Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 52

Wanting to Buy Her Recipe

T/N: Chapter (3/8) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you for sponsoring!

Li Xue Qing looked to Du Xiao Li and said with a smile, "A few days ago, you gave my older sister that something grape wine, you said you'd fermented yourself?"

Hearing Li Xue Qing say this, Du Xiao Li roughly guessed the reason why she came here today. She smiled and said, "Yes."

"What is that grape thing?" Li Xue Qing asked.

"That is a type of fruit I found in the mountains." Du Xiao Li replied. "Unfortunately, the season for grapes has already passed, else I could've invited Madam Li and Hong Jie to try some."

"Is that so? Then that's really too bad." Madam Li said, "Don't know if you still have grape wine here?"

"Still have a little bit left. Since I don't have anything to entertain madam with, how about I invite you all to sample some." Du Xiao Li said, "You all wait a moment."

Finish saying this, Du Xiao thus entered the house and brought out a jar of grape wine. This jar has already been drunk from before, and the seal on top has already lost its original tightness. She had the wine jar placed on the ground, then took out two bowls, and after washing them clean, poured them each a bowl. 

(T/N: I forgot about this but this what wine jars and bowls used to drink them back then looked like.)

"Madam, please try." Du Xiao Li lifted a bowl to give to Li Xue Qing. Afterwards, she gave the other bowl to Hong Jie. 

If it was in the past, Li Xue Qing absolutely wouldn't use a bowl to drink, but right now she no longer cared about this. She lifted the bowl, smelled it, and then took a sip, feeling with her eyes closed the sensation of the wine sliding towards her throat from the tip of her tongue. A while later, she opened her eyes and asked, "You said the season for this grape has already passed?"

"Yes, every year's fifth to sixth month is the period for grapes to mature." Du Xiao Li also poured herself half a bowl and sat down to drink with them.

This was Hong Jie's first time drinking this wine. After drinking it, she said somewhat amazed, "This wine's flavor is so special! It's like wine, but also like fruit juice, so good to drink."

Li Xue Qing glanced at Hong Jie, and seeing the fondness in her eyes, she smiled, saying to Du Xiao Li, "Actually, the reason I came today is because last time at my elder sister's place I'd drank this wine, and thus wanted to ask you, whether or not you can have this wine's recipe sold to me." 

"Have the wine's recipe sold to you?" Du Xiao Li looked to Li Xue Qing in surprise, but thought to herself inside, 'As expected, she came to buy the recipe.'

"Yes. If you are willing to sell this recipe to me, then I'm willing to pay a hundred taels of silver." Li Xue Qing said.

"A hundred taels!" Hong Jie shouted in astonishment, and then quickly covered her mouth.

"Madam wants to pay a hundred taels of silver to buy my grape wine recipe?" Du Xiao Li repeated.

"Yes. A hundred taels of silver, enough for you to rebuild a simple small courtyard." Li Xue Qing confidently said. 

Towards Du Xiao Li's home situation, she more or less understood already. One look at this house and one can just tell she very much lacked money.

Du Xiao Li lowered her head and thought for a moment, "Sorry madam, this recipe I can't sell it to you."

"You think it's too little?" Li Xue Qing said, seeing Du Xiao Li being unwilling, "If the reason is in regards to this price, we can properly discuss."

Du Xiao Li still shook her head and said, "My mother said, this recipe can't be sold to others."

"Your mother?" Li Xue Qing glanced at Hong Jie. Didn't she say Du Xiao Li only had an older brother?

"Yes." Du Xiao Li said, "When mother was on her death bed, she said to big brother and I, this recipe is a secret passed down from maternal grandfather's side, our foundation in establishing ourselves in the future, letting big brother and I use this recipe to make wine after we grow up. Sorry madam, this is my mother's dying wish Xiao Li doesn't dare to go against, so I can't sell you the recipe."

"Your mother's dying wish....." Li Xue Qing looked to Du Xiao Li, attempting to find from her face some signs of lying. But Du Xiao Li's sorrowful appearance made her unable to find any cracks. At last, she had no choice but to give up, "If it's your mother's dying wish, it's indeed not good for you to go against."

