"I thought this chili pepper would no longer be sold, but I didn't expect it!"
"Hey, these green peppers and pork are stir-fried together. It's a perfect match. Before, I was worried that I would never be able to eat such good food again."
"A pound only costs eight cents, and even an ordinary people's home can buy a pound a month, along with some pork..."
"Think about the current price of pepper, which is almost two pounds per pound. This is really cheap."
"If there are more of these peppers in the future, the price will definitely drop. Then ordinary people like us, like those nobles, can eat these peppers every day."
"Although the price of these dried chili peppers is a bit expensive, they also said just now that you can buy them one or two. If you buy one or two, it is almost the same as the price of a pound of chili peppers."
"I heard that this dried chili is better than pepper."
The streets of West City were already packed with people who had heard the news.
It's really hard to squeeze in.
Zhao Chen and Li Ruoshuang stood at the back, looking at the people of Chang'an City who were crowding in front of them, with joy on their faces.
As long as this chili pepper is recognized by the people, Zhao Chen will be absolutely sure to hold this industry in his own hands.
First of all, since he had helped the emperor so much, it was hard for him to get involved in this lucrative business.
In addition, there are those aristocratic families who control huge wealth through pepper.
The emergence of chili peppers will definitely hit their foundation economically.
Coupled with the popularity of cheap paper and movable type printing, it won't be long before the family's prestige will plummet.
"Oh, I regret now that I made such a big fuss." Zhao Chen said with a smile to the three people around him.
"What's wrong? Are you worried about those aristocratic families?" Li Ruoshuang looked at Zhao Chen and said with a smile.
"After all, we are a wealthy family with many means. If the emperor doesn't protect me, then I will really be dead."
"This time, it's really a bit of an adventure." Zhao Chen smiled and said.
His only bet now is that the emperor will go all out and completely break with the family.
Protect his life, Zhao Chen.
In fact, Zhao Chen had started to worry before. In order to annoy the emperor more thoroughly, he only provoked the shopkeepers yesterday.
Let them say such treasonous words in front of the emperor.
The emperor was very angry, but in the final analysis, the emperor's mind was not as easy to see through as ordinary people.
"Don't worry, we will all stand with you. If I can't stay in Chang'an City anymore, I will wander around the world with my father just like my mother did when she was young." Li Ruoshuang comforted her.
"Zhao Chen, don't worry. The two of us are definitely on your side. The worst we can do is escape Chang'an City with you."
"Yes, anyway, my father is gradually getting better, and maybe he can have another child..."
Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu expressed their opinions one after another.
This made Zhao Chen feel very heartwarming.
"Okay." Zhao Chen nodded, his eyes falling on the chili sales place in front.
After all, we are at the feet of the Emperor, and the people of Chang'an City have some spare money.
Besides, they already knew that the chili tastes very good.
Now that it is so cheap, many people want to buy some and go back to taste it.
"I want a pound of green peppers. Give me some fresh ones."
"I want it too. I want five kilograms. Give me one more."
"Hey, after you have finished buying, can you let me in? I want to buy eight taels of dried chili peppers."
"Hey, hey, don't squeeze, my shoes will be stepped on by you bastards."
In the crowded crowd, there were sounds of panic buying and curses from time to time.
The spending power of the people in Chang'an City gave Zhao Chen a completely new impression.
"Zhao Chen, we are really going to make a lot of money today." Cheng Chumo put his arm on Zhao Chen's shoulders and looked at the crowd of people rushing to buy in front of him with excitement.
"Zhao Chen, do you think the day our bookstore opens will be as lively as today?" Qin Huaiyu asked in anticipation.
They have been running around for the bookstore.
If the bookstore is not ready by then, I don't know how disappointed I will be.
"Don't worry, don't you still know what Zhao Chen is capable of?"
"He didn't do that thing perfectly." Li Ruoshuang added from the side, her eyes shining when she looked at Zhao Chen.
Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu looked at each other with strange smiles on their faces.
"Lao Cheng, Xiao Qin, the queen is here, go and pick her up for me." Zhao Chen said to the two of them with a look of confusion on his face.
"Ah?" the two asked in surprise.
Looking to the side and ahead, he saw Empress Changsun dressed in casual clothes, slowly coming towards this side under the protection of several strong men.
…
"Brother, I want two kilograms of dried chili peppers."
The customers who wanted to buy pepper at the entrance of Hu's store squeezed in front of a strong man.
"Okay." The strong man responded loudly, quickly weighed out two kilograms of dried chili peppers in his hand, and wrapped them tightly in coarse cloth.
"Master, two pounds... Master Luo, when will you return to Chang'an City?" The strong man raised his head and saw the guest in front of him, with a trace of surprise on his face.
"Just came back." The young man named Luo smiled.
"Young Master Luo, my young master has been talking about you for a long time. He is right behind you. He is not as good as you..."
"Forget it, I still have things to do here. I'll go find him later." The young man named Luo smiled.
"Hey, okay, then walk slowly!" the strong man said with a smile.
The former shopkeeper Hu Shang felt panicked when he saw that the customer who just wanted to buy his own pepper actually bought two kilograms of dried peppers.
But his only hope was that the taste of dried chili peppers was not as good as pepper.
Only in this way will the price of pepper not be affected.
After thinking for a moment, shopkeeper Hu Shang gritted his teeth, squeezed to the front, and said, "Please give me a dollar for dried chili peppers!"
"One dollar?" The muscular man was stunned.
Before the meeting, shopkeeper Hu Shang was dressed very luxuriously, but when he asked, he only wanted one cent for dried chili peppers.
The level of stinginess is simply unheard of.
"Our shopkeeper said that if someone only wants one or two yuan of dried chili peppers, just give them two."
"Now, these two chili peppers are for you." The strong man picked out two dried chili peppers and handed them to the shopkeeper Hu Shang in front of him.
Shopkeeper Hu Shang looked slightly ugly, knowing that he had been laughed at by the man in front of him.
But I dare not feel dissatisfied at all.
He took two dried chili peppers and quickly squeezed out of the crowd.
After running back to his shop and closing the door, shopkeeper Hu Shang couldn't wait to take out a dried chili pepper.
Just stuff it into your mouth.
After a few breaths, shopkeeper Hu Shang burst into tears.
…
"Zhao Chen, you can make a good sum of money again today."
Under the protection of Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu, Queen Changsun walked up to Zhao Chen and spoke to him with a smile.
"I just made a little profit." Zhao Chen smiled, really guessing the purpose of Queen Changsun's visit.
Chang'an City West Market is too chaotic.
If Empress Changsun wanted to see her, she would definitely go to the tavern instead of coming here.
The reason why she came here must have some special meaning.
Could it be Lao Litou...
"As soon as you rolled your eyes, you must be arranging someone else in your mind." Empress Changsun looked at Zhao Chen and spat softly.?