Chapter 20: Making Money

Tang Luwu and Tang Yi looked at each other with smiles.

Sold out?

So many things, and they were sold out in half an hour?

The two of them felt like they were dreaming. However, many people nearby bought jelly and did not leave. They found an empty seat and squatted to eat it, and kept praising its deliciousness.

They knew that jelly was delicious, but they didn't expect so many people would buy it.

"What a pity. It will be restored to five cents tomorrow."

"Even if it's five cents, I'll buy it."

"The boss said that the price will return to five cents tomorrow, but the portion will be larger, and meat will still be given away tomorrow. However, after tomorrow, meat will have to be charged separately."

The brother and sister rushed to the butcher's shop and saw Li Taohua and Qin Huiyin looking for the fat butcher to buy scraps.

The mother and daughter sang in unison, making the fat butcher smile happily, and he half-sold or half-gave away all the leftovers.

"You're back." Qin Huiyin saw the brother and sister and said with a smile, "I have good news for you. Our jelly and meat are all sold out."

"We just heard about it." Tang Luwu saw Qin Huiyin smiling sweetly, her eyebrows flying, and her eyes full of joy.

Happiness is contagious, not to mention that Qin Huiyin is sweet and lovely, even Tang Luwu, who is also a girl, will be unconsciously influenced by her.

"Tang Yixiao, go find the Third Master at the town gate. If he is here, ask him to drive the ox cart in. We want to buy a lot of things, so it will be more convenient to hire his ox cart to take us back." Li Taohua ordered.

Tang Yi smiled and nodded, then turned and left.

He had taken medicine on time these days and was feeling much better. Li Taohua only asked him to run errands and didn't ask him to do anything troublesome, so he was still capable of doing this.

"Boss, do you have any more pig's trotters?" Qin Huiyin asked the fat butcher, "If you can collect more pig's trotters, we will buy them at five cents each."

"No one wanted that before, everyone took it back to feed the dogs. If you want it, I'll keep it for you, and you can come to me next time." said the fat butcher.

"Boss, you are such a kind and enthusiastic person." Qin Huiyin said sweetly, "From now on, we will buy our meat from you."

Master Tang San drove the ox cart over and Tang Yi sat next to him with a smile.

Master Tang San got off the car and helped them move their things onto the ox cart.

Then they bought a lot of things. First, they could buy more peas and seasonings. Then they bought daily necessities. For example, if there was no lamp oil, Tang Yixiao's clothes needed to be changed, and Tang Luwu and Tang Yixiao also needed to buy new shoes. As for the other members of the Tang family, they didn't need to buy anything for the time being.

"How much is this wine?" Qin Huiyin asked the boss.

The boss said, "The cheapest is ten cents, the most expensive is thirty cents, and there are also fifteen cents and twenty cents. Which one do you want?"

Qin Huiyin pointed to the one that weighed twenty cents and bought half a catty.

These things are spare.

Master Tang San drove everyone from the Tang family back to the village.

When they were riding on the ox cart back to the village, the villagers passing by saw that the ox cart was full, and they walked towards the Tang family one by one, wanting to ask them if they had made a fortune.

Li Taohua closed the gate of the fence to block out the view from outside.

"Uncle San, where are you going?" A woman stopped Uncle Tang San.

Master Tang San tightened the rope and pretended to know nothing and replied, "Go back to town. The others haven't come back yet. I have to run and bring them back."

"Uncle San, what's going on with the Tang family? Aren't they out of money? Why are they buying so many things? I just saw that your ox cart couldn't even hold anything. What did you buy?"

"You're talking strangely. I'm not from the Tang family, so how do I know what they bought?" Third Master Tang said, "I was only responsible for helping them move the things, and I didn't open them to look."

"Mrs. Huiyin asked you to hire a bullock cart early in the morning, and she also wanted to send them into the city alone. Anyone else might not know, but you definitely know! Why are you protecting them like this?"

"I'm a grown man, and I'm not as curious as you guys. I've never asked anyone about these things, so of course I don't know." Master Tang San said as he drove away in the ox cart.

Several women looked in the direction of the Tang family with disdain.

"They owed fifty taels of silver, yet they still dared to buy so many things. If I owed someone money, even a penny or two, I would be so worried that I couldn't sleep. How dare they do that?"

"Of course I won't worry. At worst, I can get married again. If no man wants me, I still have my two daughters! Especially Qin Huiyin, Mr. Jiang is willing to give a betrothal gift of fifty taels!"

"So much? Li Taohua is so greedy for money, she shouldn't refuse such a good marriage, right?"

"Mr. Jiang can be her grandfather. If she marries her daughter to such an old man, won't Li Taohua be criticized by others?"

"Hasn't she done enough disgusting things? People like her are shameless and will do anything for money. If Mr. Jiang lets both mother and daughter marry him, I think they will have a chance."

…

The women's words became more and more outrageous, and even the men frowned when they heard them. These women really have no control over their words. Not only do they slander young wives, they also don't let go of young girls.

Of course Li Taohua didn't know how those people in the village insulted her precious daughter. If she knew, she would have pounced on them and torn their mouths apart.

She is now sitting at the dining table counting the money she has earned.

"Of the sixty servings of jelly, six were given away, and the remaining fifty-four were sold. At three cents per serving, the total was 162 cents. Most of the braised meat was given away, and only a small portion was sold, making about seventy cents. In addition, we bought ingredients, seasonings, lamp oil, shoes and clothes for tomorrow, which cost a total of four hundred cents. In this way, we made more than two hundred and thirty cents and spent four hundred and seven cents. However, what we bought were necessities, so those should not be included. To calculate the profit, we only need to deduct the cost."

Li Taohua and others didn’t understand what cost, profit, and necessities meant, they just needed to listen to the final summary.

"Anyway, we spent more than we earned, so today's work was in vain." Li Taohua was not happy with the result.

"Mom, daily necessities are necessities, and we can't save on them. Money can be earned again after spending it, and we don't have to buy so many things every day." Qin Huiyin said, "I'll go make lunch right away, and we'll continue working after lunch. The pea flour needs to be made early, and I'll make pea flour with the peas I bought today in the afternoon, so that we can continue to do business. And we have to braise the meat too."

Tang Yi smiled and sat in front of the stove, lighting a fire. Looking at Qin Huiyin who was busy at the stove, he opened his mouth several times and his little face turned red.

"What do you want to say?" Qin Huiyin said while beating eggs, "Do you want to thank me? Actually, you don't have to. You are my brother, and it is my duty to take care of you."

Tang Yi smiled and looked at her blankly.

Brother?