CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 67: HOW BIG A BRAIN DOES IT TAKE?

Zheng Yuanfeng asked the waiter to bring over tea sets and hot water. Yu Xiaolian put a small pinch of Jasmine tea leaves into the cup and poured in the hot water.

A few minutes later, the freshly brewed tea was ready, bright and clear.

Yu Xiaolian brewed Jasmine tea first because its aroma is rich and its taste is mild, which is her favorite.

Zheng Yuanfeng took a sip and nodded slightly, "Not bad, this tea is fragrant and mild, rich yet not bitter. It’s a good tea."

The second tea Yu Xiaolian prepared was rose tea.

This was individually packaged tea bags. Yu Xiaolian placed the tea bag in the cup, soaked it in hot water for a few minutes, and then lifted it out using the string.

"This tea’s floral scent is too strong, I don’t like it very much."

Zheng Yuanfeng had heard before that some people make tea with flowers, and some exotic peoples even use flowers as food.

But those who make tea with flowers have always been seen as eccentric and no tea house ever sold flower tea.

Today, having tasted two kinds of flower tea, he liked the first one but felt the second was like eating rouge.

Zheng Yuanfeng carefully observed the little girl in front of him. She was currently engrossed in brewing Monkey King black tea, her hair casually tied with a black cloth strip, without even a hairpin.

Her big eyes were bright and lively, with large black pupils, long lashes blinking, and beneath her small nose were rosy, glossy lips.

Her slender hands, with skin as white as jade, were now holding the teapot, pouring tea for him.

If Yu Xiaolian knew what Zheng Yuanfeng was thinking at this moment, she would definitely tell him that her black pupils were mostly because she was wearing contact lenses, and her lips were red and glossy because she applied lipstick before going out.

"Try this black tea."

This black tea was a sales champion in the modern era; Yu Xiaolian believed it wouldn’t fall short in ancient times either.

Although in ancient times all tea was handpicked, the roasting techniques were very complicated, and tea was not affordable for ordinary people.

Common folks would rather drink cheap sugar water than buy bitter tea leaves that cost several times as much as white sugar.

She knew her tea might not be as good as the best Longjing or Biluochun from ancient times, but she had quantity on her side and could sell tea year-round.

Zheng Yuanfeng picked up the rose tea bag and looked at it closely, "This thin silk-like mesh seems more expensive than the tea leaves."

Yu Xiaolian groaned inwardly, could you not focus on these details?

After unpacking the large packaging, she was already exhausted. If she had to unwrap each tea bag one by one, she would rather not sell the tea.

This mesh is mass-produced by machines in modern times, not worth much.

But in ancient times, this thin, translucent mesh, better than silk, was a luxury.

Yu Xiaolian pointed at the black tea, "Try this one; the individually packaged ones are just for you to taste as a friend, I’m not planning to sell them."

She had no choice; she couldn’t afford to unpack them all, so maybe it was better to keep them for herself.

Fortunately, she hadn’t brought out the barley tea and lotus leaf tea yet; removing the rose tea now should still be possible.

Zheng Yuanfeng tasted the black tea and gave it high praise, prompting Yu Xiaolian to brew the next.

Yu Xiaolian then brewed green tea, and Zheng Yuanfeng also approved of it.

Yu Xiaolian wrapped up the tea in oiled paper, "That’s all I brought."

This gold and silver flowers and American ginseng slices mustn’t be brought out. With Zheng Yuanfeng’s level of intelligence, he would definitely recognize that they were the same as the ones she sold to Huichun Hall before.

"Oh!" Zheng Yuanfeng watched Yu Xiaolian with great interest, "I get it, bring the black tea, green tea, and Jasmine tea here tomorrow."

Yu Xiaolian nodded, a little anxious as she headed to the door when she heard Zheng Yuanfeng continue, "It’s better not to let others know about your tea-making skills."

Yu Xiaolian suddenly understood the meaning behind Zheng Yuanfeng’s words. Without looking back, she thanked him and left Mingxiang Pavilion.

Once outside, Yu Xiaolian couldn’t help but hit her own head, why are you so stupid?

Why did you bring tea leaves with bags, leading Zheng Yuanfeng to be suspicious? Fortunately, he wasn’t someone with ill intentions, or she would be in big trouble.

She would have to be more cautious in the future.

Zheng Yuanfeng watched from the second-floor window as Yu Xiaolian walked away, filled with remorse, and chuckled lightly.

As Yu Xiaolian passed through the marketplace, she was called over by Granny Ge.

Granny Ge asked her why she hadn’t been selling things lately. Yu Xiaolian had to say she’d been busy with other matters and hadn’t come to the market.

Granny Ge pulled Yu Xiaolian over to her stall, whispering, "The autumn examination is coming soon, your pastries would sell better outside the exam venue than in the market. The candidates spend several days taking exams and would definitely want to have some snacks to bring. It’s a good opportunity for you to earn money."

The shortbread and mung bean cake from Yu Xiaolian’s family were also having trouble finding a market. Granny Ge had pointed her in the right direction, how could Yu Xiaolian not be grateful?

To thank Granny Ge, Yu Xiaolian deliberately bought some vegetables from her stall.

Although she had plenty of endless vegetables in her space, passing by the market without buying any once seemed too strange.

Yu Xiaolian bought radishes and Chinese cabbage, if she couldn’t eat them, she could store them in her space so they wouldn’t spoil.

Yu Xiaolian carefully inquired about the location and timing of the exam, then bid farewell to Granny Ge with her cabbages and radishes.

Others came out shopping with baskets, while she carried cabbages in one hand and radishes in the other. After all, ancient times didn’t have convenient bags!

When Yu Xiaolian got home, she told Mrs. Sun about her plan to sell pastries at the exam venue in a few days.

Mrs. Sun frowned and whispered, "Your third uncle and Yu Zishu might also come to Yangcheng for the autumn exams, it would be troublesome to run into them."

Yu Xiaolian thought about how Yu Zishu did pass the child scholar exam this year, but Yu Changyu, who was aimless, had really lost interest in studying, only reluctant to return to the village to avoid being laughed at.

"Mother, you can’t stop planting crops just because you’re afraid of cicadas, I have a plan."

Yu Xiaolian found a pure white cotton mask from the supermarket and a black bucket hat from the lounge.

With these on, people unfamiliar with her wouldn’t recognize her at all.

Mrs. Sun saw how thoroughly Yu Xiaolian was disguised, yet still kept advising and reminding her.

Yu Xiaolian reassured her, packed the tea to be sent to Mingxiang Pavilion tomorrow, and asked Mrs. Sun to deliver the pastries and candied fruits along with the tea.

As for the hotpot and barbecue stalls, Yu Xiaolian thought it was best to put them on hold for now.

"Lian’er, how did you negotiate the price for these pastries with Mingxiang Pavilion’s owner?"

Yu Xiaolian took a paper from the drawer, handed it to Mrs. Sun, and then remembered Mrs. Sun couldn’t really read, so she took it back and read it for her, "Cream rolls, ice-skin cakes are priced at two taels of silver each, pork jerky one tael each, waffles eight hundred wen each, dried mango six hundred wen each, cranberry..."

The more Yu Xiaolian read, the more shocked Mrs. Sun was. Each portion was sold by the tael, could they sell?

Who would spend so much to buy such a small portion of pastries? How big must their brain be?