Chapter 47: Showing One's Full Potential

Sun Bowen went out of his way to invite a famous doctor to conduct an inspection.

The doctor took a bite, then another, and then another.

Sun Bowen said good-naturedly, "Is Dr. Zhou enjoying it?"

Dr. Zhou’s old face flushed red. "I am—ah, no, the inspection is complete. There are no issues."

If one had to find a fault, it was that it was too delicious to stop eating.

The tofu workshop assistant presented the ledger, and Sun Bowen personally wrote his name and pressed his thumbprint.

"The tofu workshop wishes Boss Sun prosperous business and rolling wealth."

Sun Bowen settled the final payment and generously gave a tip. The assistant accepted it with a beaming smile and handed it over to Song Sheng upon his return.

Song Sheng was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. He asked the accountant to calculate the final balance, and once confirmed, settled the accounts. He then gave the lingering assistant a kick. "Don't just stand there, go help! Can't you see the customers out front are getting impatient?"

"Hehe, this lowly one is going right away!" The assistant tucked the tip into his robe and darted out like a rabbit.

Inside the tofu workshop, the people who had sampled the tofu were jostling and pushing, competing to buy this delicious and inexpensive tofu.

A piece of tofu cost only one wen after the discount, and buying five pieces came with one free. Naturally, everyone wanted to buy more.

The assistant pleaded earnestly, "This tofu doesn't keep well; it lasts at most one night before spoiling. Please shop rationally!"

However, no one listened.

Even if they couldn't finish it themselves, they could give it to relatives or neighbors—it was a great way to show off.

A thousand catties of tofu were sold out before noon. Seeing that the crowd gathered in front of the workshop was increasing rather than decreasing, Song Sheng had no choice but to bring out the reserved stock.

It only lasted for an hour.

Song Sheng repeatedly promised that the workshop would work overtime tonight to grind more tofu, urging the villagers to come early tomorrow.

The villagers who managed to buy some went home excitedly to cook, while those who didn't lingered on the aftertaste in their mouths, hoping to buy some tomorrow.

That day, the tofu workshop and the tofu became the trending topic of Lanzhou City.

"Have you heard? A new tofu workshop opened on Qingyu Road, and the tofu they sell is incredibly delicious!"

"How delicious?"

"I bought five pieces and made a huge bowl, and my whole family ate it all—they even complained it wasn't enough!"

"Is it really that good?"

"It certainly is! It's so soft and tender; it's perfect for the elderly and children."

Thinking of her bedridden elderly mother, a woman said, "Then I'll go buy a piece tomorrow."

"You'd better go early, or it'll be sold out."

Inside the Prince Xuan Mansion, Song Sheng was gesticulating wildly as he described the grand opening of the tofu workshop.

"Two thousand catties of tofu were sold out in less than three hours. The people who didn't get any refused to leave," Song Sheng said. "Many restaurants and taverns have placed orders, and I've accepted them all."

Chun Feng sat to the side tallying the accounts. After subtracting the free pieces from the two thousand catties, about eighteen hundred catties remained. At one wen per catty, that was eighteen hundred wen.

The market price for soybeans was two wen per catty. Two thousand catties of tofu used five hundred catties of soybeans, totaling one thousand wen. All in all, they had earned eight hundred wen today.

It wasn't much, but there was no other way; for something like tofu, one had to follow the path of low margins and high volume.

"Work a bit harder during these first few days of opening. Work overtime at night to make more tofu," Tang Zhao said, her right hand unconsciously tapping the desk. "For now, make three thousand catties a day. Keep an eye on it and ensure there are no mistakes."

Song Sheng felt three thousand catties was too little, but as someone with a prior record, he didn't dare to protest. He obediently returned to the workshop to supervise.

The next day, half the people in Lanzhou City moved at the news. However, some hadn't even reached the workshop's door before being told the tofu was sold out.

The people who had traveled halfway across the city:...

By the third day, people were sitting on small stools in front of the workshop as dawn broke.

Song Sheng:...

The tofu workshop assistant:...

