Chapter Forty: Isn't This Getting Better?

Su Lang, Su Dan, and a group of young men from the Su family had all risen early, gathering friends to head to Taiping Town for the temple fair. Along the way, they laughed and joked, roughhousing as they walked, and by the time they reached the town, the sun was already high in the sky.

It was no wonder the youths longed for this day; the temple fair in Taiping Town was indeed lively. By the riverside stood the River Lord’s Temple, dedicated not to some local deity but to the famed Lord Jiang, known throughout the land. Strictly speaking, this was more of a rural shrine than a proper temple, but in these far-flung corners of the empire, any place to pray was welcome—who cared about such distinctions?

The incense burned brightly in the River Lord’s Temple, drawing those seeking children, safety, wealth, or even wishing their mothers-in-law would depart swiftly. No matter if Lord Jiang could grant their requests; all came to pray. With so many visitors, vendors soon gathered outside the temple, and over time, the temple fair grew. The grand fair held every first month was especially bustling, stretching from the temple doors to the riverbank and the edge of town, with more than a mile of blue stone road packed with crowds.

Children wearing tiger-head hats sat atop their fathers’ shoulders, clutching pinwheels in one hand and pointing at the candy stalls with the other, babbling about wanting one. The old man making sugar figures wandered his brass ladle over the iron plate, pouring out golden sugar fish in a blink. His bamboo tray was filled with sugar-crafted shrimp and crabs, captivating the children’s gaze.

Nearby, the bamboo craftsman deftly wove dragonflies and grasshoppers, tying them to sticks with fine thread. When the wind blew, their wings fluttered, drawing the children’s attention once more.

There were also stalls frying “Qin Hui”—throwing two dough figurines into the hot oil, with children clapping and cheering, “Fry hard, fry fierce! It’s best when golden and crispy…” The man selling “Three Cannons” was not to be outdone, swinging his arms to slam glutinous rice cakes onto a copper board, producing booming sounds like cannon fire.

Vendors selling tonic pills, monkey trainers, opera singers—all attracted crowds, and the scene was lively beyond compare.

The youths’ eyes could scarcely take it all in, lamenting that their parents hadn’t given them more eyes. Su Dan, ever reliable, reminded them, “We should find Brother Qiu first.”

“With so many people, how are we supposed to find him?” they fretted.

“Didn’t he say he’d be in the most conspicuous spot?” piped up chubby Su Lang.

“Where’s the most conspicuous?” They looked around, spotting a tall bamboo pole with a basket some hundred steps ahead.

A pale blue flag hung from the pole, emblazoned with two large orange characters—“Sweet Water!”—standing out amid the temple fair.

Thanks to Boss Zhu’s promotion of public education, most men in Ming knew these characters. For those who didn’t, an orange pinwheel spun atop the flagpole, looking for all the world like a giant orange.

The “Big Orange” even emitted a melodious whistle, causing crowds to look up. While everyone else competed on level ground, this stall towered above, fanciful and eye-catching. The youths exclaimed in unison, “Could it be there?”

“Let’s check it out!” Su Lang called, leading the group toward the flagpole.

Upon arrival, they found Su Lu beneath the pole, setting up a stall with Mrs. He. Many were drawn by the giant pinwheel, but most only came to gawk.

At this point, their business had yet to begin.

“What are you selling?” the youths asked, pointing at the neatly arranged bamboo tubes.

Su Lu gestured to the sign behind him, “Sweet Water.”

“How much?” Su Lang asked.

Su Lu pointed to two wooden boards: the left read, “Golden Kumquat Honey Dew—Five coins per pot,” the right, “Sweet Honey—Three coins per pot.”

“A bit expensive, isn’t it?” clever Su Dan remarked. “The other stalls sell big bowls of tea for just one coin.”

“Why not say the river water costs nothing?” Su Lu retorted loudly. “They sell to quench thirst, we offer sweet enjoyment. Three coins is a bargain.”

“Here, try it.” Mrs. He warmly handed each youth a bamboo tube. Today, she wore a simple dress and blue headscarf instead of mourning clothes, looking gracious and approachable.

With a beautiful aunt treating them kindly, the youths were charmed, quickly accepting the tubes and thanking her, their hearts aflutter.

Only chubby Su Lang focused on the drink itself. He examined the bamboo tube closely, squinting at the small hole, “How do you drink this?”

“Use this,” Su Lu handed him a straw made of rice stalk.

Su Lang inserted the straw, bringing it to his lips and sipping. Instantly, a sweet and tart, cool and refreshing sensation filled his mouth, with a hint of fizz from the fermented sweet brew.

His eyes lit up, exclaiming, “This is delicious!”

He eagerly took another sip, smacking his lips, “Wonderful! I’ve never tasted such good sweet water!”

Su Lu felt a bit embarrassed, thinking the performance overdone—it was obvious he was acting as a shill.

To Su Lu, the drink was pleasant enough, but nothing extraordinary, especially watered down. It hardly deserved such praise.

“Is he exaggerating?” clever Su Dan doubted, but took a straw, tried a sip, and closed his eyes to savor.

