Chapter 168 Selling Vegetables
"Okay, now that you mention it, I want to eat it too.
But I don’t want leek and egg, I want leek and meat,” Li Wanqing said.
"Okay, I'll go cut the leeks." Gu Yan agreed and found a sickle to go cut the leeks.
Li Wanqing planned to thin out all the vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse, but her good son did not give her the chance.
Aunt Qiu came to call her before she had finished thinning the cabbages.
"Madam, the young master is hungry. You should go back quickly. I'll take care of the greenhouse." Aunt Qiu hurried in.
"Oh, I actually forgot about him." Li Wanqing quickly stood up and ran out.
Only Gu Yan, Aunt Qiu and Uncle Wang, who had just returned from sweeping the snow, were left in the greenhouse.
At noon, Gu Yan and Li Wanqing ate delicious leek dumplings and green vegetables with garlic.
Time passed slowly, and half a month was gone in the blink of an eye.
It has been snowing intermittently during this period. It is said that the snow outside is already above the knees.
Gu Yan bought two pigs and asked Li Wanqing to make bacon and sausages from them.
The vegetables in the greenhouse are now ripe and ready to eat.
Li Wanqing asked Gu Yan to deliver a basket to Manager Liu and Li Ya Ren respectively.
For everything else except for the food she ate at home, Li Wanqing asked customers to contact the restaurant and sell them at high prices.
"Madam, you really have a way. This is the first time I've seen vegetables grown in the middle of winter." Aunt Qiu said as she picked cucumbers.
"Well, it's nothing, it's just that most people wouldn't be willing to burn firewood like this.
Those wealthy families definitely have access to vegetables in winter, but the supply is just scarcer." Li Wanqing was also busy picking tomatoes.
"After selling this batch of vegetables, the money I spent on burning coal will be almost recovered. There is still a crop of vegetables in the greenhouse, especially leeks. There is really more to come after one crop is harvested.
I estimate I can sell it for over fifty taels of silver this time." Uncle Wang was picking beans nearby.
"I think these squash are edible now, so I'll take a few with me this time to see if the restaurant will accept them.
There are also tender pumpkins, which are perfect for frying now." Li Wanqing said, looking at the vines on the edge of the field.
In order not to waste land, Li Wanqing planted seeds in every corner.
Plants like squash, pumpkin, winter melon, and hanging beans can climb along the wall as long as a frame is set up.
"Leave some beans for us to eat at noon, and also some vegetables." Li Wanqing ordered.
"Madam, why don't you leave it behind? Vegetables are more expensive than meat now. I have prepared a lot of cabbage and potatoes at home." Aunt Qiu said with heartache when she thought about leaving behind beans and vegetables that were more expensive than meat.
"It's expensive, so what? It doesn't make sense that we can't eat the vegetables we grow ourselves." Li Wanqing said indifferently.
"But..." Aunt Qiu was really distressed, but she was interrupted by Li Wanqing before she could say anything.
"It's okay, Aunt Qiu, we originally grew these vegetables for our own consumption, and now being able to sell them for money is a pleasant surprise.
"We can't just give up eating for the sake of money, right? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?" Li Wanqing said.
Although Aunt Qiu still felt that such expensive vegetables should be sold first for money, she was tactful and didn't say anything else.
After all, she was just a servant. If she said too much, her master would be displeased. She still had some sense of propriety.
After Li Wanqing finished speaking, she went back to the house to see the children. The vegetables had almost been picked, and the rest had to be sent to the restaurant by Gu Yan.
"We have picked all the vegetables. Can you take them to the restaurant?" Li Wanqing washed her hands and went to the kang to hold Xuanxuan.
Xuanxuan is now more than four months old and can already recognize people.
I don’t know when this problem started, but as long as he is awake, he wants to be held. If not, he will scream at the top of his lungs.
Just now, Li Wanqing went to the greenhouse to pick vegetables, and Xuanxuan was held by Gu Yan.
"Okay, I'll go right away. Do you want to buy anything?" Gu Yan got off the bed and put on his shoes.
"Have you seen the sesame cake stall on East Street? I want to try some of their sesame cakes.
There are also Sijixiang Ruyi cakes, egg yolk pastries, and cloud cakes. You can buy some of them too.
There are also various candied fruits, you should buy some, especially candied dates, buy more of these." Li Wanqing thought about the things she wanted to eat and handed them to Gu Yan one by one.
"Okay, got it, I'll bring it back to you when I get back.
Don’t you like Fu Man Lou’s roast chicken? I’ll bring one back with me.” Gu Yan said.
"Take two, and give one to Aunt Qiu and the others to try.
They've been really hard at work taking care of the greenhouse lately," Li Wanqing said after thinking for a moment.
"Okay, I'll go right away." Gu Yan said and went out.
Unfortunately, not long after Gu Yan left, Manager Liu came to the door.
At this time, Li Wanqing had just coaxed Xuanxuan to sleep.
"Madam, Manager Liu is here." Aunt Qiu came in to report.
"Ah? Why is Uncle Liu here? Please come in." Li Wanqing hurriedly got off the kang, put on her shoes and went to the main room to entertain the guest.
"Uncle Liu, please take a seat. Aunt Qiu, pour some tea for Uncle Liu," Li Wanqing said.
"Madam Li, I'm sorry to bother you." Shopkeeper Liu was very polite to Li Wanqing.
"Uncle Liu, the condition is serious. It's just that Gu Yan is out and not at home. How about you sit down and wait for a while, Uncle Liu?" Li Wanqing said politely.
"No need to wait for him, I came here this time to shamelessly ask if there are any cucumbers left?
My old mother has a poor appetite in winter. It was the vegetables that Gu Xiaozi gave her last time that made her eat a few more mouthfuls of rice.
But no matter how much I tried to save it, I still finished it the day before yesterday.
I also know that vegetables are precious in winter, so I was too embarrassed to come over and eat them.
It’s just that my old mother didn’t eat properly the whole day yesterday, and this morning she told me that she wanted to eat cucumbers.
I have no choice but to come here with a thick skin." Although Shopkeeper Liu's face flushed, he still spoke out because he thought of his elderly mother at home.
"Well, what's the big deal? It's just a small matter, not worth it for you, Uncle Liu, to come here in person. Just send a waiter over to tell him." Li Wanqing said politely.
"Well, greens are so precious in winter, how could I have the nerve to send a servant to ask for them.
If the old lady wasn't so old, I would never have said that." Shopkeeper Liu said a little embarrassedly.
"Oh, Uncle Liu, you're too polite. Besides cucumbers, I also have tomatoes and young pumpkins.
I'll have someone pick some for you. Oh, and I'll also pick a little of leeks, Chinese cabbage, and garland chrysanthemums for you," said Li Wanqing.
After hearing what Li Wanqing said, Uncle Wang went to prepare.
"Okay, I'll be leaving now. Thank you, Madam Li.
Oh, and this is what my mother asked me to bring to Xuanxuan." Shopkeeper Liu left a brocade box and took a basket of vegetables with him.
Li Wanqing picked up the brocade box on the table and opened it. Inside was a pair of gold bracelets worn by a child.
Li Wanqing understood that this was a thank you gift from those vegetables.
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