Aunt Fan shouted, and the shopkeepers from nearby stores all came out.

“What kind of vegetable is this?”
“It’s green and looks like a flower; I’ve never seen it before.”
“Aunt Fan, is this vegetable tasty?”
“……”

Since the street was lined with shops, many people came out to see what was happening.

Aunt Fan had previously managed a shop with Aunt Hong, but after the Kun family arrived, she stopped.

However, she was still well-known by many.

Aunt Fan said, “This is a new variety of vegetable cultivated in our madam’s farm. The seeds were bought from a traveling merchant, and everyone is welcome to come and taste it.”

The broccoli, stir-fried with meat slices, had a savory meat aroma combined with the flavor of the sauce, distinctly different from the taste of cabbage or radishes.

The people here had never eaten broccoli, so they couldn’t describe the flavor at once.

Yang Haiyan understood the importance of marketing; she held up a large head of broccoli and said, “Dear neighbors, this is a new variety cultivated in my orchard. It’s very nutritious, and more importantly, it’s a great vegetable brought by a traveling merchant from another country. It’s called broccoli. One head costs three wen, and we’ll have stock available tomorrow morning. If anyone is interested, you can line up tomorrow, but there won’t be much, as some will be sent to the county’s taverns. Oh, right! We have a promotion tomorrow: buy one head of broccoli, and you’ll get one egg for free, but this offer is only for one day.”

“Mrs. Qin, is this flower really nutritious?”
“Mrs. Qin, is this truly nutritious?”
“Mrs. Qin……”

Yang Haiyan explained, “This is very nutritious. Eating it in one meal each day is beneficial for your health, especially for children.”

She wasn’t trying to advertise; broccoli does have excellent nutritional value and is particularly good for children.

It helps strengthen their bones, as it contains a lot of magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus, which promotes growth and development and prevents bone issues in children.

However, when talking about nutritional value, the locals didn’t quite understand.

So Yang Haiyan kept it simple, saying it was good for children.

Anything beneficial for kids was worth buying for the elders at home.

Moreover, a head of broccoli weighs about two pounds and costs three wen, which, although slightly more expensive than other vegetables, was quite reasonable for broccoli itself.

Upon hearing that it was good for children, Mrs. Kun Zhang was tempted.

Her son, Kun Daying, was shorter than his peers because they hadn’t been able to afford to nourish him back in their hometown.

Since coming here, the madam had arranged for them to have a bowl of goat’s milk every day for over three months, and she could see the improvements in her child.

So hearing the madam say it was good for kids made her want to buy it.

She didn’t know much, but she trusted that following the madam was always the right choice.

Moreover, the madam had children too, so she wouldn’t deceive them.

“Mrs. Qin, is it really good for children?” asked the female shopkeeper from the neighboring store, uncertain.

Yang Haiyan replied, “Don’t worry, shopkeeper. We’re neighbors; would I deceive you? Besides, I’m eating it myself. I have children studying in the private school, and they’re eating it too. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Yang Haiyan was straightforward in business; she sold pastries at a reasonable price, so people trusted her.

Plus, with the added bonus of an egg, many people were intrigued.

One hour later,

Mrs. Kun Zhang returned from the county.
“Madam.” Mrs. Kun Zhang entered the shop.

Yang Haiyan asked, “How did it go?” Seeing that the plate in her hand was empty and she hadn’t brought back the broccoli, it must have been a success.

Mrs. Kun Zhang said, “I found Master Ping, and he introduced me to the tavern owner. I didn’t say much; he tasted the broccoli and asked the price. I told him it’s three wen each, and I would select the bigger ones for him. He offered two wen each, but I didn’t agree, and he said he’d like to try ten first.”

Yang Haiyan said, “There’s more than one tavern in the county. Tomorrow, take ten heads of broccoli to the tavern we agreed upon, then check with other taverns. If another tavern orders more, go with them and inform the tavern that this broccoli is exclusive to our family, and it won’t be available elsewhere.”

Mrs. Kun Zhang replied, “Understood.”

That evening, the Qin family prepared two full plates of stir-fried broccoli with preserved meat.

As the family of four gathered around the dining table, Yang Haiyan said, “This is broccoli, grown from seeds bought from a traveling merchant. You should all try it; I really like it, and it’s good for your health.”

Qin Fang picked up a chopstick full and didn’t taste anything particularly special.

In the past, he only categorized food into two types: filling and not filling, or meat and vegetables.

Now, he still thought of food in the same way: either it filled him up or it didn’t.

Since he could eat meat every day now, the distinction between meat and vegetables wasn’t something he focused on anymore.

However, as a good husband who cared for his wife, he wouldn’t oppose her enjoying something she liked: “It’s tasty.”

He had become quite skilled at telling little white lies.

