Yu Wanzhu had been a frequent patron of Wangchun Tower in the past. Among the waiters there was one named He Shun, who had received tips from her before and was always very attentive to her.
No sooner had the two women taken their position at the entrance of the restaurant than He Shun spotted her with his sharp eyes. His face breaking into a smile, he hurried over and greeted her warmly with a wave: "Miss Yu, it's been over half a year since you last visited—"
His words trailed off, because it was only as he drew closer that he noticed Yu Wanzhu had her hair pinned up in the style of a married woman.
He quickly corrected himself: "Oh, silly me! So it turns out you've been away because you got married. Congratulations, congratulations! Please, do come in, Madam Yu!"
But Yu Wanzhu remained where she stood. She smiled and said sincerely, "Xiaoshun, I'm not here to dine today. I'd like to ask a favor of you."
He Shun was taken aback and blurted out, "Madam Yu, what could I possibly help you with?"
Yu Wanzhu explained her purpose concisely.
He Shun hesitated. "Madam Yu, our restaurant has bought spring bamboo shoots in the past, but it's winter now. I've never even heard of these winter bamboo shoots you speak of. This—this isn't something I can decide on my own!"
Yu Wanzhu said, "Then could you take me to see the manager? If he takes a look, he'll know that my winter bamboo shoots are quality goods and will surely want to buy them."
A look of difficulty crossed He Shun's face. The manager was strict with his staff—one small mistake during work would earn a scolding. If he rashly brought someone to disturb him…
After wrestling with himself for a moment, he seemed to make up his mind and clapped his hands together. "Madam Yu, I'll take you to see the manager, but I can't guarantee whether it'll work out."
Ah well, he'd just have to endure a scolding if it came to that—after all, he'd benefited from her kindness before.
Yu Wanzhu smiled lightly. "Of course. And once it's done, I'll reward you for your trouble."
Hearing there would be a reward, He Shun was somewhat surprised and secretly began to hope the deal would go through.
He led the two through the ground-floor hall and was about to head upstairs when a woman's voice, dripping with mockery, suddenly rang out from across the room.
"Well, well, if it isn't Magistrate Yu's precious daughter! Your father's taken up his post—why didn't he bring his beloved pearl along with him?"
"Oh, I remember now—he married you off to some poor Xiucai!"
It was morning, and there weren't many people dining on the ground floor—just a handful scattered about.
But when these patrons heard talk of a magistrate's daughter and a poor Xiucai, they all perked up, pricking their ears in anticipation of some entertainment.
Yu Wanzhu paused in her steps. The voice was not unfamiliar to her—in fact, it was quite familiar—but she had no intention of acknowledging it now.
Without even turning her head, she signaled He Shun to continue leading the way.
Song Xiaolan felt indignant, but since her elder sister-in-law hadn't spoken up, she didn't want to stir up trouble either.
The three continued upstairs. Seeing that Yu Wanzhu was completely ignoring her, the woman who had spoken grew furious. She slammed the table and stood up, shouting, "Yu Wanzhu, what right do you have to ignore me?"
Yu Wanzhu turned back and gave her a faint, dismissive glance. "What right do I have to pay you any attention?"
With that, she followed He Shun and disappeared around the corner on the second floor.
Having been humiliated twice in a row, the woman grew angrier the more she thought about it. Clenching her fists, she ground her teeth and muttered, "That fat cow—how dare she ignore me!"
Her young maidservant quickly tried to soothe her: "Miss, she doesn't know what's good for her. Why trouble yourself getting upset over her? Let's just ignore her too!"
The woman shot her a glare. "What would you know!"
Ugh, even this newly purchased maidservant was unsatisfactory—never quite to her liking. Truly infuriating!
Seeing how it had all ended, the patrons in the hall felt rather disappointed. They'd hoped to witness some drama, but it turned out to be a one-sided affair with no real clash. Oh well—back to their meals.
Outside the manager's private room, Yu Wanzhu and Song Xiaolan waited quietly.
