Chapter 28: Setting up a stall
In one night, she steamed five pots of dumplings, filling up the food cabinet. With this storage, Sui Yu could cook with less worry. In the morning, she cooked three bowls of thin porridge and heated up ten radish dumplings. At noon, she cooked three bowls of dumpling soup and heated up ten radish dumplings. In the evening, she did the same.
The three acres of sorghum have been harvested, and there are only five radish buns left in the food cupboard.
"Have you had enough vegetable buns now?" Sui Yu asked.
Zhao Xiping shook his head. As long as she was willing to do it, he could eat buns every day.
"Please stop tilling the land and help me dig out ridges for the vegetable garden. I've seen some wild chives growing there, and I want to dig up the roots and plant them to see if they can survive."
The man nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go dig after I eat."
"While the weather is still warm and the price of radishes is not expensive, buy four more baskets of radishes." Sui Yu instructed again.
Zhao Xiping glanced at her, picked up the bowl and went out, saying: "Don't rush to buy radishes, wait until your business is on the rise." What if the business is not good for a few days and she stops doing it, how long will it take to eat the radishes she bought at home?
Sui Yu gritted her teeth and glared at him, "Why are you running?"
"I'll go get the rice." Zhao Xiping carried the bowl into the kitchen.
"Just wait and see, one day I might earn more than your salary."
Zhao Xiping thought it was funny, it was really a daydream.
Sui Liang was full. He took Sui Yu's bowl and chopsticks and went to the kitchen. Sui Yu followed him out. She stared at the man in the yard and said, "How about a bet? I think I can make a lot of money."
"What's the bet?"
"When I make a lot of money, you can do my laundry and cooking for me."
Zhao Xiping refused without hesitation, "I'm not a good cook."
"Earn 600 coins a month." Sui Yu increased the weight.
Zhao Xiping then looked at her seriously, "I didn't realize you were such a gambler. With this money, you could have bought slaves. Why would you ask me to cook or do laundry for you?"
"I just want to experience how you feel." Sui Yu glanced at him and said honestly, "I want you to serve me."
She was so arrogant. Zhao Xiping didn't bother to pay attention to her. She hadn't even set up her bun stall yet, but she was already dreaming of getting rich.
"Is that okay? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your agreement." Sui Yu walked up to him and pestered, "One, two, three. If you don't say anything, that means you agree."
"Okay, okay." Zhao Xiping nodded perfunctorily and handed the bowl to her. "Go wash the dishes. I'll go dig the vegetable garden."
Sui Yu entered the kitchen and found Sui Liang squatting on the floor washing dishes. Two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks had already been washed clean. She praised him loudly and handed him the other bowl to wash.
The cat official was sleeping on the stove again. When someone approached, it immediately opened its eyes. Sui Yu felt under its body and found that the sparks in the stove hole were still burning, indicating that the stove was hot.
"Are you heating up so early? You continue to sleep and keep an eye on the mice to prevent them from stealing the oil. I'm going out for a while." Sui Yu rubbed the cat's head.
The cat officer flicked his claws and swung them, but missed. He turned his head to see that the door was closed, then curled up and went back to sleep, but his ears stood straight up.
Sui Yu put a string of coins in his pocket and carried a clay pot on his shoulder, and took Sui Liang out. After noon, there were not many people in the market. Many people who had set up stalls to sell vegetables and food had closed their stalls, and the shops that were still open were extremely deserted.
Entering the grain store, Sui Yu noticed that they were selling rice. She went over and asked, "How much is rice?"
"Millet is six cents per dou, and clean rice is eight cents per dou."
Sui Yu was shocked to find that a pound of millet cost fifty cents, but it was much cheaper than the price of fish and meat. She thought about buying five pounds of millet with the money she made from selling buns. She would grind the rice with some effort, and the husks could be used for burning or mixed with soybean meal to feed chickens.
"How much is the price?"
"Three coins and sixty zhu per dou. How much do you want?"
"One dou is fine." Sui Yu counted out three hundred and sixty copper coins and placed them on the counter. He then set down the pot for the waiter to pour the flour. He then asked, "If I buy a lot, is there any discount?"
The waiter shook his head. "Even if you buy one stone, it's still the same price."