Qin Shoucheng genuinely praised, “It’s delicious. The food from the traveling merchant really is different from ours.”

Yang Haiyan explained, “That’s because the world is vast. Our Qi Country occupies only a small part of it. Here, we have cabbage, greens, and radishes, but in other places, there are vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, and cauliflower. Different regions have different vegetables.”

Qin Shoucheng nodded, somewhat understanding.

Yang Haiyan didn’t expect him to grasp it completely.

Sometimes, with more experience, certain truths become self-evident.

Life is a continuous process of experiencing new things; without personal experience, no matter how others explain it, it’s hard to comprehend.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Yang Haiyan suddenly thought of a question and asked Qin Fang, “Husband, where does the military camp get its food supplies?”

Qin Fang replied, “You’re not thinking of selling crops to the kitchen, are you?”

Yang Haiyan had indeed considered this; she thought it would be better to sell these goods to the military camp, allowing the soldiers to have a taste.

Qin Fang looked at her and couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t even think about it. The kitchen’s supplies are procured by the Marquis’s household, managed by the Marquis’s trusted aides. We shouldn’t set our sights on that. Besides, the military’s pay is tight. If you want to sell to the camp, the payment might be delayed for a while. Are you willing to wait?”

Yang Haiyan certainly wasn’t willing; no business person liked to extend credit.

Although she respected the soldiers, she had no obligation to support them.

The next day

Yang Haiyan woke up early, had breakfast with Qin Fang, and then they parted ways—Qin Fang went to the military camp while Yang Haiyan headed to the pastry shop.

Since it was still early, the streets were empty.

However, Aunt Hong and Mrs. Kun Zhang had already been up for some time, busy preparing pastries.

After a while, they heard a knock at the door; it was the Niu family.

Niu Da arrived with his two sons and two daughters-in-law, each carrying two large baskets filled with broccoli.

One hundred heads of broccoli weighed around two hundred jin, so they definitely needed two baskets.

The Niu family sat in the shop for a while until Yang Haiyan, Aunt Lian, and Aunt Fan arrived.

“Greetings, Madam.”

Yang Haiyan replied, “No need for formalities.”

She looked at the fresh broccoli; even though selling them would only yield a few hundred wen, which couldn’t compare to the value of her embroidered handkerchiefs and pouches, she was still happy.

“Aunt Fan, take fifty heads of broccoli to the shop. We’re running a promotion: buy one head and get one egg for free.”

Aunt Fan responded, “Understood.”

Yang Haiyan continued, “Aunt Lian, take four heads of broccoli—two for General Ao’s household and two for the Yonghe Marquis’s household. Inform them that while this broccoli can last for a few days, if left too long, the green flowers will turn yellow and it won’t be fresh anymore. So if they like it, they can send someone to pick it up.”

The implication was clear: she wasn’t being stingy by sending only two heads.

Yang Haiyan had no intention of flattering anyone; she simply had a new vegetable to offer, and it would be impolite not to send some to General Ao’s and the Marquis’s households.

Besides, no matter how things turn out for the Marquis’s household in the future, they wouldn’t fall into ruin.

And since Qin Fang wanted to maintain his position, it was only right for her, as his wife, to make social connections with the families of his superiors.

Aunt Lian replied, “Understood.”

Yang Haiyan continued, “Aunt Fan, select fifteen more heads of broccoli; one for each hundred households and one for each of the five personal guards.”

Aunt Fan responded, “Understood.”

Yang Haiyan instructed, “Mrs. Kun, take thirty heads to the county, ten for the tavern, and the remaining twenty can be sold or marketed at other taverns.”
Mrs. Kun replied, “Understood.”

Then Aunt Lian and Mrs. Kun took thirty-four heads of broccoli and left for the county, also bringing along pastries for Master Ping.

The Niu family delivered the goods and left with two empty baskets, heading back to the countryside.

As the market became lively, the pastry shop also buzzed with activity.

Some people who had heard about the broccoli the day before came to buy it.

Others, unaware of it, heard Yang Haiyan recommending it while they were buying pastries today and decided to purchase as well.

After all, it was just two wen; the regular customers of the pastry shop wouldn’t mind spending that.

One head of broccoli cost three wen, and with the added egg, it was effectively just two wen each.

In the county

Aunt Lian took two heads of broccoli first to the Yonghe Marquis’s household.

She wasn’t intimidated by the noble status and approached the gate, saying to the guard, “This young man, I am the nanny of Madam Qin Fang, the wife of Captain Qin. My lady’s farm has cultivated a new variety of vegetable, and I’ve brought some for the noble family to taste. Please inform them.”

Hearing that she was from the family of a captain, the guard hurriedly went to report.

Soon after, he returned with a maid: “Greetings, Nanny. My lady the young master’s wife has requested your presence.”

Aunt Lian said, “Thank you for leading the way.”