Chapter 26 French Fries Family Members +1
"Is your injury any better, madam?" Aunt Li asked with concern as she took the fries Lin Yao had just handed her.
Lin Yao nodded. "Much better. As long as I don't lift heavy things, I'm fine. I was bored sitting at home, so I decided to come out."
"My dear wife, you must be more careful. If you develop any health problems, it will be very difficult when you get old." As she spoke, Aunt Li took a bite of a French fry. The unique texture and taste made her eyes widen. "What is this? I have never tasted anything like this before. It is crispy and delicious, truly special!"
Lin Yao was secretly delighted; indeed, no one could resist the allure of French fries. If only she had potatoes, she could make authentic French fries.
She replied with a smile, "These are French fries, something I just happened to come up with."
When Aunt Li heard that it was Lin Yao's new creation, she felt that the girl was exceptionally intelligent. The more she looked at her, the more she liked her. She thought how wonderful it would be if she had such a clever daughter. Unlike her own brat, "How can your brain be so bright? It's really enviable."
Lin Yao smiled modestly upon hearing the praise, but inwardly she was filled with pride, practically strutting around with joy. "Auntie, you flatter me. I was just idly thinking about it."
When Xu Zhiheng arrived, he happened to see Lin Yao's eyes almost overflowing with smugness, yet she still pretended to be humble.
Lin Yao had already spotted Xu Zhiheng. The reason was simple: he was wearing a bright red robe today. However, it must be said that compared to his previous lighter colors, this bold and unrestrained color suited him much better, making him look even more dashing. She greeted him warmly, "Young Master Xu! What would you like to eat today?"
"On the way here, I heard that Miss Lin has introduced new snacks, so let's try this one," Xu Zhiheng replied.
"Okay, almost done." Lin Yao turned around to fry the French fries.
Xu Zhiheng sat down at the congee shop and ordered two bowls of fish congee. He had just taken a couple of sips when Lin Yao brought over the fries.
"Is this French fries?" Xu Zhiheng asked, looking at the golden strips on the plate.
“Indeed, young master, why don’t you try it? If you don’t like it, I’ll make you something else,” Lin Yao said.
Xu Zhiheng picked up a French fry and put it in his mouth. The crispy texture made his eyes light up.
If he had previously thought Lin Yao had some talent in cooking, now he felt that Lin Yao was simply a genius.
Lin Yao took in his reaction and chuckled to herself, thinking, "Another person conquered by fries."
"Delicious! The food made by Miss Lin is absolutely delicious!" Before Xu Zhiheng could even speak, Jin Yu beside him had already praised it first.
Lin Yao chuckled, "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Jinyu."
More and more people were buying fries at the stall. Lin Yao and Xu Zhiheng exchanged a few words of greeting before hurrying back to their stall to get busy.
"My lord, Lord Wu and the others should be setting off for the capital today," Jin Yu said in a low voice.
Xu Zhiheng nodded slightly, "After today, things will be much easier."
On the dock or on the boat.
“Lord Wu, these days, I’ve noticed that Xu Erlang is either buying food at the docks or going to the Rouge Pavilion to watch plays for entertainment. He’s nothing but a mischievous brat,” Zhao Li said, stroking his beard.
“Lord Zhao is absolutely right. Everyone knows about Xu Erlang’s ways in the capital. I’m afraid I’ve been overthinking things this time,” Wu Shen said slowly, gazing at the bustling stalls on the dock.
Lin Yao was extremely busy; the fries were far more popular than she had expected.
The price of French fries is not low. Although the raw material for cassava fries is cheap, the production process is complicated and consumes a lot of time and manpower. Therefore, she does not plan to take the low-price route.
She sold the fries in three sizes: large, medium, and small. The large portion cost eight coins, the medium portion cost six coins, and the small portion cost two coins.
Cassava is readily available in the mountains, and families with decent means don't consider it a good deal, so even though a small portion of fries costs two coins, it's not cheap. Yet, even so, the fries were sold out in less than an hour.
Today, including the fries, we earned a total of three hundred and eighty coins. Lin Yao looked at the coins on the table, then at Lin Cheng, "Brother, let's go buy a donkey." Lin Cheng didn't react for a moment. Donkeys were livestock; only the village head's family owned one, and he heard it cost three taels of silver, which was no small sum. "Yao, why buy a donkey? That's no small amount."
Lin Yao patiently explained, “Brother, we are making more and more food these days, and it takes a lot of effort for you to carry the load to the dock every time. If we had a donkey, it would not only help us carry things, but also save us a lot of effort and time. Besides, if we need to go to more distant places to buy ingredients in the future, it would be much more convenient to have a donkey.”
“Brother, you have plenty of strength!” Lin Cheng said.
"Not only that, in the future we will also make konjac noodles, sweet potato noodles and tapioca flour, all of which need to be ground with a stone mill."
"If we had a donkey, my brother could free up his hands to help make other food, and that way we could earn more money." Lin Yao paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, we don't have to pay wages for donkeys, which is much more cost-effective." Lin Cheng thought about it for a while and felt that his sister's words made sense, so he stopped objecting.
"Brother, go to the kitchen and get a bowl of braised pig offal. We're going to Brother Dazhuang's house," Lin Yao said. Lin Yao had never handled a donkey before, and Lin Cheng and Lin Song had only seen them a few times from afar, so they needed to find someone knowledgeable about livestock to help them choose. The three siblings left with some coins and a large bowl of braised pig offal.
Liu Dazhuang's home.
