Chapter 49: Simple Techniques

A few days had passed since the painting was completed, and the various dishes and sauces were all ready. To be honest, the entire cart, when pushed out now, looked quite striking, featuring a small bamboo grove in a three-dimensional pattern and the five characters "Zhuji Songhua Dan." Whether the preserved eggs could be sold for twenty *wen* seemed to depend entirely on this endeavor. Of course, although Nie Yunzhu appeared full of confidence in front of Ning Yi, she probably didn't truly believe it herself. Ning Yi naturally understood this, but since the matter had not yet been settled, there was no need to explain too much. More talk would not compare to seeing the results after the work was done.

Next, it was up to him to figure out how to convince a few restaurants to sell Nie Yunzhu's preserved eggs on consignment.

This was actually quite simple. If the restaurants weren't willing to have Nie Yunzhu bring the eggs to them, then he would make them come and get them themselves. When a business holds a monopoly, there are always plenty of ways to expand it.

That afternoon, he requested a leave of absence from Su Chonghua, explaining that he would be arriving late in the mornings for the next few days and asking Su Chonghua to arrange someone to oversee the students' studies. After all, the first hour was simply devoted to reading and reciting with a rhythmic sway, so Ning Yi's presence wasn't critical.

By late February, Jiangning was truly in the season of orioles flying and grass growing. Fuzzy green new sprouts had emerged on the branches, and elegant willow catkins drifted like cotton. In the early morning, one could hear birds chirping while walking the streets. The wind still carried a slight chill, but scholars and talented individuals were already up quite early. Many would call friends and choose to take a boat ride on the Qinhuai River in the morning. As the faint, languid music drifted from distant pleasure boats amidst the swirling willow catkins that filled the sky, the sight was naturally one of timeless scholarly charm.

As the sun rose, Ning Yi walked through the streets of Jiangning. Although this was his first spring in Jiangning, he had already grown accustomed to the ancient atmosphere as willow catkins drifted everywhere. With the arrival of spring, the roads became busier. Merchants converged from various places, scholars carried their travel scrolls, and occasionally, figures like escort leaders and warriors, large and burly, appeared, making it hard to tell who truly possessed martial arts skills. A chubby child teased a dog by the roadside, making faces, eventually annoying the dog, which then chased the child frantically, barking, and *plop*, pursued him into the river. The child splashed and swam quite a distance, then turned back to make another face. His mother, seeing this from nearby, stood with her hands on her hips on the riverbank and scolded him loudly.

Nie Yunzhu's small stall was a few streets away. Today was its first day out, but the two of them had already conversed that morning. At this point, Ning Yi wasn't going to see how much the cart impressed people; his purpose was simply to visit the nearby restaurants. Halfway there, he encountered Li Pin coming from the opposite direction, likely on his way to the academy.

"Li Heng." Having been colleagues for a month, Li Pin, who went to listen to stories every morning, knew Ning Yi's usual routine. Seeing that Ning Yi wasn't planning to go to the academy at that moment, he was slightly puzzled. When asked, Ning Yi simply replied that he had some matters to attend to. Since Ning Yi wasn't attending class, Li Pin had nothing particular to do at Yushan Academy either, so he asked, "Can I be of assistance?"

"Oh, no, it's just some small matters," Ning Yi said, thinking for a moment. "So, Brother Li lives nearby?"

"Just in the alley ahead. If Li Heng has some free time, please feel free to stop by my humble abode for a short visit," Li Pin replied with a smile. "My wife has also long heard of your esteemed name and has wanted to meet you."

Ning Yi smiled and politely declined, then said, "Since Brother Li lives nearby, do you happen to know which are the best and most expensive restaurants and tea houses around here?"

"Chunyi Tower, Yangxu Tower, and Sihai Tower ahead are all good, and there are a few others on that street over there. I have nothing to do at the moment, so if Li Heng wishes to go, I can accompany you."

Li Pin appeared casual and unrestrained, yet thorough in his words and actions. Ning Yi smiled at this. "There's no need today; just any expensive one will do. If Brother Li has an appetite now, why don't we go eat breakfast together? It'll be my treat."

The two then headed towards what appeared to be the most lavish restaurant on that street. It wasn't yet the truly busiest time of the morning, so there were still some empty seats when Ning Yi and Li Pin arrived. Ning Yi casually tipped the waiter one *qian* of silver, and the waiter immediately became attentive, leading them upstairs. Ning Yi then casually ordered a few expensive meat porridges and pastries, while Li Pin only ordered a bowl of three-delicacy noodle soup.

"Does Brother Li come here often?" Ning Yi asked, pouring tea.

Li Pin smiled. "The items are a bit more expensive than outside, but the taste is still good. I come here occasionally."

"So... is this Chunyi Tower's busiest time of day?"

"Oh, not quite," Li Pin replied. "In about another quarter of an hour, this place will be packed."

"Hmm," Ning Yi nodded.

Li Pin was clearly curious about Ning Yi's reason for coming here, but he didn't show it on the surface. While drinking tea and chatting with Ning Yi, the conversation wasn't about the stories and their corresponding principles from the Analects that he usually seemed to care about, but merely trivial anecdotes. Even a dispute from two years ago about a willow tree being cut down downstairs sounded interesting as he recounted it. Time gradually passed, and the items Ning Yi and Li Pin had ordered arrived. The restaurant gradually filled with guests, becoming noisy. Ning Yi took a sip of his porridge, tapped on the table, and raised a hand for the waiter he had just tipped, who immediately came over.

"What else can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"We'd like two preserved eggs."

"Pre-preserved eggs?" The waiter looked confused.

