Chapter 75: Tiny Marketers, Big Mayhem
The afternoon sun turned the Qinghe Town market into a glittering maze of colors. Stalls bustled with merchants selling silks, carved trinkets, and steaming street food. Amid it all stood the Phoenix Fragrance stall, its delicate banner rippling proudly above baskets of fragrant tea leaves.
"Alright, boys," Su Yanyue said, crouching to the triplets' level. "Stay near the stall. No fighting, no wandering—"
"We know, Mama!" Su Lin said with a dazzling grin.
"We'll be your best helpers ever!" Su Rui added, chest puffed.
"We have… ideas," Su Zhi finished ominously.
Before Yanyue could question what exactly "ideas" meant, the triplets scattered like startled sparrows.
The first clue of their "help" came moments later, when a string of startled exclamations rose from the lane opposite the stall.
Su Rui stood in the middle of foot traffic, waving a self-painted sign that read:
"TRY TEA! GROW AS STRONG AS OUR FATHER!"
"Little boy, is that true?" an old man asked, peering down.
Su Rui pointed dramatically at Yu Shiming—who happened to be moving crates nearby—his tall frame and broad shoulders gleaming in the sun. "Look at him! He drinks our tea every day!"
Gasps spread like wildfire.
Meanwhile, Su Lin had accosted a group of women browsing hairpins. "Aunties! Do you want to be prettier than the town belle?" He held up a pouch of rose-scented tea. "One cup a day and you'll glow like the moon!"
The women squealed in delighted disbelief. Soon, they were rushing toward the Phoenix Fragrance stall, coins jingling.
And Su Zhi—sweet, quiet Su Zhi—had set up a tiny "tea-tasting station" on an overturned crate. He served warm samples with a solemn face, praising every sip in a voice too serious for a three-year-old: "Notice the hints of wild chrysanthemum? The subtle grassy notes? Good, yes?"
A crowd gathered around him, giggling at his miniature seriousness—and then actually tasting the tea.
Back at the stall, Su Yanyue was bombarded by new customers.
"I heard your tea makes you strong?"
"Will it really make my skin fairer?"
"Your little son explained the flavor so well—can I buy two tins?"
Yanyue's jaw dropped. "I… of course! Thank you!"
Yu Shiming arrived at her side, arms folded. His lips twitched faintly. "Your sons have unconventional marketing techniques."
"Unconventional?" She gaped at the long line forming at their stall. "They're going to bankrupt me on free samples!"
"It's effective," he said, his eyes softening as he watched the triplets.
A sudden commotion rose as Su Rui tried to barter a cup of tea for a pigeon from a passing bird seller. The seller looked half-amused, half-panicked.
"Boys!" Yanyue called, hurrying over. "You cannot trade tea for pigeons!"
"But we wanted to send you a message from the market square," Su Lin explained innocently. "Like a real merchant!"
She swept them into a hug before they could argue further, planting a kiss on each forehead. "You are little whirlwinds," she sighed.
"But we made you rich!" Su Zhi whispered triumphantly.
By sundown, the Phoenix Fragrance stall had sold out entirely, leaving only the banner swaying in the warm evening breeze. Villagers and townspeople alike buzzed with excitement about the new tea in town.
And as Yanyue gathered the triplets, their sticky cheeks glowing with pride, she realized this chaos—this joy—was exactly what made every hardship worth it.