After a few days of drying, the paint was finished, and all the bowls, dishes, and sauces were prepared. Honestly, the small cart now looked quite eye-catching with its three-dimensional patterns and the words "Zhu Ji Songhua Egg" displayed prominently. Whether they could sell the century eggs for twenty wen hinged on this moment. Although Nie Yunzhu appeared confident in front of Ning Yi, she probably didn't truly believe it. Ning Yi understood this well, but since the outcome was still uncertain, there was no need for extensive explanations. It was better to see the results after they had been achieved.
Next, it was up to him to figure out how to persuade several restaurants to agree to sell Nie Yunzhu's century eggs on consignment.
This task was relatively simple; if they were unwilling to let her bring the eggs to them, he could have them come to take the eggs themselves. In a monopolized business, there were always ways to make it work.
That afternoon, he asked Su Chonghua for leave, explaining that he would be arriving late for the next few mornings. Su Chonghua arranged for someone to supervise the students' studies—after all, during the first hour, they would mostly just be nodding along as they read and memorized, so Ning Yi's presence wasn't crucial.
By late February in Jiangning, spring had truly arrived. The branches were budding with new green shoots, and the willow catkins floated through the air like fine snow. Walking through the streets in the early morning, one could hear the cheerful chirping of birds. The wind still carried a slight chill, and the talented scholars rose early, often gathering friends to take a boat ride along the Qinhuai River. As the enchanting music wafted from distant pleasure boats, the scene became a picturesque display of literary elegance amid the falling catkins.
As the sun rose higher, Ning Yi strolled through the streets of Jiangning. Although it was his first experience of spring here, he had already grown accustomed to the ancient atmosphere surrounding him. With the arrival of spring, the roads became busier, bustling with merchants and scholars carrying their bundles. Occasionally, one could spot bodyguards and warriors, robust and imposing, but it was hard to tell who among them possessed real skill. A chubby child was amusing himself by teasing a dog at the roadside, making faces until the dog finally snapped and chased him, barking loudly. The child tumbled into the river, splashing around for a bit before swimming away, turning back to make a face at the angry dog, while his mother, hands on her hips, yelled from the riverbank.
Nie Yunzhu's stall was just a few streets away, and today was its first day out. Although they had talked earlier in the morning, Ning Yi wasn't going just to see the reactions to the cart. His goal was to check out the nearby restaurants. On his way, he unexpectedly ran into Li Pin, who seemed to be heading to school.
"Li Heng," Li Pin greeted. They had been colleagues for a month, and since Li Pin usually went to listen to stories in the mornings, he was puzzled to see Ning Yi not heading to school. After asking, Ning Yi replied it was just some matters he needed to attend to. Since Li Pin was also going to Yushan Academy, he inquired, "Do you need any help?"
"Haha, it's just some small matters, so there's no need," Ning Yi replied thoughtfully. "Brother Li, do you live nearby?"
"Just down the street," Li Pin said with a smile. "If you have time, feel free to visit my humble abode. My wife has long admired your reputation and is eager to meet you."
Ning Yi politely declined the invitation and then asked, "Since you live nearby, do you know where the best…"
"Up ahead, Chunyi Tower, Yangxu Tower, and Sihai Tower are all great places, and there are a few others down that street. I have some free time now, so if Li Heng wants to go, I can accompany you."
Li Pin seemed easygoing and capable in his speech and actions. Ning Yi smiled and replied, "There's no need for that today. I can just pick an expensive one at random. If you're hungry, let's go have some breakfast together, my treat."
The two headed to the most extravagant restaurant on that street. Since it wasn't quite the peak morning rush yet, there were still some empty tables. Ning Yi casually tipped a waiter a silver coin, and the waiter immediately became attentive, leading Ning Yi and Li Pin upstairs. Ning Yi ordered a few expensive meat porridge dishes, while Li Pin just ordered a bowl of three-flavor noodle soup.
"Do you often come here, Brother Li?" Ning Yi asked as he poured tea.
Li Pin smiled. "The prices are a bit higher than outside, but the taste is good. I come by occasionally."
"So… is this the busiest time for Chunyi Tower?"
"Haha, not really. It will get crowded in about fifteen minutes."
"Hmm." Ning Yi nodded.
Li Pin was clearly curious about Ning Yi's reasons for being there, but he didn't show it on the surface. They chatted over tea, but the topics weren't the stories or philosophical discussions Li Pin usually enjoyed; instead, they were about trivial matters. Li Pin described a dispute that arose when a willow tree was cut down two years prior, making it sound amusing. As time passed, the dishes they ordered arrived. The restaurant began to fill up with customers, creating a lively atmosphere. After sipping his porridge, Ning Yi tapped the table, catching the attention of the waiter.
"Is there anything else you gentlemen need?"
"I'd like two century eggs."
"C-Century eggs?" The waiter looked puzzled.
