Unfortunately, no one knew Ye Xu's background, so they didn't dare to act as matchmakers for him for the time being. They had to find out the situation first, where he was from, and what his family elders were like. They couldn't just sell their daughters because the other party seemed to have plenty of money.
Ye Xu hadn't yet noticed the older women's ulterior motives. After exchanging pleasantries, he returned to his seat behind the counter. He'd arrived a bit early; the market didn't officially open for another fifteen minutes, and it was barely dawn. He figured he should sit down and rest for a while.
"Are you sleepy?" Ye Xu asked his daughter in a low voice.
Zhenzhen shook her head, her little eyes sparkling with excitement. From a young age, she couldn't do anything but practice the piano. While helping her father run the shop would be a boring and tedious experience for other children, it was a novel one for her.
"Dad, will lots of kids come to buy candy?" Zhenzhen asked expectantly.
Ye Xu understood: "You want to make friends, don't you?"
He hadn't considered this. Had he known, he could have opened the shop in a more affluent village. Although fewer people would have come, his daughter could have run and played freely with the other girls in the village.
Now that the shop is located in the market, it's not so convenient. Whether in ancient or modern times, there are many kidnappers in such places, and he doesn't feel comfortable letting the little girl go out to play alone.
But seeing Zhenzhen's expectant gaze, Ye Xu couldn't bear to restrain her. After thinking it over, he called out a pair of robot waiters. These two were the size of a boy and a girl, and he told everyone that they were Zhenzhen's cousins who were bored at home and came over to play.
With a pair of robots accompanying them, the safety level is much higher. Ye Xu will also get them some self-defense items; the kidnappers definitely can't beat them, so there's nothing to worry about.
When her father told her that she could play with her new friends nearby, Zhenzhen's eyes lit up even more. She began to look forward to the children coming to visit, but usually, those who came to the market early in the morning were adults without children.
The first customer Ye Xu's shop welcomed wasn't a villager from the neighborhood, but rather the son of the wonton stall owner across the street. The little guy overheard his parents talking about a candy shop that had opened nearby, and his mouth watered immediately. He begged his parents for coins, wanting to buy some candy.
"Stop fooling around." His mother gave him two hard slaps on the bottom. "Look how big that shop is, the things must be expensive. What kind of candy can you buy with a copper coin?"
Hearing this, Ye Xu, who was listening intently to his surroundings, sighed helplessly. He hadn't done any renovations to the shop; it was just a basic wooden hut. The counters and benches inside were also very ordinary, neither new nor old. Yet, people still mistakenly thought he was selling expensive items.
Looks like we still need to put up a sign...
Ye Xu went to the backyard, pretending to get a token, but actually he was just buying something on the spot. He didn't bother showing off his own calligraphy, so he had the system write one for him, two vertical columns from right to left—
Two pieces of maltose cost one coin.
The rest of the sugar cost ten coins per ounce;
In the current world, one liang (两) is approximately equal to 37 grams, which is about 8 peanut brittle pieces. Each peanut brittle piece weighs about 4 to 5 grams. They are not large, but they are cheap, costing just over one wen (文). Although they are a bit more expensive than maltose, ordinary people can afford them during holidays.
As soon as the sign was put up, people started getting restless. None of the long-term stallholders around were really that poor. To appease the people, the imperial court didn't charge stall fees for these spontaneously formed markets outside the city, and no one came to collect taxes.
Actually, this place is too remote, surrounded by poor villages, so nobody cares about the small amount of money here. If it weren't so far from the county seat, people would actually prefer to open shops there, since it's in the city and the security is better.
Bandits and robbers are rare these days, but wild wolves and tigers abound in the mountains. It's only because this area is flat and the forests are far away that anyone would dare to set up a stall here all day.
Soon, the son of the wonton stall came running over excitedly with a copper coin in his hand.
These days, cleanliness and hygiene aren't a big concern, so Ye Xu simply used small clips to put two pieces of malt candy into the boy's hand instead of wrapping them in oil paper. No one around seemed to think there was anything wrong with it; they all looked completely at ease.
"Boss Ye, why is your candy so cheap?" Someone couldn't help but come over and try to get closer to him.
Ye Xu gave him a piece of malt candy to eat, seemingly as a gesture of hospitality to a neighbor, but actually because it was rare for someone to stay within the shop premises and eat. Offering him some sticky malt candy while chatting was a good idea; it was slow to eat, had a long shelf life, and was perfect for a snack while chatting, which might encourage him to stay a little longer.
The man was overjoyed to receive the candy and thought to himself that the shop owner knew how to treat people well.
