Chapter 29: A Letter from the City
Morning dew clung to the cabbage leaves as Su Yanyue stepped into her small herb garden with a bamboo basket in hand. Birds chirped overhead while chickens scratched lazily nearby, ignoring the triplets who were very obviously plotting something behind the coop.
She didn't even need to ask.
Su Lin had already tied a red ribbon around a rooster's neck. Su Rui was sketching a "chicken delivery system" in the dirt. Su Zhi, as usual, stood watch like a grim little guard.
"Whatever it is," she said without looking up, "the answer is no."
All three froze. Su Lin sighed dramatically. "How do you always know?"
"I'm a witch," she said dryly.
That earned a chorus of suspicious oohs and one accidental noseful of dirt when Su Rui tripped over his own drawing.
Just as she returned to the porch with her morning harvest, a panting messenger boy appeared at the gate. He was dusty, out of breath, and holding a sealed scroll with a red silk knot.
"Message for Miss Su Yanyue!" he wheezed.
She blinked, frowning. "From where?"
"Qinghe Town. The merchant house—Jinxiang Hall!"
Yu Shiming, who was chopping wood nearby, subtly shifted. His eyes narrowed.
The boys dashed forward, surrounding the poor messenger like a pack of wolves smelling fresh meat.
"Is it a contract?"
"Is it love poetry?"
"Did he send tea?!"
"Back," Yanyue warned, lifting the scroll.
She examined the seal—gold-inked and marked with a stylized phoenix.
Showy, she thought.
Opening it, she found a neatly written message from Liu Yuan:
> Esteemed Miss Su,
After much discussion with our board, I humbly extend a second proposal—less binding, more exploratory. Should you agree to a trial batch, we will handle transport, distribution, and offer upfront payment in silver. Your tea has already gained a following here. Several noble households have asked for the "Phoenix Blend."
You need only send a small shipment. One crate will suffice.
No obligations. No contracts—yet.
Respectfully,
Liu Yuan
Below that was a small note scrawled in different handwriting:
> Also, the capital is talking. Your name is catching fire.
P.S. I meant what I said about your tea being unforgettable.
P.P.S. This is not love poetry. Probably.
Yanyue blinked. Then blinked again.
Yu Shiming stepped closer. "Another proposal?"
"Less aggressive," she said, folding the scroll. "A trial batch. Payment up front."
The triplets leaned in like a chorus of curious squirrels.
"Does that mean you're famous now?"
"Can we be rich?"
"Can I order a chicken cart?!"
Yanyue exhaled through a soft laugh. "It means people in the city want our tea."
Yu Shiming didn't say anything for a long moment. Then: "Will you accept?"
"I might. A trial shipment isn't commitment. And silver would help upgrade the drying racks and hire a helper."
His brows furrowed. "Just don't let them pull you in too fast."
"I won't." She looked up at him with calm certainty. "I like growing slow. With my own roots."
The triplets, of course, had already declared themselves "official tea taste testers" and ran around the yard yelling about packaging ideas. Su Rui wanted dragon shapes. Su Zhi suggested hidden fortune messages. Su Lin demanded that each box include a warning label: "May cause people to fall in love with Auntie."