"This regular one is 30 cents a pound, and there's another one with peanuts and sesame seeds for 50 cents a pound. Do you want to try that one?"
The eldest sister nodded rapidly. Peanuts and sesame seeds are good things. She took the remaining steamed bun and asked Ma Xiulan to make her some more of the peanut and sesame ones. It was indeed more fragrant than the previous one.
"I'll take a pound of this, too."
After placing the first order, Ma Xiulan's eyes lit up as she continued to discuss with her elder sister:
"I don't have any glass jars here. You can go home and get something to put it in, or you can use my clean bowl to put it in and bring it back to me. I have to deposit 50 cents for the bowl."
When the elder sister heard this, she thought it was a good deal. Even if she lost fifty cents, she could still get a bowl, so it was not a loss.
"Then I'll take your two bowls home and bring them back to you later."
After the first customer left, the others who were watching came forward to find out more. They saw that the food was really free and both sauces were delicious. Basically, each person got one pound of each.
Soon the two pots that Ma Xiulan brought were sold out.
Many people also asked her when she would come tomorrow and wanted to make a reservation for tomorrow.
While she was sitting there waiting for a few people to bring her bowls, she saw someone selling beef. She went up to him and it looked very fresh and the price was very reasonable, one dollar per pound.
She bought 5 kilograms, 1 kilogram to make a stir-fried beef for herself and her children, and the other 4 kilograms to make beef-flavored chili sauce.
As the sun rose, she collected all the bowls and went home with the basket on her back. When she got home, she closed the door and counted the money.
She sold 18 kilograms and earned a total of 6.1 yuan. She roughly estimated that the profit was about half, which is about 3 yuan. If she sold it 30 days a month, that would be 90 yuan, which is more than what a senior worker earns.
If she went to the countryside to buy peppers and peanuts from the villagers, the cost could be reduced further.
Just as she was thinking about how to make money, the door was knocked open. It was Old Mrs. Zhang who looked worried and anxious.
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