These days, sugar is so precious! Pure white sugar and these peanut and sesame candies are not the same price! Even though maltose is cheaper, he still feels like he's getting a bargain when he thinks about the price of white sugar.
The man savored the sweetness in his mouth, then added, "In the county town, peanut brittle sells for 15 coins a tael! You're selling it too cheaply!"
Ye Xu smiled and said, "The rent for a shop in the county is not low each month, so of course it's more expensive. My candy is homemade, and I put plenty of peanuts in it, so the cost is naturally lower."
Peanuts here are much cheaper than sugar, and if they're homegrown, they're even less valuable. Modern people are tired of sugar, and when they eat peanut brittle, they prefer it with more peanuts and less sugar, finding it more fragrant. The ancients didn't think that way; if they heard there were more peanuts, they knew the cost was indeed low, so it was normal for it to be sold cheaply.
But they wouldn't think Ye Xu was cheating them because of this. They were already grateful to have candy at all, and they'd be even better off having more of this cheap candy. Poor families just want to taste something sweet; who cares how much sugar is in it? As long as it's cheap and they can have it a few more times, that's enough.
"These are good, give me an ounce of each kind." The person chatting couldn't resist the aroma of peanuts and sesame seeds.
Besides these two types of candy, there are also pear candy and peach candy sold by weight. These two are fruit-flavored and contain some fruit juice. Ye Xu told the public that a large batch was made a month ago when the wild fruits were ripe. Because wild fruits are not valuable, the cost is not high. Apart from the fruit juice, it is just ordinary maltose.
"These two types of stock are not plentiful. If you like them, remember to come and buy them early, because once they're sold out, they won't be restocked," Ye Xu reminded him to cover up his lie.
He figured his shop wouldn't stay open until the next wild fruit harvest, so he'd only be selling the first three types of candy for the long term.
Chapter 40 Storytelling
Aside from Ye Xu's place, there weren't many other good places to rest around. At first, no one dared to come in, but as time went on, eventually some people couldn't resist anymore.
The first person to sit down was an elderly woman with a child. She had been pestered by her grandson and had brought him to buy candy. Seeing that she was panting heavily, Ye Xu suggested that she could rest inside the shop.
"These benches in the store are for everyone to rest on. Whether you come to the store to buy something or not, you can sit down and take a break," Ye Xu said.
The old woman said, "It's such a waste that the shopkeeper uses such a big shop to give people free resting places."
Ye Xu just smiled and didn't say anything, but seeing the fine sweat on the old woman's forehead, he suddenly had a new idea. He summoned a robot that was waiting in the backyard and asked it to prepare tea.
You don't need any fancy tea; just boil some ordinary tea seeds in water. Once it's cooled to a warm temperature, customers who come to buy candy can have a free cup of tea. In this way, the shop also serves as a tea stall, and quite a few people should be willing to buy a couple of malt candies just for a taste of the tea, and sit down to slowly enjoy the tea and candy.
Actually, selling herbal tea separately would be fine, but Ye Xu thought about it and felt it would be difficult to set a price.
Given the villagers' frugality, they would rather endure the thirst until they get home and drink water, or simply drink raw water from the nearby streams, than spend even a penny on tea. Since there's no smaller unit of currency here, it's better to simply give it away.
A cup of tea costs almost nothing, yet it can quench the thirst of guests taking a break—why not do it? If it can boost sales of maltose, that would be even better.
The old woman was overjoyed to receive the tea from the robot. After thanking it repeatedly, she coaxed her grandson to drink half a cup before carefully finishing it herself. Unexpectedly, the robot gave her another cup and informed her that the tea here could be refilled indefinitely.
Tea cups are easy to wash; just rinse them in clean water. Ye Xu arranged for one robot to brew tea, which was also responsible for washing the cups and pouring the tea, while another robot was specifically responsible for delivering the tea.
Considering that ceramic cups are easily damaged and would lead to disputes over compensation, causing unnecessary trouble, Ye Xu opted for a bamboo cup instead. Finding a simple bamboo cup was quite a challenge; most of the ones sold in the mall were exquisite and beautiful, clearly unsuitable for the working class—no one would dare use such a cup.
Bamboo cups are durable; they can withstand being dropped and broken without damage. Children can use them as toys after drinking their tea, returning them when they leave. Even if they don't return them, they're not valuable; they can simply be taken.
The old woman's child was very lively, running around the room with a bamboo cup. His behavior attracted many other children, mostly from nearby vendors' families, who wanted to play with him.
The children were initially hesitant to enter the large shop. However, after discovering that the shopkeeper was ignoring the children's wandering around, they naturally became bolder.
