The next morning, Lin Shanyue got up early again and prepared a large amount of pastries. Part of them were to be sent to Flower Moon Pavilion, and the rest were for her stall outside the Imperial Academy.
She had already made inquiries about the location of the Imperial Academy. After leaving Flower Moon Pavilion with Chunlan, they headed there together. It had to be said—the mule cart she had spent money on last time was extremely useful and made things much more convenient.
The snack street outside the Imperial Academy was indeed bustling. It even allowed mule carts and horse carriages to pass through; two carriages could easily move side by side. The stalls here were also very flexible—similar to the East Market. As long as one paid the stall fee and market tax, they could temporarily use the stall.
Chunlan, sharp-eyed, chose a spot right by the side gate of the Imperial Academy.
“Madam, here!”
Lin Shanyue was still unfamiliar with the details and asked about it. Chunlan smiled and explained, “I asked around beforehand. The students of the Imperial Academy all enter and exit through the side gate. The main gate is rarely used. Especially at noon when they come out for lunch—they all use the side gate. This spot is definitely the most visible.”
Lin Shanyue understood and smiled. “Good thing I have you.”
All the pastries were laid out. Lin Shanyue had prepared well today—milk custard cakes and egg tarts were placed on beautiful porcelain plates, while mung bean cakes were arranged in exquisite wooden boxes. The floral patterns on the mung bean cakes matched the antique style of the boxes perfectly.
She still remembered the Mirror Demon Lord’s instructions, but more importantly, she had recently learned from Liu Niang that one must also know how to promote their own goods.
So when more people began gathering outside the Imperial Academy gate, Lin Shanyue started calling out:
“Freshly made milk custard cakes—sweet and fragrant! Homemade fresh pastries and egg tarts—soft, rich, and delicious! Free tasting available!”
Chunlan widened her eyes. “Madam, free tasting?”
Lin Shanyue smiled. “Yes. It’s fine—I’ll cut one egg tart into six small pieces and prepare clean bamboo sticks for people to try. The milk custard cakes and mung bean cakes are the same.”
The tasting portions were not careless at all; everything was cut neatly and beautifully arranged on porcelain plates, making them very appealing.
After she called out a few times, two female students from the academy really did approach.
“Milk custard cakes? This is the first time I’ve seen a pastry stall outside the Imperial Academy!”
At first, Lin Shanyue didn’t recognize them, but after noticing their clothing, she realized they were female students. This gave her a slight sense of admiration…
She quickly refocused and smiled. “Yes, would you like to try? Free tasting.”
In truth, students of the Imperial Academy were not easily swayed by “free tasting,” but they were drawn to the elegant porcelain dishes instead.
“You really make things so exquisite. And this—what did you call it earlier? Egg what?”
“Egg tart,” Lin Shanyue replied with a smile.
The girls exchanged glances. After checking that the utensils were clean, each took a small bite using bamboo sticks.
Seeing this, Lin Shanyue confirmed her earlier thought—she needed to change her sales approach. “Free” alone would not attract people here.
Fortunately, after tasting, the two girls were very surprised.
“This tart thing is really delicious!”
Lin Shanyue immediately smiled and explained, “Egg tart. It’s a homemade specialty.”
Young girls generally liked sweets, and the egg tart was indeed novel and tasty. Lin Shanyue felt quite confident.
“How much are they?”
Sure enough, people here were straightforward—if it was good, they would buy it.
“Ten coins for two pieces, eighteen coins for four.”
“That’s not expensive! We’ll take four pieces!”
Lin Shanyue smiled and agreed. Chunlan happily packed them. “Please take care, young ladies.”
“Since we’re buying, pack four pieces of the mung bean cakes and milk custard cakes as well!”
“No problem,” Lin Shanyue replied.
“Hey, what are you two buying?”
More students were now coming out of the side gate. It seemed they were friends of the two girls and walked over.
“There’s a new pastry seller here! Her pastries are really good! Do you want to try? Especially this thing called egg… ah, I forgot the name again.”
“Egg tart,” Lin Shanyue said with a smile, covering her mouth. The girl in front of her was slightly plump and very cute.
“Oh really? Let me try?”
Lin Shanyue quickly handed over another bamboo stick.
“Hey, your plates are really nice. Where did you buy them?”
As expected, everyone who came by was attracted to her beautiful tableware. Lin Shanyue, of course, credited the Mirror Demon Lord in her heart but only said, “They were brought from Yangzhou.”
“So you’re from Yangzhou. I’ve heard Southern pastries are very delicate—truly well-deserved reputation.”
Lin Shanyue smiled and nodded. “As long as you like them, that’s all that matters.”
At that moment, little Bao woke up. Chunlan was holding him, and he suddenly reached out toward Lin Shanyue.
“Niang~”
Lin Shanyue turned and took him into her arms, now free to handle customers.
“Oh, such a cute little young master. You’re so young, and already a mother?”
Lin Shanyue smiled. “I’m a bit older than you think—I’m already nineteen.”
The girls widened their eyes. “You really can’t tell!”
Lin Shanyue simply smiled and said nothing more.
The two girls also loved the egg tarts and each bought four pieces. Lin Shanyue saw them off with a smile, looking at the coins in her pouch—she was even happier than when she had made her first earnings.
The Imperial Academy… truly felt like a place full of life.
Chunlan was excited too. “Madam! We really made money!”
Lin Shanyue smiled softly. “Yes. And it’s thanks to you choosing such a good spot.”
Chunlan beamed with joy.
More customers came afterward, following the same pattern. The egg tarts were especially popular, though some preferred mung bean cakes and praised the floral patterns.
By the hour of Wei (late afternoon), the crowd gradually thinned.
Chunlan, being sociable, chatted with an old gatekeeper for a bit and returned. “Classes resume after Wei hour, so there aren’t many people after that.”
Lin Shanyue nodded. “It’s alright. Today has already gone very well.”
She looked around, thinking about whether to pack up, when suddenly a luxurious carriage appeared.
Her heart skipped a beat—it was a marquis household carriage!
Lin Shanyue’s expression stiffened as she saw Jiang Wanyer step out. She was wearing the same uniform as the female students but looked clearly unwilling. Two or three servants followed behind her, holding up an umbrella.
“Miss, walk slowly.”
Jiang Wanyer was also studying at the Imperial Academy…
A faint bitterness suddenly rose in Lin Shanyue’s heart.