Chapter 284
Chapter 284
Ji Yan’an silently remembered the matter. He would deal with them when he had time.
“Yunsui, give me some of your grape wine. You’ll receive seventy percent of the proceeds.”
He intended to make celadon and grape wine the merchant association’s main products.
Jiang Yunsui nodded. “All right.”
She had made eight jars of wine.
That single grapevine was remarkably productive. Its grapes were numerous and large, and they made excellent wine.
The jars opened later had an especially mellow flavor.
Those wines were unsuitable for Jiang Yunsui’s small body, but adults adored them.
She kept only two jars and sold the rest to Ji Yan’an.
Her little treasury would soon receive another deposit.
“We should plant more grapes,” Ji Yan’an said.
The wine tasted excellent, and he expected strong sales. One vine in the courtyard was not enough.
Jiang Yunsui was already cultivating grape seedlings to plant at her estate.
By the time the merchant gathering approached, the weather had cooled.
Beizhen City grew livelier than ever.
At last, an exhibition was held in the city’s largest restaurant.
When a man-high celadon vase was carefully carried out, everyone was stunned by its beauty.
“The porcelain is actually blue-green!”
The color was beautiful and perfectly suited popular tastes.
The towering piece was elegantly designed. Standing on the raised platform, it resembled a graceful beauty.
“Beautiful! If this vase reaches the south, people will fight over it.”
Neatly dressed Li Yunniang stood beside the enormous vase and introduced it in a clear, resonant voice.
“Everyone is familiar with porcelain. This blue-green porcelain was developed by our household. This shade is powder celadon, elegant and refreshing. The vase itself resembles a graceful young beauty…”
“Of course, we offer more than this vase. Besides powder celadon, there is also sky-blue porcelain.”
As she spoke, several kinds of porcelain were brought forward. Their colors appeared similar at first glance but differed under closer inspection.
There were normal-sized vases, bowls, plates, wine cups, wine pots, teacups, and teapots.
Some were delicate and elegant, while others were pleasantly plump and charming.
There were even porcelain animals: cats, dogs, horses, and other familiar creatures.
The gathered merchants were dazzled.
Holding mushroom-shaped porcelain, Jiang Yunsui leaned over a window and watched below with smiling eyes.
Ji Yan’an sat nearby with a powder-celadon wine set at hand.
Across from him sat Eighth Prince Yelü Can.
Naturally, he had invited himself shamelessly.
Jiang Yunsui kept glancing at him.
“You drank all the wine!”
Little Mushroom puffed up angrily.
“That belonged to Ji Yan’an.”
Ji Yan’an was speechless too.
Yelü Can behaved as though they were old friends. After one cup of grape wine, he drank another and another until he emptied the entire pot himself.
“Don’t be so stingy. You must have plenty more.”
He rubbed a finger over the cup.
“These cups and wine pot-and those porcelain vases-truly inspire longing.”
He looked at Ji Yan’an. “Young Master Ji, I suffered a tremendous loss at your hands and practically gave you an iron mine. Why not gift me some porcelain and wine?”
Jiang Yunsui glared. “How is your skin even thicker than mine?”
Yelü Can laughed. “Who describes herself that way?”
He reached toward Jiang Yunsui’s fluffy head.
She bared her little teeth fiercely, ready to bite if he touched her.
Ji Yan’an extended his fan to block him.
“Talk all you like. Keep your hands to yourself.”
His voice was mild, but his gaze carried a warning.
Yelü Can shrugged.
“What could I possibly do to her?”
“But I genuinely want to trade in your porcelain and wine.”
Ji Yan’an leaned slightly against the window, one arm propped lazily nearby, while Jiang Yunsui’s head bobbed before him.
“A gift is out of the question.”
Yelü Can clicked his tongue.
“Then at least lower the price.”
Ji Yan’an played with Jiang Yunsui’s hair.
“What relationship do we have? Consider me generous for not charging you extra.”
Yelü Can choked.
The fellow could not be moved by softness or force.
“Fine. Reserve more for me.”
He could take the goods home and sell them to wealthy Barbarian nobles at several times the price.
The grassland people loved gold and plunder. Every noble household possessed considerable wealth.
Yelü Can knew his cheap father even controlled a gold mine.
Of all of them, he was the poorest.
They also loved porcelain, expensive tea, and similar luxuries. The rarer an object and the more it displayed status, the more they desired it.
After introducing the porcelain downstairs, Li Yunniang brought out the grape wine.
She poured each invited merchant a tiny cup.
It was little, but enough to awaken their craving.
Most contemporary wines were yellow wine, rice wine, or cloudy wine. On the grasslands, mare’s-milk wine and highland-barley wine were common.
Because of current brewing techniques, none had a high alcohol content.
The grape wine was not strong either, but its unique color and fruity fragrance were intoxicating enough.
“This truly is wine? What a beautiful color. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“So distinctive! It’s more fragrant than any wine I’ve tasted. My wife will certainly love it.”
“This is far too little. Who can be satisfied with such a sip? Bring more!”
The restaurant filled with excited voices demanding another taste.
Li Yunniang acted as though she heard nothing.
“This is Purple Jade Dew, a unique fruit wine. Both its ingredients and brewing process are exclusive. No one else can reproduce it…”
Jiang Yunsui listened proudly.
That was true. Her grapes had grown on Imperial Flowing Essence, absorbed the Power of the Stars, and benefited from the region’s special environment. They were large and delicious.
Even the water used in brewing contained Imperial Flowing Essence.
Others might eventually make grape wine, but theirs would never taste as good as Jiang Yunsui’s.
The merchant gathering was clearly a success. Everyone present was interested in the new porcelain and Purple Jade Dew.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to purchase celadon or Purple Jade Dew, please visit the porcelain shop and wine shop across the street.”
The new shops stood directly opposite.
Li Yunniang had arranged everything. The stores were spacious and beautifully designed.
Nearly all of Ji Yan’an’s businesses were now under her management.
She had not disappointed him. Gifted in commerce, she had organized the gathering perfectly.
Firecrackers crackled outside the porcelain and wine shops as the red silk covering their signboards was pulled away.