The Vegetable Basket Project got off to a smooth start.
Of the first thirty households subscribed, half came to them on their own after the tasting event, and the other half were connected families like the Lins and the Weis. The monthly fee of ten taels was no big deal for these households—they were after freshness and convenience.
A Li selected a few nimble young maids to handle the packing.
In each woven rattan basket, the upper compartment held a watermelon or a few melons, while the lower compartment held three kinds of seasonal vegetables: cucumbers with flowers still attached to their tips, bright red tomatoes, emerald-green greens, and a small bundle of spring onions or cilantro.
The most thoughtful touch was the handwritten card.
Lin Shuying designed the format and did the calligraphy herself.
The front of the card read: “Little Lin’s Fine Delicacies · Fresh Produce of the Week,” and the back contained a simple recipe: “Cucumbers: cold-mix with dressing or stir-fry with eggs; Tomatoes: sugar-marinated or made into soup; Greens: best stir-fried quickly over high heat.” The handwriting was elegant, with small floral decorations added.
“Miss, this card…” A Li frowned, hesitating, “isn’t this too much trouble?”
Lin Shuying blew the ink dry with satisfaction, holding the card up to the window to admire it: “That’s the whole point. Ten taels a month—we can’t just deliver goods, we need to deliver service too. The card may be small, but when customers see it, they’ll know we put thought into it.”
A Li nodded, half understanding, and took a few blank cards to continue writing, following the other content.
At the beginning of the hour of Chen, five delivery carriages set out.
Each carriage had a driver and a young attendant, who carried a route map and a customer list.
Lin Shuying stood at the gate, inspecting the baskets on each carriage, then looked up and reminded them: “After each delivery, put a checkmark next to the name on the list. If the customer has any requests, write them down. If any issues come up, report back to me.”
“Yes!”
A Li stood at the door, her hands clasped together, her knuckles white.
Lin Shuying patted her shoulder: “Don’t be nervous—it’ll go smoothly.”
Just past noon, the first carriage returned.
The young attendant jumped down, beaming: “Miss! Success! The steward at the Deputy Minister of Revenue’s household said the basket was exquisite, the vegetables were fresh, and the card was thoughtful! He paid next month’s fee on the spot!”
Then the second, the third… all five carriages returned one after another, with positive feedback across the board.
One madam specially sent her maidservant to say that the recipe card “struck a chord with her”—when her cook followed it, the dish was indeed delicious.
One elderly Hanlin scholar had studied the calligraphy on the card for a long time and asked if they’d hired a renowned calligrapher.
A Li held the thick stack of orders and banknotes, her hands trembling slightly, her voice drifting: “Miss… are we—are we getting rich?”
Lin Shuying took the banknotes with a smile and flipped through them casually: “No ambition~ The Lin family has never lacked money.”
— —
One month after the Vegetable Basket Project was up and running, A Li presented a beautifully kept ledger.
“Miss, this month, the vegetable basket business brought in three hundred taels in revenue, with a net profit of one hundred and eighty taels. Adding the palace purchases and Drunk Immortal Tower’s orders, total income… five hundred taels!”
Lin Shuying took the ledger and flipped through it page by page.
A Li stood beside her, anxiously watching her expression. Only when she saw that Lin Shuying’s brow never furrowed did she quietly let out a breath.
“Old Madam Wang prefers soft, tender melons—make a note of that. From now on, set aside ones for her specifically,” Lin Shuying said, pointing to one entry.
A Li quickly pulled out her little notebook and jotted it down.
“And this one—the Hanlin Scholar’s wife likes vegetables with a floral fragrance. The new batch from the greenhouse should go to her first.”
What surprised Lin Shuying the most was that A Li had also developed a new business: affordable vegetable packs.
