She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 19 Trying to Make Cold Drinks

The scorching sun beat down relentlessly, baking the earth and enveloping every inch of land in a heatwave. Summer is the hottest season of the year, but also the season when all things flourish. The sky is a deep, jewel-like blue, cloudless, and sunlight streams through the atmosphere, rapidly raising the ground temperature as if to bake everything alive.

People sought refuge in the shade, searching for some coolness. Yet, even in such high temperatures, nature remained vibrant and full of life. The lush trees, with their abundant foliage, provided a green haven for people.

Su Yuning and Princess Wan'er were enjoying the cool air in the Imperial Garden of the palace. Although there were natural cooling treats like grapes, watermelons, lychees, and mangoes, Su Yuning still felt hot. She asked curiously...

"Second sister-in-law, does the palace have any ice? I'd like to make an iced drink to cool you down."

Princess Wan'er blushed and said, "Don't talk like that. Your second brother and I aren't married yet. I don't know if we have ice, but we do have an ice cellar."

Su Yuning became interested upon hearing this and immediately asked, "Zun Du is fake? Where is the ice cellar? I want to go and see it!"

Princess Wan'er looked at Su Yuning with some concern and gently asked her, "The ice cellar is different from other cellars. The temperature inside is very low. Are you sure you want to go and take a look?"

Su Yuning nodded in response, "Absolutely, definitely!"

So, the two sisters looked around to make sure no one was watching, and tiptoed toward the ice cellar.

Upon arriving at the ice cellar, the two of them struggled to open the lid before slowly descending the stairs.

At this moment, the cold air in the cellar slowly rose. A newly arrived palace maid passed by and, thinking that someone had gone to the cellar to get something and forgotten to close the lid, kindly helped to close it.

Su Yuning and Princess Wan'er discovered the problem almost at the same time: the cellar had been covered! The ceiling, which used to let in light, was now completely dark.

"Hey! There's someone in the ice cellar, open the lid quickly!" Princess Wan'er shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Help! Someone, please help us!" Su Yuning cried out for help.

However, it was no use, because no one outside responded to them.

Now, the two little girls were a little scared. They were shivering from the cold and would faint soon. So, Princess Wan'er groped her way up the stairs and tried to open the lid, but no matter how hard she tried, the lid wouldn't budge.

Princess Wan'er said to Su Yuning with a hint of sadness, "It's over, we can't get out this time, the lid can't be opened."

Su Yuning didn't think that way. She optimistically told Princess Wan'er, "There's always a way out. As long as we don't give up asking for help, someone will definitely come to our rescue."

Princess Wan'er, having lost all confidence, simply sat on the stairs and resigned herself to fate. Su Yuning retrieved a hammer from the ice cellar, and took it to the top to break the lid.

"Ding ding dong!"

"Ding ding dong dong!"

Finally, someone heard the noise and came over, asking from outside, "Is anyone downstairs? Have you run into trouble?"

Su Yuning immediately recognized him as Young Master Zhao, and quickly responded, "Young Master Zhao, the lid has been closed. Princess Wan'er and I are trapped in the ice cellar, please save us!"

Princess Wan'er's eyelashes were frosted over, and she was shivering from the cold. She was too weak to speak and could only wait for rescue.

Upon hearing that his beloved and his sister were trapped, Young Master Zhao immediately removed the cover and ran down the stairs to rescue them.

Thanks to Young Master Zhao's timely arrival, Su Yuning and Princess Wan'er were spared from death. However, Princess Wan'er was severely chilled and developed a fever that very day.

When the Empress asked about this, Princess Wan'er only said that she wanted to take Su Yuning to the ice cellar to play, and that this matter had nothing to do with Su Yuning. She said that if anyone was to blame, it was someone else who did good deeds but ended up covering up the ice cellar.

For the next few days, Princess Wan'er continued to take herbal medicine. As for Su Yuning, she felt genuinely sorry for Princess Wan'er and kept apologizing. Princess Wan'er wouldn't blame her. If it weren't for her quick thinking, Princess Wan'er probably would never have seen her family again in her life.

In the palace, Princess Wan'er asked Su Yuning, "Weren't you going to make cold drinks? Why aren't you making them?"

Su Yuning looked at Princess Wan'er with a guilty expression, "I don't want to cause any more trouble now. As long as you're alright, I'll be at ease."

Princess Wan'er smiled slightly and replied nonchalantly, "Look, look, I'm all better now, aren't I? Don't worry, I'm fine."

Then, Young Master Zhao arrived and asked the two girls, "Are the cold drinks good? What kind of cold drinks do you want?"

Su Yuning looked at Princess Wan'er with an embarrassed expression, and after a long while, she asked, "What should we do? He overheard our plan."

Princess Wan'er was silent for a moment, then instructed them, "How about this, it's inconvenient with so many people and eyes in the palace, let's go outside to make cold drinks tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Su Yuning immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll prepare the watermelon tomorrow."

At this moment, Young Master Zhao interrupted her, "No need. My restaurant not only has a worktable, but also fruits such as watermelon, grapes, and mangoes. Wan'er can just prepare some ice to take over later."

Su Yuning asked, a little annoyed, "What about me? I can't just eat and drink for free, can I?"

Young Master Zhao chuckled, "You'll be in charge of making the cold drinks. Wan'er and I have no experience in this area, so you'll be fully responsible for the production."

Su Yuning made an "okay" gesture and happily agreed, "Okay!"

Because Ye Beichen had little interaction with the people in the palace, and Su Yuning had been staying at the palace these past few days taking care of Wan'er, Ye Beichen was extremely anxious because he couldn't see Su Yuning. He went to the gift shop several times a day, and each time he would ask for her help.

