The sun gradually sank toward the west, yet the bustle and noise in the town remained as lively as ever.
Su Daqiang wiped the oily sweat from his forehead and pulled his handcart to a stop in front of Yipinxiang, the largest restaurant in the town. Wang smoothed the front of her jacket, put on a feigned smile, held her head high and walked straight into the main hall.
Shopkeeper! I have a great business opportunity for you! Wang shouted at the top of her voice, as loud as she could so no one would fail to hear her. Eight hundred catties of premium chestnuts, every single one big and plump! I’ll sell them to you at a bargain price today — only five copper coins per catty!
The stout shopkeeper of Yipinxiang was working on his abacus. Upon hearing her words, he lifted his eyelids and strolled out slowly. When he clearly saw the pile of raw chestnuts on the cart — all covered in sharp thorns and still caked with dirt — his face turned as dark as the bottom of a black pot.
Go away, go away! Where did this mad old woman come from to make fun of me? The stout shopkeeper waved his cloth rag in disgust, shooing her away as if she were a fly. These things grow all over the mountains and fields. Do you think they are nuggets of gold? Five copper coins? I wouldn’t even take them for free — they’d just take up space!
Wang grew anxious. She grabbed the shopkeeper’s sleeve at once. Hey! How can you fail to recognize something valuable? Zuixianlou is fighting to get these! If I hadn’t had a falling-out with their assistants, would such a chance to make a fortune ever come your way?
Bah! Don’t go putting on airs and giving yourself credit! The stout shopkeeper shook her off sharply and spat on the ground. Zuixianlou buys chestnuts only when they are prepared as Madam Su’s Sugar-Fried Chestnuts! Those are made with a secret recipe all their own! Do you know how to fry them? Do you know how to make them properly? You bring a pile of raw, useless things here just to swindle people. If you don’t leave right now, I’ll call my assistants to beat you out with sticks!
Several burly, muscular assistants heard this and gathered around, rolling out pins in hand. Su Daqiang was so frightened he trembled all over, grabbed the cart and ran. Wang was shoved so hard she nearly fell flat on her face. Amidst the jeers and laughter of passersby, they fled in disgrace.
Still unwilling to give up, the couple dragged their heavy cart all the way to Juxianlou Restaurant.
This time, Wang had learned her lesson and dared not ask for an outrageous price. She forced a smile and spoke to the accountant of Juxianlou. Brother, I have this whole cart of chestnuts. How about four copper coins per catty? I’ll sell you every last one, alright?
The accountant didn’t even bother to look her in the eye, and snorted coldly through his nose. Auntie, are you truly foolish, or are you just pretending to be? Once chestnuts are picked from the tree, they dry out and get infested with worms within two or three days. They’re only good enough to feed pigs. Our restaurant serves food for people, not livestock. Leave immediately. Don’t block our honored guests from entering. You’re bringing bad luck to this place!
Who are you calling a pig?! Wang shook with rage and was about to throw a tantrum, but Su Daqiang clamped his hand tight over her mouth and dragged her away at once.
For the next hour or so, the couple wandered around like two headless flies, pulling their eight hundred catties of supposed “treasure”. They asked every dried fruit shop, general store, and even roadside stall in the town.
Without exception, all they got were disdainful stares and orders to get out.
We don’t want them, absolutely not! These things are everywhere in the hills — who would spend money to buy them?
Get out of here! You’re standing in the way of my business!
These chestnuts are so hard they could crack a tooth. Apart from that young lady from the Su family, who makes them taste delicious, who would want your raw goods?
Darkness had fully descended, and cold winds swirled dead leaves around the empty streets.
Su Daqiang pulled the handcart, his legs feeling as heavy as if they were filled with lead. He panted heavily with every step he took. Those eight hundred catties of chestnuts, which had once carried all their hopes of getting rich, now felt like a crushing mountain weighing down on them.
Like two stray dogs with nowhere to go, the couple dragged their completely unsold goods all the way back to the entrance of the village, looking utterly dejected.
Wang collapsed beside the handcart, her hair all disheveled and messy — she no longer had even a trace of the arrogance she’d shown when leaving home. Staring at the cart piled high with dark chestnuts, she wailed in despair, beating her thighs as she cried. Oh heavens above… I spent real silver and copper coins to buy all these! How did they end up being worthless rubbish no one wants? That more than one tael of silver… it was my life savings for my old age!