*Aren't they a bit too idle?*

After the opening promotion ended, the hype around the tofu subsided slightly, but the daily quota of three thousand catties was still insufficient.

The newly appointed manager of Zuixian Restaurant had to argue and humble himself repeatedly just to secure a five-hundred-catty reservation for his establishment.

There was no helping it; nowadays, whichever restaurant made the best tofu dishes had the most booming business.

At the end of summer, Xia Mo was in the side room with Qiu Yu and Dong Mei, working overtime to rush the production of salt brine blocks.

At the end of September, the autumn harvest at Mingxia Manor concluded. Once Headman Sun finished the rent collection, he and Song Kai returned to the Prince's Mansion to pay respects to their new master.

"This lowly one, Sun Qing, headman of Mingxia Manor, bows to request the Princess's eternal peace," Sun Qing said, kneeling respectfully on the ground. "Due to the urgency of the autumn harvest, I was delayed in coming to pay my respects. Please, Princess, grant me your mercy."

"You said it yourself was for the harvest; I naturally understand. Rise, you are granted a seat."

Sun Qing kowtowed respectfully. "Thank you for your leniency, Princess."

He sat on a wooden stool, half-hovering and half-seated. Tang Zhao felt tired just watching him.

Song Kai sat down steadily and gave him a look. After a moment of hesitation, Sun Qing shifted his body so that his half-hovering backside finally rested on the chair.

"How was the harvest?" Tang Zhao asked with genuine interest.

"Thanks to the Princess's blessings, the harvest at Mingxia Manor was excellent this year," a smile involuntarily spread across Sun Qing's face, and he relaxed significantly. He reported the figures like a prized collection: "The tenants have all paid their rent. The remaining grain can sustain us until next year if we eat sparingly."

"However, the grain lent to the tenants by the manor last winter will take another year to repay in full."

During last year's snow disaster in Luoyang, the situation in the Northwest had been even more severe. He had opened the granaries to distribute grain under the Princess Consort's orders, which was the only reason the tenants had barely survived.

Tang Zhao raised an eyebrow. "There is no need to repay it. Consider it a greeting gift from me, your new master."

Sun Qing snapped his head up. "Is what the Princess says true?"

Realizing his disrespect immediately after asking, he knelt to beg for forgiveness.

"It is true. Furthermore, starting from next year, the manor will only collect twenty percent rent," Tang Zhao said. "Did you hear me clearly?"

"I heard clearly, I heard clearly!" Sun Qing said excitedly. "As soon as I return, I will inform all the tenants of the Princess's benevolence."

"No rush," Tang Zhao signaled Song Kai to help him up. "In addition, I intend to build water conservancy projects and dig canals on the manor."

She thought for a moment and added, "I also want to replace the farming tools, though that will have to wait a little while."

There were still six months until next spring, so there was plenty of time.

"Dig canals? Replace tools?" If not for Song Kai's support, Sun Qing would have collapsed to the ground again. The man, nearly fifty years old, had red eyes. "This lowly one... this lowly one, on behalf of the two hundred and sixty-three tenants and servants of Mingxia Manor, thanks the Princess for her great kindness!"

Mingxia Manor was truly going to live a good life.

Chun Feng spread out the blueprints, and Tang Zhao pointed out the results of the research she had spent several nights on, explaining them one by one to Sun Qing and Song Kai.

Where to dig canals, where to dig ponds, where to build underground culverts, what materials to use, and what specifications to follow—the details left the two men dazed.

"Do you understand?" Tang Zhao sipped tea to soothe her throat.

The two men looked at each other. They understood, but... "Such a massive project will likely cost a great deal of silver."

And Princess Zhaoshan was famous throughout the Great Yu for being poor.

"Don't worry about the money," Tang Zhao waved her hand grandly. "I have my ways."

Once the money issue was solved, everything else would be solved. The two men stood up. "This lowly one will certainly not fail the Princess's trust."

*Zhaozhao waves her hand: I have money.*

*In reality, she was thinking of ways to make money until she went bald.*

(End of Chapter)