold. He started with two hundred ice pops. After demolding, he packed them into wooden boxes, wrapping them in three or four layers of straw and cotton quilts for insulation. Early the next morning, Wang Ying rode a cart to town with the boxes.

It was market day, and along the way, he encountered many villagers. After the spring harvest, every household had a little surplus grain to sell or trade for daily necessities in town. People walked in small groups toward the town, carrying baskets. When they saw Wang Ying, they greeted him warmly, "Young master, are you heading to town?"

"Yes, I'm going to buy some things."

"Safe travels, young master."

"Thank you."

Upon arriving in town, Wang Ying didn't go straight home but headed directly to the shop. It had been a while since his last visit. As soon as the cart stopped, the proprietress of the neighboring sesame oil shop came over to greet him. "Shopkeeper Wang, long time no see!"

"Auntie Song."

"I heard from your sister-in-law that you went back to the estate. Are you back now?"

"Not yet, just here to deliver some things."

Dun Zi unloaded the wooden box filled with ice pops. Wang Ying casually took one out and handed it to her. "It's hard to sell vegetables in summer, but the shop shouldn't stay idle. I plan to sell these sugar ice pops. Try it and see how it tastes?"

Madam Song smiled, took a bite, and immediately exclaimed, "Oh my, this is delicious! How much are they?"

"Two *wen* each, or three for five *wen*."

"That's not expensive at all! Give me three. I'll take them for the kids at home to try."

Unexpectedly, business came so quickly. Wang Ying promptly handed her three ice pops. "Eat them quickly, or they'll melt in this warm weather."

"Wait, let me get the money for you."

"Don't bother. It's just a few *wen*—not worth the trouble. If you like them, help spread the word."

Madam Song, pleased with the free treat, beamed. "Sure, I'll definitely have the kids help promote them!"

Inside the shop, Qing Yun, Lin Qiu, and Lin Sui were all there. The three of them rushed over happily when they saw Wang Ying. "Sister-in-law, you're back!"

"The ice pops I mentioned last time are ready. Come try them and see how they taste."

Qing Yun unwrapped the layered quilts and said, "Sister-in-law, why did you wrap them up so much?"

"To keep them cold. It's so hot outside—if we don't cover them well, they'll melt. Remember to wrap them up again after taking them out."

"Okay!"

Qing Yun handed out the ice pops, one for each. The milky-white ice pops were about palm-length and half a finger's width, with a creamy fragrance. One bite revealed their sweetness, and they soon melted into liquid in the mouth.

"So delicious!"

"Even if they're delicious, don't eat too many. They're cold, and overeating can upset your stomach. Qing Song and the others overate yesterday and were up half the night with stomach troubles."

The three of them couldn't help but laugh. Lin Qiu brought out the account book and said while eating, "Business has been slow these past few days. We only made two hundred *wen* yesterday, all from selling tomatoes. The other vegetables aren't selling at all."

"It's fine. Starting tomorrow, Uncle Dun Zi won't bring vegetables anymore. From now on, the shop will only sell ice pops—two *wen* each or three for five *wen*. We'll keep selling them until the weather turns cold, then switch back to vegetables."

"Only two *wen*? That's too cheap!" Chen Qingyun thought such delicious ice pops could easily sell for five *wen* each.

"Thin margins, high volume. The cost is low, so even at two *wen* each, we can make a good profit."

The malt sugar was made by Wang Ying himself, and the goat's milk was obtained directly from villagers who wouldn't even accept payment. The only expense was a few *wen* for the children who whittled the sticks.

Besides, Wang Ying had other considerations. He was selling something ordinary folks couldn't easily replicate. If the price was set too high, it might attract envy from those with ulterior motives, potentially making future business difficult.

After reviewing the accounts, Wang Ying divided the earnings from this period into three shares: one for himself, one for Lin Qiu and Lin Sui, and one for Qing Yun. The profits over three months amounted to over seventy taels of silver. After deducting expenses, each person received twenty taels of silver. This sudden windfall made the children a little embarrassed.

Lin Qiu said, "Sister-in-law, this... this is too much. I can't accept this money."

"Take it. Your wedding's coming up, and there will be plenty of expenses."

Qing Yun said, "Sister-in-law, please keep my share for me. I'm not in a hurry to get married anyway."

Lin Sui also chimed in, "I'm not in a hurry either. Brother, hold onto it for me~"

"You little rascals, making fun of me, are you?" Lin Qiu raised his hand playfully as if to hit them, and the two children laughed and ran outside, bumping right into a few kids who had come to buy ice pops.

These children were from the sesame oil shop next door. The three earlier ice pops hadn't satisfied their craving, so they asked their mother for money and came back to buy more.

"Is this where they're selling ice pops?"

"Yes!"

"We want to buy three!"

Lin Qiu took the money and quickly handed them three ice pops.

It was scorching hot outside. The three children sucked on the ice pops with looks of pure delight. Soon, others asked, "Hey, kid, what are you eating?"

"Ice pops."

"Where did you buy them? How much each?"

"Right at Wang's Vegetable Shop up ahead. They're really sweet!"

"What? They have a sweet taste?"

A few people couldn't resist asking about the price. The affordable price made it easy to spring for one and try it in the heat. Soon, more and more people came to buy ice pops, forming a long queue outside the door.

The two hundred ice pops sold out in under an hour. Many who missed out asked if they would be sold again tomorrow. Wang Ying hadn't expected the ice pop business to be this good. It seemed he needed to increase production when he got back!