Liu Dazhuang was sitting in the courtyard, repairing bamboo arrows with a small knife. Seeing Lin Yao and her two siblings arrive, he waved, "Cheng-ge'er, A-Yao, Song'er, what brings you here?"
Lin Yao smiled and stepped forward. "Brother Dazhuang, I need your help today." As she spoke, she gestured for Lin Cheng to hand over the bowl of braised pork offal.
Liu Dazhuang quickly waved his hand, "No, no, you child, don't talk about trouble. We're all neighbors, just ask if you need anything."
Lin Cheng placed the bowl of braised pig offal on the table. "Brother Dazhuang, please don't refuse. We have a serious matter to ask you for help today. We want to buy a donkey, but we don't know how to judge its quality. We would like to ask you to help us take a look. The livestock brokers in town charge quite a bit, so the three of us siblings can only trouble you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Dazhuang was surprised. The Lin siblings' food business was so successful that they could afford a donkey after only one month.
He looked at the three children in front of him. Not long ago, the little ones had been so thin and pale from hunger, but today their complexions were much rosier, indicating that life was getting better and better. "Alright, I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll get ready, and we'll head out together."
Upon arriving at the livestock market, the sounds of various animals mingled together. Donkeys, horses, cattle, and other livestock were tethered in different enclosures, surrounded by many people making their selections. Liu Dazhuang walked in front, with Lin Yao, Lin Cheng, and Lin Song following closely behind.
"When buying a donkey, the first thing to look at is its coat. A shiny and smooth coat means the donkey is healthy and has no problems," Liu Dazhuang explained to Lin Yao and her brother as they walked. "The next thing to look at is its teeth. If the teeth are straight and without any defects, the donkey is generally young and has the strength to work."
As they were talking, Liu Dazhuang suddenly stopped and pointed to a donkey, saying, "Look at that one over there. Its coat is black and shiny, its hair is smooth, and it looks strong. It should be quite good." Lin Yao looked in the direction Liu Dazhuang was pointing and saw the donkey standing quietly in the enclosure, occasionally swishing its tail. Its coat was jet black and shiny, and its eyes were bright and spirited.
Lin Cheng stepped forward and carefully examined the donkey's teeth and limbs, checking them one by one according to the points Liu Dazhuang had just mentioned. "Brother Dazhuang, this donkey's teeth look quite neat, and its limbs are strong."
Liu Dazhuang walked over and reached out to stroke the donkey's back and legs, feeling its muscles. "Hmm, not bad at all. Come on, let's test its temperament." Saying this, Liu Dazhuang picked up a piece of hay and slowly approached the donkey. Seeing the hay, the donkey immediately stretched its neck and obediently began to eat. Liu Dazhuang then gently patted its head, and the donkey showed no resistance. "This donkey has a gentle temperament; it'll be easy to work with in the future."
Lin Yao looked at the donkey and was very satisfied.
"Boss, how much is this donkey?" Lin Cheng asked the seller next to him. The seller, Qian San, was a middle-aged man. He stepped forward and looked Lin Yao and her brother up and down. "This donkey is one I have carefully raised. It is strong and has a good temper. If you want to buy it, it will cost two taels and eight mace of silver."
Lin Yao and Lin Cheng exchanged a glance; the price was lower than they had expected. But when buying things, there's always room for bargaining. A lower price is a better deal, so Lin Cheng said, "Boss, we really want to buy it. Could you make it a little cheaper? Two taels and five mace of silver, is that alright?"
Qian San frowned. "My donkey is top-quality, no bargaining." Lin Cheng wanted to haggle again, but Lin Yao tugged at his sleeve. "Brother, let's go look at other shops."
Liu Dazhuang led them to several stalls, and after looking around, Lin Yao felt that the donkey they had seen at the beginning was still the best. In the end, the four of them returned to the first stall, and Qian San, seeing them come back, asked, "How was it? My donkey is the best, isn't it?"
Lin Yao smiled and nodded, "Yes, your donkey is indeed excellent. We looked around and still felt that yours was the most suitable. But my siblings and I run a small business, and it's not easy for us to save money. Two taels and five mace of silver is all we have. You see, we really want to buy it, so please give us a discount. If we need to buy more livestock in the future, we will definitely come back to you."
Qian San looked at the three siblings. Although their clothes were simple, they were clean and tidy. They were young and already out making a living, just like himself when he was young. "Alright, alright, I'll sell it to you for two taels and five qian. This donkey is yours from now on. Take good care of it."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yao and Lin Cheng's faces immediately lit up with joy. "Thank you, boss. You're kind-hearted, and your business will surely flourish and you'll make a fortune." Qian San's impatience vanished upon hearing this. "You little girl, you're quite the smooth talker."
Lin Cheng hurriedly took out the silver he had prepared from his pocket, carefully counted it, and handed it to Qian San after confirming that it was correct. Qian San took the silver, checked it carefully again, and then handed the donkey's reins to Lin Cheng. Lin Cheng took the reins, gently patted the donkey's neck, and his eyes were full of joy.
Lin Yao stepped forward and stroked the donkey's head. "Come on, let's go home."
On the way, Lin Song and Lin Yao discussed what to name their donkey. Although Lin Cheng tried his best to control his emotions, the ever-present upturn of his lips betrayed his good mood. Liu Dazhuang, seeing the happy faces of his siblings, felt deeply gratified.
The group's attention was focused on the newly purchased donkey, and no one noticed the figure in the bamboo grove by the roadside.
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Author's Note: Please consider adding this to your favorites while I'm revising my graduation project and writing daily updates! [Starry eyes][Starry eyes]
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