"...You don't have them?" Ning Yi was slightly taken aback. Then he thought for a moment, took out fifty or sixty copper coins from his person, and pointed outside. "Go this way, turn a corner, and there's a vendor at that street corner. The cart is very beautiful. Buy two for me. As for condiments... vinegar and soy sauce will do; you have those here too. They're twenty *wen* each, and the rest is yours. Go on."

He finished speaking casually, waved his hand, and turned to talk to Li Pin about other matters. Once the air of command he had cultivated in his previous life emerged, the waiter, though stunned, for a moment dared not refute him. He simply remembered "preserved eggs, vinegar, soy sauce," took the money, and left. If a restaurant aimed to succeed, its rules generally wouldn't allow simple customer requests to be refused, especially when the customer had given a *qian* of silver upon entering.

Before long, the waiter returned with the preserved eggs. He had probably asked Nie Yunzhu how to eat them and about the vinegar and soy sauce, and had even thoughtfully brought a small dish with some vinegar and soy sauce. Ning Yi gave one to Li Pin: "Try it; it's a new thing. If you're not used to it, you can try dipping it in vinegar or soy sauce... Its main appeal, actually, is its appearance."

The restaurant business remained bustling. After the two finished their preserved eggs, Ning Yi looked at the lively scene and waved his hand again: "Waiter."

The waiter came over again. Ning Yi took out dozens of coins without looking at him: "Buy two more." He then turned to talk to Li Pin.

The waiter looked troubled and hesitated for a moment: "Si-sir, business is really quite busy right now, I can't..."

"Hmm?" Ning Yi's words were interrupted. He glanced at the waiter, then tilted his head and stared at him for a few seconds, his expression calm but his gaze unwavering. He then clasped his hands on the table, frowned, and said, "Can't leave?"

"No... I... I'll find a way..."

The waiter took the money and left. A short while later, he returned with the preserved eggs. Ning Yi placed them on the table, and after the waiter left, he said, "It's not good to eat too many, but you could take one back to the academy for others to sample. Brother Li, would you like to take one back?"

Li Pin smiled. "Brother Ning, did you come here today specifically for these preserved eggs?"

"Ha, indeed."

"May I ask why exactly?"

"Nothing, just a small bet." They had already finished eating. Ning Yi smiled, slipped the preserved eggs into his pocket, and stood up. "Brother Li, let's go."

The two went downstairs together, and the street was much busier with pedestrians. Ning Yi chatted with Li Pin for a few moments, looking at the several restaurants nearby: "I made a bet with someone to sell at least thirty of these twenty-*wen* preserved eggs daily within a month. After all, it's a new product, and if we just deliver them, they won't agree to put them on display. Considering this restaurant's daily income, bribing the managers for a business of only thirty preserved eggs wouldn't be worth it, and they'd look down on it. So, we have to do the opposite: tomorrow, I'll hire a few idle people to come here for breakfast every day for six or seven consecutive days. The nearby restaurants will likely then start ordering the eggs. Their appearance is quite good; if we slice one and display it outside, twenty *wen* should be no problem... But are the nearby restaurants really this busy every morning?"

"Given the frequent passage of merchants and travelers, this area is always bustling except during winter, so there should be no problem," Li Pin replied after a moment's thought, looking at Ning Yi. "Thirty eggs, that's only six hundred *wen* of business daily. With your current reputation, Li Heng, once these preserved eggs become famous, you could easily sell more than thirty. Why go to such great lengths?"

"Ha, that was part of the bet..." Ning Yi smiled. In reality, doing various businesses often involves competing in connections. With Ning Yi's current fame, he could either write a poem for the preserved eggs or simply greet someone from the Puyang family. A business of a few hundred *wen* for preserved eggs would be a drop in the bucket, not even worth mentioning. But if he did that, how would it be any different from Kang Xian helping to promote them with a few words at a banquet? Kang Xian set the standard so low precisely because he stipulated that Ning Yi could only use ordinary methods, spending a little capital to establish sales channels for the preserved eggs.

This matter was merely a small trick, nothing surprising to mention. Li Pin thought for a long while: "This is quite interesting. Come to think of it, hiring people might not be too troublesome, but some idle people aren't very reliable. I know many friends around here who eat breakfast in this area every day. Having them put on a show would be no effort at all, and... naturally, it would be seamless."

He looked at Ning Yi, then waved his hand again: "Naturally, your name, Li Heng, will not be revealed. I'll instruct everyone to do nothing superfluous and to act just like ordinary people. How does that sound?"

He was a scholar as renowned as Cao Guan, and if he spoke of friends nearby, most were likely similar individuals. If Li Pin truly set about orchestrating things, his influence might even be greater than Ning Yi's at the moment. Therefore, after he made such a guarantee, Ning Yi thought for a moment and nodded: "In that case, I thank you, Brother Li."

The next morning, by the steps in front of the small building, Nie Yunzhu happily reported her results to Ning Yi: "Yesterday, we sold six preserved eggs, and the pancakes sold out very quickly. This is the first time we've sold out of pancakes, so Hu Tao and I plan to make more today. And it's also the first time we've sold so many preserved eggs..." She was clearly happy about the pancakes, and looking at Ning Yi's expression, she added, "It's a good start. Once the name gets out, selling thirty preserved eggs will definitely be no problem."

Ning Yi pursed his lips and laughed in agreement. He hadn't been worried about the sales of preserved eggs to begin with. Three days later, the first restaurant began asking Nie Yunzhu to deliver preserved eggs, and the group of friends Li Pin had informed caused no noticeable issues. However, he hadn't expected that this surge of enthusiasm would later lead to some trouble for Nie Yunzhu...