The commotion next door was a grand show, though Su Xiaoqi couldn't see it. She listened with great interest.
Initially, she hadn't thought much of it, but after hearing the noblewoman’s outburst, her mind stirred, and she began to understand. From Zhao Xiaohua's series of unusual behaviors, she had formed a guess. She had considered this possibility before, but it seemed too fantastical.
The story had just begun, and besides herself, she had already discovered two people with extraordinary encounters. She found it hard to believe. But now, Su Xiaoqi felt that Zhao Xiaohua's situation might indeed be as she suspected. Otherwise, how could someone who had barely left Zhaojia Village know a Marquise in the distant capital and be so clear about her family affairs?
Su Xiaoqi did not believe in coincidences, so only the possibility she had conceived remained. A cold sweat broke out on her, and she felt a sudden sense of exposure, as if she were streaking naked under someone's gaze. Her arrival had altered the novel's plot. Didn't Zhao Xiaohua know this? Would she suspect her?
Su Xiaoqi's brows furrowed. The more she thought about it, the less safe Zhaojia Village felt. Thinking about it, she felt agreeing to accompany Shen Yun to the prefectural city was a good idea, a temporary escape from Zhao Xiaohua's surveillance. With this thought, Su Xiaoqi could no longer bear to eavesdrop from the corner.
She stood up, stating she wanted to leave. Shen Yun stopped her, mentioning that the show in the adjacent private room was not yet over. Didn't she want to watch a little longer? From his understanding of her, wasn't she usually endlessly delighted by watching plays?
"I, I'm tired. And it's so hot," Su Xiaoqi wiped a nonexistent bead of sweat from her forehead, offering a casual excuse.
"Besides, there's not much more to see. Since she's come looking for them, it's bound to succeed," Su Xiaoqi's mood was somewhat subdued. Zhao Xiaohua was a person with destiny, equivalent to having the blessing of a halo. How could such a trivial matter not be handled well?
Su Xiaoqi poked her head out of the window. "It's getting late. I still need to go to Chen Jinji," Su Xiaoqi's eyes sparkled, finally finding a suitable reason. She had heard from her younger sister that the carpenter's shop had already finished making the molds and packaging boxes they had ordered. She might as well take this opportunity to check on them.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yun no longer insisted. He simply gave her a thoughtful look, recalling Zhao Xiaohua's earlier words. He was certain that Zhao Xiaohua had something going on. If they had continued listening, they might have learned something about Su Xiaoqi from Zhao Xiaohua's words. Unfortunately, she no longer wished to listen.
The two settled their bill and went downstairs, arriving at Chen Jinji. Su Xiaoqi immediately saw a counter specifically set up for mooncakes. Various patterns and flavors of mooncakes were displayed there, looking like formed begonia flowers, pleasing to the eye. However, what confused her was that while many people were looking, very few were buying, or rather, none at all.
She assumed it was just that no one was buying at the moment, so she stood at the entrance and watched for a long time. She noticed that people who bought other pastries would stand by that counter for a moment, glance at it twice, and then leave, showing no intention of buying.
Su Xiaoqi was puzzled. The mooncakes' appearance was not bad; each was exquisitely made. Why wasn't anyone buying them? She muttered to herself, and Shen Yun, accompanying her, replied, "Perhaps they don't know the taste, and the price isn't cheap either."
Chen Jinniang had indeed followed Su Xiaoqi's initial instructions, with exquisitely packaged ones ranging from one string of coins to five, and simply packaged ones starting from forty copper coins. For ordinary people, this price was indeed a little steep, but it wasn't unaffordable; it just required biting the bullet to buy them.
She needed to find a way to help promote them. Otherwise, it would be a shame for such good mooncakes to be wasted. She thought of modern cake shops, which would hold tasting events whenever new products were released. Anyone passing by or entering could sample them. If they found them delicious, they would naturally buy a box. Even if they didn't buy, the loss would be minimal due to the small tasting portions.
Her heart stirred, and she hurried into the backyard to find Chen Jinniang. Chen Jinniang was sitting outside the operation room, sighing and complaining to her younger sister, "I just can't figure it out. Such delicious mooncakes can't be sold. Don't they have any foresight?"
