Sanni was initially a bit nervous, but seeing her eldest sister’s composure, she gradually relaxed.
"Here, try our restaurant’s homemade pastries," Ma Zhong said warmly, pushing the desserts toward the two sisters.
"Thank you," Yang Ruxin smiled, picked up a piece of mung bean cake, passed it to her sister first, then took a bite herself, and nodded slightly, "Soft and glutinous, sweet without being cloying; it is indeed delicious." Then she elegantly finished the piece, and only then did she take out the handkerchief Erni had prepared for her and wiped her hands.
Seeing her big sister eating, Sanni also took small bites of her piece. Honestly, with the eldest sister often making delicious food, even baking egg cakes, she wasn’t that hungry for sweets; compared to them, she thought the egg cake her sister made was even tastier.
Ma Zhong was somewhat surprised; these sisters were village girls, yet their manners... reminded him of those from a grand household?
"Shopkeeper Ma," Yang Ruxin put the handkerchief away and, not wanting to waste time, got straight to the point, "I believe you know why we’re here." She said as she placed the basket on the table, "This is the sauce I’ve made; have a taste."
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhong immediately nodded: "Right, the master has instructed us to accept anything Miss Yang brings... Name your price." He didn’t even glance at the three small jars.
Yang Ruxin frowned, feeling somewhat displeased. It was clear that he was considering the face of Qi Yong, thinking that giving her some money for her goods could be reported back to Qi Yong; in that case... She stood up, put the jars back into the basket, and covered it, "If that’s the case, let’s not talk further." With that, she turned to leave.
"Ah, Miss Yang." Ma Zhong frowned, quickly got up and chased after her, "Let’s talk it out, how about three taels of silver?" For the three small jars, one tael of silver each was a high price.
Yang Ruxin didn’t look back as she went downstairs.
"How about ten taels then?" Ma Zhong also chased after her. He really didn’t care for something made by a village girl; if it weren’t for the master’s orders, he wouldn’t have let her in the door at all, but he hadn’t expected this girl to be so greedy.
"Shopkeeper Ma," Yang Ruxin stopped, turned around and looked at Ma Zhong, "You haven’t even asked what I’ve made. You don’t know the taste or how it’s used, yet you’re ready to offer money; I guess even if I had filled those jars with mud or dirt, you would still pay me, right?"
Ma Zhong’s face turned somewhat sheepish because that’s exactly what he was thinking, but he quickly changed his tone, "Come on, let’s have a taste then."
"Heh..." Yang Ruxin suddenly burst into a laugh of annoyance, "Shopkeeper Ma, I am here to do business, not to ask for charity. If Baiwei Restaurant doesn’t appreciate our wares, then why bother pretending and wasting time?"
Ma Zhong’s face was more than a little embarrassed.
"I’ll take my leave." Yang Ruxin said, picking up the basket and leading her sister away.
Ma Zhong opened his mouth to speak but, after all, held back from any further attempt to retain them. In truth, he really didn’t believe a village girl could make anything worth much; he thought ten taels of silver was a generous offer—that was no small amount after all, enough for a country family to live on for over a year. But it seemed he was mistaken... He had to hurry back and report to the master to ensure if there was any blame to be assigned from above, he wouldn’t be the one to shoulder it...