Yuan Huiniang looked at the two of them and smiled, "I've been worried about you two day and night at home, and you two are so careless that you don't even know to come home. It would have been good if you could at least send someone to deliver a message."
Li Xiang'an and Li Xiangjian felt ashamed after hearing Yuan Huiniang's words. They did have an element of malice in it; their father was dead, and their mother couldn't support them. Although working was tiring, at least they could keep the money they earned and have enough to eat.
It wasn't that they were unfilial; it was just that their grandmother and uncle were a bottomless pit, and their father spent his whole life trying to fill it up but couldn't. In the end, he even lost his life in the process.
Yan Qingqing saw through the two children's thoughts at a glance and once again lamented that the original owner's cowardice had almost harmed several children.
Yan Qingqing coughed and said, "Alright, let's talk about it when we get home. I don't know where your older brother is or if he's even getting enough to eat. He's still just a child."
After saying that, Yan Qingqing felt that she had been a bit too talkative. She wasn't that old, so why had she reached the age where she liked to nag?
Yuan Huiniang comforted Yan Qingqing, saying, "Mother, Dalang has only been away from home for a few days. Perhaps he will send someone back with a message in a couple of days. It's already lucky that we were able to find Erlang and Sanlang today."
Yan Qingqing nodded, agreeing with what Yuan Huiniang said.
Yan Qingqing noticed that it was getting late and decided to take the group back to the city gate, worried that He San would be driving the oxcart back by the time they got back.
Halfway there, Li Xiangjian's stomach started rumbling.
Yan Qingqing stopped and glanced at him, saying, "We just went to the Ding family's mansion for a banquet. Old Madam Ding gave us two boxes of pastries. You two can eat some to tide you over. When we pass by the market later, I'll buy you some meat buns."
Li Xiang'an and Li Xiangjian's mouths watered at the mention of meat buns; it had been so long since they had eaten meat.
Although working at the docks could earn fifteen coins a day, after deducting three meals a day, there was hardly anything left.
However, the two of them thought that since their family had just separated, they certainly didn't have much money, so they had to be even more frugal.
Li Xiang'an swallowed hard and said, "Mom, don't spend money to buy us meat buns. Some pastries will do."
After saying that, Li Xiang'an opened the pastry box in his hand, and was stunned by what he saw. These pastries were so delicate and small that he could swallow several in one bite. Could they even eat these?
Then she closed the box again and said, "Never mind, let's leave these pretty pastries for my younger siblings. I can handle it."
Yan Qingqing sighed upon hearing this, then grabbed two handfuls of pastries and stuffed them into Li Xiang'an and Li Xiangjian's hands, saying, "Alright, let's go now."
Seeing that Yan Qingqing and Yuan Huiniang ignored them, the two had no choice but to eat their snacks while following the two.
Li Xiangjian, while taking a bite, mumbled, "This pastry is so delicious! I wish we could make it ourselves."
After a short time, Yan Qingqing had a pretty good understanding of the two men's personalities. Li Xiang'an was a man of few words but many thoughts, while Li Xiangjian was a cheerful, outgoing, and guileless boy.
When Yan Qingqing passed by the market, she bought ten meat buns and a few large bones from the butcher.
These children are at a crucial stage of growth, and long-term malnutrition will definitely lead to calcium deficiency. Drinking more bone broth is very beneficial for them.
In addition, Yan Qingqing cut off another piece of pork belly. She has always loved braised pork, especially now that she is pregnant.
Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night craving food, but her family was too poor to afford it.
Now things are much better; she has ten taels of silver in her pocket, a reward from Old Madam Ding. At least she can eat her fill this time.
These pork belly and large bones cost Yan Qingqing ninety coins.
Yan Qingqing actually wanted to buy more, but it was too late and that was all that was left.
Just as Yan Qingqing and the others were about to leave, they accidentally glanced at what was placed under the cutting board.
Yan Qingqing looked at the butcher and asked, "Boss, what's under your cutting board?"
The butcher replied, "This is pig offal. Alas, ma'am, you have no idea, selling pork is really not profitable these days."
The price of live pigs isn't cheap right now, and there's also thirty or forty catties of offal. After deducting all the miscellaneous items, you can only make a hundred or so coins at most per pig.
Yan Qingqing's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she asked, "Boss, do you sell your pig offal?"
The shopkeeper replied, "Of course it's for sale. Although this stuff is fishy and smelly, you can stew it with other vegetables and it'll be a meat dish, after all."
"Now that the meat is sold out, I'm planning to sell all the offal."
Yan Qingqing asked directly, "How much did I charge for all these pig offal?"
The boss was overjoyed to hear this, but in his heart he thought that Yan Qingqing looked like she was dressed in rags and was actually a rich but foolish person.
Before the shop owner could even express his delight, Li Xiangjian, who was munching on a steamed bun, muttered, "Mom, this stuff is fishy and smelly. Why did you buy it? We've already bought several pounds of pork belly."
The boss panicked when he heard this. He had finally found someone to buy pig offal, how could he let Li Xiangjian ruin the deal?
So he quickly said, "I usually sell these for two coins a pound. If you really want them, I'll give them to you for fifty coins."
Yan Qingqing: ……
Who said that pig offal was incredibly cheap in ancient times, costing only a few coins, and that it was so cheap that nobody wanted it even if you gave it away?
But if you think about it, if you handle these things properly, fifty coins would be a good deal.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing remained silent, the butcher felt a chill in his heart, thinking to himself that no one was willing to be the sucker.
However, the butcher still wanted to try again, so he carefully said, "Sister, how about I give you a discount of five coins, so forty-five coins? I can't go any lower, I don't make much money from this pig anyway."
Yan Qingqing found it somewhat amusing to see the burly man with a bitter expression on his face.
He didn't press him any further and said, "Alright, forty-five coins it is. I'm planning to start a small business. If it succeeds, you won't have to worry about selling your pig offal anymore."
The butcher was overjoyed and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, as long as you get your goods from me from now on, I guarantee they will all be the freshest pig offal."
Yan Qingqing paid him another forty-five coins. Seeing that it was difficult for Yan Qingqing and the others to carry so much pig offal, he gave them a broken basket for free.
Although Li Xiangjian didn't approve of Yan Qingqing spending money like that, he didn't say anything. He even took the basket and carried it on his back.
Yan Qingqing looked at Li Xiangjian with satisfaction, thinking that he had gotten another good deal on his eldest son.
When the group reached the city gate, the others who had taken the oxcart had already arrived.
When He Sankai saw that Yan Qingqing had actually found the two children, he said, "Second sister-in-law, you are really amazing. You managed to find them in such a big county town. Hurry up and get in the car, we've been waiting for you."
Yan Qingqing replied with a smile, "I'm really sorry to have taken up everyone's time."
No one else said anything, but Chen Damei was extremely jealous when she saw that Yan Qingqing had bought so many things.
But when she arrived, Yan Qingqing snapped at her, saying sarcastically, "You know you're taking up everyone's time, so why don't you hurry up? My husband is waiting for me to come home. Unlike some people who don't care if they don't go home for days."
Yan Qingqing rolled her eyes, too lazy to argue with her, since it was indeed her who had wasted everyone's time.
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