Chapter 107

Chapter 107

After leaving the greengrocer’s, Yang Deguang headed straight home. Coincidentally, guests had arrived that day, and Mr. Yang invited them to stay for dinner.

He instructed the kitchen maid to slice the purchased tomatoes, sprinkle them with fine white sugar, and serve them as a cold dish.

During the meal, the plate of bright red tomatoes caught everyone’s attention. Yang Deguang pointed at the dish with his chopsticks and asked, “What kind of dish is this? I’ve never seen it before.”

A servant attending nearby replied, “The master just bought them this morning. I heard they’re called ‘western persimmons’ (xihongshizi).”

The other guests remarked, “They look quite unusual. I wonder how they taste.”

“Let’s try some.”

They each picked up a wedge-shaped slice of tomato from the plate and were all taken aback upon tasting it. The flavor was completely unlike any fruit they had ever eaten!

The sugar balanced the tomato’s tartness, and with each bite, the juice burst in their mouths, offering a delightfully sweet and sour sensation that truly amazed everyone.

They couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is delicious! Where did you get these fruits?”

The servant replied, “They were bought from Wang’s Greengrocer.”

The owner of a silver shop sitting nearby asked, “Is Wang’s Greengrocer a new shop? I haven’t heard of it.”

At the mention of Wang’s Greengrocer, the owner of Xianghe Restaurant couldn’t resist chiming in, “That shop opened a few days ago, right across from Mr. Yang’s trading firm. They sell fresh vegetables, though I’m not sure where they source them from.”

As a restaurant owner, he was naturally keen on food ingredients. He had sent a servant to inquire when the greengrocer first opened, but couldn't find out anything. If he could also procure fresh vegetables, his winter business would surely thrive.

Yang Deguang cleared his throat and said mysteriously, “I advise you not to even think about Wang’s Greengrocer.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“On the day the shop opened, I personally saw the Vice Prefect’s carriage arrive and deliver a wooden plaque wishing the shop prosperity. The shopkeeper even called Magistrate Wang ‘Uncle.’”

Upon hearing this, the other business owners immediately understood. Vice Prefect Wang, Wang’s Greengrocer—it was likely that the shop’s actual owner was Magistrate Wang.

As the saying goes, “Don’t fight City Hall,” and merchants were even less willing to do so. They were more inclined to flatter officials than to risk offending them over small profits.

After that meal, Wang Ying’s identity as Vice Prefect Wang’s nephew was thoroughly established. No one dared to covet Wang’s Greengrocer anymore, but the tomatoes became immensely popular. The business owners went home and, without consulting each other, mentioned them to their wives.

The next day, as soon as the shop opened, seven or eight servants showed up, specifically asking to buy tomatoes.

Seeing this, Wang Ying set the price at forty copper coins per tomato, with a daily limit of fifty. Those who came late would have to wait until the next day.

This scarcity marketing strategy proved highly effective, and tomatoes quickly became a sensation in the city. Eating tomatoes almost became a fashionable trend.

One should not underestimate the ancient people’s pursuit of trends—it was almost akin to modern times. To taste tomatoes, many people specifically lined up and waited patiently.

Even “scalpers” emerged, buying tomatoes in line and reselling them at higher prices, making a profit of dozens of coins per fruit.

With no other option, Wang Ying added another rule: each person could buy no more than five fruits per day. Any more would not be sold.

Some people even wrote poems after tasting them. The most famous was a student named Song An from the prefectural school, who wrote a poem titled “Red Persimmon”: “Vermilion fruit, round and moist, sweet and sour, refreshing the teeth. Tart at first taste, but growing sweeter, it turns exquisitely delightful.”

This poem further boosted the tomato’s fame. Even people from other regions heard that a unique fruit was being sold in Jizhou, renowned for its distinctive taste, high price, and limited supply.

Others developed new ways to eat tomatoes, such as slicing them thinly and pairing them with hawthorn slices, or mashing them into a paste, creating the earliest version of tomato sauce.

Business remained booming, and Wang’s Greengrocer became a popular “influencer” shop. In just half a month, it earned over two hundred strings of cash, leaving neighboring shops extremely jealous.

However, envy aside, no one dared to take action. Behind the scenes, Wang’s Greengrocer was already connected to the government—who would dare to challenge official connections?

*

In the evening, after returning home and washing up, Wang Ying went early to the experimental field to tend to the vegetables.

Although the experimental field now had one-click planting, one-click weeding, and one-click harvesting functions, tasks like pruning and thinning still had to be done manually.

After working for a while, Chen Qingyan also arrived.

“You came at the perfect time. Come help me thin out the seedlings. The celery is planted too densely and won’t grow well.”

“Alright.” Chen Qingyan removed his outer garment, rolled up his sleeves, and came over to help.

Thanks to Wang Ying, the scholar who once knew nothing about farming now handled agricultural tasks with ease. Chen Qingyan not only knew how to plant vegetables and thin seedlings but was also skilled at harvesting wheat before the one-click harvesting function was available.

After working for a long time, the two finished thinning three rows of celery. Wang Ying brought two ice pops from the low-temperature area, and they sat under the peach tree, eating and chatting.

“How has business been at the shop lately?”

Wang Ying pointed to the experimental field. “You can see for yourself—the vegetables are almost selling out faster than we can supply them.”

“It seems to be doing better than when we were in town.”

“Much better. The prefectural city has more wealthy people, and consumption is higher. Even with the high prices, people are eager to buy. Back in town, tomatoes sold for ten copper coins each, and people thought it was expensive. Now, at forty copper coins each, they’re fighting to buy them!”

