Early the next morning, Lin Shanyue headed out again.
Before leaving, she made a point of greeting the mirror spirit and fed Little Bao breakfast.
Little Bao loved the milk cakes just as much as she’d expected. After finishing another bowl of milk, he shouldn’t be hungry until she returned around noon.
Aunt Pang remained as warm and helpful as ever, and Lin Shanyue was deeply grateful.
Once I’m earning a steady income, I’ll repay everyone’s kindness, she thought.
But if I suddenly start giving the neighbors expensive gifts now, I’d probably only frighten them. Better to take things one step at a time.
At the entrance to the alley, she hired a mule cart and headed straight for Huayue House.
To her surprise, Madam Liu was already waiting for her.
“Young lady, you’re finally here!”
Lin Shanyue blinked.
“You were waiting for me?”
“Yes, yes! Come upstairs.”
Madam Liu was unusually enthusiastic today.
Once they reached the second floor, she even had one of the flower girls—whose name was Queniao (“Sparrow”)—bring tea and pastries.
“Young lady, what did you say your name was yesterday?”
“Lin Shanyue.”
“Then I’ll call you Sister Shanyue from now on.”
“That Suhe Incense of yours really is excellent.”
“I used it several times yesterday, and quite a few guests commented on how pleasant it smelled. We even received more tips than usual!”
“Did you bring more today?”
Hearing that, Lin Shanyue couldn’t help smiling.
“I did. Please have a look.”
Madam Liu immediately reached into the basket.
“Very nice…”
“It’s just that there’s too little.”
“Sister Shanyue, could you make more?”
“Yesterday was only a trial run.”
“If the quality stays this good, I’d like every girl’s room to use your incense.”
Lin Shanyue hesitated.
“Madam… it’s not that I don’t want to.”
“It’s just that I’m working alone.”
“I can only make so much each day.”
“But if you truly like it, I’ll do my best to increase production.”
Madam Liu nodded in understanding.
“I see…”
“That really is difficult.”
“In that case, I’ll reserve these batches only for our most important guests for now.”
“How do you make all of this?”
“Completely by yourself?”
Embarrassed, Lin Shanyue nodded.
She really had no choice.
Besides making incense, she also had to cook and prepare food to sell.
There simply weren’t enough hours in the day.
Madam Liu suddenly remembered something.
“You know, over at the West Market there’s a slave market.”
“You could buy yourself a capable helper.”
Lin Shanyue was speechless.
“I don’t have that kind of money yet.”
She knew servants could be purchased.
She had simply never imagined doing so herself.
Madam Liu thought for a moment before saying,
“How about this?”
“I’ll advance you three taels.”
“Do your best.”
“I hope you’ll be able to meet my demand as soon as possible.”
“Price isn’t an issue.”
Lin Shanyue nodded gratefully.
“Thank you, Madam.”
After thinking for a moment, she took out a small plate of pastries from her basket.
She didn’t own any elegant serving dishes yet, so she could only present them in a bamboo steamer basket.
Still, she’d carefully lined the bottom with attractive leaves.
“Madam…”
“I made some pastries in my spare time.”
“I’d like to give these to you as a small token of appreciation.”
Madam Liu barely glanced at them.
“Just leave them.”
“Thank you.”
Compared with the pastries, she was far more interested in the incense.
Lin Shanyue merely smiled.
“Then I’ll be going.”
After leaving Huayue House, she headed straight for the snack street she’d visited yesterday.
There were very few places in the imperial capital that she knew well.
Pingkang Ward had naturally become the first place she’d explored.
The snack street was just as bustling as before.
The old man selling flatbread was still loudly calling out to customers.
Stalls here could be rented publicly.
As long as one paid a market tax of two copper coins, anyone could set up a stand.
Unfortunately, by this hour all the good spots were already taken.
After searching for a while, Lin Shanyue finally found a remote corner.
She paid the two copper coins to the market official, received a green wooden token, and officially began setting up her stall.
The green token proved she had paid the market tax.
Without it, she wouldn’t even be allowed to leave the marketplace later.
Lin Shanyue carefully tucked it away.
When she’d left the Marquis’ Manor, she’d possessed ten taels of silver.
After rent and various expenses, around eight remained.
Yesterday’s one-tael profit had been almost entirely spent.
Today, however, Madam Liu had advanced her another three taels.
That meant she currently had eleven taels altogether.
She knew she owed much of that to the mirror spirit.
Otherwise, every little expense would have drained her dry.