“I noticed that nearby villagers also want to buy our vegetables, but they find them too expensive.” A Li pulled out a small cloth bundle from her sleeve and opened it for Lin Shuying to see. “So I came up with this idea: three wen per pack, containing two or three seasonal vegetables—not a lot, but enough for a family of three to eat for a day. I make fifty packs every day and sell them at the canteen entrance—they sell out in less than an hour.”
Lin Shuying picked up the little bundle and examined it. The cloth was coarse cotton, sewn with tight, neat stitches, holding a few seasonal vegetables—indeed not a large portion. “This is good.” She set the bundle down and nodded. “We can’t just serve wealthy households—we need to look out for ordinary people too.”
“And also this.” A Li produced another slip of paper. “Several prominent households want to order ‘private banquet fruit platters’—premium fruit displays for entertaining guests. The requirements are high, but they pay well too—one platter can fetch twenty taels.”
Lin Shuying took it, glanced over it without hesitation: “Accept it. Arrange it as you see fit—hire more staff if needed, come to me if you need funds.”
A Li tucked the list away, acknowledged the instruction, and hurried out.
Lin Shuying watched her retreating figure and smiled to herself.
Just then, A-Gua came running in urgently, his foot slipping on the threshold and nearly making him trip: “Miss! Bad news!”
Lin Shuying frowned: “What happened?”
“Someone’s spreading rumors!” A-Gua leaned on his knees, panting. “They’re saying our vegetables grow so fast and well because we used sorcery! And they’re saying eating them will make you sick!”
Lin Shuying stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the lush green melon fields. She tapped the window frame lightly twice with her finger: “Did you find out who started it?”
“No idea, but the rumors are spreading through all the nearby villages. The canteen lost half its customers today, and the villagers are too scared to buy the affordable vegetable packs.”
“A-Gua, go find out where these rumors originated.”
“Yes!” A-Gua turned and ran off, moving even faster than when he’d arrived.
Lin Shuying stood for a moment, then returned to her desk, picked up her brush, and wrote a letter. She folded it and called for a servant: “Have this delivered to the Directorate of Astronomy, to Lord Zhou, via the Consort’s palace.”
— —
A few days later, the elderly man from the Directorate of Astronomy—the one who had once praised the gold-veined peony—arrived.
His surname was Zhou, and though his hair and beard were white as snow, he was spry and energetic.
As soon as he entered the estate, he strolled around with his hands behind his back, looking here, sniffing there, occasionally crouching down to grab a handful of soil and bring it to his nose.
“Lord Zhou,” Lin Shuying followed behind him, “what do you see?”
Old Lord Zhou narrowed his eyes and pointed at the melon fields: “This land of yours has strong earth energy and flourishing wood virtue—it’s a blessed plot.”
He walked to the greenhouse and stared at the rainbow-striped watermelons for a long time, then suddenly clapped his hands, his beard trembling: “Marvelous! Marvelous! These melons gather the essence of heaven and earth and manifest a rainbow-hued appearance—this is an auspicious omen!”
Lin Shuying suppressed a smile and stood with her hands at her sides: “Lord Zhou, some people say I use sorcery…”
“Nonsense!” Old Lord Zhou spun around, his beard bristling with indignation. “What sorcery? This is the favor of Heaven! Your estate has favorable terrain, good soil and water, and with your meticulous care, it’s only natural that good melons and vegetables should grow! Those who talk of sorcery are simply envious!”
He immediately had his attendants set out his instruments—a compass, divination sticks, an incense burner—and performed a ritual ceremony at the edge of the melon field.
He concluded: “This place is brimming with vitality, with wood virtue gathered here—an auspicious sign. The fruits and vegetables produced here bring longevity and health when consumed—they are by no means the work of evil spirits!”
With this conclusion, the rumors crumbled on their own.
Old Lord Zhou even wrote up an “Auspicious Certification,” stamped with the Directorate of Astronomy’s official seal, which Lin Shuying posted at the canteen entrance.
Now, not only had the rumors died out, but the canteen’s business actually grew better than before.
