There is hope
After lunch, Yu Ying said to Luo, "I need to borrow Aunt He's clay pot for a day tomorrow, so I thought I'd send them some cauliflower and four pheasant eggs."
Luo Shi had no objection to this, so Yu Ying asked Fu An, "What about you? Do you agree?"
Fu An was stunned for a moment, then heard her say, "You were the first to discover the pheasant eggs, so I'm asking for your opinion first."
Fu An, who had never been consulted before, was at a loss. He then rubbed his head and said, "I'll listen to grandma."
No one had any objections, so Yu Ying took the things and asked Fu An to lead the way to Aunt He's house.
Aunt He’s house wasn’t far away, and we’d be there in about half a minute.
It was already noon and the people who were working had already returned.
Lingshui Village has a lot of land that can be used to grow crops, but due to their low status, they are not eligible to rent land for farming, and can only help the gentry to farm and earn a meager wage.
If you have a good family background, you can spend some money to buy land. If you don’t have enough money, you can rent land to farm.
If I don’t have land, I’m afraid the annual taxes will be quite high.
Like the Fu family, the He family was also among those granted amnesty.
After the general amnesty, Aunt He's family used their savings to rent a piece of land to grow crops. One son worked in a quarry, while another continued to work for the noble family. Uncle He and Aunt He took care of the rented land.
The He family hoped to save enough money as soon as possible so that they could bring their son back from the quarry.
Regarding the fields, Yu Ying thought about it and realized that in a year or two, the world would become even more unstable, so it was indeed necessary to stock up on food first.
But judging by the current situation, there is really no need to rush into dealing with the farmland.
The He family had four thatched huts in their courtyard, and their situation was better than the Fu family's. After all, they had two adult men working at home, so they could still have enough to eat.
When he got outside the yard, Fu An shouted "Grandma He" twice.
After a while, Aunt He came out of the house and saw Fu An and Fu's new bride. She hurried to open the gate of the fence.
He looked at Yu Ying and said, "Why did you really come? Come in and sit down first."
Yu Ying and Fu An entered the yard. Aunt He's eldest grandson, Niu Niu, also ran out of the house. After shouting "Fu An", the two brothers hooked their arms around each other and went to play.
Yu Ying gave Aunt He the white cauliflower and pheasant eggs: "These are for Aunt He to make soup."
Aunt He was stunned when she saw the pheasant eggs, and quickly said, "No, no, you should take them back to nourish your mother-in-law and your husband."
Yu Ying smiled and said softly, "Some are left for them to replenish their bodies. I sent this to you, firstly, to thank you for lending me the pottery jar two days ago, and secondly, I want to borrow it from you for one last use from tomorrow night to the evening of the day after tomorrow."
Hearing this, Aunt He said straightforwardly, "Just borrow it. There's no need to be so polite."
Yu Ying said, "Aunt He, please accept it. Otherwise, I would be embarrassed to come and borrow the pottery jar."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? Our Lin family and your Fu family are one family. We are one family, so we should not talk behind each other's backs. I've seen how the Fu family has been doing recently. They've only seen improvement recently. I also know that it's because of your help that the Fu family can live like a normal person. You're a weak woman, and it's been hard enough for you."
Aunt He sighed and continued, "We can't help much. Lending a pottery jar is not like lending food. Can I be so stingy as not to lend it to you?"
Aunt He glanced into the bamboo basket and took out the bunch of cauliflower: "I'll take this bunch of vegetables. It saves me from picking them."
Yu Ying knew that Aunt He would not accept wild pheasant eggs, so she did not try to persuade her. She thought that after making the jelly the day after tomorrow, she would ask Fu An to send a portion over as a thank you.
After sitting in Aunt He's yard and chatting for a while, Yu Ying looked at the thatched hut and asked Aunt He, "How much would it cost to reinforce the thatch or build a smaller thatched hut?"
Aunt He was stunned: "Why, not enough housing?"
On second thought, she knew something about the situation of the Fu family.
She knew that Yu and Fu Erlang had never lived in the same room together. Also, with Fu Erlang's legs, she was probably powerless even if she wanted to.
Yu Ying said truthfully, "I heard that Lingnan has a lot of rain at this time of year, and there are also occasional hurricanes. I'm worried that the house won't be able to withstand it, so I want to reinforce it. Besides, there's not even a place to shower or cook, so I want to build another small room."
After hearing her say this, Aunt He pondered for a moment before saying, "Wait a couple of days, when your Uncle He and my Erlang come back, we'll have them help you reinforce the house and build a small room. It should be almost done in a day, and we can just do the finishing work."
Yu Ying was about to say something when Aunt He stopped her immediately: "Don't talk about money. You do know some medical skills. If anyone in my family has a minor illness in the future and I ask you to help take a look, don't refuse."
Yu Ying smiled: "That's no problem."
After making an appointment with Aunt He, Yu Ying returned to the Fu family.
The work of making jelly is for tomorrow, and there is not much work to do today, so Yu Ying can finally take a break.
