Popsicle? The sweetness is somewhat perplexing.
Seeing her confused expression, Ganli explained, "Pour sweet water into a tube, put a bamboo skewer in it, and once it freezes, take it out and eat it. It's icy and sweet. Eating one on a hot day is very refreshing."
It can be made not only with sweet water, but also with mung beans or red beans, resulting in different flavors.
Gan Tian had never eaten popsicles before, but after hearing Gan Li's description, she couldn't help but drool: "I really want to try it."
"That's easy! It's too late today, we'll do it tomorrow."
Gan Tian replied, "Isn't Mother making these to sell? Of course, selling the money is the most important thing."
“That won’t stop us from trying it ourselves first,” Gan Li said.
However, Gan Tian's words were not wrong. Since they were going to start this popsicle business, the sooner the better. Fortunately, it was only the beginning of summer, so she still had time to prepare, but she couldn't delay any longer.
She didn't have the money to open a shop, so she could only start by setting up a stall, and it was best if she could open for business within three days.
She had already chosen the location for her stall: the dock! There were boats coming and going, and a considerable flow of people, enough to support her little stall.
As for the tools, since she's in a hurry, Ganli plans to spend some money to hire people to make them all. This will free up her time to prepare other things.
The mother and daughter discussed their plans and, considering the many things to do ahead of them, both washed up and went to bed early. The next morning, they got up very early, ate a quick breakfast, and then went straight to the carpenter's house in the village.
The carpenter was still eating breakfast when he saw someone come to his door so early. He knew it was business, so he stopped eating, wiped his mouth, and greeted the customer with a smile.
"Oh, isn't this Old Gan's youngest daughter? I heard you're home. What's up? Is there any chores to do around the house?"
Gan Li looked at the elderly man in his fifties and smiled, "Uncle, I do have a job for you, but it's a bit strange. You may never have seen it before. But in all the villages around here, you have the most skillful hands. I don't think anyone else can do it."
The carpenter felt extremely pleased with the flattery and waved his hand, saying, "Is there anything I haven't done in my life? Just tell me."
Ganli then said, "I need to make several square wooden basins, each ten inches high. And these basins also need lids, with holes drilled all over the lids, ten holes in a row, ten rows in total. And the holes can't be too big, approximately..."
She held up her finger, making a circle about five centimeters in diameter, and said, "That's about the size."
Then he continued, "Also, I need to make some small bamboo tubes. They should be just big enough to fit into the hole in the lid, and two inches longer than the wooden basin. Make me five sets like this first."
Also, make some bamboo skewers, about half the length and thickness of chopsticks. The workmanship doesn't matter too much; it should look roughly like this—I'll start with a thousand. Can you make them?"
She rattled off a whole bunch of things, leaving the carpenter dizzy and confused. After a long time, he finally understood what the thing she wanted looked like.
He said, “I can do it, but let me explain first. I usually charge thirty copper coins for a wooden basin of about the same size, including labor and materials. But yours is big and it’s more troublesome. Plus, you need to put the bamboo tube into the hole in the lid, so I’ll have to find you bamboo of about the same size, and bamboo skewers as well…”
He kept muttering to himself, and Ganli understood. She asked directly, "As long as you can do it, just tell me how much you want for the work?"
"One hundred coins for a set, I'll give you those bamboo skewers as a gift."
Ganli thought about it and agreed that the price was reasonable, saying, "Okay! But I need it urgently..."
"Give me another fifty coins, and I'll send it to you within the next three days!"
"Too expensive!" At this moment, Gan Tian, who had been silent until now, spoke up. She frowned, clicked her tongue to express her disapproval, and bargained, "Thirty coins! Add another thirty coins, and you can make it within three days. That's all I have."
Before he could speak, she quickly added, "This wooden basin sounds complicated, but it's much easier to make than a round one. And the bamboo tube sounds difficult, but it's really just a matter of cutting a few bamboo stalks. Not to mention the bamboo skewers, the leftover material from making the bamboo tubes can be used to make quite a few."
These things, one hundred coins a set, are already quite expensive. My mother thought we were from the same village, so she came to patronize your business. You can't take advantage of our eagerness and try to overcharge us, can you?
Her little mouth chattered away, making the carpenter blush slightly. He did know Gan Li because he knew she was a bully at home, fierce to her family, but dared not utter a word to outsiders. He figured he wouldn't dare say anything even if he wanted to swindle her out of money.
Unexpectedly, the daughter raised in this domineering household turned out to be quite sharp-tongued.
The carpenter, embarrassed by being exposed, lost his confidence and stammered, "Then, then thirty coins."
But Ganli wouldn't have it. She snorted coldly and glanced at him sideways:
"Thirty coins? Not a single one left! My daughter was right. I thought we were from the same village and wanted to support your business, but I didn't expect you to be such a dishonest person."
You're not the only carpenter in Qingxi Town; there are plenty of people vying to make wooden basins for a hundred coins a set!
She had agreed readily before because she didn't want to waste time on such trivial matters. However, she wasn't stupid; she sensed that the carpenter wasn't honest and naturally wasn't willing to be taken advantage of, so she pulled Gan Tian away.
Knowing he was in the wrong but not wanting to lose the business, the carpenter hurriedly chased after the two men, apologizing.
"Oh dear, I was blinded by greed just now. We're all from the same village, yet I spoke such foreign languages! Here's what we'll do: forget the fifty coins, it'll be one hundred coins a set, and I'll still make it for you in three days!"
He followed behind the two, saying nice things. Ganli, who was walking briskly out, stopped when she heard that he wouldn't charge more. Her face was still tense, but her tone was much more relaxed.
"We're all from the same village, so since you've said so, let's forget about what happened before. But there's one thing: my thing absolutely must be made within three days!"
After the carpenter repeatedly assured her, Ganli finally counted out five hundred coins for him, then turned and left with Gantian.
Little did they know, all of this was observed by many villagers, and one of them curiously asked the carpenter, "What's going on?"
After counting the money, the carpenter smirked and recounted what had just happened, much to the astonishment of the villagers.
"Goodness, has this girl changed her ways? Before, she wouldn't dare utter a sound outside the house. How come she's become so fierce now?"
As everyone talked, they recalled the time when Gan Li had scolded Gan Yingzi until she cried. Gan Yingzi was a formidable girl, and even she couldn't gain the upper hand against Gan Li!
Everyone looked at each other, and many of them had a thought that was growing in their minds: it seems that we can't underestimate Gan Li anymore. He's not only a bully at home, but he's also fierce to outsiders!
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