"I have nothing to do with that Gu Yanzhen."
Only a faint light from one of the houses broke the darkness, and the sound of the Qinhuai River flowed along with the night wind, heavy mist blanketing the surroundings. Looking at her expression, Ning Yi nodded with a hearty smile this time.
"Got it." After a pause, he thought for a moment, then asked, "So, what kind of relationship do you really have with him?"
Nie Yunzhu's serious expression wavered as she listened to his question, her face contorting with a mix of emotions as she struggled to maintain her composure. After a few seconds, she couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
"We met back when I was at Jin Feng Pavilion."
She glanced at Ning Yi, feeling strangely tense when he brought up Gu Yanzhen. She didn't know exactly what he had heard or what he thought about it, and she had been trying to figure out the best way to explain herself. But with his casual response, any ripples in her heart instantly faded, and she answered as if they were simply chatting out in front of the building as usual. Ning Yi paused and said, "The other day you mentioned he's a famous scholar, right?"
"You don't know him, Liheng? That's what I find strange."
"Forgotten," Ning Yi shrugged. "So, what's the plan now?"
"I really don't know. I've thought of asking a few relatives from Er Niu's side to come and help, but I haven't quite figured it out yet," Nie Yunzhu said, resting her chin in her hand with a look of mild frustration. "Originally, I didn't know how to do much. I just wanted to make a little cart to sell pancakes and prove to myself that I wasn't totally useless. I had the same idea for century eggs—I thought it would take ages before anyone liked them. Who knew they'd sell out so quickly in just a few days? I can't keep up with the demand; it's all happened so fast… I mean, I'm happy about it, but I never really planned for what to do next. What do you think, Liheng?"
"The century eggs… do you want to keep making them?"
"Well, I don't really know anything about business, so I only planned on setting up a small stall…" Nie Yunzhu, having spent years at Jin Feng Pavilion, had seen truly successful merchants and knew her limits. Selling things, making money—profits come with risks, and some things couldn't be managed by sheer determination. "But now that the business is going well and I can't keep up… it does feel like a pity to stop."
"It's going to get a bit more complicated from here."
"Hm?"
"The century eggs are going to sell even more. You'll hire a few people, and within the first couple of months, your sales will expand—especially if… well, after Master Kang promotes them at a family banquet, they'll start calling them 'jade eggs' or 'prosperity eggs' and the demand will be even greater. So, you'll keep expanding, just like everyone does with new things…"
Ning Yi picked up a branch and idly drew lines in the dirt as he spoke. "At this point, you'll find you lack experience in managing a business. You'll probably use some people you trust, like Er Niu's relatives or friends, and set up a small workshop, and that's when little problems will start popping up. Meanwhile, others will start copying century eggs. Within three months, competitors will emerge—maybe even sooner. If your methods are kept secret, it could hold for four months, but probably not much longer…"
"The process of making century eggs isn't that technical. You bring dry firewood every day, buy lime powder—anyone curious enough could figure it out. Now that it's gotten some fame and there's more demand than supply, word will spread among the local restaurants. Someone is probably already watching. You're selling century eggs with traces of dried mud still on them, and if someone experiments with the salted duck egg method, they'll be able to recreate it. And if you set up a workshop, the process will be even easier to expose."
"And then it becomes simple: a price war. More people will be able to make it, and they'll come up with new ways to serve it. Selling them at twenty wen will be unsustainable. You'll lower your prices, and they'll do the same. As more people jump in, eventually, selling century eggs will be no different than selling pancakes…"
Ning Yi glanced over his shoulder as he spoke, only to find Nie Yunzhu resting her chin on her hand, looking back at him with a hint of amusement in her eyes. Ning Yi smirked, pointing at her with the stick in his hand. "Sooner or later, you're going to face setbacks."
Nie Yunzhu's mind was elsewhere. "Actually, Li Heng, you're pretty skilled at these things, aren't you?"
"Hm? Which things?"
"Business."
After a brief silence, Ning Yi replied, "I'm actually the reincarnation of a business demon—should I tell you that too?"
Nie Yunzhu stifled a giggle, brushing her hair back with a delicate motion. "I've been meaning to ask: did the sudden popularity of the century eggs have anything to do with you, Li Heng?"
"A bet's a bet. Couldn't just sit around waiting to lose, right?" Ning Yi laughed. "At first, it was indeed my idea, but I didn't expect things to go quite this well. It ended up backfiring and adding more work for you. I thought just hiring some idle folks for a quick sale would be enough. I even told Master Kang not to go broadcasting it all over the Prince Consort's mansion…"
"So that's really how it happened." She murmured with a faint smile. "Li Heng… you hired actors?"
Ning Yi nodded.
"But, Li Heng… don't you not know Gu Yanzhen?"
"That morning, I bumped into Li Pin and happened to mention it. He said he had a few bored friends who could lend a hand. Probably some literary types, I imagine. I don't know them; maybe Gu Yanzhen was one of them. I did, however, make it clear to Master Kang not to promote the century eggs for their fame… oh, remember how you told me we sold six eggs the next day? Well, four of those were bought by me."
Nie Yunzhu narrowed her eyes, realization dawning on her face. "Ah… I did wonder why the waiter from the restaurant suddenly bought four eggs on the very first day you set up the stall. So that's why… ha…"
Under the pre-dawn sky still studded with stars, Nie Yunzhu looked up and laughed. Suddenly, so many things became clear.
"What do you think I should do, Li Heng?"
"Well, if it's interesting, go big; if not, just let it go. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it."
