"Oh, so if it’s a girl, you’ll feel let down?" Yang Chuxia exclaimed.
"Sis, you’re really so boring!"
Yang Qingtong rolled her eyes at her and walked away.
Yang Qingrui did the same, "Sis, you’re really so boring!"
"Gosh, these two brats just get less adorable as they grow up."
At the side, Mu Shaoling scratched the corner of his mouth, "I also think you’re too idle! Instead of paying attention to these trivial matters, why not focus more on your family business? Don’t cry when someone steals it from you."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chuxia was somewhat suspicious, "What do you mean by that?"
Putting down the cup in his hand, Mu Shaoling said, "I got some news recently. I don’t know if it has anything to do with your family."
I’ve heard that someone has been buying up a kind of spice called Sichuan pepper in large quantities in various shops!" Mu Shaoling’s voice was slow and relaxed, but what he said made Yang Chuxia feel uneasy.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Yang Chuxia yelled at him before running off.
Mu Shaoling shrugged, thinking, didn’t he just forget to mention it?
"Fugui, call Qingyou and bring two more people with you to the town to buy Sichuan pepper for me. Don’t miss any spice shops. If you can’t buy any, find out which family bought all of it!"
"Also, Xiu’er, check how much Sichuan pepper we have left in our house and how long it will last!"
Following Yang Chuxia’s stream of orders, Fugui and Xiu’er both went to carry them out.
Yang Chuxia ran back to her room, thinking about what other ingredients could replace the Sichuan pepper. But for the moment, she couldn’t think of any good substitutes.
By evening, Fugui returned from the town.
"Miss, I’m afraid it’s not very good news!" Fugui said, "There aren’t many spice shops in the town, and we’ve been to all of them. None of them have any Sichuan pepper, and even the stock coming in for the next two months has been reserved by someone."
"Oh, who reserved it?" Yang Chuxia asked calmly.
"The Li Family in town!"
The Li Family? Yang Chuxia knew them. Their young master played "Three Flies" with Yang Aoshuang and was the one who took a fancy to Old Uncle Shen’s daughter, Shen Qiu.
"Tomorrow, split up into two groups. One group goes to the county’s spice shops, the other to Lin Town’s spice shops. See if there’s any Sichuan pepper available. If there is, buy all of it regardless of the amount.
After giving these orders, Yang Chuxia asked Xiu’er, "How much Sichuan pepper do we have left, as you checked in the afternoon?"
"Miss, there’s not much Sichuan pepper left at home, just over five kilograms. It might be enough to make drunken crabs and drunken shrimp a few times, but it won’t be enough for frying nuts and dried goods. We won’t be able to make numbing and spicy flavors."
Yang Chuxia thought for a while and said, "Just focus on the drunken crabs and drunken shrimp for now. The shrimp paste and other dishes can wait. The drunken crabs are the foundation of our family business."
"This servant understands!"
After the people left, Yang Chuxia stayed in the study for a while before coming out, only to find Ye Zi’an standing at the door of the study.
"What’s up? Is the problem serious?"
Yang Chuxia thought for a moment and replied, "It’s not that serious. Sichuan pepper may be scarce in Funan, but it can be found in other places. The Li Family can’t control all the spice shops in the entire Great Zhou. I’m just wondering, why is the Li Family suddenly buying up so much Sichuan pepper? Are they really trying to compete with my family’s business?"