“Forty copper coins?” Chen Qingyan was also shocked by the price. It was unexpected that a palm-sized fruit could sell for such a high price.

“Some people even wrote poems about it!” Wang Ying recited two, making Chen Qingyan laugh heartily.

“No matter how good business is, you still need to take care of your health. I’ve noticed you’ve lost some weight lately.”

Wang Ying had indeed been exhausted since the shop opened, but the sense of accomplishment was immense. Watching the coins pile up in the money box slowly reduced his worries.

Based on the current business, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about next year’s rent.

With enough money on hand, Wang Ying returned the jade pendant to Qing Yun. It was a keepsake from her maternal grandfather, of great sentimental value, and she would never pawn it unless absolutely necessary.

“Things will calm down after this busy period. Once the shop stabilizes, I’ll let Ma Qianzi manage it. He’s quite observant and capable—nothing major will go wrong with him around.”

Chen Qingyan asked curiously, “Who is Ma Qianzi?”

“He’s the guy who buys our ice pops wholesale at the estate.”

“He came to the prefectural city too?”

“Yes, along with Tian Daniu and Chen Fang. Thankfully, they’re here to help. Uncle Chen and I couldn’t manage such a large shop alone.”

Chen Qingyan nodded. “My work is nearly finished too. My teacher said we’ll be returning by the end of the month.”

It was nearly November now. While snow had already fallen in the north, the trees in the south were still green. During this time, Chen Qingyan had found a few fruit trees for Wang Ying—a loquat tree and an orange tree.

As the saying goes, “Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet, but north of the Huai River, they turn sour.” The Huai River served as the dividing line. Due to climate differences, oranges grown north of the river were tart and unpleasant, while those grown south of the river were sweet and delicious.

In ancient times, due to poor transportation systems, oranges couldn’t be transported to the north. By growing an orange tree in the experimental field, they could enjoy fresh oranges in the future.

Wang Ying leaned his head on Chen Qingyan’s shoulder. “Come back soon. Even though we often meet in the experimental field, it doesn't feel right when you’re not around.”

“I feel the same way.” Chen Qingyan wrapped an arm around his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. “I wish I could see you as soon as I open my eyes in the morning.”

Wang Ying lifted his head and leaned in for a kiss. Their warm, soft lips met, eagerly tasting each other’s lips before parting, breathless, after a long moment.

"Someone's knocking at the door; I should head back now," Chen Qingyan said hoarsely.

Wang Ying reached out and wiped the corner of his mouth for him. "Go ahead."

Chen Qingyan exited the experimental field, got up, and opened the door to find Chen Qinghuai standing outside. "What are you doing up so late?"

Chen Qinghuai looked panicked, his eyes red-rimmed. "Big brother... can I stay with you tonight?"

"Come in. What happened?"

After a moment of silence, Chen Qinghuai said, his voice choked with tears, "Just now... I was asleep when suddenly a woman barged into my room, took off her clothes, climbed into my bed, and said... she wanted to become my concubine..."

Chen Qingyan's anger flared. "Did you touch her?"

"No, I was so scared I ran straight to you." Though Chen Qinghuai was seventeen, he was still a naive and unworldly boy at heart. Faced with such a situation, he was terrified and could only cry.

Chen Qingyan stood up angrily. "Let's go, we're going to see our Master!"

"Big brother..."

"This concerns your reputation. We must get an explanation tonight!"

Chen Qingyan pulled Qing Huai along as they headed toward Master Liang’s courtyard. By the time they arrived, Liang Boqing was already asleep, and Liang An got up to attend to them. "What brings you two young masters here so late?"

After Chen Qingyan explained what had happened, Liang An knew he couldn’t handle it himself and hurried inside to wake Liang Boqing.

Soon, the sound of Liang Boqing shattering porcelain came from the room. "Yan'er, Huai'er, come in!"

The two entered the room. Liang Boqing was in a rage. He clutched his chest, coughing violently. Liang An patted his back worriedly. "Don’t be upset, Master. Both young masters are fine."

Liang Boqing waved him off. "Go get the Third Young Master, now!"

"Yes, Master." Liang An hurried out, while Chen Qingyan poured a cup of tea from the table.

Liang Boqing took a sip to calm his cough. "Qing Huai, tell me exactly what happened, in detail."

Qing Huai wiped his tears and began recounting the incident. After dinner that evening, he had returned to his room as usual, read for a while until he felt tired, and then lay down to rest.

Shortly after he blew out the lamp, he heard the door open with a sound. In the darkness, he couldn’t see who had entered. When Chen Qinghuai asked who it was, the person remained silent, hastily undressed, and threw herself onto the bed.

Terrified, Chen Qinghuai cried out, "Who are you? What do you want?"

A woman’s seductive voice spoke out of the darkness. "Don’t be afraid, young master. I mean you no harm. I only beg for your favor—please let me be your concubine."

Hearing it was a woman, Chen Qinghuai was so frightened his scalp went numb. In a panic, he pushed her away and ran to Chen Qingyan’s room.

"Did you see what the woman looked like?"

Chen Qinghuai shook his head. "It was too dark to see."

"To think they would resort to such a despicable trick!"

Among his three disciples, Qing Yan was already married, and Qing Song was the youngest. Only Qing Huai was of marriageable age. If someone had succeeded in climbing into his bed and forcing a relationship, it would have ruined his reputation through premarital indiscretion.

The Wu Dynasty placed great importance on reputation. Even if Chen Qinghuai later passed the imperial exams, such an incident would become a stain on his record. A man lacking virtue would find it hard to even catch the emperor's eye. No wonder Liang Boqing was so enraged.