Chapter 9: Persimmon Jam

Chapter 9: Persimmon Jam

Xu Shi glanced at Lin Su, who was lazily leaning against the tree, then at Fu Yun, who was earnestly hawking the wares, her eyes full of approval that these lads were teachable.

"Yun Geer, you're doing the right thing," she leaned in close to Fu Yun's ear. "Not only must you control the man's money, but you must also make sure he works. Men are just like children—if you don't keep an eye on them, they won't amount to anything."

Fu Yun looked bewildered.

What was his aunt talking about? Was she telling him to watch over his brother again? He had already agreed yesterday, hadn't he?

Fu Yun frowned, thinking his aunt's memory was a bit poor, but he nodded earnestly again. "Okay!"

"What are you selling? It smells so sweet?" Xu Shi changed the subject, bending down to peer into the clay pot.

"Persimmon jam!"

"Persimmon jam? Why would you make that? It's tasty, but you can't eat too much!"

Sure enough, the two were young and didn't know how to do business. Persimmons were just for show hanging on the tree, occasionally eaten one or two—who would buy this stuff?

But since Su Xiaozi was taking the initiative to work for the first time, she didn't want to discourage him. She planned to buy two to give him some business.

Just as she was about to ask Yun Geer to get them, Lin Su, who had been dozing, interjected: "Aunt, this is a fruit jam I made, with plenty of wild honey from the mountains. It's nourishing and good for the skin when steeped in water."

He looked around, then waved at Xu Lei, who was selling wholesale goods from town on a boat. "Brother Xu, could I borrow a bowl of hot water?"

Xu Lei always kept a small stove burning hot water on his boat for people to warm themselves on chilly winter mornings, and they could trade him a little something in return.

Hearing Lin Su's call, he rowed the boat ashore, took a bamboo tube, scooped some hot water, and handed it to Lin Su. Lin Su took it, stirred in half a spoonful of jam, and handed it to Xu Shi.

"Aunt, have a taste."

Xu Shi took a sip. It was sweet and rich with fruit flavor.

"Wow, this is really good!"

Xu Shi's loud voice immediately drew the attention of many curious onlookers.

Lin Su glanced around and explained clearly: "This persimmon jam can be stored for at least half a year. It's made with wild honey. Having a spoonful a day not only won't harm your stomach but is also very beneficial for your health—it nourishes the lungs, dissolves phlegm, stops coughs, and beautifies the skin."

Xu Shi's eyes widened. "Really? Is that true?"

"Of course. I'll bring you a bowl when I have time tomorrow. Drink it for a while, and you'll see."

He wasn't lying; persimmons themselves have these benefits, and his Superpower Water was no worse than wild honey.

Hearing Lin Su's words, Fu Yun recalled a few pages from a medical book that said the same thing, so he nodded in agreement.

The conversation attracted many vendors and passersby, but most were just onlookers; they wouldn't bother to spend money on something they usually looked down upon.

Every peasant family counted every penny.

Lin Su didn't expect a few words to change their minds. Only by letting them taste it firsthand would they have a standard to judge whether it was worth buying.

He had Fu Yun gather some wide, flexible leaves, then folded them into a cone-shaped cup with his fingers—a natural container for water.

"Today is the first day of business. Fellow villagers, please try my jam. I'm a bit tight on cash, so I can only offer everyone a free taste."

"If you like it, feel free to buy. One coin per spoonful, and buy ten get one free!"

As soon as this price was announced, everyone exclaimed that it was too pricey.

The spoon he held was just an ordinary spoon. One coin per spoonful—was this thing made of gold?

Lin Su thought one coin per spoonful was not expensive. Not to mention that sugar was pricey in ancient times, but the spoon he was using was twice as large as the spoons he had used before. Ten or so spoonfuls could fill a small-sized bowl.

This pot of his only had about ten bowls' worth, not much at all.

Lin Su then took a bamboo tube from Xu Lei's boat, deliberately scooping out a knuckle-sized amount of jam in front of everyone, dissolving it in hot water, and pouring it into the leaf containers.

He swept his gaze and zeroed in on a few children around eight or nine.

"Free taste," he said, handing one to a little kid with a topknot. The child was stunned for a moment, then took it boldly and downed it in one gulp.

He finished it casually, licked his lips while looking at Lin Su's bamboo tube, then suddenly turned and shouted behind him, "Grandma! I want this!"

As soon as he spoke, the other kids who had drunk the free sweet water also clamored.

"Mom! I want some too!"

"Grandpa! Let's buy this sweet water!"

...

Suddenly there was a commotion. The adults gathered around. The more generous ones directly said they'd buy two spoonfuls to try, while the more frugal ones insisted on tasting first.

Some adults thought it wasn't worth it and scolded their kids: "There are plenty of persimmons on the tree at home. Go eat those. Last time you got a stomachache from them, obviously you haven't learned your lesson."

...

Lin Su paid no attention, smiling as he urged everyone to taste for free before deciding to buy.

Free things were not to be missed, and they were a bit thirsty anyway. But after tasting it, the intense sweetness spread in their mouths, with the refreshing fruitiness of persimmons—it was incredibly delicious.

The shrewd ones quickly caught on and decided it was a good deal.

Just now, the stall owner had only dripped a few drops into a bamboo tube as thick as a bowl opening and half an arm's length. At first, some thought the seemingly gentle man was stingy, not giving enough, but now they realized that only this much was needed to sweeten the entire tube of water.

This meant the persimmon jam had a high sugar content—one spoonful could be stretched to make three or four drinks. This isn't buying persimmons at all; it's like buying sugar!

Although the price wasn't much lower than sugar's, one spoonful of sugar could flavor at most one bamboo tube of water. At this rate, the persimmon jam was a much better buy.

Lin Su smiled to himself.

Of course. He was worried they might store it improperly and get sick from bacteria. The sugar liquid he had made, using up all his Superpower, was extra concentrated—sickeningly sweet. Eating it dry would be cloying. Bacteria would die from dehydration. If concentrated repeatedly, it could rival the puckering sourness of concentrated plum extract.

He said with a smile: "Fellow villagers, this sweetness comes from wild honey I happened to find in the mountains. I'm not looking to make a big profit from selling it to you.

"One coin per spoonful is a bargain! There's only a limited amount, so first come, first served."

"I'll take ten spoonfuls—no, twenty! You said buy ten get one free, right? So I should get two extra!" The aunt who had initially wanted to buy two changed her mind.

"Yes, I'll add two free," Lin Su replied with a smile.

The aunt lifted the lid of the bamboo tube hanging at her waist and asked Lin Su to scoop it in.

In this small market, it was common for sellers not to provide containers. Buyers brought their own, or if not, they could pick some broad, sturdy leaves by the roadside. After all, Lin Su's persimmon jam was almost solid.

Lin Su counted as he scooped the jam, reminding the aunt to store it in a cool, dry place, where it could last for up to a year or so.

"It can last that long?" The aunt patted the head of the topknot kid. "Then I'll buy another ten spoonfuls for my Tiger Head, so he can have some every day!"

Lin Su smiled, naturally agreeing, and added eleven spoonfuls.

The aunt cheerfully handed him thirty coins, showing that her family was relatively well-off in these villages.

Lin Su took the money, turned, and casually tossed it to Fu Yun to hold onto.