Who wouldn’t want to taste the produce of an auspicious place?
— —
But rumors were like weeds—you couldn’t burn them all, and spring wind would make them grow again.
The rumor that Little Lin Manor’s produce used sorcery had just been suppressed by the Directorate of Astronomy’s certification when a new rumor surfaced—and it was even worse.
“Eating it will poison you!”
This time, the rumor came with vivid details: Old Man Wang from a certain village had eaten Little Lin Manor’s affordable vegetable pack and been struck with violent vomiting and diarrhea.
Widow Li’s child had broken out in red rashes after eating at Little Lin’s canteen.
Even City Gentleman Zhao had “reportedly” eaten Little Lin’s Fine Delicacies watermelon and had to call for a doctor in the middle of the night…
“Nonsense!” Wei Fuyu was so furious that she slammed her staff on the ground in the courtyard. The bronze rod struck the bluestone, sending sparks flying. “Old Man Wang didn’t even come to buy vegetables that day! I was watching the canteen entrance myself!”
Zhao Di’er gripped her sword, her fingers tightening on the hilt, her gaze turning cold: “I recognize those men from the other restaurants. Do you want me to go and have a ‘chat’ with them?”
Lin Shuying sat under the corridor, holding a cup of tea, her eyes lowered, watching the tea leaves rise and fall in the cup. Her expression was calm.
“No need.” She took a sip and set the cup down on the small table beside her. “Fighting won’t solve the problem.”
“Then what do we do?” A-Gua paced anxiously in circles, not knowing where to put his hands. “The canteen lost half its customers again today! Not a single affordable vegetable pack sold!”
Lin Shuying didn’t answer—she looked at A Li: “Is the steward from General Wei’s residence here?”
“He’s here, waiting in the side hall.”
“Please bring him in.”
The steward from General Wei’s residence was surnamed Zheng, a middle-aged man in his forties, a military man by background who walked with purpose. He was Wei Fuyu’s distant uncle and deeply fond of his niece.
“Steward Zheng,” Lin Shuying got straight to the point, her finger tapping lightly on the table, “I’d like to do a deal with General Wei.”
Steward Zheng bowed: “Please speak, Country Lady.”
“The vegetables and fruits from my estate—I’d like to supply them to the city garrison on a long-term basis.” Lin Shuying quoted the figures she had already worked out. “One hundred catties of vegetables and twenty watermelons daily, at eighty percent of market price. In addition, I’ll send a batch to the barracks each month free of charge—a small token of my appreciation for the soldiers.”
Steward Zheng’s eyes lit up, and he straightened his back even more. The city garrison had over three thousand men, with enormous daily consumption. Being able to buy such high-quality produce at a twenty percent discount was a significant benefit.
“The Country Lady is most generous!” Steward Zheng clasped his hands, his voice growing louder. “I will return and report to the General at once!”
“No rush.” Lin Shuying picked up her teacup but didn’t drink, turning it slowly in her hand. “There’s one more thing I’d like to trouble you with, Steward Zheng.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Help me look into a few restaurants in the city—Xifu Tower across from Drunk Immortal Tower, Taifeng Tower in the Eastern Market, and Baivei Zhai in the Western Market. Find out if they’ve been up to anything unsavory lately.”
Steward Zheng understood immediately. He nodded without asking further and strode out.
After seeing him off, Lin Shuying wrote another letter and had A-Gua deliver it to Old Lord Zhou at the Directorate of Astronomy.
The letter contained just one line: “Lord Zhou, some are questioning your certification—they say we’re ‘in cahoots.’”
A-Gua took the letter, read it, shrank his neck, tucked it into his robes, and ran off.
It was a provocative move, but against a stubborn old man like Lord Zhou, it was the most effective tactic.
Sure enough, early the next morning, Old Lord Zhou arrived in a huff.
Behind him followed two officials from the Directorate of Astronomy, carrying a load of strange-looking instruments, their footsteps quick and heavy.