"Many thanks for madam's understanding." Du Xiao Li said. The current society held filial piety in the forefront. Bringing out her dead mother, even if Li Xue Qing had the intentions, she still wouldn't dare to use force.

Li Xue Qing finished drinking the wine in the bowl, and when Du Xiao Li was pouring another bowl for her, she stood up and strolled around the courtyard. Seeing the temporary stove at the edge of the courtyard, and also the medical ingredients drying in the basket, she asked, "These are all dug by you?"

"Yes." Du Xiao Li placed down the wine jar and came to Li Xue Qing's side, saying: "These were taught by grandpa Niu. He told me what kind of herbs I can dig, and after I dry them, I sell them to him, using this to supplement the family expenses."

"So it's like this. Then your life must be very difficult." Li Xue Qing said.

"Hehe, it's alright." Du Xiao Li said. "The tangerines we sold previously earned us a good deal of money. Big brother Luo Qi and I don't really spend that much money at home anyways."

Li Xue Qing returned to the stool and said, "Do you want to earn money?" 

"Want!" Du Xiao Li said, "But I still can't sell that recipe."

"Is there no other way? Truth be told, I'm very much interested in this recipe of yours." Li Xue Qing said as she tapped the table with her finger.

"I actually have an idea." Du Xiao Li thought for a moment and said.

"Oh? Let's hear it." Li Xue Qing looked to Du Xiao Li.

"My mother also said on her death bed, if we don't have the capital, then go find someone to form a partnership." Du Xiao Li said.

"Partnership?" This was Li Xue Qing's first time hearing this word.

"It's where you work together with someone else. For example, we provide the skills, and someone else provides the money. And the profits everyone splits according to the agreed upon ratio." Du Xiao Li explained.

Li Xue Qing didn't speak, seemingly contemplating. At this time, the people that were loading the tangerines below came up and said the tangerines have all been loaded already. 

"This, I'll rethink it over when I return. If I feel it's doable, I will come find you again." Li Xue Qing stood up and said.

"Madam please wait." Du Xiao Li went inside and grabbed another small jar of grape wine, saying: "Madam came yet I didn't have anything to entertain you, so I'll just gift madam this grape wine." 

Li Xue Qing saw the wine jar in Du Xiao Li's hands. She did indeed quite like this wine.

"Thank you Xiao Li." Li Xue Qing accepted the wine jar and said with a smile. "But I can't just take your wine for nothing, right? So just treat this as me buying it."

With that said, she shoved a few taels of silver into Du Xiao Li's hands. 

Du Xiao Li hesitated for a moment before accepting it. Regarding the partnership, she also didn't say anything more. If they can work together with them, it would save them a lot of effort, and can also draw support from their market. But she also wasn't dead set on them either. If she comes off too desperate, then it'll certainly be disadvantageous towards her negotiation. 

Arriving at the bottom of the mountain, those people reported the weight of the tangerines bought this time. Hong Jie gave the money to Du Xiao Li and followed Li Xue Qing onto the horse carriage in front.  

"Looks like we sold quite a lot again today." Luo Qi walked along the mountain path with Du Xiao Li and said, "However, these last few times, they've all bought quite a lot. There's already not that many tangerines left on the trees." 

"En, later, I'll go with you to look." Du Xiao Li said.

The two eventually returned back to the courtyard. A figure walked out from the valley next to Du Xiao Li's house, gazing towards her courtyard with an evil smile. Just now, he'd seen that woman give that brat quite a lot of money. Thinking of the money, that person couldn't hold back his laugh. Afterwards, he turned and left.

At midnight, Du Xiao Li was on her bed, in the middle of cultivating her inner energy, when suddenly she sensed someone suspiciously enter the courtyard. She opened her eyes and took out a silver needle from the case at the head of her bed. Afterwards, she lied down, waiting for that person to enter.......

T/N: I had to order a new keyboard cover today because I tore a hole in my old one from all my aggressive typing _(:3」∠)_ 

Any amount is appreciated, and for every $25 total donation, an additional chapters will be posted. Please include PCFO in the message so I know it's for this, and also indicate if you wish to remain anonymous.
Additional Chapters Queue: 8

Chapter end