"Free samples, gentlemen, please have a taste first." He said, handing out several bowls of cold noodles.
The men were probably starving. They didn't even sit down before grabbing the bowls and chopsticks and shoveling food into their mouths.
After finishing half a serving of cold noodles, I exclaimed "So refreshing!"
"happy!"
"A bowl of liangpi (cold skin noodles) is only three copper coins. It's perfect for summer like this. Would you gentlemen like a bowl?" Song Ning asked with a smile.
"Give me a bowl!"
A bowl costs three coins, and quite a few people are willing to pay for it. Cold steamed buns at the post station cost two coins each, and even boiled water costs money. All things considered, it's more cost-effective to go out and eat a bowl of cold noodles.
Soon, a lot of people gathered around the stall. Aunt Zhao helped cut the cold noodles, while Song Ning was in charge of pouring the soup and collecting money.
The post station here is right next to the edge of the town. A little further east is the road leading to other towns. Besides the workers here, it is also a stop for caravans.
While Song Ning and her group were receiving guests, three or four caravans arrived at the distant post station.
The sound of coins being tossed around echoed from the stall, and Song Ning and Aunt Zhao's smiles never faded.
"Auntie, how much cold noodles do you have left?"
Aunt Zhao glanced at them and roughly estimated: "There should be about twenty left."
They worked through the night yesterday and this morning, making a total of 150 sheets, and she brought half of them with her.
As the weather got hotter, the slurping sounds from their food stalls quickly attracted the attention of the caravans from the area.
Tired and hungry from their long journey, and knowing the caravans were well-off, they were quickly drawn to the caravan.
"We've traveled all over the country, and this is the first time we've ever seen something like this!"
"Brothers, this is called liangpi (cold skin noodles). It costs three coins a bowl. It's refreshing and helps to cool you down in the summer. The sun is strong now, so having a bowl will help you cool down and satisfy your hunger."
The group readily agreed and took all the remaining twenty-odd tickets.
This way they can pack up and leave immediately.
"We've made a good start today," Aunt Zhao said with a smile as she tidied up.
"It seems that the business here can indeed be done."
"Then let's hurry over to the market."
The three of them packed their things and headed towards the market.
As soon as they entered the market street, before they had even passed it, they saw Song Dahai and Liu Yuelan looking dejected.
Seeing Song Ning return was like seeing a lifeline: "Er Ya, you're finally back!"
The two looked anxious: "Er Ya, it seems we miscalculated the accounts, what should we do?"
Song Dahai and Liu Yuelan were both farmers who had never dealt with money in their lives. In the past, they only weighed the grain when it was harvested in the autumn, and those numbers were easy to remember.
It's fine if there are few customers, but once there are too many, it becomes impossible to keep up.
Several people came in at once and ordered more than a dozen bowls. Song Dahai and Liu Yuelan were caught off guard and charged a few coins less.
I only realized what happened after everyone had left, and then I felt really bad.
Even when other guests arrived later, he seemed somewhat distracted.
Song Ning smiled and said, "It's alright. We've only just started doing business. You'll get used to it."
It's inevitable to make mistakes when doing accounting. As long as the loss isn't too great, there's no major problem. Just be more careful in the future.
Song Dahai and Liu Yuelan looked uneasy and kept their heads down without saying a word.
Song Ning glanced at the bucket and saw that there wasn't much left, so she packed up her stall.
"There aren't many left. We won't sell the rest; we'll keep them for ourselves."
It's lunchtime now, and everyone's hungry, so they just sat down at the stall, ate, and then went back.
When Li Daniu and Aunt Zhao heard that meals would be provided, they both waved their hands, saying, "You've already paid us wages, how can we eat more?"
Who provides meals for helpers? If such a job were available anywhere, people would be flocking to the door.
"It's hot now, and it would be unbearably hot if we went back. These cold noodles don't keep well, so we might as well eat them now."
Song Ning prepared the cold noodles and served a bowl to each person.
Li Daniu and his wife were still too embarrassed to touch their chopsticks. They looked at each other and remained motionless.
"Uncle Da Niu, Aunt Zhao, you go ahead and eat, it's alright. We'll eat while you watch, I'm not feeling at ease eating like this."
The two eventually compromised.
Li Daniu and Aunt Zhao were also eating liangpi (cold skin noodles) for the first time, and they couldn't stop sighing with delight as they ate.
"No wonder it sells so well, it's delicious!"
"This is full of good stuff, oil and salt, and it's only three coins—it's so cheap!" Aunt Zhao exclaimed excitedly.
Song Dahai and Liu Yuelan remained silent, still blaming themselves for miscalculating the accounts.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry too much. We'll earn it back in the future. Besides, we've already earned quite a bit today. It's just a few coins, right? We'll sell more later and earn it back. Once we've made money, these few coins won't be a big deal at all," Song Ning comforted her.
"We lost several coins today, so we'll skip the cold noodles and save them for you."
“Mother, even the accountant makes mistakes, let alone us. Besides, this is only our third day in business. It’s already good that Father and Mother have only made one mistake.”
Liu Yuelan, however, caught the key point: "Even an accountant can make mistakes in accounting?"
"That's right. Those accountants in town have been doing accounts their whole lives, and they still often make mistakes. We're really doing pretty well." Song Ning started talking nonsense.
They only lost a few coins because they miscalculated, but if the accountant had miscalculated, it would have been a really bad situation.
The two finally looked a little better, sighed, and began to eat.
Aunt Zhao also laughed and said, "You're going to have good fortune in the future. Er Ya is a capable girl, and there are many good days ahead of you."
Before Aunt Zhao came, she was worried about whether this matter was reliable or not, but after coming with Song Ning today, she was completely relieved.
Er Ya is reliable; you can make money by following Er Ya.
Liu Yuelan finally smiled.
The atmosphere improved, and after the group finished their meal, they boarded the oxcart and went back.
On the way back, I saw many people coming from the north, and they looked like they wanted to go south.
Liu Yuelan asked in confusion, "What are these people doing? It looks like they're moving house."
Each group consisted of families, driving oxcarts loaded to the brim, heading south.
Song Ning had a rough idea of what was going on; they were in the north, but not the northernmost part.
Further north lies a place with short summers and long winters, where it doesn't rain all year round, making life even more difficult.
These people are probably not relocating; they are more likely fleeing south while the weather is still warm.
Song Ning remained silent, pondering how long Nanshan Village could hold out.
They made their way home in this leisurely manner, and the family didn't dare to delay, so they quickly got ready to make cold noodles.
By the time we finished, it was already getting late.
After the family washed up, they all went to bed. However, Liu Yuelan did not get up the next day.
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