*
On the day she had an appointment with Manager Chen, Yu Ying got up in the morning and checked the jelly. Then she gathered the silver leaves and half a frame of herbs in her backpack and prepared to go to the village entrance.
The little girl from Fu Ning followed her since she woke up in the morning. After thinking about it, she asked Luo if she could take the little girl to Yun County as well.
Mrs. Luo trusted him, but she was troubled by other things: "It's okay, but Ningning has to pay for driving an ox cart, otherwise don't take her with you, save some money."
Yu Ying glanced at the little girl who got along very well with her. She was also the first person who showed kindness to her without any grudge since she came to this world.
When the little girl heard that she could go out with her aunt, her face was full of anticipation. But now that she heard that she couldn't go out, she didn't get angry, but just looked dejected.
Yu Ying hesitated for a moment, thinking about how she had spent most of the day in the county town, sitting alone stupidly with a mess of thoughts in her mind, and she was very irritated at that time.
Thinking of this, she said, "It's okay. I can earn two cents. It would be nice to have someone to accompany me."
Having someone by your side at least keeps your mind from wandering.
When the little girl heard that she could continue to follow, her eyes instantly brightened up again.
After all, Yu was the one who had the final say in the family, and Luo hadn't tried to persuade her. Only her granddaughter said, "If Ningning wants to follow Auntie, she has to listen to her, understand?"
The little girl nodded heavily, then pulled Yu Ying's clothes with her little hands.
Yu Ying and the little girl left the yard together. Fu An watched them leave the yard, curled his lips, and thought to himself that he was not a child anymore, so he would not make a fuss to follow them to the county town.
Although he thought so in his heart, his eyes betrayed him.
After Baba looked away for a long time, he withdrew his gaze and said to his grandmother, "Grandma, I'll go get some firewood."
Luo nodded and warned, "Be careful."
Fu An responded, then carried the child on his back and went out.
Yu Ying held the little girl's hand, and her pigtails swung back and forth in joy because she could follow her aunt.
These days, as soon as the sun rises, the beauty-loving little girl will run to Yu Ying's room and wait for Yu Ying to braid her hair.
When we arrived at the village entrance, we waited for about a quarter of an hour before the ox cart arrived.
Uncle Chen saw Yu Ying and asked with a smile, "Is the ice cream ready?"
Yu Ying nodded: "I promised Shopkeeper Chen, so everything is ready."
Uncle Chen looked at the little girl beside her and asked in surprise, "Is she from your family?"
Yu Ying could see the surprised look in Uncle Chen's eyes and shook her head: "No, she belongs to my uncle's family. I just got married to her uncle not long ago."
Uncle Chen nodded. It turned out to be the bride. No wonder her clothes were still about new, while the little girl was wearing an old shirt full of patches.
Yu Ying pretended not to notice the look Mr. Chen had just given her and took out two cents and handed them over.
After Mr. Chen took it, since there was no one else in the car, he said directly: "When we come back, I won't take the little girl. Such a small child doesn't take up much space."
Yu Ying thanked him with a smile, then carried Fu Ning onto the ox cart.
Fu Ning, who had never ridden in an ox cart, was very curious, but he still stayed close to Yu Ying.
After a while of bumpy ride, the little girl fell asleep leaning on Yu Ying's body, and Yu Ying held her in his arms.
After an hour of bumpy ride, we finally arrived in Yu County.
The ox cart stopped at the city gate for a while, and Fu Ning, who was leaning in Yu Ying's arms, was awakened by the noisy sound.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in my aunt's arms, rubbing against her gently.
The little aunt smells good and the little girl likes it very much.
After a while, the ox cart slowly moved forward again, and Yu Ying sat directly at Wu Ji Restaurant.
Yu Ying took Fu Ning into the restaurant and took out two cans of jelly from the backpack.
When Shopkeeper Chen saw her, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You're finally here."
Yu Ying was surprised, and Shopkeeper Chen continued, "Maybe it's because the ice cream has a unique taste and it's a new food. Those who have tried it have spread the word, and so on. That's why people have been asking for it these past few days. I told them it would be available today, and many customers said they wanted to try it."
When Yu Ying heard what Shopkeeper Chen said, she said happily, "Then these two bottles of ice cream can be sold today, right?"
Shopkeeper Chen nodded: "About the best."
The shop assistant moved the vegetables from the ox cart to the back kitchen and came back with two jars of jelly.
Shopkeeper Chen said to her, "Let's see how things go today. If they sell well, I'll take advantage of the tight supply and discuss with you about getting more."
"Okay, I'll wait then."
Shopkeeper Chen was in a very good mood. When he saw the little girl next to Yu Ying, he grabbed a handful of melon seeds and gave them to her.
Although Fu Ning was greedy, he didn't take it and just looked at Yu Ying.
Yu Ying nodded before she took it with both hands.
After coming out of the restaurant, the little girl handed the melon seeds to Yu Ying.
Yu Ying asked her in surprise: "You don't like to eat?"
Fu Ning shook his head.
"For me?"
She hesitated, nodded, and then shook her head.
Yu Ying thought for a moment and then asked tentatively, "Is it for me, for grandma, brother, and uncle to eat together?"
