“Limited to ten free samples. first come, first served!”

Ten bowls of ice jelly were neatly arranged on the table.

The pink porcelain bowls and the pale yellow ice jelly shimmered under the sunlight.

A man, already overheated, grabbed a bowl and gulped it down in one go, immediately freezing in shock.

“Dammit, what is this stuff? It feels like eating ice, but sweeter!” The man wiped his mouth. “Give me another bowl!”

Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, “This is ice jelly, three wen per bowl.”

Hearing the price, the man hesitated for a moment but then recalled that even a bowl of plain water at some relay stations cost one wen.

This treat had brown sugar added, was refreshingly cold, and tasted incredibly satisfying.

Three wen per bowl wasn’t too expensive after all.

He fished out three sweat-soaked copper coins from his pouch and tossed them onto the table. “Hurry up and get me a bowl. This damned weather is killing me!”

Cheng Wanwan didn’t mind the sweat-stained coins at all.

She took them and called out, “Sanniu, one bowl of ice jelly!”

Zhao Sanniu swiftly washed one of the sample bowls, then scooped out a fresh, chilled portion and handed it to the man.

Without using a spoon, the man lifted the bowl and downed the ice jelly in a single gulp. “This stuff is better than eating ice cubes! If it were a little cheaper, I’d order another one right away.”

His satisfied expression caught the attention of the onlookers, and before long, a crowd gathered around the stall.

Cheng Wanwan collected the money and instructed Zhao Sanni to continue serving ice jelly.

Then, she turned to her eldest and second sons. “Just follow the same steps as before. Got it?”

Zhao Dashan nodded. “Mom, I got it.”

Zhao Ergou picked up a bucket of ice jelly, eager to get started. “Mom, we’re heading off now!”

The two brothers took off running toward the western dock, afraid of missing out on business.

Meanwhile, Zhao Sidan obediently helped add brown sugar and hawthorn to the ice jelly, fumbling slightly in his haste.

Zhao Sanniu kept ladling ice jelly, his hands nearly numb from the cold.

Just as they were serving bowl after bowl, a boat docked at the riverbank.

Due to the prolonged drought, the river levels had dropped, and fewer boats were arriving at Hekou Town.

The moment a ship stopped, all the men nearby rushed toward it, eager to unload cargo.

In the short span of half an hour, their bucket of ice jelly had sold out—over a hundred bowls—earning them more than three hundred wen.

“Pack everything up. Let’s go find Dashan and Ergou.”

Cheng Wanwan dismantled the temporary stall, planning to reuse it later in front of Nanfu Academy.

Zhao Sanniu was puzzled. “But there were still so many people wanting to buy. Once they’re done unloading, they’ll probably come back. Why are we leaving so early?”

Cheng Wanwan explained as she packed, “This is called scarcity marketing. When something is always available, people don’t think much of it. But when there’s a risk of it selling out, next time we show up, they’ll rush to buy it as fast as possible. That way, we can sell out quickly and finish work earlier.”

Zhao Sanniu, half-understanding, quietly continued cleaning up.

Zhao Sidan blinked. “Mom, earlier, someone bought seven bowls of ice jelly at once. How did you figure out so fast that it cost twenty-one wen?”

He had been trying to count on his fingers but ran out and was just about to use his toes when his mother had already collected the twenty-one wen without hesitation.

Cheng Wanwan noticed how observant her youngest was—even amidst the chaos, he paid attention to small details.

She smiled. “That’s arithmetic. My grandmother used to run a small business and learned some quick calculation tricks. I picked up a bit from her. Do you want to learn?”

Zhao Sidan nodded enthusiastically. “I want to learn!”

Cheng Wanwan turned to Zhao Sanniu, who was busy tidying up. “You should learn too.”

Zhao Sanniu: “…”

He had absolutely no interest in learning math. Just thinking about it made his head hurt.

The three of them headed to the western dock, which was slightly smaller than the eastern one but still bustling with people.

As soon as one boat left, a group of men swarmed their stall, keeping Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou so busy they barely had time to breathe.

Zhao Sanni hurried forward. “I’ll go help Big Brother and Second Brother!”

Cheng Wanwan held him back. “Watch how they handle the business first.”

Zhao Ergou managed the customers and collected money, while Zhao Dashan ladled the ice jelly and handled the bowls.

Their teamwork was smooth.

Just then, a burly man led a group of companions over. “Give me nine bowls of ice jelly!”

Zhao Ergou suddenly froze.

Until now, the largest order he had handled was three bowls, which he had memorized as costing nine wen. But nine bowls? How much was that?

The customer was waiting to pay, Zhao Dashan was waiting to serve, and several pairs of eyes were watching him.

Nervous, he blurted out, “That’ll be twenty-three wen. Big brother, serve up nine bowls!”

“Got it!”

Zhao Dashan immediately got to work.

A man in the crowd laughed. “Kid, how are you doing the math? Nine bowls cost twenty-seven wen. You shortchanged yourself by four!”

The burly man who had ordered scoffed, “He said twenty-three, so twenty-three it is! Here’s the money.”

He clinked twenty-three copper coins onto the table.

Zhao Ergou’s face burned with embarrassment.

He had miscalculated and lost four wen! How could he be so stupid?

He stared at the coins, torn between whether he should ask for the remaining four wen or just refuse to sell.

As he struggled internally, a calm, clear voice spoke beside him.

Cheng Wanwan stepped forward, smiling warmly. “My son never went to school, so he’s not great at arithmetic. Thank you all for your patience. Since it was his mistake, he’ll take responsibility. We can’t make you pay extra. Dashan, what are you waiting for? Serve the nine bowls!”

Zhao Dashan quickly got back to work, while Zhao Ergou, face flushed with shame, helped as well.

A few men in the crowd commented:

“This lady is fair and honest.”

“With that attitude, her business is bound to thrive.”

Their words drew in more customers, and soon, their last bucket of ice jelly sold out.

Zhao Ergou looked miserable. “Mom, I miscalculated four wen. Punish me by skipping my meal.”

“You’re my son. How could I let you go hungry?” Cheng Wanwan chuckled. “If your brothers had done the math, they probably would’ve lost forty wen. You did fine. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just think about what you want to eat later—meat buns, noodles, or wontons?”

Zhao Ergou was too ashamed to even think about food. “Mom, you really don’t blame me?”

“If you had studied math and still made this mistake, then yes, I’d be mad. But you’ve never learned it before, so it’s normal. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you. Forget about this for now. Let’s head to Nanfu Academy—once we sell out there, we’ll go eat whatever you guys want!”

At last, the mood lightened.

Zhao Dashan carried the last bucket of ice jelly.

Zhao Ergou lugged the wooden table.

Zhao Sanniu carried the water bucket and utensils.

Zhao Sidan clutched a packet of pastries—a reward Cheng Wanwan had promised him the day before.

The five of them quickly arrived at Nanfu Academy.

It was just before noon, the perfect time when students took a break from their studies.