After leaving the grain shop, Sui Yu stood on the street holding the noodle jar and thought for a while. After hesitating for a long time, she walked to the pork stall. She paid two cents of fat. If she wanted good business, the stuffing had to be delicious.
Two cents of fat was squeezed into a ball only the size of a fist. Sui Yu took the pitiful piece of meat and felt more and more eager to raise pigs.
She took Sui Liang back, put down the noodle pot, opened the cupboard and put the fat into the bowl. Seeing the cat official approaching, Sui Yu was worried that it might steal from her, so she covered the bowl with a plate and placed another bowl of water on the plate.
"Guard the house well, I'll go out for a while." Sui Yu patted the cat's butt.
The cat officer wagged its tail, and when the door was locked, it jumped onto the top of the food cabinet.
Sui Yu walked around to the vegetable garden and took a look. The weeds in the garden had been almost pulled out, but the ground had not been dug yet.
There were people in the nearby vegetable garden. Considering Zhao Xiping's old-fashioned personality, Sui Yu didn't talk to him. He just looked at him and left.
She walked all the way from the East Gate to the West Gate. The West Gate was busier and more crowded with merchants. The caravans from Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass looked tired and, upon entering the city, first sought food and drink. There were many children selling water inside and outside the gates.
"Sister-in-law, how much are the vegetable buns?" Sui Yu asked.
"There are radish buns and leek and egg buns. Besides buns, there are also pancakes. Buns are three cents each, pancakes are five cents, and meat pancakes are seven cents."
"One radish bun and one leek and egg bun." Sui Yu handed over six coins, took the buns, and dragged Sui Liang to a nearby stand. She broke open the radish bun and tasted it. The dough was soft and fluffy, and the filling was not bad, though it was just pure radish. She took two bites and handed the rest to Sui Liang. She then broke open the leek and egg bun and tasted it. The leek was not mushy, and there were only a few scattered clumps of egg. The dough was still very chewy.
It was obvious that the bun-making lady was an experienced cook. She was good at making the dough, but she was reluctant to use oil when making the filling. Sui Yu knew what was going on. She felt that she wouldn't lose money by setting up a stall here.
The jingling sound of camel bells drifted into the city wall, and a group of merchants with a good harvest came in with their camels. Each of them held a bamboo slip, which they handed to the city guard for inspection before entering the city directly.
"Boss Cai, you're finally back." Baozi's mother smiled brightly upon seeing an acquaintance. "I've been looking forward to it every day. Winter is almost here, and I'll be sad if I don't go to the city soon."
"Thank you for your consideration. I'll give you guys a basket of steamed buns to take away." The bearded man in the lead threw a dime and said generously, "No need for change."
Sui Yu was stunned. She changed her mind and decided to give out less noodles during the first few days of setting up the stall so that she would sell them all.
When the sun set, Sui Yu hurried away with Sui Liang. She went to the market to buy a clay stove and two steamers, and spent all the money she had brought with her.
When she got home, Zhao Xiping had already returned.
"I went out and dug up some chive roots and have planted them for you," he said.
"Okay, when the chives grow, I'll make you some dumplings stuffed with eggs and chives." Sui Yu walked into the kitchen and looked up to see the cat official sitting on the food cabinet, staring at her. She paused for a moment and said, "Just catch mice well. I'll make money and buy you some meat."
Zhao Xiping sneered. He didn't make a penny and was just thinking about the bet and promise.
Sui Yu ignored him. She shook the steamer on the stove. A steamer cost a lot of money and she couldn't afford it. She could only take the pots at home and take them out to use.
"Brother Liang, light the fire. I'll make lard." Sui Yu opened the cupboard to get the lard, then remembered that she hadn't bought the distiller's grains, so she asked Zhao Xiping to run an errand for her.
In order to refine more oil, Sui Yu added half a bowl of water while refining the oil. Half a bowl of water and half a bowl of pork fat were stewed at the bottom of the pot. Slowly, the fat changed color and shrank. Sui Yu picked up four lumps with chopsticks, and the two people and the cat each tasted it.
"Here, lees." Zhao Xiping came back.
Sui Yu was scooping oil with a spoon and said without turning his head, "Dig another radish out of the sand and stir-fry it tonight."
