Chapter 89: The Arrivals (Seeking Pink)

  "Zhen'er, I'll go take a look. Are you going or not?" Ye Baiji threw down her sickle and whispered mysteriously into Zhen'er's ear.

  Qizhen shook her head and said: "I went to see it yesterday, there's no change, I'll go up again in two days."

  Ye Baiji made gestures with her hands, but Zhen'er looked at her for a long time and didn't understand what she meant. She asked: "Sister Baiji, what do you want to do?"

  "Don't be so loud." As soon as Zhen'er's words fell, Ye Baiji's exclamation came up, "Why are you being so loud, dead girl, I'm saying I'll go take a look, what are you doing here?"

  Qī Zhēn ér speechless, gazing at Yè Bái zhǐ's furtive figure walking up the mountain, looked around and didn't see even half a shadow, really don't know what she was worried about.

  Today, Ye Baiji was in high spirits and said she wanted to come with us to cut the medicinal herbs. Zhen'er felt something was off, but before they even started cutting, she threw down her sickle and ran towards the mountain valley. Zhen'er understood that her intention was not on the wine, but on the strawberries that could make a lot of money. Who would still care about this little bit of money?

  But I don't know how the first batch of strawberries sold, and I don't know if the people in Qianzhong will buy her strawberries again. Zhen'er thought about these things and was still a bit worried.

  Do you still remember the day when Ye Luoyu heard her say that Zhong Ren could make at least twenty-five taels of silver from strawberry seeds and was shocked, and later asked her about the reason behind it...

  "Strawberries are something that only the officials and nobles of Lin'an Prefecture know about, ordinary people don't recognize them. If they were grown near Lin'an Prefecture, a catty would be worth at least one or two silver coins, I'd dare to sell them for two silver coins. But here in Jishan County, which is the prefectural city, there are no more than ten households that can recognize them, meaning we have goods but no price. If someone from Zhejiang Province can come and offer us a deal of one hundred copper coins per catty, it not only shows their extensive connections and good business skills, but also lets us earn some silver, why wouldn't we sell?"

  There is actually another reason that Zhen'er didn't mention. Next year, there will be a rumor about strawberries circulating everywhere. It's the grand wedding of Princess Chao Hua. She's marrying the new top scholar, and after marriage, they live in harmony, and both are very talented. Princess Chao Hua loves to eat strawberries, so her husband writes a poem praising strawberries to win her heart. For a time, it causes the price of strawberries to skyrocket, and several aristocratic families in Lin'an Prefecture even hold one strawberry appreciation meeting after another. Strawberries thus become a famous fruit known throughout the land.

  And she has been waiting for this opportunity.

  She wants to make strawberries famous, let others know that she has strawberries in her hands, and when those who love to follow the trend or have power and money look for this thing next year, they will think of her.

  As for the crime of carrying a jade pendant, she had thought about it. This year, she has strawberries to sell, and this matter, whether in Lin'an Prefecture or here, must be carefully considered. After all, those who can obtain the seeds are either imperial relatives or high-ranking officials in the Imperial Court, all of whom are people closest to the Emperor. Others generally do not dare to harbor such intentions.

  Zhen'er was thinking about it when she saw Ye Baiji coming down from the mountain with a lackluster expression, apparently the strawberry's growth wasn't to her liking.

  It was still early in the morning, and the sun had not yet risen high enough to be unbearable. Zhen'er and Ye Baiji were preparing to cut some more before heading back when they heard the sound of a cattle cart approaching, accompanied by a familiar voice shouting at the oxen.

  Watching Ye Luyuan get off the cow cart, Zhen'er and Ye Baiji both felt a little inexplicable. They asked in unison: "Brother Luyuan, how did you come? And still rushing like this."

  Ye Lu took a deep breath: "Zhen Er, hurry up, there's someone at the door who says they want to buy strawberries."

  Zhen'er was even more surprised and asked, "Do you know that person?" That day, when going to ask the middleman for the price, Ye Luyuan also went. If it were those people who came, Ye Luyuan should have known them.