"Su Muyang, is your sister back?"

Su Muyang said to him impatiently, "Didn't I tell you? She went to the palace to accompany Princess Wan'er. If you need anything after you're done, leave a message and I'll pass it on. Running back and forth like this, I feel tired just watching you."

Ye Beichen didn't know how to leave him a message, so he simply turned around and left the shop.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Su Muyang's shop is very busy. Some customers come to buy drinks, some come to buy mooncakes, and some even come to buy lanterns.

Su Muyang was also puzzled. What were these people thinking? Did they think this place was a department store?

As night fell, Young Master Zhao came to invite Su Muyang to dinner. Su Muyang then recounted to him everything he had seen and heard during the day.

"That Ye Beichen really cares about my sister. He makes several trips a day just to see her."

Young Master Zhao asked curiously,

"So what did you tell him?"

Su Muyang is an honest person; he says what he thinks and doesn't hide anything. So, just tell him the truth.

“I told him my sister wasn’t home and to leave a message if he needed anything, but he wouldn’t talk to me at all and just turned around and left.”

“I’ve treated you well, so you mustn’t side with him!” Young Master Zhao quickly reminded him. “In your heart, you must treat me as your future brother-in-law.”

Su Muyang changed the subject, saying, "Uh, whatever you say. Anyway, it's not up to me to decide my sister's marriage. Ultimately, it's her decision."

After a few rounds of drinks, Su Muyang brought up another matter, "By the way, someone came to ask me today if we sell lanterns. I thought that person was ridiculous, so I just told him no and he left."

Young Master Zhao told him, "To do business, you need to be smart. Don't just think about your own interests and ideas. You must be flexible in your thinking to attract more customers."

"What do you mean?" Su Muyang, who was just starting out in business, couldn't understand what he was saying at all.

Young Master Zhao smiled slightly and explained to him, "You should hire someone to watch the shop. Don't always stay in the shop alone. Go out more, get to know more people. This way you can introduce business to others, and others can also bring you customers, thus achieving a win-win situation and maximizing profits."

Su Muyang was a bit slow-witted and still didn't react. "Asking me to introduce business to others? I still need to manage my shop. I don't have the time for that."

Young Master Zhao said helplessly, "Rotten wood cannot be carved."

“But my business has only just begun. Where would I get so much money to hire someone to help me run the shop? My brother has some employees in his shop, why don’t you lend them to me?” Su Muyang said with a troubled expression.

Young Master Zhao was furious and immediately launched into a tirade against him, "You're so unreliable! You always want something for nothing. Why should you lend me my staff? I paid them all; they only work for my shop. Su Muyang, I think you're not only stupid, but also lazy, always trying to take advantage, and completely lacking in ambition. You're hopeless!"

Although Young Master Zhao made such a comment about him, Mu Yang was not angry. Instead, he humbly asked, "Brother, please tell me your story. I am all ears."

Young Master Zhao responded slowly, "For example, if you are friends with the owner of the lantern stall at the night market, you can introduce people to buy lanterns from his stall. Later, when his relatives and friends want to buy gifts, they will definitely recommend buying from you. This is what is called a win-win situation."

"I see, I've learned something. I can mind the shop during the day and spend my evenings socializing with other business people and making friends. Gradually, I'll build my own network." Su Muyang understood immediately.

"That's the right way to understand it. You're a promising young man!" Young Master Zhao felt a sense of satisfaction at his progress.

Just then, Ye Beichen and his men also came to Shili Xiang Restaurant for a meal, so they met again.

Or perhaps Young Master Zhao wanted Ye Beichen to back down, so he deliberately spoke loudly to Su Muyang.

"Tomorrow, Su Yuning and Wan'er are coming to my shop. They're going to make some cold drinks for me to try. You should come along too, Su Muyang!"

Su Muyang was sitting with his back to Ye Beichen and the others, so he didn't see them. He readily agreed, "Okay! But what should I do if Ye Beichen asks about my sister's whereabouts?"

Young Master Zhao instructed him, "Just respond openly and honestly, since Su Yuning doesn't have time to spend with him anyway."

This immediately ignited Ye Beichen's competitive spirit, and he walked over to Zhao Gongzi, launching a vicious provocation.

"What a coincidence! My Ni Chang Ge branch is opening tomorrow, and I'm planning to set up a cold drink stall to entertain passersby. I reckon Su Yuning won't be going to your restaurant, Young Master Zhao. Sorry to disappoint you!"

"You! That's too much!" Young Master Zhao stood up angrily and pointed at Ye Beichen, launching into a tirade, "Eavesdropping on other people's conversations, you're just being dishonest!"

Ye Beichen first raised an eyebrow, then stretched his limbs, and then assumed a fighting stance before asking, "Oh?! Is that so? You seem to want to have a match? I'm a martial artist, don't go looking for trouble!"

Su Muyang didn't want them to have a conflict in public, so he quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Brothers, let's talk this out calmly and prioritize harmony!"

At this moment, Young Master Zhao said angrily, "It's clearly him who's being unfair! Su Yuning agreed to make cold drinks for me first, and Ye Beichen only just found out about Yuning's situation, and he immediately wants to steal the limelight. You're Su Yuning's brother, you can't be unreasonable, can you?"

Well, Su Muyang was in a bind. Both young masters were his friends, and they both liked the same girl. Whom should he side with? The more he thought about it, the angrier and more annoyed he became. Su Muyang then gave instructions to the two of them...

"Wait a moment, I'll go call Su Yuning over. Let her decide what to do tomorrow!"