Zhao Xiping didn't move.
Sui Yu looked back at him, put down the oil can, pinched a piece of lard and put it to his mouth.
"You're making it easier and easier for me to command you." Zhao Xiping didn't eat the oil residue and turned to dig radishes in the camel pen.
Sui Yu took the oil residue and ate it himself. It was so delicious.
The radish was brought over, and Sui Yu took it over, scooping water to wash it clean, then went into the house to get a kitchen knife to cut the radish. She saw the man chase Sui Liang away and sit down to light the fire, and she muttered, "I'm not ordering you around, you did it willingly."
Zhao Xiping glared at her and spoke too much.
"It's not just Liang Ge'er and I who are eating the stir-fried dishes. How can you object to me taking a radish?" Sui Yu put the radish into the pot and said, "Liang Ge'er, go get a bowl of pickled cabbage."
"When you cook a meal, everyone in the family is busy." Zhao Xiping discovered that it was okay when she was not at home, but once she was at home, she would always ask you for something.
Sui Yu thought about it and it seemed to be the case. She smiled and said, "It's not tiring to move your mouth."
Add salt and water to the radish, cover the pot and simmer until cooked. Sui Yu took advantage of this opportunity to take out a basin, scoop out half a ladle of gray flour, sprinkle water on it and knead the dough into lumps. She had her hands full, so when the radish started to smell, she asked Zhao Xiping to serve it.
"Again?" Zhao Xiping sighed, "I'll see who you can order around when you set up your stall."
"Help me knead the dough. I'm not strong enough and the dough I knead is not chewy." Sui Yu took the opportunity to say.
Zhao Xiping ignored her, opened the lid of the pot, and used a spatula to scoop up the radishes. The bottom of the pot was flat, and the remaining soup could not be scooped up, so he simply added water and drank it while cooking the dumpling soup.
He ate a piece of radish. Fried vegetables were always better than boiled ones. Before Sui Yu came, the vegetables he ate were either stewed or boiled. Most of the time, vegetables and rice were cooked in the same pot.
"I'll help you knead the dough when I'm free. If I'm not free, you can do it yourself." He relented.
Sui Yu let out a long sigh and said, "Not bad. I thought your heart of stone was always hard. I know how to feel sorry for you, but you don't know how to feel sorry for me."
Zhao Xiping lowered his eyes and said nothing.
After pouring the sauerkraut dumpling soup into the pot of boiling water, Sui Yu turned around and scooped up some noodles and mixed them with the wine lees. After mixing them thoroughly, she held the bowl and asked, "Is it too watery?"
"Not rare. When are you going to set up your stall?"
"How about going to the West City Gate tomorrow afternoon?"
Zhao Xiping thought about it and hesitated for a long time before he said, "I'll take you there tomorrow and say hello to them so that no one can cause trouble."
Sui Yu raised the corner of his mouth, finally willing to bring her in front of acquaintances.
When Sui Liang saw her smile, he grinned too.
…
The next day, Zhao Xiping didn't go to the fields. Instead, he went to the vegetable garden and spent half a day turning the entire garden over. In the afternoon, he took his camel out and transported Sui Yu's stall supplies. He returned with a bowl of noodles and a pot of steamed buns he had prepared at home.
When Baozi's mother saw Sui Yu, she recognized him and rolled her eyes.
Sui Yu pretended not to see. She picked up a plate of hot buns and handed them to Zhao Xiping, saying, "Do you know the city guard? Please ask your brother to try my cooking."
"We just fought together, but we're not close friends." Zhao Xiping took the plate, sighed, and went to talk to someone with a wooden face.
Sui Yu leaned forward to look and saw a city guard wearing a leather crown looking at her. She smiled at him.
"I heard you married...it seems the news is true." Huang Ancheng patted Zhao Xiping's shoulder and said, "No banquet?"
"I went back to my hometown to do it." Zhao Xiping rubbed his fingers and nodded, saying, "The news is true. She was born a slave, but she is not a bad person."
Huang Ancheng shook his head, took the bun, and said, "Okay, I'll keep it for you and don't let anyone find fault with you."
"Let's go drink at my house some other day."
"Okay, I'll go when I have time."
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