“Let this old man see who dares to question the Directorate of Astronomy’s certification!” Old Lord Zhou’s beard bristled as he stood at the estate gate, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. “Set them up! Set them all up! Today, we’ll conduct a public examination!”
The estate entrance was packed with villagers who had come to watch the excitement.
Old Lord Zhou first set up an incense altar at the edge of the melon field, burned incense, and offered prayers. Then he took out his compass and, with great solemnity, measured the directions for a long time, muttering incantations under his breath.
“This land faces south with its back to the north, hills behind and water before—it’s a treasured site that gathers wind and energy!” He straightened up, his voice booming. “The soil is fertile, the water sweet—it’s naturally a perfect place for growing vegetables!”
Next, he took out a glass vial, filled it with soil from the field, poured in some medicinal liquid, and shook it a few times. The liquid became clear, and golden specks precipitated from the soil.
Old Lord Zhou raised the vial high, letting the sunlight shine through: “Do you see?! The soil contains gold! This is an auspicious sign! Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates all things! This land is destined to grow fine crops!”
The villagers craned their necks to see, exclaiming in wonder.
Finally, Old Lord Zhou had several melons and vegetables brought from the canteen kitchen, cut them open on the spot, and distributed them for everyone to taste. He himself took a big bite of watermelon first—juice dripped down his chin, and he didn’t bother to wipe it off.
“I, as Deputy Director of the Directorate of Astronomy, fifth rank, swear by my office: these fruits and vegetables are absolutely not poisonous! On the contrary, they are highly nourishing! Eating them will prolong life and strengthen the body!”
The villagers’ doubts were completely dispelled.
Plus, with the presence of General Wei’s household representatives nearby—if the city garrison was going to eat these vegetables, how could they possibly be poisonous?
The rumors collapsed on their own.
Before leaving, Old Lord Zhou privately handed Lin Shuying a small booklet, pressing it into her hand and lowering his voice: “The advanced volume of the Green Wood Guidance Art. Practice it well—do not squander this heaven-sent fortune.”
Lin Shuying took it with both hands, nodding solemnly: “Thank you, Lord Zhou.”
“No need to thank me.” Old Lord Zhou waved his hand, his steps lighter as he turned away. “I just appreciate talent. You’re an interesting girl.”
— —
And so, Little Lin Manor’s Self-Service Canteen, the Little Lin Vegetable Basket Shop, and the Little Lin Vegetable Basket Delivery service—all supported by Little Lin’s Fine Delicacies and Lin Moqian—doubled in scale within a year.
The Lin family also purchased a hundred acres of prime farmland near Little Lin Manor at great cost, expanding her vegetable gardens further and further.
In winter, Lin Shuying invested in oil-paper greenhouses, upgrading them to double-layered oil paper with bamboo and wood frames and double-layer straw curtains, with straw mats sandwiched in between for insulation. Even in winter, she could grow suitable fruits and vegetables. She had considered glass, but the cost was simply too high, so she abandoned the idea.
In the blink of an eye, another spring arrived.
A few days after Lin Shuying’s fifteenth birthday, the early spring greenhouse watermelons had just yielded their first harvest.
A Li handed her the ledger, her eyes and brows brimming with smiles: “Miss, this year’s net profit is five thousand taels—double what we made last year.”
Lin Shuying took the ledger, flipped through a few pages, and let her fingertip pause briefly on the final figure. She nodded, a faint smile curling at the corner of her mouth: “Not bad. Let’s aim to double it again next year.”
A Li acknowledged the response, hugged the ledger, and turned to leave, her steps as light as if walking on clouds.
Lin Shuying stood by the window, looking at the new grape trellis erected in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the tender leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. She suddenly thought of herself a year ago—just a young girl who had moved out of the Lin residence, knowing nothing but how to grow melons.
She shook her head and lowered her gaze back to the ledger.
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