Before long, He Shun emerged from the room, beaming. "Madam Yu, you may go in. The manager says he needs to see the goods."
Yu Wanzhu thanked him and led Song Xiaolan inside.
The manager of Wangchun Tower was surnamed Yuan. He was in his forties, with a short goatee and a gaunt frame, and he had the look of a stern man.
Seeing the two enter, he got straight to the point: "He Shun says you two want to sell winter bamboo shoots. Let me have a look first."
Yu Wanzhu didn't waste any time. She picked a winter bamboo shoot from the bamboo basket, stepped forward, and handed it to him.
Manager Yuan held the bamboo shoot, turning it over and examining it carefully. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became. This winter bamboo shoot seemed different from the spring bamboo shoots he knew—it was plumper and thicker, and when he pinched off a piece, the flesh was tender and fiber-free. The texture must be excellent.
He set the bamboo shoot down on the desk and stroked his beard. "Not bad. It's quite a rarity to dig up bamboo shoots in winter. How many more do you have? I'll take them all!"
No restaurant in all of Shuozhou sold winter bamboo shoots. If he could be the first to offer them, it would surely elevate his restaurant's business to new heights.
Yu Wanzhu said, "Manager Yuan, please understand—winter bamboo shoots are several times rarer than spring bamboo shoots. How many one can dig depends entirely on luck; I can't guarantee a steady supply. At the moment, what's in this basket is all I have."
She was speaking honestly. Winter bamboo shoots were buried deep in the soil and hard to find to begin with, and with so few bamboo groves in Shuozhou, every spot dug up meant one less source.
Hearing this, Manager Yuan looked somewhat disappointed, but he still said, "No matter. Whatever you have, Wangchun Tower will buy it all!"
Yu Wanzhu chose this moment to ask, "May I ask, Manager Yuan, what price would you offer?"
Manager Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Even when spring bamboo shoots are in season, they only go for twenty wen per catty. Though your winter bamboo shoots are a rarity, they're hardly some extraordinary mountain delicacy. I'll give you thirty wen per catty—how about that?"
Yu Wanzhu slowly shook her head. "No, at least a hundred wen."
Manager Yuan was taken aback, and his expression immediately soured. He stared at Yu Wanzhu and said, "Madam, I'd advise you not to ask for the moon. I'm not a man who's easily fooled."
Even Song Xiaolan, standing nearby, was taken by surprise and quietly tugged at her sleeve.
Yu Wanzhu patted her hand reassuringly and continued, "Whether you're being fooled or not, Manager Yuan, you'll know in your own heart. Even if you don't take them, there are plenty of discerning buyers in Shuozhou Cheng. I'm not dependent on your establishment alone—it's only because I've been a regular customer here that I've given Wangchun Tower first priority."
"Since you're not interested, we'll take our leave. Please forgive the intrusion."
With that, she retrieved the winter bamboo shoot from the table and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.
Just as she pulled open the door, Manager Yuan's voice came from behind. "Fine, fine! I'll take the winter bamboo shoots!"
A faint smile curved at the corner of Yu Wanzhu's lips—Manager Yuan's reaction was exactly as she had anticipated.
Though winter bamboo shoots and spring bamboo shoots differ by only a single word, the fact remained that no winter bamboo shoots were currently available on the market. If he truly cared about his restaurant's business, he should have realized that purchasing winter bamboo shoots was a surefire, no-loss venture.
Not only did it carry novelty appeal, but it was also a rare commodity—to miss out on it would truly be a case of losing sight of the forest for the trees.
Everything that followed went smoothly. After weighing, it was a simple exchange of money for goods—thirteen catties of winter bamboo shoots, amounting to one tael and three qian of silver.
Yu Wanzhu pocketed the money and left the main room with Song Xiaolan.
He Shun followed closely behind. He had been the one to handle the weighing, so he naturally knew about the negotiation that had taken place in the room. He said with genuine admiration, "Madam Yu, you're truly remarkable. Our manager has never been so easy to deal with before."