Before the dishes were served, Wang Shijing first gave two gift boxes to each person present, and said, “Today, the Yunlong Snack Store and the Yunlong Bag Store also opened at the same time. These two stores are only something my wife created in his spare time and they have limited quantities. This box is filled with snacks and has a small gift prepared by my wife. I hope you can accept it.”

It was Chen Sanli who spoke first. “A small gift from your family is a big gift to us. My wife has been thinking about the opening of your bag store for a long time already.”

“That’s true. My daughter asks every day when the bag store will open. She really wants to buy that… What was it? Clutch bag?”

“Yes, yes, my wife and daughter are also like this.”

Jiang Kangning just laughed while drinking the unpalatable tea. Madam Cen’s handbag had spread among the wives and ladies in Yongxiu County. While the snacks that Wang Qing brought to the academy also gave Yunlong snack store some reputation. 

Most of the White Moon Academy students were from Yongxiu County’s prestigious families. Once the snack store opens, the White Moon Academy students may not be able to eat it since there may not be enough to sell. Jiang Kangning had to admire Shao Yunan’s business ability, but at the same time that guy was too lazy.

There was a knock on the door, then the door opened and five store waiters came in with trays. At this time, Wang Shijing lifted the jar of wine at his feet and said, “This is the white wine brewed by my wife. I will serve it to you today.”

“White wine?”Chen Sanli frowned. Wang Shijing said, “This white wine is brewed from millet. The law of our dynasty does not allow the brewing of liquor from grain, so this white wine is only for my family’s own consumption. Today, I would like to thank you all for the opening of Yunlong Square.” Wang Shijing opened the wine altar and all the people present, including Jiang Kangning, changed their expressions drastically.

“Let me see!” Cao Yue, who was sitting on Wang Shijing’s right hand, picked up the wine jar, sniffed it, and said in surprise, “This white wine smells totally different!” Chen Sanli hurriedly said, “What are you smelling, why don’t you hurry and pour the wine!”

Jiang Kangning, who was seated at the top, glanced at Wang Shijing and said with a shady smile, “How could this brother not know that Yunan also made white wine?” Wang Shijing hurriedly said, “It was originally brewed for Uncle who needed it urgently, so I sent it to him first. This is the second jar that has just been brewed and it is just in time for the opening of the restaurant. So, I will leave the next jar to my brother.” Only then did Jiang Kangning’s face look better. Chen Sanli immediately said, “Pour a cup for Lord Jiang first.”

Shopkeeper Xu who was in charge of the overall situation downstairs was very happy. The food at the retail window first caught everyone’s attention and gave them an initial indication of the meals at Yunlong Square. The snack food tasted so good, so the food must taste even better. 

Regardless of whether the guests came in for the county magistrate Jiang’s sake or some other reason, they were now all adding food without even a hint of dissatisfaction. Shopkeeper Xu thought to himself that he should prepare more vegetables and meat.

While Shopkeeper Xu was busy greeting the guests, Su Ce ran in from the outside sweating. “Boss Xu, Boss Xu!” Shopkeeper Xu settled down the customers and hurried over, “What’s wrong?”

“All the snacks and bags are sold out. Shopkeeper Zhao and Master Zhang asked me to ask what to do now?!”

“Ah?! They are all sold out?!” Su Ce nodded sharply, “They are all sold out!”

Shopkeeper Xu’s heart beat wildly. ‘My heaven, these shops were only open for two hours and they were already sold out!’ Shopkeeper Xu was also in a hurry. “Young master only prepared that much and said it was a limit. Wait, I will ask the other master.”

“Ai!”

Shopkeeper Xu went to the water room on the third floor. Even before opening the door, he could hear that the sounds inside were quite loud, almost like a quarrel. Shopkeeper Xu wiped his sweat and raised his hand to knock on the door.

“Come in.” The sounds inside the room stopped for a moment. Shopkeeper Xu opened the door and entered, he first saluted and then said, “Master, can you come out?” Wang Shijing nodded apologetically to everyone, got up, and went out, closing the door behind him.

Shopkeeper Xu immediately said, “Boss, Su Ce came and said that the snacks and bags are all sold out. What should we do now?” Wang Shijing first froze, then said, “Close the door since it’s sold out. If they couldn’t buy anything, they should come back tomorrow.”

Shopkeeper Xu… “Ah?”

“Things are precious when they are scarce. Yunan said this is called hunger marketing. So the number of our bags and snacks can’t be too much at present.” Shopkeeper Xu didn’t understand what hunger marketing was, so he asked worriedly, “The snacks are fine since others can’t make them without the recipe. But those bags, as long as you know how to sew you can make them after a few glances. It won’t be long before other bag stores open and try to compete for business.”

