The Family Had Split, Why Should I Care if They Go Broke? - Chapter 20

Today was their first time delivering goods. Manager Tang personally came with an assistant, bringing ten jin of each item. After weighing, each one was a little over—one or two jin extra.

Xu Zhichun smiled and said, “Manager Tang, just pay us for ten jin. The extra bit is a gift.”

A big restaurant wasn’t short on money, but who didn’t like hearing generous words like that?

Manager Tang didn’t pretend to be modest. He chuckled, “Alright, I’ll take advantage of the price then. How long will you be selling in the marketplace? If sales are good, I’ll send someone to let you know how much to bring tomorrow.”

Xu Zhichun smiled back. “We’ll leave when everything’s sold, not sure exactly when. How about we swing by here again before heading home, and you can see then?”

Manager Tang was even more pleased and nodded. “That’s even better.”

Ten jin of each item came to a total of five hundred and thirty wen.

Before they’d even set up their stall, they’d already earned five hundred and thirty wen. Everyone was in high spirits.

Today, they took the same spot as yesterday and began setting up.

Business came right away.

People were sick of eating the same few vegetables every day. So when something new showed up—fresh, tasty, and affordable—it was an instant draw. Some had bought a piece yesterday, tried it, and found it good, so when they ran into them again today, of course, they wanted more. Others hadn’t seen them yesterday but happened to spot them today.

“Give me two pieces of grey tofu!”

“I’ll take two as well. And yesterday I didn’t get any grey tofu strips—give me half a jin.”

“I want one jin of grey tofu strips and four pieces of grey tofu.”

“What’s this you’re selling? How do you eat it? Is it good?”

“Looks nice. I’ll take two pieces to try.”

The three women answered warmly while their hands moved quickly—smiling, handing over goods, taking coins—busy and cheerful.

Liang Mingliang stood behind them, also smiling, acting as a sort of lucky charm for the stall and keeping an eye out for anyone with sticky fingers.

The most popular item was still the snow-white, attractive shredded konjac—twenty jin sold out quickly.

The konjac tofu, about seventy jin, was already half gone.

The ice jelly was something new, and Xu Zhichun was focusing on selling it today.

She’d prepared half a pot of it at home with brown sugar water in a small clay jar. At the stall, she scooped some into a small bowl to display—translucent ice jelly dyed with the warm red-brown of sugar water, gleaming and appetizing.

Its pretty appearance soon caught customers’ attention.

“Lady Xu, what’s this?”

“This is called ice jelly,” she explained. “It’s not a dish, it’s a snack. I prepared this one for display. When you buy it, you just take it home, crush it up, mix with brown sugar water, and eat—smooth, tender, and refreshing. It’s delicious. You all know the Lotus Restaurant, right? Manager Tang just bought ten jin.”

“If anyone brought a clean jar or bowl, you can try a spoonful for free. I didn’t make much today, so just one taste each. If you like it, it’s three wen for half a bowl, five wen for a full bowl.”

In these times, things like soy sauce, vinegar, sauces, and pickles had no plastic bags or glass bottles—you had to bring your own container. Even when buying tofu or cooked foods, it was better to use a bowl than wrap it in leaves.

So the city women often carried an empty bowl or a small lidded clay jar in their basket if they planned to buy such things.

Hearing that the Lotus Restaurant had ordered ten jin piqued everyone’s interest.

When Xu Zhichun said there were free samples, an older woman quickly pulled out the small jar she’d brought for soy sauce. “Let me try!”

“Alright!” Xu Zhichun smiled and scooped half a ladle into the jar. “Have a taste, Auntie. If you like it, it’s three wen for half a bowl, five for a whole bowl.”

The woman, a straightforward sort, tipped her head back and gulped it down in one go. Her eyes lit up. “Not bad! This is tasty. My grandchildren will love it. Give me some more.”

Xu Zhichun, still smiling, gently refused. “Auntie, I didn’t make much today—just one taste per person. Sorry about that.”

Everyone laughed, including the woman, who chuckled and said, “Alright, alright, then give me a whole bowl. I just mix it with brown sugar water at home, right?”

“Exactly! I’ll fill you a nice full bowl.”

“Good!” She left pleased.

Soon, everyone with a bowl or jar in their basket came forward to try. Whether they bought afterward or not, there was no loss in tasting.

One woman with a child handed her sample to the child. Seeing this, Xu Zhichun smiled, called her over, and gave the child half a ladle as well. “One taste per person—children count too.”

Surprised and happy, the woman said, “Thank you, Lady Xu!”

Others saw this and brought their children forward for an extra taste.

With or without children, people kept praising them.

“You three are really generous!”

“That’s right—I like buying from people like this. Honest traders won’t cheat you.”

“Exactly.”

The samples didn’t last long, and soon the ice jelly was sold out.

Latecomers, regretting they’d missed it, decided to at least buy some grey tofu to try.

Today, they’d brought more konjac tofu and shredded konjac than yesterday, yet they sold out even faster.

By closing time, the four of them were stunned.

Zeng Xiaoyan grinned. “We made a lot again today!”

Aunt Zhu’er was delighted. “Exactly! At this rate, we really will get rich! Let’s hurry home and start digging konjac and picking lantern fruit!”

Xu Zhichun laughed. “No rush. We’re getting better and faster at this. There’s still time—it’s early. Let’s shop a bit. I want to buy some jars to store things, two jin of pork to render lard, and make something nice for Mingxuan to eat. I also want soy sauce, salt, and a few jin of millet. How about you?”

Zeng Xiaoyan raised both hands. “Yes! I want to go to Guifang Shop for some snacks and browse. I’ll get two or three jin of pork too.”

Aunt Zhu’er laughed. “I’ll buy pork as well—we’re low on lard. And maybe some sewing supplies.”

Liang Mingliang had no objections. He drove the ox cart, and when they arrived at their destination, the three women hopped off to shop.

In the countryside, mice were common, and rural houses couldn’t keep them out. Anything edible had to be stored in lidded barrels or jars, or the mice would ruin it.

Xu Zhichun didn’t have many jars at home, so she planned to buy two or three in every size—ten or so in total—to store dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, millet, lantern fruit seeds, and more.

She also decided to order a big iron pot for cooking konjac tofu more easily in the future.

Ironware in these times was under strict control and expensive, and big iron pots were even pricier. But she had no choice—it had to be bought.