Chapter 19: Astonishing Beauty Beyond Compare

Watching Xu An leave until he was no longer in sight, Su Yan'er turned and slowly made her way back into the courtyard.

Her husband had gone into town, and she felt she should find something to occupy herself. Although her husband treated her well, she could not simply sit around with a clear conscience. Yet, with her injured foot, she couldn't move about too much, and her husband had forbidden her from doing so. What could she possibly do?

"Oh, the dirty clothes and shoes from yesterday haven't been washed yet. I can wash them for my husband."

"The weather is nice today; if I wash them now, they should be dry by tonight, and he can wear them tomorrow."

"Besides, I can sit on a stool to do the laundry, which means I don't have to walk around and it won't hinder my leg's recovery."

Once her mind was made up, she set to work. Su Yan'er brought a stool, along with her and Xu An’s soiled clothes, to the well in the corner of the courtyard and began to draw water with a wooden bucket. Being physically slight and hesitant to exert too much force due to her injury, she could only manage to fill the bucket less than halfway each time.

However, Su Yan'er was not discouraged. If once wasn't enough, she would try twice. Though somewhat tiring, she felt happy. After much effort, the young girl finally filled the water vat by the well and began to wash the clothes.

The well water in this season was bone-chillingly cold. Before long, her hands were frozen bright red. Yet, she could not bring herself to boil hot water. Boiling water required firewood, and while there was some left in the kitchen, it was meant for cooking. If she used it now, her husband would likely have to tear down more of the house, and she couldn't let him do that again. Thus, Su Yan'er preferred to suffer the cold rather than burn the precious firewood. Whenever the cold became unbearable, she would bring her hands to her mouth and blow warm air on them before continuing to scrub the clothes in the basin.

...

Because they had met just yesterday, and because Xu An stood out from the crowd, the proprietor of the sugar shop immediately greeted him with a beaming smile as he walked through the door.

"It’s you, young man! Please, come inside."

"I thought it would take a few more days before you returned, but I didn't expect you so soon."

"How is it? Are you here today because there is news from your distant relative?"

"And tell me, did you bring the refined white sugar we discussed?"

The proprietor stared at Xu An with burning, expectant eyes. If he could establish a connection with the relative behind Xu An and secure a better source of goods, he might be able to expand his sugar shop business and significantly increase his competitiveness throughout the county.

"Hehe, don't be impatient, Proprietor. Since I’m here, it means the matter is mostly settled."

"Of course, I have brought the refined white sugar with me this time."

Xu An looked at him and launched into a string of nonsense: "You have no idea—after I left here yesterday, I spent the entire night traveling back and forth, tirelessly contacting my distant relative and retrieving the finished product. It even rained last night, and I was soaked to the bone. Look at me, covered in dust and travel-worn; it really wasn't easy!"

"Hehe, you’ve worked hard, young man."

The shopkeeper was an old hand at business and understood the ways of the world perfectly. He immediately took out a small piece of silver and placed it into Xu An's palm, saying with a chuckle, "This is a small token of my appreciation. Go get yourself a jug of good wine to warm up later."

"Proprietor, you are too kind! How could I accept this? I cannot take this silver." Xu An feigned a polite refusal while secretly weighing the piece in his hand; it was about half a tael. Half a tael was no small amount, showing that the shopkeeper was a man of substance.

Seeing Xu An's refusal, the shopkeeper insisted it was just a gesture of goodwill. In the end, Xu An pretended to be embarrassed and reluctantly accepted it. He had said all that to establish his value, shape his image as a man of action, and set the stage for later price negotiations. He hadn't expected to get anything from the shopkeeper, so the half-tael of silver was a pleasant surprise. He was short on money, after all—why turn down free silver?

The proprietor looked at Xu An, unable to contain himself. "Young man, could you show me the refined white sugar?"

"Naturally!" Xu An set down his book basket, took out a cloth bag, and slowly opened it. The proprietor stared intently, eager to see just how good this "high-quality" sugar really was. Regardless of anything else, as long as it was better than what he had in his shop and the price was right, it was worth a partnership.

The moment Xu An opened the bag, the shopkeeper froze.

"Young man, are you joking with me? This is the white sugar you spoke of?" The shopkeeper pointed at the snow-white granules in the bag, his voice filled with skepticism. How could such white sugar possibly exist in this world?

"It seems you don't believe me. Why don't you taste it?" Xu An remained calm and unbothered.

With a doubtful look, the shopkeeper pinched a small amount and placed it in his mouth. Immediately, a rich, intense sweetness spread throughout his palate. It lacked the slight bitterness found in brown sugar and the coarse texture of dark sugar. It was a pure, sweet taste with a soft, delicate texture, and it even carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. It was incomparable to anything else on the market!

"Incredible! This is simply divine!" The shopkeeper’s eyes widened, and he shouted in a moment of lost composure. His graying goatee trembled with excitement. He had never seen such snow-white sugar before—it was truly unbelievable!

If he could secure a partnership for sugar of this quality, he would make a fortune. Not to mention anything else, he could easily monopolize most of the demand for white sugar among the wealthy families in the entire county. As for the common folk, they didn't matter; they couldn't afford such expensive sugar anyway. Most importantly, such a rare item could be gifted to high-ranking officials to build social connections. Since ancient times, rarity has been the source of value. Those dignitaries would surely be delighted upon seeing such a rare treasure, perhaps paving a path to greatness for him.

In those few moments, the shopkeeper’s mind raced. He grabbed Xu An with his aged hands, his voice trembling.

"Y-young man... oh no, sir, I am very willing to cooperate with you. What are your requirements?"

Seeming afraid that Xu An might refuse, he hurried on before Xu An could speak: "Please state your terms. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best to satisfy you."

The shopkeeper didn't dare to probe into the identity of Xu An's distant relative. Bypassing a middleman to reach their source was a major taboo in business. If Xu An were a complete fool, he could have been dismissed with a small sum of money, and he might even have been grateful. But if Xu An was not a fool, such behavior would offend him deeply. A stable supply of this quality of sugar was a godsend of wealth! Conversely, if another shop were to get their hands on it, it would be a devastating blow to him. Thus, the shopkeeper chose a more tactful approach.

Xu An glanced at him, finding the man reasonably sincere and willing to cooperate with someone of that nature. He smiled.

"Proprietor, the partnership is fine. I can guarantee that my distant relative can provide a long-term supply, but I want a percentage of the profits. Is that acceptable?"