Perhaps he guessed right, Fu Ning nodded several times.
Yu Ying smiled, patted her head, and said softly, "Ningning, eat this. I'll buy some more for Grandma and the others to try when we get back."
The little girl tilted her head and thought for a while, then held a handful of melon seeds in one hand and handed the other hand to Yu Ying.
Yu Ying understood what she meant, so she took it and placed it in her palm.
A small handful of melon seeds made Yu Ying feel warm inside.
Yu Ying first took Fu Ning to the pawnshop and pawned the silver leaf. The shopkeeper was not greedy for a few cents, so after checking that there was no problem with the silver leaf, he readily gave her thirty-nine cents.
After selling the silver leaves, Yu Ying took the little girl, who had never left Lingshui Village, to the market.
They only drank a sip of water when they came out in the morning, so their stomachs were empty. Yu Ying bought a steamed bun and she and Fu Ning each shared half.
After eating the steamed buns, Yu Ying went to buy six bamboo tubes of rice, which weighed about two kilograms.
After buying the rice, I went to the grocery store and bought a cup of melon seeds for one cent, and then bought two oil-paper bags for four cents.
One bag was for our own consumption, and the other bag was for Mrs. Luo to send to Aunt He.
Having spent twenty-six cents today, Yu Ying didn't dare to buy anything else.
As for the clay pot, Yu Ying didn't plan to buy it. If the ice cream could be sold, she would buy a bucket and a small stove.
It was noon and the sun was shining brightly outside. Yu Ying thought about it and decided to go to Wu Ji Restaurant to take a look.
When I got there, I saw that all four tables were full of people, and half of the guests ordered a bowl of jelly.
There were still a few guests waiting for their tables.
When Manager Chen saw Yu Ying, he asked the clerk to watch over her first, and then called her to the backyard to talk.
When they reached the backyard, Shopkeeper Chen asked her, "Is it really that easy to learn how to make this ice cream?"
Yu Ying thought about it and shook her head: "It's not that easy for others to learn it on their own."
After all, few people know that the lychee fruit can be used to make jelly. Even if they do, they only use the pulp to make jelly, which is difficult to make into a paste.
Even if I know how to make it, I don’t know how to fix it.
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Chen finally felt relieved and said, "There are surprisingly many people who come to try something new. People who usually go to other shops for lunch have also come, but many of them just want to try the ice cream and not eat lunch. After all, I'm in the food business, and the land is so small. If they only order ice cream and not lunch, I won't be happy."
Yu Ying's heart sank when she heard this: "But the ice cream can't be sold anymore?"
Shopkeeper Chen smiled and said, "Of course not. I mean, while the novelty is still there, we should strike while the iron is hot and sell the ice cream with lunch and dinner. If you come to the store for lunch and dinner, it's one cent a bowl. If you only want to sell the ice cream, then it's two cents a bowl. I've discussed this with the boss, and he agrees."
Yu Ying thought to herself, isn’t this the kind of promotional activity that businesses in later generations would commonly use to attract traffic?
She smiled and said, "That's a good idea." But then she looked embarrassed and said, "What about the ice cream afterward?"
Shopkeeper Chen said, "Business is booming thanks to this ice cream, so naturally we can't treat you unfairly. How about this? The cost of the sugar syrup won't be included in this. We'll charge one penny per bowl. How about that?"
It’s good that you don’t have to go from door to door selling your goods or set up a stall yourself.
"Then today's ice cream..."
Shopkeeper Chen smiled and said proudly, "I still have the idea. I'll give it to you at one cent per bowl."
After saying that, he pondered for a moment and said, "I think there will be some left today, but it won't be enough to sell tomorrow. Can you see if you can send over two more days' supply tomorrow?"
Yu Ying shook her head. "We don't have enough ingredients at home. We can only make about fifteen more bowls at most. We have to go prepare new ingredients tomorrow morning. Besides, Uncle Chen's ox cart won't arrive for three days."
Shopkeeper Chen pondered for a moment and said, "As for the ox cart, if the restaurant is doing well, I could ask my father to deliver the vegetables every two days. However, sales have been so good these past two days that we can't stop..."
While thinking about a solution, Shopkeeper Chen said, "The freshness of the ice cream won't last long. It will wear off in seven or eight days, and by then there won't be many people around..."
At this point, Shopkeeper Chen immediately decided, "How about this? Tomorrow you take the ice cream to the village entrance and have my father deliver it. The day after tomorrow, you prepare about forty bowls and send them over. That's enough for this little restaurant for two days."
After all, Yu County is not a prosperous county, and there are not many people who can afford to eat out.
At most, I would order a bowl of vegetarian noodle soup for five cents.
But even if the ice cream costs one cent a bowl, and there is no profit, and it even covers the cost of the sugar syrup, but if there are many customers, even if they only order the vegetarian soup noodles for five cents, it is still profitable by selling small profits but quick turnover.
After making the deal with Shopkeeper Chen, Yu Ying felt relieved.
Although these jelly can't make much money nowadays, it can definitely solve the current difficult situation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