“How is it?” the others asked.

“No exaggeration, it’s really tasty!” Su Dan gave a thumbs up.

“It’s rare for clever Dan to praise something!” The youths grew interested, all sipping through straws.

“Yes, it’s truly delicious!”

“So satisfying!” Without exception, they all praised it.

Su Lu couldn’t help but wonder—were their taste buds simply unaccustomed to such flavors?

“What’s so good about it?” he asked.

“It tastes like orange and it’s sweet,” Su Lang, grandson of the chief brewer, explained, “and it’s cool and refreshing, leaving a slight fizz in your mouth, addictive.”

“Let me try,” Su Lu opened a tube and tasted it himself. It was indeed slightly better than before, mainly due to a subtle tingly sensation that enhanced the flavor.

Su Lu recognized this feeling well—it was like carbonated water! Of course, the bubbles were weak, just a slight fizz…

Perhaps the sweet brew reacted with the orange juice? Su Lu lacked the chemistry knowledge to explain it, but it was a good thing regardless.

“The cost per cup must be high, right?” Su Lang called out.

“Indeed. ‘Sweet Water Ji’ spared no expense to give back to the people and open the market!” Su Lu nodded, speaking loudly, “Each tube costs nine coins, but for the first four days, we’re selling for just three coins! Only three coins!”

“But won’t you lose money?” clever Dan asked loudly.

“No worries, the boss said we’re losing money for the publicity, building our reputation first!” Su Lu replied, “If you like it, please help spread the word!”

He lowered his voice, “That’s enough praise here. Each take a tube and walk around—wherever there are children, rave about it! If you bring business, the boss lady will reward you generously!”

“Yes, please, young sirs,” Mrs. He added with a graceful bow. The youths, fired up, patted their chests, “Leave it to us!”

With that, each took a tube of Golden Kumquat Honey Dew and scattered across the fair.

They wandered the market, sipping from their bamboo tubes, shouting, “Wow, how is there something so delicious in the world?!”

“It’s just too good!” Their performances were exaggerated, clearly fake, but for the children riding atop their fathers’ shoulders, it worked perfectly! Their eyes were drawn by the loud praises, spotting the bamboo tubes and straws.

This novel way of drinking mesmerized the little ones, who began wriggling and whining, “Daddy, I want one too.”

“Hey old man, I want to try it too.”

Fathers, eager to please their children at the temple fair, asked the youths, “Young man, where did you get that?”

“That big flagpole over there, with ‘Sweet Water’ written on it,” the youths pointed to the whirring orange pinwheel.

“The big windmill!” For the children, nothing else mattered; they urged their “mounts” straight to the Sweet Water stall.

~~

At the stall, business still hadn’t started, making things awkward.

Many adults, having seen the youths’ enthusiastic performances, were curious—was the sweet water really that good?

Yet, it was hard to get grown-ups to part with three or five coins just to try something new—three coins could buy a bowl of rice porridge!

If they spent the money on novelty, they’d have less for wine…

“Is our price a bit high?” Mrs. He whispered nervously to Su Lu.

“Let’s wait a bit,” Su Lu replied, struggling to stay calm. “People may not spend on themselves, but they’ll spend on their children.”

He added, “Besides, we only sell for three coins, any less and there’s almost no profit.”

“Fair enough, let’s wait then,” Mrs. He agreed.

Luckily, they didn’t wait long. The children finally arrived, pointing at the bamboo tubes and shouting, “Here it is, here it is!”

“I want one!”

“Alright, alright,” the fathers asked Mrs. He, “How much per tube?”

“Three coins, five coins,” she answered crisply.

“Let’s try a three-coin tube,” a father hesitated—not about buying, but whether to buy the five-coin option.

“Certainly!” Su Lu eagerly took the money. Mrs. He handed over a tube and straw, smiling sweetly, “Please enjoy.”

“Drink up,” the father mimicked the youths, inserting the straw and holding the tube overhead. The child craned his neck, sipping eagerly, instantly captivated by the sweet, tart, cool, and slightly fizzy sensation. “It’s so delicious!” he piped.

The father felt the money well spent, asking more politely, “Ma’am, can we take it to go?”

“Of course,” Mrs. He nodded. “Just pay one coin deposit.”

“Alright,” the father quickly paid. The bamboo tube was beautifully crafted, likely costing more than a coin to make—no one expected the stall to give them away for free. After all, you can’t take the dishes from a restaurant.

And it was a good excuse to come see the lovely proprietress again…

With the first father and son setting the example, others had no choice but to buy as well. Soon, fathers were all reaching into their purses, each buying a tube and leaving the Sweet Water stall. Children rode on their backs, sipping as they walked, not missing a moment of the fair.

The children, being the best advertisement, naturally drew more kids to buy “Sweet Water.”

Soon, the stall was crowded, and business was booming!

ps. Thank you, everyone—it's the end of the month! Anyone have votes left?

Also, opening a casting thread—currently need classmates and teachers for the protagonist’s academy, all are welcome to sign up!