Ye Xu had seen many children come and go, so he simply asked Zhenzhen to bring her older cousins to make friends with them. Zhenzhen was a little shy at first, but fortunately, her robot cousins were very outgoing and helped her quickly integrate into the group of children.
It was the first time his daughter had made a friend, and as her father, Ye Xu couldn't just stand by and watch. So he let Zhenzhen share some candy with her friend and even taught her how to say it.
Zhenzhen recalled her father's words and repeated, "My dad doesn't let me eat too much candy. I can only eat ten pieces a day. They're all here, let's each have one."
When her friends heard that she had a father who sold candy but could only eat ten pieces, their initial envy immediately turned into sympathy: "You're so pitiful, why can't you eat more?"
"Eating too much sugar will make your teeth hurt," Zhenzhen explained softly.
"If I could eat candy every day, I would eat it even if my teeth hurt."
Zhenzhen smiled and said, "Come visit me again tomorrow, and I'll share the candy with you again."
Everyone immediately responded, and they even offered to keep it a secret. There were only ten candies, one for each of them, which was just enough. If they told others, there wouldn't be enough candies to go around, and that wouldn't do.
My cousins also got candy, and they pretended to eat it, but actually they put it in their pockets. They returned it to Zhenzhen after their friends left.
Ye Xu naturally wouldn't let Zhenzhen feel wronged, and afterwards offered to help her get back the candies she had given away, but the little girl righteously refused.
"I can't lie to them and say I'll give them my candy. If I do, it has to really come from my candy." Zhenzhen is a principled little girl who is determined not to cheat.
Ye Xu didn't insist: "Alright then, it's good that you eat less sugar. I've been reading some parenting books recently, and they all say that children should reduce their sugar intake."
Many young girls these days develop diabetes from drinking too much milk tea. Ye Xu is also worried that Zhenzhen will become addicted to sugar and eat a lot every day, making herself sick. Raising a child is really too difficult. Why doesn't she have a systematic scanning function that can instantly tell whether her daughter is healthy or not, and whether she has any minor illnesses or pains?
The allure of a group of children was immense, drawing in more and more children. Unlike the previous children of merchants, these children had come to the market with their elders; if they came on their own, their elders would naturally follow.
The children who came alone had no money and couldn't buy candy even if they wanted to. The later group was different; while playing, they kept urging their elders to buy them candy, and those who couldn't refuse eventually took out their money.
The parents followed the old woman's example and sat down to rest, thinking that since others were doing it, it wouldn't be a problem for them to do the same. When many people bought only a penny's worth of candy but sat down to freeload tea, the shopkeeper, though unhappy, couldn't easily kick them out.
However, Ye Xu certainly wouldn't drive these people away; their emotions fluctuated considerably while they drank tea and chatted. Some of these emotions, which were clearly born from gossiping, were absorbed by the system because they were drinking tea, resulting in a higher-than-expected points gain this time.
But gossip always runs out eventually, even if there are many villages around, and people can chat about this and that for half a day. Besides, some gossip doesn't bring positive emotions, so the store won't collect any points.
Ye Xu pondered whether the store could develop new business. He glanced down at the paper book in his hand and had an idea.
When her daughter wasn't around and no customers were looking for her, Ye Xu would usually sit behind the counter and flip through paper novels, which she had specifically borrowed from the entertainment section.
It's inappropriate to stare blankly at a panel that's out of sight of others in front of guests; it might startle them. Therefore, the entertainment section has developed a print version of the e-book for borrowing. The cover changes with the era; for example, in an ancient setting, it would look like a vertically formatted, right-to-left thread-bound book.
Many teahouses have storytellers. People come to drink tea to listen to the storytelling and have some snacks along the way. This area isn't very wealthy, and people don't have enough spare money to spend on listening to storytelling and drinking tea. But sitting and drinking free tea while listening to a free storyteller is a different story altogether.
Unfortunately, robots might not be up to the task of storytelling, so Ye Xu would have to do it himself if he wanted to do this business. He had listened to quite a few storytellers and could learn about 70-80% of their stories, but... once he became a storyteller, he wouldn't have many opportunities to slack off.
Ye Xu glanced at his daughter playing mindless games with her friends, gritted his teeth, and decided to do it. Every father needs to hone his storytelling skills; he'd have to tell his little daughter bedtime stories later.
Moreover, a good storyteller can establish a noble image in his daughter's mind. Simply telling bedtime stories isn't enough; if he can gather a large group of people to listen attentively, especially if his daughter's friends are completely captivated by his stories, he can not only become a hero in his daughter's eyes but also be admired by other children.