Su Daqiang was exhausted, leaning over the cart’s handlebars like a worn-out dog. Listening to Wang’s wails, his heart turned ice cold. Only at this moment did they finally understand: it wasn’t the chestnuts themselves that were valuable, but the recipe stored inside Su Qinghe’s head.
Without that recipe, this pile of goods was nothing but trash that would rot right in their hands, with no one even sparing it a second glance.
Two hours later, night had fallen completely.
Su Daqiang dragged himself and his cart back home, still looking completely drained. Not a single chestnut had been sold — he brought back every last one of them.
Wang sat in their courtyard, staring at that pile of useless “junk”, crying and shouting to the heavens and earth. Oh my silver coins! My hard-earned money! What on earth am I going to do now?
Su Daqiang squatted on the ground, smoking his long-stemmed pipe, his worry so great it seemed to have turned several strands of his hair gray. What if… we go and ask Qinghe for help?
At those words, Wang instantly stopped crying. She gritted her teeth and wiped the tears from her face. Fine! Let’s go!
Inside the small courtyard of the Su family, Su Qinghe was happily counting the deposit the restaurant assistant had delivered earlier.
The courtyard gate creaked open, and Wang walked in with a look of utter defeat. Her previous arrogance had vanished without a trace.
Qinghe… Wang forced a smile that looked far more miserable than tears. Your aunt… your aunt knows she was wrong. Look, all these chestnuts were bought with our family’s money. Could you… could you please take them off our hands? I won’t make any profit from you — just pay me three copper coins per catty, alright? We just want to get back our original cost.
Three copper coins was exactly the price she had paid to buy them. If she sold them at that rate, she would still lose the money spent on renting the cart and hiring labor, but it was the absolute limit of what she could bear to cut her losses.
Su Qinghe played idly with the silver ingot in her hand, not even lifting her eyes to look up. Auntie, you make it sound so simple. But not long ago, when you were fighting to take all the goods, you were incredibly powerful and proud, weren’t you?
Dear niece, everything was my fault, every bit of it! Wang was so desperate she was ready to drop to her knees. Please, have mercy on us, help us out this one time!
Xiao Hanyuan stood off to one side, watching the whole scene coldly without saying a word, but it was obvious he stood firmly behind Su Qinghe, ready to back her up.
Su Qinghe set down the silver, stood up, and walked over to inspect the pile of chestnuts.
They were indeed top-quality goods. When competing for business earlier, Wang had made sure to buy only the very best.
Very well then, I’ll do it for Uncle’s sake. Su Qinghe turned around and held up one finger. One copper coin per catty. Take it or leave it.
One copper coin?! Wang shrieked at the top of her voice. That’s outright robbery! I paid three copper coins apiece to get them!
Then please go back the way you came. Su Qinghe turned as if to walk into the house. There are plenty of people willing to deliver goods to me. I don’t need your batch specifically. Besides, these chestnuts will dry out completely in two days. By then, they won’t even be worth one copper coin. You’ll only be able to use them as firewood.
Wait! Don’t go! Wang’s heart ached so deeply it felt like it was bleeding, and every inch of her body throbbed with pain.
At one copper coin per catty, eight hundred catties would only make eight hundred copper coins. She had spent more than two taels of silver, and after this transaction, she would lose over one tael straight away — that was half of everything she owned!
But if she refused to sell, those more than two thousand copper coins’ worth of goods would truly end up being nothing but firewood!
I’ll sell! I’ll sell! Wang bit down hard so hard she nearly cracked her back teeth, tears streaming down her face. One copper coin it is!
Su Qinghe curled the corners of her lips into a smile. She counted out eight hundred copper coins from her money bag and tossed them straight into Wang’s arms. There you go, Auntie. Please see yourself out. Next time you want to start a business, remember to first weigh your own abilities and see if you’re up to it.
Wang held that pitiful handful of coins and walked away in a daze, looking as if she had aged ten years in just a few moments.
Once the gate was closed, Su Qinghe turned around and flashed a victory sign at Xiao Hanyuan. It’s settled! In this whole deal, we didn’t have to do any hard work at all. On top of that, we earned a clear profit of eight hundred copper coins from the price difference, plus we got eight hundred catties of ready-to-use goods delivered right to us!
After selling these eight hundred catties of chestnuts to Zuixianlou, she would make a net profit of several taels of silver after covering all costs!
Xiao Hanyuan watched her gleeful, money-loving expression, and the faintest trace of a smile flickered deep in his eyes.
This woman… is truly very clever.