CHAPTER 494: CHAPTER 494 MAKING MONEY

The Hidden Guard had a forehead full of black lines.

Never had they seen someone come to mooch lychees and end up sending fish instead.

"You’re late to the party," Xie Jingchen said.

Prince NanAn looked at him, "Besides us, who else dares to come and mooch the lychees the Emperor gifted Sister-in-law?"

"It was Young Master Su and the Ninth Prince," the Hidden Guard replied.

"...."

They ate once and took some away.

Xingxing cried her eyes red over the remaining lychees.

In the end, she begged him for a plateful.

The Hidden Guard wasn’t particularly fond of lychees.

Lychees were rare only in the Capital City; in places where they are produced, if you have money, you can eat as much as you want.

He once went on a job to a place where lychees were abundant, and they were filling.

Just a large crate of lychees, the Heir’s wife ate them and got an allergy, and the maids, seeing so many, felt a bit pressured and gave him two plates.

Who knew so many would come mooching lychees, directly making the maid cry.

"Not a single one left?" asked Chu Shun.

Xie Jingchen pointed at the ice bucket, "That’s all that’s left, you guys eat it."

The Heir of Marquis Beining and a few others walked over to the ice bucket, opened the jar, and saw chilled lychees, the familiar fruit skin looked so tempting.

Prince NanAn took one, peeled it, and popped it into his mouth.

Chu Shun tossed one to Xie Jingchen.

Eating iced lychees, chatting and laughing, they were having a great time.

Xingxing came to the bamboo house to get something, and upon hearing familiar laughter from inside, she entered and saw the ground littered with lychee skins and pits.

Xingxing wrinkled her nose, turned around, and left.

Prince NanAn, looking at the empty lychee plate, called out, "Oh no, we didn’t save any for Sister-in-law!"

"She doesn’t eat lychees," Xie Jingchen said.

Prince NanAn, "...."

Chu Shun and the others exchanged glances.

"Is there no justice in this world?" Chu Shun said.

"The Sister-in-law doesn’t eat lychees, yet the Emperor gifted her a whole crate!"

Prince NanAn looked at Chu Shun, "You can’t take advantage of Sister-in-law on one hand and be jealous of her on the other..."

The words were not finished when Prince NanAn felt a chill.

He glanced to the side and saw Xie Jingchen glaring at him.

Prince NanAn was a bit baffled.

He thought carefully and realized what had annoyed him, his mouth twitching, he said, "When I said ’taking advantage’ of Sister-in-law, I meant her lychees."

In the inner room.

Su Jin lay on a small couch, her cheeks itchy from the rash, she scratched lightly.

Xingxing came in carrying a food box.

These were snacks prepared by the little kitchen, they had been set out early thinking Su Jin would spend the whole day in the backyard.

Who knew that a rash would appear on Su Jin’s face, and she wouldn’t go to the backyard.

"Prince NanAn and the others are here, mooching off of the lychees meant for the Master," Xingxing said.

Now even mention of the word lychee made Su Jin’s heart ache.

Wanting to eat but unable to.

She even thought about whether to indulge despite the allergy just to satisfy her craving.

Xingxing took out the pastries from the food box and set them out, "Who would have thought the Emperor didn’t even reward Prince NanAn Mansion, I would have saved them each a plate if I knew."

"There should be rewards, maybe just not satisfying enough," Su Jin said.

"Too bad you can’t buy fresh lychees even if you have money," Xingxing said.

Su Jin looked at Xingxing, "Can’t buy even with money?"

Xingxing looked at her, thinking the lady’s words were not precise enough, she said, "You can buy dried lychees."

Though they are all lychees.

The difference between dried and fresh is huge.

Su Jin’s eyes sparkled, gesturing Xingxing to come closer.

Su Jin whispered a few words.

Xingxing’s eyes shone brightly.

When Su Jin finished speaking, Xingxing stabbed her right in the heart with a sentence, "Lady, you still can’t eat lychees."

A stab that made Su Jin’s heart ache faintly.

"Precisely because I can’t eat them, I should earn more money to enjoy other delicacies," Su Jin said.

"Mm-hmm."

Xingxing nodded her little head repeatedly.

She brought Su Jin paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, then ran to the backyard.

Inside the bamboo house, Prince NanAn and the others were still savoring, this was something they could taste at most twice a year, missing this year meant waiting till next year.

Xingxing ran in, and everyone looked at her.

This maid had just turned swiftly and left, why did she come back?

Xingxing’s gaze swept from the mess on the ground to Prince NanAn and the others.

Prince NanAn felt a bit unnerved, "Why are you looking at us like that?"

"My lady asked me to check if you all have had your fill," Xingxing said.

Prince NanAn placed a hand on his chest, "With a question like that, I’m a bit anxious."

Xingxing, "...."

Xie Jingchen looked at Xingxing, "Anything else?"

Xingxing nodded repeatedly, "My lady said there’s no one selling lychees in the Capital, she can have someone transport lychees to the Capital to sell."

"She also asked if fresh lychees could sell for ten taels of silver per pound," Xingxing asked.

"Ten taels?" Prince NanAn was surprised.

"How much does Sister-in-law dislike lychees, to sell them so cheaply?"

Xingxing, "...."

"Let me tell you, fresh lychees, like the ones we just ate, could sell for twenty taels of silver a pound, and a bunch of people would snatch them up."

"...."

Ten crates of lychees were transported to the Capital, only three crates remained fresh.

Along the way, to ensure the lychees didn’t spoil, they used an unknown amount of ice.

Add manpower and resources, the costs were massive.

At twenty taels of silver a pound, they still thought it was selling cheap.

If money could buy them, would they come mooching for lychees?

It was because there wasn’t any.

The Capital doesn’t lack much, but it abounds in nobles.

This is something you would normally eat only if the Emperor rewarded it, suddenly being able to buy it with money would surely cause a rush.

"Exactly, while ice is expensive for others, for us, it’s the cheapest," the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo said.

Prince NanAn and the others realized it now.

Others might not know, but they were well aware of the ice-making process.

If they used ice to transport lychees to the Capital to sell, it would definitely be highly profitable.

"Sister-in-law is truly intelligent," Chu Shun marveled.

Prince NanAn and the others couldn’t stop praising Su Jin.

Xingxing took pride in this as well.

Her lady was, of course, smart.

But unfortunately, she’s somewhat unfortunate in taste, fond of lychees yet unable to eat them.

"We’ll go back and arrange people to transport lychees immediately," Prince NanAn said.

They were about to leave.

Xingxing said, "Wait, don’t rush, my lady has more tasks for you."

With Chu Shun and the others puzzled, Xingxing ran out of the bamboo house.

Shortly, she returned with a few sheets of paper.

These were the secret recipes for popsicles.

Earning money —

Su Jin was serious about it.

She wrote down the popsicle recipe and asked Chu Shun and the others to take it to Beauty Pavilion and have the Imperial Chef inside improve it, to provide for those noble ladies and ladies from prominent families who visit Beauty Pavilion.

Additionally, have the Conscience Ice Shop sell them in batches, offering everyone a refreshing summer.

Xingxing passed on Su Jin’s intentions, and Prince NanAn looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "If Sister-in-law wasn’t delayed by you, Brother Jingchen, and instead seriously did business, what business would the Li Family have being the richest in Daqi, it would surely belong to Sister-in-law."

"Let’s go, let’s go," Chu Shun laughed.

The Hidden Guard lifted a wooden barrel, ready to head out.

The four climbed over the wall of Prince Zhenbei Mansion, galloping off towards the Beauty Pavilion.