"…You don't have any?" Ning Yi felt a bit surprised. He thought for a moment, pulled out fifty or sixty copper coins, and pointed outside. "If you go over there and turn the corner, there's a stall selling them. The cart looks nice. Buy two, and as for the condiments… just vinegar and soy sauce will do; you have those here. They're twenty wen each, and the rest is yours. Go ahead."
He casually finished speaking, waved his hand, and turned to discuss other matters with Li Pin. After years of developing a commanding presence, the waiter hesitated for a moment, feeling unsure and unable to refute. He remembered the century eggs, vinegar, and soy sauce, and took the money to go.
Before long, the waiter returned with the century eggs. He must have asked Nie Yunzhu how to eat them and about the vinegar and soy sauce, as he even thoughtfully brought a small dish with some vinegar and soy sauce. Ning Yi shared one with Li Pin. "Try this new thing; if it's too unfamiliar, you can dip it in vinegar or soy sauce… but the best part is how it looks."
The restaurant remained bustling, and after finishing the century eggs, Ning Yi observed the lively scene before waving his hand again. "Waiter!"
The waiter came over, and Ning Yi took out several more coins without even looking at him. "Go buy two more." He then turned back to talk to Li Pin.
The waiter hesitated for a moment, looking troubled. "S-Sir, business is quite busy right now, and I can't…"
"Hmm?" Ning Yi's speech was interrupted, and he glanced at the waiter. After locking eyes for a few seconds with an expressionless face, he intertwined his fingers on the table and frowned. "Can't go?"
"I-I'll find a way…"
The waiter took the money and went to buy the century eggs. Shortly after, he returned with them. Ning Yi placed the eggs on the table, and once the waiter left, he said, "It's not good to eat too many. You can take some back to the academy to share with others. Would you like to take one back, Brother Li?"
Li Ping laughed. "Did you come here today for these century eggs, Brother Ning?"
"Indeed, I did."
"What's the reason for that?"
"Nothing much, just a small bet." Ning Yi smiled as he stuffed the egg into his pocket and stood up. "Let's go, Brother Li."
The two of them walked downstairs together, and the street was now bustling with more people. As they chatted, Ning Yi glanced at a few nearby restaurants. "I made a deal with someone to sell at least thirty of these twenty-wen century eggs every day within a month. Since this is a new item, they won't agree to display them on the counter just from a direct delivery. Considering the daily income of this restaurant, bribing the managers for thirty century eggs wouldn't be worth it; they would look down on it. The only way is to do the opposite: hire a few idle people to come here for breakfast every day for six or seven days, and then nearby restaurants will likely come to get the goods. The century eggs look good, and if we display one outside, twenty wen should be no problem... But are the nearby restaurants that busy every morning?"
"During this season, with merchants coming and going, it's usually lively here, so it shouldn't be a problem," Li Ping thought for a moment and looked at Ning Yi. "Thirty eggs only amount to six hundred wen in daily business. With Brother Li's current reputation, if you make the century eggs famous, you could easily sell more than thirty; why go to such lengths?"
"Ah, that was part of the bet..." Ning Yi smiled. In business, it often comes down to connections. With Ning Yi's reputation, he could easily write a poem for the century eggs or make an introduction to the Puyang family, and that few hundred wen would be trivial. However, this approach would be no different from getting help from Kang Xian at a banquet. Kang Xian had set the bar low on purpose, limiting Ning Yi to use only ordinary means and spend a little money to pave the way for the century eggs' market.
This was just a small trick; it wasn't anything extraordinary. Li Ping thought for a moment. "In that case, hiring people shouldn't be too complicated. I know quite a few friends around here who come for breakfast every day; we can just have them perform for a while. It would be a simple task, and I guarantee there won't be any issues."
He looked at Ning Yi and waved his hand. "As long as Brother Li's name isn't revealed, that's all that matters. I'll make sure everyone knows not to do anything unnecessary; we'll just follow the ordinary way, how about that?"
He was a talented scholar of equal reputation with Cao Guan, and if he truly wanted to organize it, he might have even more influence than Ning Yi at present. After considering his words, Ning Yi nodded. "Thank you for that, Brother Li."
The next morning, at the steps in front of the small building, Nie Yun Zhu excitedly reported her results to Ning Yi: "Yesterday, we sold six century eggs, and the pancakes sold out quickly! This is the first time we've sold out the pancakes, so Hu Tao and I are making more today. And we also sold so many century eggs for the first time…" She seemed especially pleased about the pancakes and looked at Ning Yi's expression. "This is a good start! Once we build up the reputation, selling thirty century eggs will definitely be no problem."
Ning Yi shrugged and smiled in agreement. He wasn't worried about the sales of century eggs; after three days, the first restaurant started asking Nie Yun Zhu to deliver the eggs. Li Ping's friends had also managed to keep things under wraps. However, he didn't expect that this enthusiasm would lead to some troubles for Nie Yun Zhu…