"I must admit, it does feel rewarding, and I'm kind of proud. But I know I'm not up to it. Li Heng… will you teach me?"
After a pause, Ning Yi looked at her and said, "…Alright."
In the early spring morning of the eighth year of Jinghan in the Wu Dynasty, his calm voice sounded through the mist along the Qinhuai River at dawn. From then on, it was just small, mundane conversations—restaurants, chains, high-proof liquor, supply chains, and other odds and ends. Standing on the steps outside the little building, they talked as casually as usual. The topics themselves weren't important. Inside the small building, Hu Tao, Nie Yunzhu's maid, sighed as she leaned against the window, still fretting over her mistress's affairs.
The white mist flowed and dispersed, sunlight gradually rising over Jiangning City as people started their day. If we fast-forward the scene, speeding up the sun's path across the sky, we can pause near midday. At this point, Nie Yunzhu was strolling aimlessly along a bustling street, holding a small bundle, as Hu Tao and Er Niu were currently watching the stall.
On any other day, she would have hurried back, thinking about ways to increase century egg production, where to buy wood for the fire, and weighing prices to see which place offered a better deal. But today was different. From the early morning, she had been wrapped in a swirl of emotions, her thoughts churning and unsettled, which hadn't calmed even by now.
Ever since Hu Tao had said, "Miss, you can't marry him," and perhaps even earlier—from the moment she began to realize certain feelings of her own—her mind had been a haze. The recent entanglements with Gu Yanzhen, the sudden success of the century egg business, and the increased burden that came with it had all clouded her heart. But today was different; all morning, she'd been in high spirits, her mood light, and every shadow had lifted away.
In the distance, she noticed a flag bearing the name of the Su Cloth Shop. These kinds of signs were a common sight, as there were several Su family branches throughout Jiangning. Normally, because of Ning Yi, she wouldn't pay them much attention. But this time, she stood quietly by the roadside for a long while, watching the bustling business and the steady flow of customers.
The words Ning Yi had spoken that morning echoed in her mind, his simple nod with that single "Alright," and the words that followed.
"…But remember one thing. I want you to hold onto the reason why you're choosing to take things further. Even if there isn't much money now, you're happy. All you wanted was a pancake stall to prove that you're capable of achieving things. That's the Yunzhu I know. If one day you find yourself moving too fast, remember your feelings at this moment. Stop when you need to, pull back when you must. Don't push yourself so hard that, in the end, you lose sight of what you truly wanted. If you can't hold onto the sand, let it go. Even if you return to this point, you've lost nothing…"
After that nod, Li Heng had spoken rather casually, tracing random lines in the dirt with a stick, unbothered and seemingly at ease. "Or" do this, "or" do that. But only with these words did he speak seriously, ending with a slightly self-deprecating smile, as if reminded of something. Nie Yunzhu held onto his words, though her feelings at the time were not quite aligned with Ning Yi's.
Certain feelings and realizations were taking root quietly, unnoticed by Ning Yi. In fact, the morning before, Ning Yi had gone on an outing to the countryside with Su Tan'er and the others, enjoying some food while Chan'er and Juan'er flew kites. There were many people out that day, and Ning Yi hadn't known that Nie Yunzhu and Hu Tao had seen them from afar.
At that time, Nie Yunzhu and Hu Tao had just been to the countryside to buy duck eggs with the help of a mutual acquaintance of Er Niu. On their way back, they had caught sight of Ning Yi and Su Tan'er together. It was the first time Nie Yunzhu had seen Su Tan'er. From a distance, she saw the two of them talking on the grass, and a complicated feeling she couldn't put into words washed over her. Her mood had already been somewhat low when she met Ning Yi that morning, but when he suddenly brought up Gu Yanzhen, she'd felt as if something had twisted painfully inside her.
Fortunately, that feeling had soon eased, but the memory of Ning Yi on the countryside grass with Su Tan'er remained vivid. She thought of the lavishly dressed, young, and beautiful Su Tan'er. Then, gradually, other thoughts began to arise, especially after Ning Yi admitted he was behind the century egg scheme. She had suspected it for some time, but now it was suddenly clear. Just like people said, why would someone like him choose to become a live-in son-in-law?
The reason wasn't important, but Nie Yunzhu couldn't help but wonder. Li Heng had talent in poetry, skill in business, and lived his days in calm detachment. Was he truly happy with that? She had known little about the Su family before, and after she was freed, she'd had no further news. She only knew that the Su family was wealthy, worlds apart from her humble, ordinary life. Later, Ning Yi's fame had spread thanks to two of his poems, and she had caught wind of some news here and there: they said Li Heng lacked any business acumen, while Miss Su was highly capable in trade and was even expected to take over the family business. But Li Heng did have business talent. With such skills, how did he feel about being a son-in-law, always playing down his strengths behind Su Tan'er?
Resolving the century egg matter with ease—could it have been a sign of his restlessness? Maybe he couldn't assert himself in the household, so he had gone outside and casually intervened where he could.
Suddenly, she realized what she could do.
Perhaps she could become his instrument, a way for Li Heng to prove himself as better than Su Tan'er. If things reached that point…
At heart, she was still a gentle and composed woman. Some thoughts were difficult to dwell on. She hugged the small bundle tightly, bit her lip softly, and walked past the entrance of the Su Cloth Shop. As she passed, she turned her head slightly to glance inside. Then, she pursed her lips, a touch of childish determination lighting up her face: one day, her shop would be far, far larger than this one...