5 Rock Sugar Fruit Skewers (Part 2)
◎Setting up illegal stalls◎
Jiang Qinglan was holding a small bamboo winnowing basket, and Tuantuan was eating a candied peach. The two of them kept going to places where there were many children.
Although these nectarines are not big in size, they are very beautiful. Not only are they deep red like agate, but they are also covered with a layer of shiny sugar coating, which sparkles in the sunlight.
When Tuantuan took a bite, the flesh of the fresh peach broke into pieces, the bright red juice overflowed, and there was a slight, crunching sound - this was the sugar coating being chewed.
There was too much juice, some of it flowed down the corners of his mouth. He slurped it, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and then took another crunchy bite.
There was a little girl about the same age as Tuantuan who was watching him eat peaches. She was so greedy that she put her fingers in her mouth and slurped them.
Jiang Qinglan said to her mother, "Madam, buy the child a skewer. It's only a penny. It's fresh fruit coated in sugar. It's healthy and delicious. Look, my sister is eating it."
"A peach costs one cent?"
"A peach is three cents, and a loquat and plum are one cent each."
The girl picked and chose, and bought a bunch of plums and loquats. Jiang Qinglan and the others took the money and had not yet left when she stopped them again.
"Buy three more bunches of plums and loquats, and two more peaches!"
"Okay!"
After walking around Xinglong Temple several times, there was very little left in her bamboo winnowing basket.
As Tuan Tuan mentioned before, customers all complained that the green plums were too sour, so the remaining items were mostly green plum skewers.
Tuan Tuan was worried: "These green plums are making my teeth sore. It seems that I can't sell them."
"Don't worry," Jiang Qinglan said, "I'll go back and candy them and make them into dried green plums. They'll be just as delicious."
As he was speaking, a gentle voice rang out: "Madam, how much are you selling these green plums for?"
Jiang Qinglan looked up and saw a woman wearing a pink and purple jacket and a silver-gray skirt. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her almond-shaped eyes were as clear as water. Although she looked delicate and frail, she possessed a beauty that was as delicate as a beautiful girl from a small family.
She supported her lower back with one hand and stroked her bulging belly with the other, with a woman standing behind her.
When business came to the door, Jiang Qinglan smiled and said, "Two cents each, you can try it first and then buy it." Then he handed one over.
The pregnant woman took it and started eating without hesitation. Tuantuan looked at it and frowned, as if she was disgusted by the sour taste.
"Oh, it's delicious," the pregnant woman said with a smile. "I just wanted to eat something sour, but I'm afraid if I eat too much sour food, I'll vomit. Your idea is great. The green plums are coated with sugar, so they're both sour and sweet. I want all of them."
Tuantuan's eyes lit up, and he lowered his head to count: "One string, two strings, three strings..."
Jiang Qinglan said, "Well, it's dizzy to count them, but there are probably no more than twenty strings. My lady bought a lot, so I'll give her a little profit. Thirty cents will be enough."
The pregnant woman was indeed happy: "You are good at business."
She took some money from the maid behind her and said, "I live in Tianshui Lane in the middle of Imperial Street, next to the Yongjin Pond. Could you please send some more in three days?"
"Go to the back door of the Song family's house and tell the maid that it's for Madam Zhang. Here's one ounce of silver and twenty wen for your hard work."
Jiang Qinglan understood and agreed to send twenty or so green plum skewers next time. The woman then walked away leisurely, supported by her maid.
Now, the bamboo dustpan was empty, but the wallet was full. Back in the temple's back room, Jiang Qinglan placed the bamboo dustpan on the table and rubbed his hands excitedly: "Tuantuan, pour out the money so we can count it!"
The copper coins rolled on the table, forming a pile of small mountains.
First, put the one-cent silver coins aside, and then count them one by one, one, two, three... a total of one hundred and six, plus the silver coins, it is two cents and six coins!
Excluding the cost of fruit, rock sugar, brush handles, etc., which is 62 wen, the net profit is 1.44 qian!
Besides, the most expensive part of the cost is rock sugar, and if there's a lot left over, you can make more candied haws. Isn't that much more than earning from odd jobs?
The Jiang Qinglan sisters became more and more courageous as they worked. During these three days, except for the lunchtime cooking and eating in the kitchen, the rest of their time was spent tinkering with the rock sugar fruit skewers.
Anyway, Jiang Qinglan also told the other cooks the secret of making stew. They followed his example and made delicious stews.
By the third day of selling with a bamboo winnowing basket, many of the customers had become familiar faces. Some children even brought their friends with them, and as soon as they saw Jiang Qinglan come out, they would immediately pull their parents over.
Gradually, more and more people came, and it seemed like a crowd was gathering.
Tuantuan was holding the purse, very happy. People took the fruit skewers and threw copper coins into it. There were a lot of coins, and they collided with each other, making a jingling sound.
Making money is a good thing, but Jiang Qinglan felt a little uneasy.
The government office has designated a stall area west of the temple gate, and I'm afraid they charge a fee. Yesterday, she also saw people in blue official uniforms patrolling everywhere. So, was she setting up an illegal stall?
Just as I was thinking, "Hey, what are you guys doing gathering there!" someone shouted.
