Xu Fan's business grew more and more prosperous.
By noon, when he closed his stall, the two large baskets of green vegetables were completely sold out.
After deducting the 'protection fee' for Liu Dao, he still made a net profit of over two hundred coppers.
"Come on, Big Brother will treat you to something delicious."
Xu Fan pulled the still somewhat sullen Xu Chengbo into a noodle shop by the roadside and grandly ordered two bowls of shredded pork noodles.
When the steaming hot noodles, glistening with oil and fragrant with meat, were brought to the table, Xu Chengbo's eyes widened.
He picked up his chopsticks and began to devour them, his eyes unknowingly turning red.
This was the first time he had eaten in a restaurant since he was born.
"Big Brother..." he mumbled, his mouth full of noodles, "Can we do this every day from now on?"
"Yes," Xu Fan looked at him and nodded seriously, "As long as we're willing to work hard, things will be even better than this in the future."
Since paying the two hundred coppers protection fee at the vegetable market that day, Xu Fan's vegetable selling business had firmly established itself in Qingyang Town.
His vegetables, with their quality far surpassing that of his peers, quickly gained renown.
Every morning, there was always a long queue in front of his stall.
Many wealthy families even sent their servants specifically to order from him, and even the largest restaurant in town, Yingxian Restaurant, sent people to discuss long-term cooperation with him.
Xu Fan did not immediately agree to Yingxian Restaurant.
He knew that once a long-term contract was signed with a restaurant, although stable, the price would be suppressed.
He chose a more flexible approach: limited supply.
Every day, he only brought two baskets of vegetables to sell, and once they were sold out, he closed his stall.
Those who came late would have to wait until tomorrow.
This 'hunger marketing' approach made his vegetables seem even more precious.
The price, which started at two-tenths higher than the market price, gradually rose to three-tenths, and even four-tenths higher.
Even so, they were still in short supply.
After half a month, the Xu Family alone earned a full three taels of silver from selling vegetables!
This amount of money, for an ordinary farming family, was an astronomical figure.
The family's rice jar and flour jar were all filled to the brim.
Yan Aini even bought new cotton and made thick new quilts for the entire family.
The children's complexions also became rosy.
Even the grandparents, who had been bedridden for years, looked much better with adequate nutritional care, and occasionally could get out of bed and walk a few steps in the courtyard.
But Xu Chengbo always had a knot in his heart.
That was Liu Dao.
Every day, Liu Dao would appear on time, like a landlord collecting rent, taking three-tenths of Xu Fan's income.
Every time he saw Big Brother calmly hand over the money, Xu Chengbo felt a surge of anger.
"Big Brother, we can't keep indulging him!" That evening, Xu Chengbo finally couldn't hold back, "He doesn't do anything, so why does he get tens or even hundreds of coppers from us every day for free! That's enough for our family to eat for several days!"
Xu Fan was in the courtyard, guiding his younger siblings in identifying herbs, and smiled when he heard this.
"Do you think the money I've given over the past half month was for nothing?"
"Isn't it?" Xu Chengbo asked, puzzled.
"Haven't you noticed? Recently, none of the vegetable vendors in the market who were jealous of our business have come to cause trouble." Xu Fan picked up a stalk of blood-staunching grass and handed it to his younger sister, Xu Wenwen, "That's what that money bought."
"But..."
"Chengbo, remember, a problem that can be solved with money is not a problem." Xu Fan stood up, clapped the dirt from his hands, "When the water in the ditch is full, it will naturally overflow. Now, the time is almost right."
The next day, when Liu Dao, as usual, arrived at Xu Fan's stall with two henchmen, swaggering, Xu Fan did not hand over the money as he usually did.
"Lord Liu, good morning." Xu Fan greeted him politely.
"Hmm." Liu Dao extended his hand, naturally waiting to collect the money.
Xu Fan, however, took out the two largest and freshest cabbages from his basket and handed them over.
"Lord Liu, these vegetables today are on me."
Liu Dao's brows furrowed tightly.
The two henchmen behind him also looked grim.
"Kid, what do you mean?" Liu Dao's voice was cold, "You think you can get rid of me with two rotten vegetables?"
"Lord Liu, that's not what I mean." Xu Fan said unhurriedly, "What I mean is, from today onwards, the tribute money I pay you will no longer be given. But in the future, if Lord Liu comes to buy vegetables from me, I'll give you a twenty percent discount."
The surrounding air instantly dropped to freezing point.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at this scene in horror.
This outsider, how dare he openly challenge Liu Dao's authority? Was he tired of living?
"Ha... hahaha..."
Liu Dao laughed in extreme anger, he violently threw the two cabbages to the ground and crushed them to a pulp with his foot.
"Kid, am I giving you too much face?" He grabbed Xu Fan's collar, his spit almost spraying onto his face, "Say that again?!"
Xu Chengbo's eyes turned red, and he picked up a nearby carrying pole, about to rush forward.
"Don't move!" Xu Fan shouted at him.
He looked at Liu Dao, who was close at hand, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple.
"Lord Liu, I advise you to let go of your hand and pay for my vegetables."
"Oh ho? You dare to threaten me? You dare to demand compensation?" Liu Dao sneered, the strength in his hand increasing, "Not only will I not let go today, but I'm also going to smash your stall!"
As he spoke, he raised his other hand, about to slap Xu Fan's face!
Just then, a clear, cold voice came from outside the crowd.
"Liu San, stop."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a middle-aged man in a green long gown with an elegant face, slowly approaching, surrounded by two house servants, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.
Liu Dao's raised hand froze in mid-air. When he clearly saw who it was, his expression changed drastically, like a mouse seeing a cat, and he instantly let go of his hand, a fawning smile appearing on his face.
"St-Steward Zhang! Why have you come?" He bowed and scraped, rushing to meet him, "What wind blew you here?"
The newcomer was none other than Zhang Desheng, the head steward of Master Chen, the richest man in Qingyang Town.
The Chen Family was the true local emperor of Qingyang Town.
Zhang Desheng ignored Liu Dao and walked up to Xu Fan, his gaze first falling on the spoiled green vegetables on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed, then he looked Xu Fan up and down, and politely cupped his hands.
"Presumably, this is young master Xu Fan, right?"
Xu Fan straightened his collar and returned the bow, neither humble nor arrogant: "It is I. May I ask what instructions Steward has?"
"I wouldn't dare to give instructions." Zhang Desheng smiled slightly, "My Master has recently caught a cold and has a poor appetite. The cooks in the manor have tried various methods, but Master couldn't eat anything."
"Only a few days ago, I asked someone to buy the green vegetables you grew, young master, and made a vegetarian soup. After Master drank it, he praised it endlessly and even ate an extra bowl of rice."
He took out a silver ingot, weighing a full five taels, from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Fan.
"My Master said that your vegetables, young master, are well grown. This silver is a reward for you."
"Additionally, Master would like to ask you, young master, to set aside three catties of the freshest vegetables for our Chen Manor every day from now on. The price will be double the market price."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire market erupted in an uproar!
Everyone looked at Xu Fan with eyes as if he were a monster.