Niu Qingshan glanced at Pei Yao several times along the way, always looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Even Chen Fang could tell that the young man had something to say.
Pei Yao: "Brother Qingshan, is there something you want to say?"
Niu Qingshan scratched his head and finally asked somewhat embarrassedly.
"Yao-mei...are you really going to sell this long snail?"
Pei Yao was tidying up banana leaves and putting them into her basket when she heard Niu Qingshan's words. She looked up at him and smiled brightly: "That's right."
Niu Qingshan: "......"
“Yao Mei, actually, clams and sand clams, which have more meat, sell better than this whelk. Locals don’t like to eat this whelk. Not only is it not meaty, but it’s also tough and not tasty.”
The locals call the snail a "long snail" because it is very long.
In fact, what Niu Qingshan said was the truth, and Pei Yao knew it too.
She picked up a snail soaked in broth and handed it to Niu Qingshan: "Brother Qingshan, you should try it. The snails I made taste really good."
Niu Qingshan was about to refuse, but then he saw Pei Yao's big, bright eyes filled with anticipation.
He took the snail. People by the sea seem to be born with the ability to eat snails. As soon as Niu Qingshan got the snail, he knew to put it in his mouth and suck on the opening.
Niu Qingshan: "!"
He instantly realized how ridiculous his previous thoughts had been.
Because Pei Yao's spicy snail dish was just too delicious.
Pei Yao added mint leaves to the oyster broth while cooking it, and after it cooled, she mixed it with the snails. As a result, the snails tasted like they had been frozen in the refrigerator, cool and refreshing.
"Yao-mei, this is the first time I've ever had snails cooked this way, it's delicious."
After finishing the snail in his hand, Niu Qingshan couldn't help but look at the other snails.
Pei Yao smiled, generously scooped a bowlful from the ceramic bowl, poured it onto banana leaves that had been cut to the correct size beforehand, and handed it to Niu Qingshan.
Even if Niu Qingshan thought the spicy snails were delicious, he was too embarrassed to eat Pei Yao's food for free.
He quickly shook his head in refusal, but Pei Yao ignored his refusal and stuffed it directly into his hand.
"Eat it, Brother Qingshan, this stuff isn't worth much."
Niu Qingshan was still too embarrassed to take the girl's things, but he couldn't bear to return the snails in his hand.
This stuff is really delicious.
Niu Qingshan: "Yaomei, how much do you want for this? I'll pay you."
Pei Yao pretended to be angry and looked at Niu Qingshan: "Brother Qingshan, I'll get angry if you keep saying that."
"If you hadn't brought us to town today, I wouldn't know how to get all this here. Please accept these snails as a small token of my appreciation."
Seeing that Pei Yao had already said so, it would seem petty for Niu Qingshan to refuse again.
He accepted it anyway, but he planned to take it back to his grandparents so that the elderly could also try something new.
What Niu Qingshan didn't know was that the old couple had already experienced the charm of this delicacy.
And she kept it from him.
When passing through other villages along the way, Niu Qingshan would stop to give one or two people a ride, but not many people rode in the oxcart.
The spicy snails are served with strong-flavored ingredients like lemon and chili peppers. Soon, people on the oxcart could smell the fresh aroma through the banana leaves covering the wooden bucket.
A young man sniffed, followed the fragrance to Pei Yao's wooden tub, and swallowed hard: "Wow, what's that smell? It smells so good."
Another elderly woman, also drawn by the aroma, smelled it and asked, "Yes, it smells wonderful."
Pei Yao generously lifted the banana leaf covering one of the buckets: "Young man, ma'am, this is our family's secret recipe, spicy snails. They're icy cold and sour and spicy, perfect for whetting your appetite in this weather."
After saying that, he took out some bamboo chopsticks and picked out a few for the other people in the car to try.
Even though it was free, and the snails were not exactly popular, everyone took them and ate them one by one, thinking that it was a waste not to eat them.
What's more, these snails smell so good.
!!
The guy who asked the first question finished eating first, and his eyes lit up instantly.
Looking at Pei Yao, he asked, "Little girl, how much is this?"
Pei Yao carefully considered the price. The snails weren't valuable because nobody liked to eat them; they were plentiful by the sea. The other side dishes were also wild-picked from the mountains. Apart from labor, the cost was almost nonexistent.
Moreover, prices were low in this era, and people's consumption was also low.
She inquired and found that selling a bowl for two coins was the most suitable price.
Pei Yao calmly held up two fingers: "Big brother, this spicy snail is two coins a bowl."
The price was indeed reasonable, and the spicy snails tasted great, so the young man immediately ordered two bowls: "They're so delicious, I'll buy some to take home for my dad to enjoy with his drinks."
Pei Yao: "Okay, I'll pack it up for you."
The lady in front of me, who had also asked, ordered a bowl: "Young lady, give me a bowl too. It's been hot lately, and my husband hasn't had much of an appetite. This spicy snail dish is refreshing and appetizing, perfect for him to have with his dinner tonight."
Others who tried it, except for those who particularly dislike snails, almost all ordered one or two servings.
Pei Yao and Chen Fang quickly took the prepared banana leaves and packed them up for them.
Wrap it in banana leaves and then tie it with straw.
Chen Fang was truly impressed by her niece's calm and composed demeanor.
Pei Yao was quite skilled at packing, so she packed the food while Chen Fang, who had learned accounting at home, took the money.
After a brief period of activity, the oxcart arrived at Meilin Town.
Everyone gradually got off the oxcart, and in the end, only Pei Yao, Chen Fang, and Niu Qingshan remained on the cart.
Chen Fang counted the copper coins in her hand; it totaled sixteen coins, and she sold eight bowls.
Chen Fang had seen a lot in her life; she had never been tempted by gold ingots placed before her. But now, seeing these sixteen copper coins, she felt a surge of emotion and her eyes welled up with tears.
"Yao girl, am I dreaming? We actually earned sixteen copper coins in one go, and we actually sold them."
Pei Yao was also very excited at this moment and could not calm down for a long time.
This was the first money she had earned on her own since she came into this world, and she was very excited.
Touching the copper coin in her hand, Chen Fang suddenly felt very confident, thinking that maybe they really could earn two hundred taels!
However, the two quickly recovered their composure.
Chen Fang handed the money to Pei Yao: "Yao girl, this is the money you earned, you keep it."
Pei Yao nodded, took the money, counted out ten coins, and gave them to Niu Qingshan: "Brother Qingshan, this is the fare for the oxcart we came here. I don't know if it's enough."
Niu Qingshan didn't stand on ceremony with them; she knew that even if she didn't accept it, Pei Yao would insist on giving it to her.
However, Niu Qingshan returned the remaining six coins to Pei Yao: "Sister Yao, you don't need so much. Four coins are enough for the two of you."
Seeing that he refused to accept ten coins, Pei Yao had no choice but to give him four more: "These four coins are for the cart fare for our wooden bucket."
It cost 80,000 yuan for a trip, and with so much stuff taking up a lot of space, it wasn't expensive. Besides, they might need the car often in the future.
Just as Niu Qingshan was about to frown and refuse Pei Yao, she preemptively put on a stern face, not allowing Niu Qingshan to refuse.
Pei Yao is someone who doesn't like her friends to suffer losses because of her. Niu Qingshan gave them a ride, and his own things took up a lot of space.
Moreover, she would need Niu Qingshan to help her find a spot to place the snails later.
These are all favors or courtesy.
Looking at the few fresh sea fish in Niu Qingshan's bucket, Pei Yao asked, "Brother Qingshan, are you going to take these fish to the dock to sell later?"
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