"Don't worry. When I go back later, I'll ask my sister-in-law. Maybe my sister-in-law has a good idea," Shen Xiaomei comforted her. She had a natural trust in her sister-in-law, believing that any problem could be easily solved when it came to her.
"That's the only way," Chen Jinniang also placed her hopes on Su Xiaoqi. She even resigned herself to thinking that if these mooncakes couldn't be promoted, she would just make them for herself to eat.
Su Xiaoqi stepped forward at the opportune moment and said to both of them, "I've thought of a way. Listen together and tell me what you think."
"Oh my, speaking of the devil! Are you an immortal fairy, knowing we need you and coming here?" Chen Jinniang stepped forward, took Su Xiaoqi's hand, and was extremely enthusiastic.
Su Xiaoqi gently patted her hand, smiling as she explained that she had accompanied Shen Yun to deliver the rice-reaping machine to his teacher and, upon finishing, wanted to see how the mooncake promotion was going.
"Rice-reaping machine? Huh, Sister-in-law, didn't you say that last one was already sold?" Shen Xiaomei looked bewildered. She recalled her elder brother saying it was sold for a hundred taels.
Su Xiaoqi covered her mouth and laughed. "If it's sold, can't we just make another one? It's only a string of coins at the carpenter's shop." She would need to order another one to keep at home later. This kind of thing was useful, so why not prepare?
Listening to the sisters-in-law converse, Chen Jinniang's eyes widened. She thought to herself that Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun were truly capable. They had managed to sell a rice-reaping machine worth a string of coins for a hundred taels of silver.
Thinking of the mooncakes, Chen Jinniang's face turned ashen, and she sighed, "Alas, it's really not good." Since she had switched her shop from steamed buns and mantou to pastries and desserts, business had been consistently good. She had almost become complacent, believing that her shop had a customer base and was recognized by everyone. Whatever she sold, people would buy it. But this time, the mooncakes had undoubtedly been a huge slap in her face, waking her up. Whether in life or in work, it was best to be down-to-earth; otherwise, failure could happen in an instant.
"Sister-in-law, quickly tell us what method you thought of!" Shen Xiaomei didn't have as many emotional reflections as Chen Jinniang. Her mind was entirely focused on promoting the mooncakes.
Su Xiaoqi said, "I'll just ask you, are the mooncakes delicious?"
Chen Jinniang and Shen Xiaomei blinked and nodded profusely. "Of course, they are delicious." If they weren't delicious, why would they have made so many to sell?
"We know, because we ate them. They don't know, because they haven't tasted them. If they taste them, then people will naturally buy them." Su Xiaoqi was very confident about this. The desires of the palate could not always be suppressed.
"Good, good, let's do it," Chen Jinniang, having gotten her idea, found it to be very reasonable and immediately rubbed her hands together, ready to get to work.
Su Xiaoqi smiled, asked Chen Jinniang for her son's brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then looked at Shen Yun behind her and beckoned him over. "Could you do me a favor, husband?" Su Xiaoqi finally called Shen Yun husband after a few turns of phrase. She needed his help now, so her attitude had to be the best.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes were gentle, her voice soft and a little flattering. Shen Yun's heart was immediately uplifted. He graciously leaned closer to Su Xiaoqi, appearing ready to listen. He wondered what she was planning now, having seen her boost the spirits of the dejected Chen Jinniang and her sister-in-law with just a few words.
Su Xiaoqi spread out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, ground the ink herself, and then dipped a wolf-hair brush in ink, handing it to him. Shen Yun took it and looked at her leisurely. The implication was, "Go on, tell me, what should I draw?"
Su Xiaoqi was very satisfied with Shen Yun's cooperation. She gestured to him, indicating she wanted to make a poster. The content on it would be an introduction to eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Shen Yun thought for a moment, understood, and ordered Su Xiaoqi to pour him tea, fan him, and make jelly. Su Xiaoqi, focused on achieving her goal, was eager to please him, so she did as he said. However, after she finished stirring the jelly, she discovered a problem. Wait, how did Shen Yun know that she carried jelly with her? Did he know she had a spatial ability?