It was at this moment that Fatty realized that the child wasn't even wearing shoes. But there was nothing funny about it. Back in her hometown, she often went barefoot to save on shoe soles. Even though they were straw sandals, it still took some effort!
Qin San Niang and Pang Ya sat on the stone stools in the courtyard to wait. The child had left in a hurry and hadn't locked the door, so Qin San Niang and Pang Ya naturally wouldn't go inside. Although the Feng family seemed very poor, it was still better to avoid suspicion.
Before long, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps could be heard. Qin San Niang had excellent hearing and heard them from a great distance.
"Oh my, Madam Qin, I never expected you to come to our house! Please come in and sit down, it's a bit sunny outside! My daughter is young and didn't know you were a distinguished guest." Madam Zhao, Feng Jinshan's wife, was a woman of many words.
They were working in front of the mountain when they heard their little girl calling them. She was quite puzzled, wondering if the girl was trying to slack off again. But then she thought, no, although the girl is cunning, she is still a hardworking person! She takes after her!
"Peach, what are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry? Is a dog chasing you?" Zhao was a woman with a sharp tongue.
After asking the girl, she learned that they were honored guests. She quickly called her husband and mother-in-law, as well as her two sons, and they were all called down the mountain.
When Qin San Niang saw that the whole family had come in such a hurry, she felt a little embarrassed, since they were obviously busy working in the fields! However, she had come to bring them business, and she was sure she wouldn't disappoint them.
"Alright, enough talk, quickly make some sweet soup for our distinguished guest!" Feng Jinshan was still a man of few words, but he knew how to treat guests. This sweet soup was the only good thing his family could offer!
As for tea, we don't have any. We don't usually have important guests; at most, it's just familiar people in the village. There's no need for such expensive things.
Qin San Niang quickly waved her hand, saying there was no need to trouble herself. Zhao Shi, with a bright smile on her face, hurried to the kitchen to prepare the sweet soup! Her mother-in-law, who was also not good with words, followed her into the kitchen.
"Madam Qin, why are you here at this time? It's not the season for hawthorns to ripen!" Feng Jinshan asked in confusion, unable to think of any business that could still be done now. His eldest son, Feng Bo, standing beside him, also looked puzzled; the two of them were equally simple-minded.
Qin Sanniang smiled and said, "I didn't come here to buy or sell hawthorns, and I know that they're not in season now. I heard that you have many peach trees, is that right?"
"Of course, my family has plenty of peach trees!" Feng Bo said, his face beaming with happiness. He was about to get married to the girl he liked from the neighboring village, all thanks to the business that Tan San Niang had brought to his family. Therefore, Feng Bo held Tan San Niang in high esteem.
"However, these peach trees don't bear fruit yet; it will be several more months before they start to bear fruit! The mountains and fields are covered in peach blossoms! If you'd like to see the peach blossoms, we can take you to see the scenery; the mountains are at their most beautiful at this time of year."
"Are there many peach blossoms? I wonder if I could buy some from you?" Seeing Feng Bo's carefree manner, Qin San Niang could also feel his joy.
“Peach blossoms? Of course. There’s no need to buy peach blossoms, they’re not worth much. My son can pick some for you, no need to buy them. But if Madam Qin is willing to buy our peaches, that would be more than we could ask for!” Madam Zhao carefully came out carrying two bowls of sweet soup, and said when she heard that Madam Qin wanted peach blossoms.
Sweet soup is a precious thing, and the people in their family don't drink it, so there are only two bowls for entertaining guests!
"Yes, Madam Qin, you've helped our family so much, but it's just a few peach petals. It's not worth spending money," Feng Jinshan said honestly.
"Don't be in a hurry. I've asked for quite a few peach blossoms, and I won't feel at ease if I don't pay you. As far as I know, if a peach tree is too dense and the blossoms are too abundant, it will actually affect the yield of fruit. So, picking the blossoms and removing the branches and leaves appropriately should be beneficial." Before coming, she had also done some research on the impact of picking peach blossoms on the peach yield. If it meant damaging the trees for the sake of making peach blossom wine, Qin San Niang was unwilling to do such a thing.
Hearing her say that, Feng Jinshan also felt that he had met an expert. Ordinary outsiders would never know such a thing. This is a craft passed down from their ancestors!
"I never imagined that Madam Qin was such an expert. I suppose your family knows how to grow fruit trees? Indeed, that's true. So picking the petals appropriately won't affect the growth and fruiting of the peach tree; on the contrary, it's beneficial! You don't need to pay; it's really not worth the money."
Feng Jinshan was quite pleased to have met an expert. Not every wealthy lady had the interest of Qin Sanniang, who could talk to a peasant like him about fruit tree cultivation.
"What are you saying? Even if peach blossoms aren't worth much, picking them still requires human labor, and human labor is always valuable, right? Besides, no matter what, it's because of your hard work that the peach blossoms can bloom so beautifully, so the peach blossoms are also your output."
"Alright, let's not dwell on this anymore. Just do as I say!" Qin San Niang said firmly.
Although she was gentle and pleasant, she had a bright and dignified appearance, and when she was serious, she exuded an unapproachable air of authority.
When Feng Jinshan and his wife saw her say that, they stopped talking about it. Besides, the fact that the other party insisted on giving money meant that they had money. It was a rare opportunity to exchange worthless peach blossoms for silver.
Having figured this out, Zhao smiled and asked her how many peach blossoms she needed so that she could pick them later.
"Let's start with eighty catties of peach blossoms, but they have to be dried. Just let them air dry in a cool, well-ventilated place. I'll charge you half a coin per catty. What do you think?"
"I know your family has about two acres of peach orchards, so picking eighty catties of peach blossoms shouldn't be difficult," said Qin San Niang. They currently had nowhere to dry the peach blossoms, and to maintain secrecy, collecting dried blossoms was the best option!
"Yes, yes! It's no trouble at all!" Zhao said cheerfully. What's wrong with dried peach blossoms? Every year, the peach blossoms that are picked rot on the ground. Eighty catties of peach blossoms are worth four taels of silver! That's more valuable than selling peaches! It's not a loss to pick all the blossoms. It's just a pity that Madam Qin only wants eighty catties.
"Madam Qin, I wonder if you'd like some pear blossoms? We have pear trees planted at home, and the blossoms are quite beautiful! They smell wonderful!" Zhao Shi's mind was quick; she figured that if the other woman bought peach blossoms, she probably wanted to make sachets or something. She remembered hearing that in operas, wealthy ladies always liked to wear those!
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