I never had the chance to be a leader of the kids when I was a child, but now that I'm older, it's a rare opportunity to experience it, and it's actually not bad at all.
Ye Xu let his "cousin" take charge of the counter, while he went inside, chose a suitable spot, and had the robot move the long bench there and replace it with a high table and chair, making sure he was a head taller than everyone else. That way, when people passed by, they could easily spot him, the "storyteller."
The commotion naturally attracted attention, and people whispered among themselves, curious about what was going on. After the tables and chairs were set up, and Ye Xu sat down in the back, everyone became even more curious.
"Shopkeeper, what's going on here?" someone asked boldly.
Ye Xu smiled and said, "I see that you folks are sitting here bored, so why don't I tell you a story?"
Previously, some people had noticed Ye Xu reading a book. Being a peasant who couldn't read, they initially thought he was reading classical texts, but now they realized he was actually reading a storybook.
The crowd cheered. They didn't have many opportunities to listen to storytelling; they would often catch a glimpse of it when passing by a teahouse on their way to the county town, but they were too embarrassed to listen for long. After all, they hadn't gone in and paid for tea, so they couldn't bring themselves to squat at the door and eavesdrop on the stories.
There are also precautions to take when telling stories to people from the past. Take the Four Great Classical Novels, for example; in some dynasties, these books were all banned. Ye Xu asked his system father and found that these classic novels did not exist in the current world, and the dynasties were completely different, so it was even more impossible to tell stories about these books.
After some thought, I realized that the "primordial era" genre, which has been proven successful by many predecessors, seems to be the most suitable. This entire story is entirely fictional, with almost no reference to orthodox religious doctrines. It has a very strong narrative and doesn't contain any satirical meaning about current affairs.
If you're really worried, you can cut out the parts about the Dragon and Phoenix and the Three Pure Ones, and just talk about the War of the Lich King and the Demon King. I don't know if people will try to force a connection between the Dragon and Phoenix Calamity and the royal family, but the Lich King and the Demon King definitely won't be involved.
Ye Xu had read quite a few prehistoric fantasy novels, so he simply pieced together the plots of several books to flesh out the story. For example, some novels focused on the three thousand demon gods, so he brought that out before the creation of the world. After the creation calamity, he would then graft plots from other novels onto the story.
None of the people present had ever heard of this rare story before, and they thought it was some scholar's collection of supernatural tales. Supernatural tales were quite popular these days, but most of them had a touch of eroticism, and those that focused purely on plot were relatively rare. Ironically, it was precisely this kind of plot-driven story that could be turned into a long, suspenseful novel.
Ye Xu's storytelling, set against the backdrop of the Primordial Era, has a clever twist: the story unfolds in a captivating, interconnected narrative, making it irresistible to listeners. If they hear it today, they'll want to hear it again tomorrow and will return. And since they're already here, shouldn't they buy some candy and tea?
At first, many people were drawn in by the storytelling, coming in to listen for free without buying anything. But later, seeing that others had tea and candy, they gradually became restless.
Who couldn't afford a single coin? So everyone pulled out their copper coins to buy them. Some of the wealthier ones simply bought them by weight, getting eight pieces of candy in total, enough to last them quite a while, perfect for slowly whiling away the time.
Tea and snacks are usually placed on the table in front of Ye Xu, and sometimes the robot will go out to buy other snacks from the stalls. He says he will take a break and eat something every now and then. When others see him eating, they will naturally get hungry and go buy some to sit down and eat while listening.
Unfortunately, most of the farmers who came and went had to go home to do farm work, and many had to leave after listening for a short while. After returning home, they couldn't resist the urge to do needlework to supplement their income, and they couldn't help but have their own ideas.
Before long, many unmarried young women came with their baskets, embroidering while listening to the stories, managing to do both without any trouble. As dusk fell, they would agree to return to the village together, and then tell the stories they had heard to their families, so that their families could also enjoy them.
Within just a few days, this became the norm in the nearby villages. Not only young women, but also many village women who had no farm work to do and elderly men and women who were enjoying their retirement came in groups. Ye Xu's place was packed every day, and there was hardly any room left.
In the past, these people wouldn't come to the market every day; they would only send the matriarch of their household when they needed to buy something. Now they come every day, and although most of them bring their own food and water, a few who don't like dry food will occasionally grab a bite at the surrounding stalls.
The food vendors in the surrounding area were overjoyed. To thank Ye Xu, this great philanthropist, they made sure to buy some candy every day. The generous ones would buy an ounce of the more expensive candy, while the thrifty ones would only buy a penny's worth of maltose.