Chapter 76 Unconventional Approach
After agreeing, Yu Fugui began moving the baskets.
Wen Xiuyun knew that stir-frying chestnuts was not easy, so she gently instructed, "Don't tire yourself out. The customers behind you are all regular customers I've known for many years. They can wait a day or two. I've already told them that."
Bai Lu smiled and nodded: "It's not too tiring. Acheng will help me roast them when he has time. Our roasted chestnuts have only been on the market for a short time, and there is still a competitor eyeing us. We can't afford to lose our reputation. Since we gave the customer confidence that they would pick up the goods today, it's better to deliver them today."
Everyone wants to make more money in business, and Wen Xiuyun was no exception, smiling as she praised Bailu for being sensible.
The two were talking.
A knock came from the gate of the courtyard.
Yu Fugui was still in the yard, carrying the last basket of roasted chestnuts, so who could it be?
The three of them looked out the door together.
A woman with a rosy complexion, slightly plump figure, and strong limbs, supporting her large belly with one hand, slowly and familiarly walked into the courtyard while wiping away fine beads of sweat from her forehead, smiling at Bai Lu.
"Busy?"
When Aunt Wu and Yu Fugui saw that Bai Lu had guests to greet, they didn't chat any longer, said goodbye to Bai Lu, and left.
The guest finally arrived, and Bai Lu naturally wouldn't turn her away, especially since she was heavily pregnant.
Chen Chunli sat in the chair that Bai Lu had just sat in, feeling perfectly at ease, without a single word of thanks in her mind.
Smelling the lingering aroma of roasted chestnuts in the yard, and remembering the purpose of my visit, I said a perfunctory thank you, "Just finished roasting chestnuts?"
"It smells really good. I wonder how it tastes? I heard from Wang Hao that Xiao Cheng brought some roasted chestnuts for them to try when he went to work, and everyone said they were delicious..."
The implication is that since your husband has already let his brother try the roasted chestnuts, you have no reason not to let your brother's wife try them, right?
Bai Lu casually grabbed a chair and sat down, wearing her signature fake smile: "Roasted chestnuts are too high in sugar. It's not good for pregnant women to eat too many; they can easily cause diabetes."
That means they won't even let us try a chestnut!
Chen Chunli's face was pale, and she knew that the rumors outside were true; Bai Lu was indeed no longer timid and cowardly.
She's not the easy person she used to be.
Chen Chunli glanced at Bai Lu's barely visible belly and changed the subject to chat casually: "You have such a great figure. You're over six months pregnant, but your belly is still so small. If you wear a couple more layers of clothing, you can't tell you're pregnant at all."
"Unlike me, I was only three or four months pregnant when my figure started to change along with my belly. I gained a lot of weight and my face became rounder. I even felt ugly when I looked in the mirror. I envy you for your fair, tender, slim and beautiful figure."
A gentle breeze blew by, and Bai Lu calmly pulled her clothes tighter, then gently touched her lower abdomen.
"The doctor said that for thin people, it takes six or seven months to show their pregnancy. In the first few months, it's basically not noticeable. Now that it's cooler, I can just wear a few more layers of clothing to cover up my pregnant belly."
After Chen Chunli became pregnant, she heard Wang Hao's mother say that thin people do indeed show their pregnancy later in the pregnancy.
But she has a short temper and doesn't have time to argue with Bai Lu. Whether or not she's pregnant is none of her business.
She was concerned about the roasted chestnuts: "Bai Lu, I went to the market to buy vegetables today and saw Wang Cuihua riding a bicycle with a big basket of roasted chestnuts on the back."
Bai Lu: "Mm."
Chen Chunli was at a loss for words because of her bland response, so she could only say to herself, "I remember Wang Cuihua came from the countryside, and she doesn't know how to make roasted chestnuts, does she?"
Bai Lu smiled faintly: "No, it won't."
"Then who roasted her chestnuts?"
"I cooked it."
"Why doesn't she roast chestnuts herself and sell them?"
"She won't."
"If you don't know, you can teach me!"
"I won't teach."
Chen Chunli: "..."
“You’re pregnant and doing so much heavy work will wear you out. Roasted chestnuts are so delicious, but they must be very difficult to roast. You might as well teach others how to roast them.”
"I don't want to teach."
Bai Lu smiled very kindly.
An answer that completely defies expectations.
Chen Chunli's prepared remarks were swallowed back down, leaving Chen Chunli so angry that she almost couldn't sit still on her chair.
Learning to make roasted chestnuts is definitely out of the question.
Bai Lu's attitude was so firm.
Selling chestnuts like Wang Cuihua might be possible, but that would definitely mean sharing the profits with Bailu.
All she wants is all the money.
Chen Chunli was unwilling, but she couldn't get Bai Lu to hand over the recipe for roasted chestnuts. Bai Lu also had the ruthless and violent Xiao Cheng behind her, so she couldn't force Bai Lu to submit.
After much deliberation, Chen Chunli could only take a step back for the time being, and sighed with a worried expression.
“Bai Lu, my baby is a month older than yours, and I’m due in two months, but I haven’t prepared anything yet. That useless good-for-nothing Wang Hao has been working for your Xiao Cheng for so long, but he hasn’t saved any money or learned much skill. He’s building houses and laying bricks, and he doesn’t get paid until the houses are finished.”
"My belly is getting bigger every day, and it's absorbing nutrients faster, but I don't have much good food to feed the baby. I look like I've gained weight, but it's all just water weight gain. I don't even know if I'll have enough breast milk to feed the baby after it's born..."
“Wang Hao’s parents are in poor health and can’t go out to work. I’m too pregnant to do anything, and Wang Hao isn’t earning any money. We can’t even afford baby clothes. The baby will suffer after it’s born…”
A woman who mourns her deceased husband faces a difficult life.
She berated her husband, calling him a good-for-nothing who couldn't earn any money.
Bai Lu listened quietly, letting the words go in one ear and out the other, without offering any opinion.
Chen Chunli herself got anxious first and bluntly stated, "Wang Cuihua's husband is dead, so she's having a hard time. My husband, Wang Hao, is also a useless good-for-nothing, so he's having a tough time too."
"We're all Xiao Cheng's brothers, practically family. Bai Lu, you wouldn't just stand by and watch him die, would you?"
"No." Bai Lu smiled kindly.
Chen Chunli laughed and said, "If even someone as clumsy as Wang Cuihua can sell roasted chestnuts, there's no reason why we can't. There aren't any roasted chestnuts for sale in the neighboring Qingshui Town either. I think we can open a stall there."
Even we've started using it.
Bai Lu leaned back in her chair with a relaxed posture and a smile, "It's fine."
Chen Chunli was surprised that things went so smoothly, and her smile widened immediately.
"How should the profits from selling roasted chestnuts be divided?"
“After deducting the cost price of two cents for purchasing chestnuts and the labor cost of one cent per pound, the profit is split 50/50,” Bai Lu repeated what she had told Wang Cuihua.
Chen Chunli also bought some chestnuts a few days ago, but only a few dozen kilograms. Whether she sells them to Bailu or not makes no difference.
Bai Lu had all the costs and labor expenses, and the net profit had to be split 50/50. She was just a worker helping to sell chestnuts, and her salary was based on the number of chestnuts sold.
If you sell less roasted chestnuts than a widow, wouldn't that be shameful?
(End of this chapter)
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