Jiang Qinglan looked and saw two young men walking quickly towards him. They were both wearing green cloth robes, black jade heads, and jade tokens hanging from their waists.
One of them had small eyes and a dark face and ran very fast.
Oh my god, it’s the urban management!
"I won't sell it anymore, I won't sell it anymore!" Jiang Qinglan quickly clamped the winnowing basket in the triangle area between his waist and arms, "Tuantuan, hold on to your purse!" With his other hand, he pulled his sister and rushed out of the crowd quickly.
An honest customer shouted: "Money, you don't want money!"
"No, no, please eat!" Jiang Qinglan said without turning his head.
"Hey! Stop!" the "urban management" continued shouting.
Stop! I'll fine you? Jiang Qinglan and her sister ran to the back Zen courtyard as if they had hot wheels on their feet, locked the door, and leaned against it to catch their breath.
Tuantuan was also exhausted and sat down on the ground.
Jiang Qinglan placed the dustpan on the table and discovered that only a few bunches of plums and loquats remained inside. The rest must have been dropped on the road during his "escape." Even these few loquats were battered, drooping and dripping with juice.
She was thirsty, so she picked up a bunch of loquats and handed them to Tuantuan. She ate another bunch herself and consoled herself: "It's okay, I just lost a dozen coins. If they catch me, I don't know how much the fine will be."
With so many people here, she has to generate income, and the "urban management" also has to generate income. How can they generate income without fines?
——
Meanwhile, in the kitchen yard, Wang Huiniang, the moneylender, was also counting the bills on her fingers. She had spent three taels of silver and fifty coins to pay the five cooks, and she had made...
"Hey, did you make the stew these days?"
Wang Huiniang looked up and saw the man wearing a silver mask, an indigo-colored round-necked robe with a lotus pattern, a black jade headdress, and a leather belt at the end inlaid with gold and jade.
Although his face couldn't be seen clearly, his attire and demeanor made it clear he wasn't an ordinary person. Furthermore, he had an air of arrogance and a natural aura of dominance, something only the powerful possessed.
"I'm asking you a question!" Xie Linchuan was a little impatient.
"I'm sorry for being so rude," Wang Huiniang said, a little embarrassed. She was old, but she was still stunned by a young man. "I'm a female servant, and the cook is my employee."
"Where is that person?"
"It's in this temple. I'll go and invite her right away. Please wait a little longer, sir." After a few days, Wang Huiniang became familiar with Jiang Qinglan. Knowing that she was staying here, she hurried to the Zen temple in the back.
The weather was nice today, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining brightly. Xie Linchuan strolled around, picking a camellia and playing with it in his hands.
Since there was no one here, he didn't need to wear that damn mask.
The brick stove for cooking stew in the yard had not been dismantled yet. On a whim, he threw the camellia into the air and kicked it.
In the sunlight, the crimson camellia had a hint of golden luster, and with a "whoosh", it actually drilled into the gap of the brick stove.
You have to know how light the camellia is and how small the gap in the earthen stove is. It takes a lot of impact force to kick such a light thing in.
Hit the target in one shot!
Xie Linchuan smiled, revealing a row of snow-white teeth, letting the sunshine of love brush across his thick eyelashes.
A timid voice rang out: "I heard from the female trader Wang Huiniang that the young master is looking for a concubine?"
Although Qian Junjun was wearing a straw hat and a cloth skirt, she dressed up specially when she came out - she bit her lips to make her mouth red, and she loosened her hair, letting two strands of hair out in front of her forehead.
When Xie and Wang were talking just now, she was about to come in from outside the yard and heard the whole conversation.
Xie Linchuan turned around and looked back at her, looking her up and down: "You made the stew these days."
"That's exactly what I did."
"Tell me, how did you do it?"
Seeing that Jiang Qinglan had done it and several other cooks had learned it, Madam Qian lowered her eyes and said, "Vegetarian food doesn't have any meat. The key to making it delicious is to lock in the aroma of the oil. I'll first fry the tofu cubes in the oil pan until both sides are golden brown and bubbly..."
"Alright," Xie Linchuan wasn't interested in these kitchen tasks, but just wanted to confirm. He waved his hand and said, "Are you willing to work in the Prince of Dongping's Mansion?"
Madam Qian's heart was pounding: "I am willing."
…
When Jiang Qinglan was urgently summoned by Wang Huiniang, he was also in the room calculating the accounts, wondering in his heart, could it be that urban management officer? It couldn't be that serious, so he would come to the temple for a fine?
When we arrived at the kitchen yard, we saw a luxurious carriage parked outside the gate. Three people were standing beside the carriage, talking.
The short and fat old lady and the tall young man were both dressed in brocade clothes, with a natural air of nobility. The girl on the other side, however, wore a straw hat and a cloth skirt, with a humble and submissive look.
Other servants and maids were coming and going with bags, probably moving things from the temple to the carriage.
Wang Hui Niang pointed to Jiang Qinglan and said, "That's the man who was looking for you just now." She then saw the woman next to her with her head lowered, looking respectful. She asked curiously, "Hey, isn't that Madam Qian?"
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