  Ye Luoyu scratched his head and said, "I don't know him. But I see he's dressed very neatly, the carriage is luxurious, even the coachman looks quite friendly, just a hint of arrogance, it seems like a steward from a wealthy family."

  What's going on? Ye Luyuan is out doing business with his father, and he has gained some experience and insight. His guess should be based on something.

  However, after hearing this, Qizhen was even more puzzled. Apart from Zhongzheng, no one should know where she lived, right? And according to Yeluyu's account, that person had been waiting directly at her doorstep.

  Zhen'er couldn't figure out who the person was, so she had to go back with Ye Luyuan. On the way, Zhen'er asked Ye Luyuan again how he knew someone was looking for her, and Ye Luyuan explained in detail.

  "I heard you were harvesting medicinal herbs and I was planning to help you haul them back during the break from hauling wheat. When I walked up to your house, I saw a horse carriage parked outside. At first, I thought it was someone from Qianzhong coming to discuss buying strawberries, so I went over to greet him. But when I got closer, I realized it wasn't that person. The man was dressed very well and his servant announced his name, but I didn't remember it - he seemed quite impressive."

  That must be why she came to buy strawberries, but I don't know who leaked her address, Zhen'er thought to herself.

  Looking from a distance, there was indeed a horse-drawn carriage parked at the entrance. It looked extraordinary even from outside. There were also people who had come to harvest wheat passing by, staring at the carriage all the time, occasionally chatting with people around them.

  Zhen'er was speechless, last time she used Miss Zhou's name to drive away the beggars, the villagers had some respect for the officials and soldiers, and no one bothered her, but they all went to the Mao family to ask questions, however, Mrs. Mao was tight-lipped and smooth-talking, and didn't let anyone get anything out of her. But she also didn't have much to say, only Old Master Ye and Ye Baiju knew about Zhen'er's affair with Miss Zhou in the Ye family, although Mrs. Mao was annoyed by people asking questions, she never asked Zhen'er any questions.

  Zhen likes such elders, no matter what storms are outside, they will hold up an umbrella for you and let you take shelter under their wings.

  Yang Guanshi sat in the carriage and had the driver open the curtain early, seeing from afar that on Ye Luyuan's ox cart were two little girls and a small boy, he knew they had found the people, smoothed out his clothes, got off the horse-drawn carriage, and waited at the gate.

  Zhen Er also saw his movements and was even more puzzled in her heart. This is a respectful movement, who is he after all?

  Zhen'er had just welcomed Yang Guanshi into the house when Old Master Ye also entered, followed by Ye Bai Zhi.

  The old man exchanged a few pleasantries with Yang and they sat down separately. Ye Baiju handed the tea given by the old man to Zhen'er, who was busy going to the kitchen to boil water for tea.

  In the main house, Old Master Ye was chatting with Manager Yang, while Ye Luyuan and Hu Zi were drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard. Ye Baiji was restless, sometimes walking around the kitchen, sometimes scattering a handful of medicinal herbs into the courtyard, her neck stretched out as she peeked into the main house.

  Ye Lao Yezi chatted with Yang Guanshi while wondering in his heart what Yang Guanshi had come for.

  Yang Guanshi's carriage arrived at Zhen'er's door, and he saw it. At first, he thought it was the person who sold strawberries to Zhen'er, but he still stood at the door looking this way. Later, when Zhīzi rushed to the clinic, he knew that Zhen'er had asked him to preside over the situation, so he quickly turned around and took out the Yunwu tea that Maoshi had bought for him last time from the clinic and hurried over.

  Zhen'er brought in the tea and carefully placed it, standing obediently behind Old Master without a word.

  The old man had also been to the Yang family's house before, so he exchanged a few pleasantries with Yang and asked him to have some tea. Yang didn't mind the coarse teacup and took a sip, without falsely praising the tea, but instead asked: "Is this little girl Zhen'er?"