Eleven taels…
It still wasn’t enough to rent even a small storefront in Pingkang Ward.
She had to earn money faster.
With that thought, she neatly arranged the milk cakes she’d brought and began imitating the neighboring vendors.
“Freshly made milk cakes!”
“Young ladies, come have a look!”
“Madam, would you like some milk cake?”
“They were steamed fresh this morning!”
She shouted exactly as everyone else did.
Yet…
For some reason…
No one stopped.
She continued calling for quite a while.
Not a single customer approached.
Disappointment slowly settled over her.
The auntie selling steamed wheat cakes beside her finally couldn’t bear watching any longer.
“Young lady…”
“Are those really genuine milk cakes?”
Lin Shanyue nodded.
“Of course.”
“Then you can’t sell them like this.”
“Look around.”
“Everyone here is selling steamed cakes, flatbread, or buns.”
“The people shopping here are ordinary laborers.”
“Who here is looking for expensive pastries?”
“They’re not cheap, are they?”
Lin Shanyue thought about it.
Actually…
They weren’t very expensive.
But the woman’s words suddenly woke her up.
Could milk cakes possibly sell for the same price as ordinary wheat cakes?
Of course not.
That would only waste such fine ingredients.
Still…
Would anyone believe someone like her could be selling luxury pastries?
She looked down at herself.
Her clothes were made from coarse cloth.
She carried nothing more than a simple bamboo steamer.
Suddenly, realization struck.
“I understand now.”
The auntie smiled.
“It’s good that you understand.”
“Running a food business isn’t easy.”
“There’s a lot to learn.”
“You’re just starting out, after all.”
“Come, I’ll buy one of your cakes.”
Smiling warmly, Lin Shanyue handed her one.
Before coming, she’d carefully cut each milk cake into neat little squares.
They looked delicate and beautiful.
“How much?”
“No charge.”
“It’s a gift.”
She smiled.
Before the stunned woman could react, Lin Shanyue had already packed up her stall.
The auntie called after her several times.
“Hey! Wait!”
But Lin Shanyue had already returned the green token to the market official and left the snack street.
Instead of going home, she headed straight for the East Market.
The imperial capital was divided into the East and West Markets.
The East Market specialized in everyday goods.
Exactly what she needed.
She was looking for porcelain plates and bowls.
Beautiful porcelain was highly prized by the upper classes.
Naturally…
It was frighteningly expensive.
Still…
This was a necessary investment.
Clenching her teeth against the pain in her wallet, Lin Shanyue bought six elegant porcelain plates.
Two taels of silver disappeared in an instant.
Expensive.
Painfully expensive.
But there was no helping it.
Afterward, she bought two beautiful lacquered food boxes.
They were made of exquisite red lacquered wood, decorated with lifelike carvings, and contained three stackable compartments each.
Perfect for what she had in mind.
Another two taels gone.
After that…
She couldn’t bear spending another coin.
She hired a mule cart at the entrance to the East Market and returned home.
As she reached the entrance of her alley, she spotted Little Bao from a distance.
He was actually squatting outside Aunt Pang’s house, waiting for her.
Lin Shanyue’s footsteps slowed.
As if sensing something, Little Bao turned around.
The moment he saw her…
He smiled.
In that instant…
Every bit of exhaustion she’d felt seemed completely worthwhile.
Raising a little child…
Really was incredibly healing.
“My good Little Bao.”
She picked him up and carried him home.
After thanking Aunt Pang once again, she insisted on giving her two milk cakes.
Since she hadn’t managed to sell any today…
She might as well give them away.
Aunt Pang assumed she’d bought them elsewhere and repeatedly refused.
In the end, though, she couldn’t win against Lin Shanyue’s persistence.
Once home, the first thing Lin Shanyue did was wash her hands and face.
She placed Little Bao on the bed.
Everything she’d bought today was casually set on the table.
After a moment’s thought…
She politely greeted the mirror spirit as well.
By now, Huo Yi had figured out her routine.
She left earlier than the chickens every morning…
But always hurried back around noon to cook.
So he answered lazily,
“Mhm.”
He was busy himself.
Lately, business at the antique shop had become strangely booming.
Besides the foreign customer searching for jade pendants, several new clients had come looking for antique porcelain as well.
Huo Yi was swamped.
Could this little girl actually be bringing me good luck?
Amused, he casually glanced into the mirror.
Then—
His eyes suddenly widened.
“You—you—you…”
“Where on earth did you get those porcelain plates?!”