Chapter 56
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Liu Zheng ate without stopping, and he even dared to try the durian that had initially frightened him.
The unique sweetness captivated his taste buds for several seconds. This thing smelled terrible, yet he never expected it to taste so delicious!
“Shopkeeper Shen, can I take these pomegranates back with me?”
He looked toward the pomegranates placed beside his hand – each one larger than a fist with excellent coloring, and the flesh inside truly resembled red rubies.
The pomegranates that were sent as tribute to the palace were far inferior in appearance, size, and especially taste compared to those from Shopkeeper Shen’s establishment.
Perhaps these were really fruits borne from celestial trees! He wanted His Highness, Master Zhong, and his family members to taste them as well.
“You may.” Shen You found a bamboo basket and packed all twenty pomegranates from the box into it.
Liu Zheng could have taken all the extra thousand taels from selling the pastries, since she calculated the total revenue to be ten thousand taels, though she was unsure about the surplus.
Fruit was such a small matter. A few hundred taels of silver could buy countless pomegranates when exchanged.
Ancient seeds differed from modern ones; many things were not as delicious, and yields were small.
Modern cultivated crops however were mostly new varieties improved through technology. For instance, seedless watermelons and Sunshine Muscat grapes could be bought at any supermarket. Those inferior varieties from the past had all been eliminated.
Authentic ancient people, even emperors, certainly had never tasted these fruits.
Liu Zheng’s heart was still moved – Shopkeeper Shen had given him so many of these excellent fruits without hesitation.
“If these pomegranates were sold in the capital, high officials and nobles would definitely fight over them frantically!”
Hearing his words, Shen You shook her head instead.
“Your shops have acquired so many things that no one has ever seen before in just a few days. Fresh fruits differ from other goods – transportation routes are easily traced.”
After Shen You explained this, Liu Zheng immediately understood. Earlier, excitement had clouded his judgment, but upon careful consideration, his back grew cold with fear.
“Shopkeeper Shen’s thinking is indeed thorough.”
Shen You handed over the bamboo basket. “Are these enough?”
“Enough!”
Liu Zheng expressed his gratitude and joyfully carried the basket of pomegranates away from the shop. Before returning to his residence, he first made a trip to the Crown Prince’s mansion.
Seeing the fruits placed on the table, still seeming to carry moisture, Li Heng’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed.
He picked up a small knife, peeled away the outer skin, and tasted the crystal-clear red flesh. Before his eyes, that courtyard seemed to appear, along with the person sitting in the shop.
Zhong Jing swallowed his saliva. Pomegranates were not rare items during this season, yet he somehow felt that the ones brought from the shop would taste even better.
Just after bidding farewell with Liu Zheng and leaving the Crown Prince’s mansion, he asked impatiently, “Where’s my share? Let me taste them quickly.”
“They’re in the carriage. I wouldn’t hide them from you!” Liu Zheng treasured the remaining half of the pomegranates like precious gems, selecting five for Zhong Jing. “Is there new information from the palace?”
“Uncertain.” Zhong Jing’s voice dropped extremely low. “I heard that the National Preceptor has returned, yet no one has seen him.”
What he dared not say was that he felt that the Emperor had become somewhat mad lately, his condition quite poor.
These years, the alchemists in the palace were people no one dared to offend. What’s more to preserve their current positions, they needed to drag the heir apparent into their pursuit of immortality and pill refinement schemes as well.
However since His Highness would never agree, they wanted to support others instead.
Although the capital appeared calm on the surface, various factions were stirring restlessly.
Just last night, some death-seekers secretly sent people to investigate the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, however not one returned alive.
The Emperor was deeply scheming and suspicious; such inability to remain calm would have already meant doom for anyone except his most beloved son.
Shen You closed the shop and began preparing for restoration work.
This task required complete concentration. Which meant she couldn’t watch movies or anything else.
When fully focused, time passed exceptionally quickly, and under the supplementary lighting, she worked steadily until 10 PM.
Looking at the phoenix crown on her workbench, Shen You held her tools while marveling inwardly at the ancestors’ absolutely perfect aesthetic sense. This golden, glittering hair ornament would have driven anyone in ancient times to fight desperately for it.
She had already arranged to meet the tailor shop owner, so seeing that the time was about right, she tidied her desk, placed items in storage compartments, and went upstairs to rest.
Early the next morning, after finishing soup dumplings and a bowl of millet porridge at the alley entrance, she brought five bolts of fabric to the tailor shop. The owner knew she was bringing good materials, and so had been waiting in the shop early.
Seeing the fabric she placed on the counter, Boss Zuo’s expression brightened with delight, especially when touching the two bolts that Zhao Wanyi had sent.
“This is Shu brocade!”
Boss Zuo excitedly pointed to another bolt of fabric as soft as mist. “And this soft smoke gauze – the quality is impeccable!”
This young customer had considerable background to obtain so many precious materials at once.
“I want these two for myself, and the remaining three can be sold in the shop.” Shen You indicated the Shu brocade and soft smoke gauze. The Shu brocade could make qipao, while the soft smoke gauze was suitable for hanfu.
“No problem.” Boss Zuo was naturally pleased. “That regular customer from before will come to look later – she should want all such fine materials.”
Shen You nodded and asked about the progress of her previously ordered clothes.
“They’re almost finished, would you like to wait in the shop?” Boss Zuo asked in response.
“Alright.” Shen You nodded and paid the labor costs for both garments.
Boss Zuo was an honest man. When he said he would advance the schedule, he really delivered more than a month early. Shen You could see that only finishing work remained.
When Boss Zuo completed the floral gauze qipao, Shen You was also amazed. To match the labor costs and materials of this dress, she had used understated, warm Hetian jade beads for the pankou buttons.
“Old Zuo, is this the dress made from that fabric?” An elegant female voice rang out in the shop.
The speaker was a wealthy lady wearing fragrant cloud silk, with another woman in a blue qipao beside her. Their clothes were also from this tailor shop.
“Yes, Miss Shen ordered it.” Boss Zuo replied.
Hearing this, both women looked toward Shen You, somewhat puzzled by her casual current attire. People who could afford custom clothing here typically would not wear such ordinary clothes.
“The finished product from this fabric is indeed beautiful.” The fragrant cloud silk lady looked at the qipao wistfully.
“Miss Shen, would you really not sell it?”
Buying it and having the size altered for her daughter would be nice – this young woman didn’t seem particularly wealthy.
Shen You shook her head. “It’s not for sale.”
Boss Zuo brought out the fabrics Shen You had just delivered for them to see. “Miss Shen is willing to part with these three bolts.”
Seeing even better materials, the two wealthy ladies were immediately attracted, though they still noticed that the two bolts Shen You kept for herself were obviously superior.
They couldn’t help asking again about purchasing them for additional money, offering up to three hundred thousand per bolt, but Shen You still refused. The two women couldn’t force the matter and had to settle for second best.
For the three bolts of fabric, Mrs. Gu took one while Mrs. Yin took two. Clearly, Mrs. Yin had greater wealth and status, because although Mrs. Gu also liked the most expensive bolt, she courteously let Mrs. Yin choose first.
Shen You earned a total of 600,000 from this transaction.
After arranging the delivery schedule for today’s two garments with Boss Zuo, she took the finished clothes and left the tailor shop, and on her way, she stopped by the supermarket to buy seafood and vegetables for herself.
Then she returned to her shop to continue restoring artifacts, where an unexpected person actually entered through the random entrance.