There's always someone who dares to be the first to try something new. After some people gave the milk tea a try, they found it not only tasted great but was also quite affordable. Word of mouth quickly spread among the crowd.
Within less than an hour, the business was booming. Crowds of people came to check out the novelty and buy milk tea, leaving Wei Dongling and Jingzhe running around in a frenzy.
By noon, all the prepared milk tea had been sold out, and not a single bamboo cup was left. Wei Dongling didn't even catch a break. After washing up and tidying up, she headed straight to the bamboo craftsman.
The old bamboo craftsman in the west of the city was a bit speechless. As a craftsman, he usually made a living by using his skillful hands to weave all kinds of items. But this Miss Wei waved her hand and bought all his bamboo, asking him to make a large number of bamboo cups. It should have been a simple task—just saw the bamboo joints and smooth them out. However, this young lady insisted on engraving words on each cup.
"I miss you so much I'm going crazy after just one day apart—Listening to the Wind Tower Milk Tea."
The old craftsman didn't understand the beautiful lines from the poem about courtship. He just thought the girl was doing this for promotion. But the engraving was complicated, and Miss Wei needed a large quantity, which kept him and his two apprentices busy all the time.
This was much more tiring than his usual weaving work!
When the craftsman saw Wei Dongling come again to ask for more cups, he was sweating profusely. Embarrassed, he began to negotiate, "Miss Wei, how about this? I'll polish the cups more carefully and sell them to you at cost price. Do you think we can skip the engraving of these small characters?"
Wei Dongling shook her head firmly. "I'm willing to pay more. The words must be engraved on the cups!"
The craftsman was in a difficult position. Sighing, he said, "It's only been half a morning, and all the bamboo cups we worked hard to make yesterday are already gone. Now you're asking for double the quantity. I really can't make them all in time!"
Wei Dongling hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "How about this? I'll pay more. You take this order and subcontract it!"
"Subcontract?" The old craftsman was confused and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Wei Dongling explained calmly, "You go and contact the other bamboo craftsmen in the city. Ask them to make the products with good quality. You can make a profit from the price difference in the middle."
Could it be done like this? The old craftsman was stunned. He had made a living all his life by weaving with his own hands. Now Miss Wei was suggesting that he integrate resources to make a profit from the difference?
The old craftsman lowered his head and thought carefully for a while. Finally, he understood. His eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Wei Dongling smiled, left an address, and then went back to rest with Jingzhe.
On the second and third days, thanks to the timely supply of bamboo cups, Wei Dongling and Jingzhe were busy selecting ingredients, making milk tea, setting up stalls, and selling. They got up early and went to bed late, and they were completely exhausted.
The landlady of the inn would occasionally stroll to the door. Seeing Wei Dongling so busy, she sighed inwardly. This silly girl was obviously doing a losing business! Instead of listening to advice, she rolled up her sleeves and worked with enthusiasm. It was really speechless.
The landlady sighed and silently turned around to go back into the house.
In the afternoon, there were fewer people strolling around. Wei Dongling took a short break and rubbed her sore arms. She felt that her arms were no longer her own.
Jingzhe quickly packed the milk tea and handed it to the customer. Then she looked back at Wei Dongling, who was completely worn out, and sighed, "Shall we take a two - day break? If we keep going like this, your body won't be able to take it."
Wei Dongling looked up at the sky and waved her hand helplessly. "It doesn't matter if we're a bit tired in the early stage. It will get better in a few days."
Suddenly, she saw an eagle circling in the sky!
Wei Dongling thought she was seeing things. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. It was really Tian Qi's petite eagle!
Wei Dongling shivered. Looking at the sky, she excitedly shouted to Jingzhe, "Hurry up and pack up. We're not selling today!"
"What?"
Wei Dongling took off running. She rushed in the direction of the eagle in a hurry. When she turned her head, she saw Tian Qi in black clothes hiding in the shadows on the street corner. He was craning his neck and looking in her direction.
Wei Dongling walked quickly towards Tian Qi. From afar, she could see that his beard was in a mess and his face was haggard. It was obvious that he hadn't had a good rest for many days.
When Tian Qi saw Wei Dongling coming towards him, his eyes welled up with tears. With red - rimmed eyes, he stepped forward, bowed his hands, and said, "Young mistress, it's really you! I thought I was mistaken."
Wei Dongling grabbed his sleeve and asked anxiously, "Where is he?"
Tian Qi's eyes got even redder. He glanced around and whispered, "This is not the place to talk."
Wei Dongling was extremely anxious. She grabbed Tian Qi and quickly returned to the inn.
The landlady of the inn was a bit surprised to see Wei Dongling dragging a strange man into the room in a hurry, but she didn't say much.
Wei Dongling closed the door behind her. With red - rimmed eyes, she said, "I heard from the crown prince that Yu Zixi fell off a cliff and there was no trace of his body. As soon as I heard this news, I rushed here in a hurry. I just want to ask you, is what the crown prince said true?"
Hearing this, Tian Qi knelt down on the ground with a thud. Looking pained, he kowtowed repeatedly. Choking with sobs, he said, "It's my fault that I failed to protect the young master! It's all my fault!"
Wei Dongling's heart skipped a beat. She felt dizzy and almost lost her balance.
Tian Qi, still on his knees, was filled with guilt and self - blame. By now, he was sobbing uncontrollably. "About a month ago, the young master and I went to the battlefield to fight bravely. At that time, I was seriously injured and almost unconscious. The young master led the pursuers away and got into a conflict with them. He fell into the cliff alone... When I regained consciousness, I searched below the cliff for many days, but I still found nothing... I haven't dared to tell our master about this until now. Since I haven't seen the body, I still hold a glimmer of hope. I've been secretly inquiring everywhere... Until today, when I saw someone with a cup of Listening to the Wind Tower milk tea, I finally found my way here..."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. Her vision went black, and she fainted.
The climate in the northwest was dry, not half as comfortable as in the capital. The temperature was also low. Even though Wei Dongling was wrapped in a thick blanket, she still shivered all over.
In a half - dream and half - awake state, she felt dizzy and extremely uncomfortable.
Wrapped in a woolen blanket, Wei Dongling whipped her horse and galloped on the official road. There was thick fog ahead, and visibility was low. She stared at the road intently, not daring to be distracted at all. Suddenly, a carriage came charging straight at her at a very high speed. Wei Dongling glanced at the carriage angrily and immediately reined in her horse to slow down and make way. But that one glance made her heart almost stop.
The young man driving the carriage on the opposite side was a handsome young gentleman. He was dressed in brocade clothes and had a fair complexion. His silky black hair fluttered in the wind. He turned his head and gave Wei Dongling a faint smile. His inky eyes were as bright as stars.
Wei Dongling's throat tightened. Isn't this young master Yu Zixi?
Seeing them pass by each other, Wei Dongling was so anxious that she was sweating profusely. She quickly shouted, "Zixi! Yu Zixi!"
But Yu Zixi in the carriage on the opposite side seemed not to hear her shouts at all. He calmly turned his head and left, disappearing from sight in an instant.