But Wang Shijing said without any worry. “Our store only has a few bags of each style and each bag has the mark of ‘Yunlong.’ Even if other people make them exactly the same as us, it is not an original one, but a counterfeit one. If your wife is holding a counterfeit bag and is seen by other ladies who bought the original bag, won’t she just be ridiculed?”

“We want to make our bags a high-end product. No matter how high the price is, no matter how much the quantity is, it can make people scramble for it. In this way, even if there are ten bag stores in Yongxiu County, it will not affect our business. It’s the same with jewelry. Why did everyone go to the Butterfly Jewelry Pavilion and not other jewelry stores?” Shopkeeper Xu seemed to understand a little bit. 

“You can go find a few embroiderers with good embroidery work and a few female master seamstresses and sign a deed of sale with them. Our bags might rely on hunger marketing, but the manpower to make them should be sufficient. Yunan said he wants our Yunlong Bag Store to become the leader of the entire Great State of Yan.”

Stars could be seen in shopkeeper Xu’s eyes. “Yunan is worthy of being Yunan! He always knows what to do!” Wang Shijing nodded his head and Shopkeeper Xu walked away hesitantly.

Wang Shijing then entered the private room and Chen Sanli shouted, “Brother Wang, you must help me make a jar of this white wine. I like this taste very much! How much money do you ask! You must brew it for me! One jar!”

“Brother Wang, you can’t treat one more favorably than another, I want one jar too!” Wang Shijing had a headache. His wife really gave him a problem. All of these people were alcoholics!

======

On Yunlongfang’s first day of trial operation, the business was booming beyond expectation. With the novel interior layout of the restaurant, delicious dishes, and unique desserts, every guest who comes to Yunlongfang for dinner with the mood of giving it a try, left craving for more. However, the important people who originally came just to give face to Elder Cen and Jiang Kangning were actually taken aback. 

Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan from Xiushui Village were really capable. They were people who had  eaten delicious food from various places, but after eating Yunlongfang’s delicacies, they suddenly had the illusion that what they had eaten before was ‘bran food.’ Not to mention the homemade white wine that Wang Shijing brought out, no matter how much money it costs, they must definitely buy it!

After the meal, they not only had a new understanding of Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan, two people with a farming origin that could make Elder Cen think of them as sons and Jiang Kangning think of them as brothers. Based on the abilities of these two people, it was no wonder that they were able to bring their business to the capital.

After eating and drinking their fill, Wang Shijing asked people to serve tea, but the new tea hadn’t been made yet, so the one he served was still sencha. But when the new tea comes out, all the tea in Yunlong Restaurant will be replaced with the new tea. After the tea was served, Chen Sanli said to Wang Shijing, “Brother Wang, I have something to ask. Is the time convenient?”

Wang Shijing nodded, Chen Sanli stood up, and Wang Shijing walked out with him. Cao Yue smiled and asked the others, “Why is Brother Chen acting so mysterious?” Su Yannian shook his head at him, and said, “Older Brother Cao is really not well-informed.” Then, he looked at Jiang Kangning. “I heard that your Excellency wants to buy tea. I have some tea trees on my land and I wonder if your Excellency wants them?”

When Su Yannian said so, Cao Yue’s eyes immediately flashed as he also said to Jiang Kangning, “I also have tea trees in my ancestral land. The number is not much, but no one usually picks it. If you want them, I will directly deliver them to you.”

Dean Zuo said, “Previously, Dean Cen gave me some new tea called Longjing that appeared in the capital last year. The taste was unforgettable after I tasted it once. Now drinking this ‘old tea’ is not possible for me. Do you want to make the new tea with this year’s tea harvest?”

Jiang Kangning didn’t need to avoid it this time, so he just nodded and said, “Exactly. This new Longjing tea actually comes from Yongxiu County. The purpose of this official tea collection is to earn more money for my Yongxiu County, so that the people of Yongxiu County can get more benefits. This is a big deal and I need your help.”

Cao Yue immediately said, “Your Excellency, there is no need to be so polite. If you need anything, your Excellency just needs to ask. I will give all the Cao family’s tea trees to you.” Su Yannian also immediately followed and said, “The tea trees of the Su family will also be handed over to you.”

Jiang Kangning shook his head and said, “It’s not a matter of a day for me to collect tea. I’m afraid it will be like this every year in the future. How can I ask you to give it away for nothing? You will receive as much money for it as other people. But according to this official view, the tea will only be more sought-after in the future. So if you have some free mountainous land at home, why not plant some? Yongxiu County’s climate is humid, so we can grow many things here. Fruit trees, chrysanthemums, roses, and so on can also be planted.”

Cao Yue and Su Yannian immediately crossed their arms and saluted. “Thank you for your advice!”

Edited by: Jaisland

Proofreader: 

Support translation: