The villagers gathered at Feng Yiyi’s doorstep.
Seeing her earn from selling bean sprouts, they all wanted to ask about it.
Feng Yiyi smiled and answered: “I grow bean sprouts.”
Widow Yu stepped forward: “Yiyi girl, how do you grow these bean sprouts?”
“Buy beans, soak them in water to grow.” Feng Yiyi replied.
Feng Yiyi suddenly had an idea: Her belly was growing day by day; growing sprouts wasn’t suitable.
Grandma was old too; better to teach the technique and earn tuition.
So she said: “I can teach the sprouting technique; 300 wen to learn it all.”
“Then where do we sell the grown sprouts?” one asked.
“You can go to restaurants; use our spring water for rootless sprouts; sell at 25 wen per jin.
Spring water is 30 wen per jin of beans.
I’ll help sell sprouts to Fumanlou; you grow them, I won’t.
Without our water, you can still sell once learned, just with some roots.
Sprouts can be stir-fried or mixed.”
Widow Yu, quick-witted, smiled: “Yiyi, Aunt Yu will learn from you, use your spring water; you must help sell!”
“Don’t worry, I will!”
Grandma Qiao came over: “Yiyi, count me in; I’ll go get money soon.”
“Good!”
“Yiyi, if I learn, can I grow sprouts?” the usually dull Liu Xianglian asked.
“Sister Liu, you’re not stupid; how could you not learn?”
“Good, count me in.” So, five people signed up.
Widow Yu was meticulous; she asked: “Yiyi, after I learn, can I teach others?”
“Yes, you can charge 300 wen too; means you learned for free!”
“That’s the way!” Widow Yu said.
“If the whole village learns, sprouting could scale up; people from nearby areas would come buy sprouts; everyone gets rich!”
Some believed, others thought Feng Yiyi was just trying to make money off them.
Learning costs money; her spring water sells too—all profit for her!
Beans in soil sprout too; go home and try.
Others gradually dispersed, pondering sprouting.
Feng Yiyi said: “You five, pay up, bring two basins; I’ll teach you today.”
Widow Yu and the others went home for silver.
After a while, they returned, each with 300 wen.
Feng Yiyi’s home had a scale; she weighed 1 jin yellow beans, 1 jin mung beans each.
Feng Yiyi filled a plastic bucket with spirit water, another vat with ordinary spring water.
Feng Yiyi said: “Use the vat water to wash the beans clean. Then, I’ll give you the red bucket’s rootless spring water.”
Each washed their two basins of beans, brought them to Feng Yiyi.
Feng Yiyi scooped with a gourd ladle from the bucket, pouring over the beans—just cover.
“Aunt Yu, 1 jin yellow beans yields about 5 jin sprouts, maybe more.
Sell at 25 wen/jin; 5 jin is 125 wen. Minus bean cost 15 wen and water 30 wen.
Growing 1 jin beans earns 80 wen. Of course, don’t grow 1 jin at a time; do 5-6 jin.
1 jin mung yields at least 10 jin sprouts; earn over 200 wen.”
Everyone wasn’t dumb; this was profitable.
Feng Yiyi continued: “This red bucket water has added herbs; medicinal effect!
After one night, effect gone; sprouts grow roots normally.
Don’t think soaked water can be reused; try if you want.
But rooted sprouts, Fumanlou won’t take.
Later, bring basins to draw water, soak beans at home.”
Feng Yiyi explained sprouting.
Everyone understood: Feng Yiyi’s parents were doctors; she knows herbs; probably as she says.
Do rooted sprouts sell?
They vowed to follow Feng Yiyi; the girl was too clever.
Next day, a phenomenon: At the grain shop, people queued for beans—yellow or mung.
The manager was baffled; what day is this? Buying beans in groups?
Six days later, the five families carried baskets of sprouts to Feng Yiyi’s.
Today was Fumanlou’s pickup day.
Feng Yiyi’s door had onlookers; they saw the five’s sprouts had one long root.
Others’ were rotten, green, or short with many roots—unpresentable.
Seeing the five count silver, grinning ear to ear, others envied.
Feng Yiyi smiled at Widow Yu: “Aunt Yu, tuition 300 wen; yellow sprouts earned over 400 wen; back to profit first time. Mung sprouts over 1 tael.”
Widow Yu beamed: “Thanks to Yiyi!”
Manager Li looked at Feng Yiyi: “Feng girl, you’re shrewd.”
Feng Yiyi smiled: “Manager Li, these families, next time cart to your restaurant. Tell them daily amount.
Accept by quality; reject bad ones; don’t mind my face.”
“Good. Feng girl, why not growing sprouts?”
“Honestly, I’m pregnant; belly growing; can’t do this work.”
“Oh!” Manager Li disappointed; hoped for dragon-phoenix auspicious with master; now she had a child—no chance.
“Aunt Yu, come here.”
“Aunt Yu, this is Fumanlou’s Manager Li; deliver sprouts to him later.
You coordinate the others’ sprouts.”
“Okay, Yiyi; Aunt will handle it well.”
Feng Yiyi didn’t plan to grow sprouts often; just have Grandma sell water for money—though little, she was happy.
She’d think of selling herbs; space had plenty.
Others wanted to learn but hated the 300 wen.
They tried at home; sprouts grew crooked.
Some short with roots; sold at 15 wen/jin; 1 jin beans earned 30 wen max—but good.
Feng Yiyi indirectly boosted Zhao Village’s economy…
Next day, Feng Yiyi entered space; herb garden matured.
She dug harvestable ones, replanted; let others grow.
Next day, Feng Yiyi carried backpack to herb shop.
Manager Yang saw her, greeted happily: “Yiyi, haven’t seen you days; what good stuff today? Come to back yard.”
In back yard, Feng Yiyi set down backpack, took out four thousand-year ginseng, fire lingzhi, bone-healing flower, drunk dragon grass, iron wood leaf, etc.
Manager Yang froze; picked up fire lingzhi and bone-healing flower.
“Yiyi, where did you find these rare herbs? I don’t know how to price.
Besides ginseng and thousand-year polygonum, these are extremely rare.”
“We’ll ask the capital boss for prices; pay you then. More of this?”
“Yes, in deep mountains; found a patch, picked some.”
“Yiyi, I’ll pay for ginseng and polygonum first: 71,000 taels silver.”
“Good.” Feng Yiyi took the note, stored in space.
Left herb shop; went to broker; wanted to buy a shop, hire martial-skilled maids.