A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The intense midday sun, surrounded by a large crowd.

Even though it's still springtime, one can't help but crave a bowl of chilled drink.

Especially when you're feeling hot all over and watching others drink chilled plum juice.

Just imagine what that would taste like...

Faced with those expectant eyes, He Jinglan looked hesitant, "This..."

Of the four maids, Lianxing was skilled in cooking. She said seriously, "Although sour plum drink is a common summer beverage, it is not easy to make it with rich layers yet just the right amount of flavor."

"The combination of sour and sweet, fruity, medicinal, and floral aromas—the recipe has been adjusted countless times to achieve this irresistible flavor."

Green Wax said, "The color and aroma of this soup are different from others just by looking at it."

"Or perhaps you could reconsider, young lady?"

Guangzhu smiled and said coquettishly, "Everyone in our household loves it, so please don't look down on it because it's ordinary. How about we try putting it in the shop?"

The three maids, working in perfect harmony, had already piqued everyone's curiosity and desire to the extreme.

The people around couldn't help but prick up their ears and wait.

He Jinglan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll have someone make another sign later."

"Great!" Many people cheered inwardly.

The maids started chattering again about the opening.

Keen observers extracted key information from their conversation:

The shop, located in the East Market, is a dessert shop specializing in various drinks. It's delicious and affordable, and will open in twelve days. It hasn't been named yet. It's a prime street-front shop near Pingkangfang, and its location is very easy to find.

Nowadays, there is no such thing as a dessert shop in Beijing.

Because drinks like plum juice are only sold when it's hot, and the variety is limited.

Therefore, there are no stores that specialize in these.

Some teahouses sell drinks during the summer, and some restaurants also offer iced drinks and desserts to help diners cool down and whet their appetites.

The rest are iced drinks sold along the street. The owners are mostly local residents, and there are usually only one or two kinds to choose from. They leave as soon as they sell out.

But these are all seasonal.

It's hard to imagine what a shop specializing in beverages would be like.

It's located in the prime real estate area of ​​Dongshi.

If you only have a few common patterns, can you sustain that style for a long time? What will you do when it gets cold?

The top three have not yet arrived, so everyone is just standing here idly.

So the word spread, and more and more people started discussing it.

He Jinglan gave Gu Xixi a knowing look.

This trick was something Gu Xixi came up with on the spur of the moment early in the morning.

The imperial examinations, held every three years, were a grand event that attracted the attention of the entire capital.

People of all social classes lined the streets to watch the top scholar's parade, and the streets were packed with people.

Looking across the entire capital city, is there any larger advertising space that is more advantageous than this?

First, let's advertise among the general public.

Regardless of the final effect of dissemination and conversion, at least an advertisement was placed while watching the excitement, so no money was spent.

why not?

He Jinglan whispered, "Even the heavens are on our side today, it's suddenly so sunny and hot."

"The results are much better than we expected."

Gu Xixi smiled and said softly, "Next up is the flower viewing banquet."

A little while later, several teenagers came running up, shouting, "The top scholar has come from Zhuque Street, and he'll be here in just two more intersections!!"

The people immediately perked up and stared wide-eyed in the direction from which the parade had come.

Just then, Gu Xixi overheard people talking.

Have you heard the strange tale of the illegitimate child in the Fan family?

Where there are many people, there are many gossip stories, which is nothing unusual.

However, the Fan family is a sensitive topic for Gu Xixi and He Jinglan.

The two exchanged a glance, trying to hear as clearly as possible amidst the surrounding noise.

"The Fan family? You mean...the Fan family?"

"Otherwise, who else could it be? The vegetable vendor? The night soil collector?"

Several people chuckled softly.

He then added, "What's so strange about illegitimate children? These powerful and wealthy families have power, influence, and money. It's not unusual for them to keep mistresses, so what's so unusual about them having a few illegitimate children?"

The person who first broke the news seemed to be suppressing a laugh, saying, "That's why I say this is a rare thing."

At this moment, besides Gu Xixi and He Jinglan, countless other pairs of ears quietly perked up.

"It's said that the father of this illegitimate child isn't one of the lower-ranking members of the Fan family, but rather the very top one..."

Gasps of shock rose and fell.

Someone couldn't help but join in, "You mean that one? He must be at least sixty, right?"

"People with money and power are different; they can consume supplements like water. How can their energy levels be the same as ours?"

With a knowing glint in their eyes, the men let out sly, mischievous laughs.

The whistleblower retorted, "What are you thinking? Who said illegitimate children are only newborn babies?"

"That guy is a man in his early twenties!"

"It is said that he was sent away from the capital at a young age and raised outside, but no one knows why."

"And this illegitimate child, a born scoundrel, has been tyrannical and domineering for many years."

"Recently, a case involving the massacre of an entire family was uncovered, and the authorities discovered that he had quite a few lives on his hands!"

An entire family wiped out? Everyone was shocked.

Some people drew parallels to a previous incident in the Jingzhao Prefecture where a woman dressed in mourning clothes beat a drum to appeal for justice.

His words immediately resonated with many.

People speculated that the timing matched, and the woman's petition and what she said were also largely consistent.

This case probably originated from the incident.

Some people sneered, "If this is true, how can an illegitimate child raised in the countryside be so arrogant before even becoming an official? If it hadn't been brought to the attention of the Jingzhao Prefecture, the local government would have ignored it for years."

"This clearly shows that he has powerful backing!"

It's inconvenient to name names, but everyone probably has a pretty good idea who this backer is.

Others have raised new questions.

"You said that with his family's power, even if they disliked the illegitimate child, they could just raise him."

Why must we send him somewhere else?

Another person said, "Actually, we could change his surname. Wouldn't that make it even more discreet?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xixi thought to herself, "This is probably the most crucial part."

why?

He Jinglan whispered in Gu Xixi's ear, "Today you're going to promote our shop, and someone else is on the same page as you, it's like you're telepathically connected."

Gu Xixi sighed helplessly; there was no need to think about this matter at all.

The rumors about illegitimate children are not unfounded, nor did they spread to the streets and among people for no reason.

It seems that someone else is having similar plans.

They all want to take this opportunity to release the news and spread the word.

Mu Nanzhao...

It seems he did indeed get something useful out of Fan Dongping.

Finally, the sound of gongs clearing the way for the parade grew closer and closer.

People gradually stopped talking and turned their attention back to the street.

The imperial guards, dressed in gold and red robes, led the way, looking both majestic and festive.

Behind the long procession, three tall horses can be seen.

On horseback are, in order, the top three scholars: the first-place scholar, the second-place scholar, and the third-place scholar

The lead horse had a red silk flower tied around its neck, with six golden flowers in the center, symbolizing its status as the top scholar.

Guangzhu asked excitedly, "Miss Xixi, is that Lord Jiang?"

"He is even more handsome than the third-ranked scholar!"

Gu Xixi was taken aback. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the girls around her were reacting even more strongly than Guangzhu…