"Second Brother, what is this called? This..."
Chun Tao's eyes were narrowed to slits.
However, this couldn't entirely be blamed on her. After all, in these times, sweets were a true luxury.
"Just tell me, how does this taste? How does it compare to those sugar-coated confections?" Han Mo asked with a smile.
"This taste is absolutely wonderful. I've never eaten anything this sweet before," Chun Tao replied seriously after recalling the taste.
"This isn't even the correct way to eat it. Here, let me get you a cup of brown sugar water first. In winter, ginger sugar water is truly the ultimate delicacy."
As Han Mo spoke, he took out the bowls and chopsticks they used for meals from a cabinet. After adding two pieces of brown sugar, he directly scooped a ladle of boiling water from the nearby pot and poured it in. Stirring it simply, he handed it directly to Chun Tao.
The little maid had followed Han Mo since she was young. With just the two of them present, she no longer stood on ceremony. She never refused anything Han Mo handed her.
After taking a shallow sip, the little maid was clearly scalded. However, the sweet taste made her unwilling to spit out the hot water in her mouth.
"I told you to drink slowly, I'm not going to snatch it from you!" Han Mo said, smiling at the little maid's adorable demeanor.
"Second Brother, you drink too!" Chun Tao's face immediately flushed with a blush at Han Mo's words. Her adorable look truly made Han Mo's heart flutter.
"This is specifically for women. It is a supreme nourishment! It is not suitable for men!"
Although in later generations, archery would only be seen in competitions, the professionalism of this sport had greatly improved. As a seasoned coach in the industry, Han Mo naturally had strict requirements for his physique. The first thing any athlete had to do was control their sugar intake. Therefore, sweets were essentially a "luxury item" for him. It wasn't about how precious they were, but he would only occasionally reward himself with a cup of sugary water during festivals. At other times, to maintain his physique, he would mostly avoid such things. Even though he was no longer an archery coach, this habit was difficult to break.
"Alright then..." The little maid drank the brown sugar water while secretly peeking at Han Mo with her eyes. Whether it was Chun Tao's psychology or the actual efficacy of the brown sugar water, after drinking this bowl of steaming hot brown sugar water, her cheeks turned completely red.
"How do you feel?" Han Mo asked again after watching the little maid finish the bowl of brown sugar water.
"I feel warm all over. Even my hands and feet are much warmer!" The little maid's voice was as quiet as a mosquito's whisper, perhaps due to shyness. If Han Mo's hearing hadn't been exceptionally good, he wouldn't have been able to hear what she was saying.
"How much do you think we should sell this for?" Han Mo chuckled inwardly. The reason her hands and feet were warm was due to the large amount of ginger juice added. Even drinking a bowl of ginger soup would have a similar effect, but the sweetness did cover up many other issues. The method of making this was not difficult at all; it was merely a matter of understanding the concept. Han Mo, having traveled from later generations, understood the principle of scarcity driving value. In this era, although ordinary commoners lived only on the verge of subsistence, both the official families and the landlords were now incredibly wealthy. Rather than letting this wealth fall into the hands of barbarians a few years later, it was better to benefit himself now.
"We spent eighty guan to buy the ingredients. What we made is about less than forty jin. Based on this, how about three guan per jin?" the little maid said thoughtfully.
"You only earn one guan per jin? You're underestimating the wealthy families in Tokyo!" Han Mo said, giving the little maid a sidelong glance.
"Then, Second Brother, how much do you think it should be?" Chun Tao's eyes widened.
"Add a zero after your price, and that should be about right!"
"Thirty guan? How is that possible? If you sell it this expensively, will anyone actually buy it?" The little maid's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Han Mo.
"This is a business unique in the entire realm. Where else can they buy it besides from us?" Han Mo said nonchalantly.
"But it still shouldn't be this expensive!" The little maid remained incredulous.
"If it were just this item, of course it wouldn't be this expensive. So, we need to package it!" As Han Mo spoke, countless advertising slogans began to pop into his mind. Thinking about how wealthy tycoons monopolized the diamond business and inflated their prices, Han Mo couldn't help but shed tears of regret. This was a unique business; if he didn't turn this into a luxury item, how would he ever earn enough money? He was pressed for time and needed a quick influx of cash. He didn't have time to spend his days confined in a small workshop, living a life of darkened sugar-boiling.
"Second Brother, why are you drooling..." Just as Han Mo was lost in his fantasies, the little maid suddenly said softly.
"Slurp—"
"Cough—cough—cough—"
"What drooling? How could I possibly drool? Have you ever seen someone as handsome as me drooling?" Han Mo coughed dryly and quickly wiped away the incriminating evidence at the corner of his mouth.
"What does 'handsome' mean?"
"Uh... it means good-looking!" Seeing the little maid looking at him with wide, confused eyes, Han Mo suddenly realized. This was the Song Dynasty, after all. He must never make such a mistake again!
"Who praises their own handsomeness? Second Brother, aren't you embarrassed?" The little maid giggled.
"Did I praise myself? I'm stating a fact!" Han Mo said, twitching his eyebrows. He had to admit, although he had transmigrated to the Song Dynasty and inherited a mess, just his appearance alone made Han Mo feel it was worth the trip. He could now be described as handsome as Pan An, and even if he included all the movie stars from later generations, only the legendary Honey Pomelo could possibly compare.
"Go to my bedside and get me that rosewood box!" After admiring himself, Han Mo finally decided to get down to business. Life as a dependent was not easy. He needed to quickly earn some money and move out.
"That box was left by the Madam. What do you want that box for?" Chun Tao looked at Han Mo vigilantly.
"Of course, it's for packaging! With the New Year approaching, I should indeed go and see our grand-uncle!"