Chapter 16 Brown Sugar Cake: We still need to make more money! Yao Ruyi nodded solemnly in her heart.
The door frame shook, and Yao Ruyi, who was holding a plate, also trembled.
Yao Ruyi recognized him—the day before yesterday. He and two classmates bought the six tea eggs she had left, and he was the first to bend down and help her move the stove.
I never expected him to be Sister-in-law Cheng's son.
Yao Ruyi was still shocked, thinking, "Cheng Niangzi looks so young, yet she has such a big son!"
People in ancient times did indeed marry early.
After a while, the door finally opened again. Cheng Niangzi, wearing a blue cloth apron and with her hands covered in wheat flour, had obviously rushed from the kitchen to open the door: "It's Ruyi! That was my Ajun. He thought the boy from next door was here to ask him to do his homework! He was all disheveled, did he scare you?"
"I wasn't scared! It's okay, I didn't see anything." Yao Ruyi waved her hands hurriedly. So what if she didn't dry her hair after taking a shower and was wearing slippers? What's the big deal!
Completely lacking in historical knowledge, Yao Ruyi not only didn't care at all, but also picked up the plate and immediately got to the point: "Sister-in-law, I fried some meat and brought it to you to try. I also have something to ask. Are there any pottery kilns or woodworking shops nearby with good skills and reasonable prices? I'd like to order two stoves and build some cabinets."
"Oh, the crispy pork smells so good! I didn't expect you to improve so much in just two days! You really have a strong will to support the family, I'm so happy for you." Madam Cheng smiled, her eyes crinkling with fine lines. As she took the porcelain plate, she not only praised Ruyi but also offered her some advice. "You mean the pottery workshop? I know there's a Han family kiln outside the water gate, it's a bit far, but the prices are very cheap. As for carpentry... the Yang family carpentry shop is quite famous now. Two of their apprentices have graduated and opened their own shops in the outer city. Tomorrow is the fifteenth, there's a big market in the outer city, if you want to go, we can go together."
Going to the market! That would be a perfect opportunity to find a way to get supplies from the local shops! Yao Ruyi was overjoyed: "Thank you so much, sister-in-law! I'm still a little afraid to go out alone these days, I'm so happy to have you accompany me!" Actually, she didn't know the way.
Madam Cheng waved her hand dismissively: "I was also going to buy some needlework and lamp oil. Things are much cheaper outside the city. Remember, tomorrow wear clothes that are easy to walk in, and we'll go by carriage. If we buy a lot, we can pay a couple of coins to have a waiter deliver it to our home, so we don't have to push the cart ourselves and get tired."
"I've noted it all down. I'll be waiting on time tomorrow." Yao Ruyi thanked her profusely and took her leave, but as soon as she turned around, Cheng Niangzi grabbed her arm. "Wait, sister-in-law has also made some sweet cakes. I'll cut some for you to take back. Don't move around. Just wait here."
How could she possibly return a gift and then expect to receive one in return? Yao Ruyi quickly declined, but Madam Cheng deliberately put on a stern face and said that if she bothered her again, she would get angry and they should never see each other again.
Yao Ruyi could only stand helplessly at the door and wait.
While waiting, my thoughts involuntarily started to consider the matter of purchasing goods: the goods in the small shops of later generations can be roughly divided into food and beverages, school supplies, and daily necessities. With a wide variety of goods, it is necessary to connect with different distributors, suppliers and manufacturers.
My grandmother used to have a lot of wholesalers' phone numbers, which filled a whole notebook. She would call them to order goods in advance. For those who lived far away, the goods would be shipped to her, and for those who lived nearby, they would be delivered to her by truck.
In the past, my grandmother would ride her tricycle to the bus station, which was more than ten kilometers away, every few days to pick up goods. Their small town only had one centralized express delivery point, which was located at the bus station.
By the Song Dynasty, Yao Ruyi had been pondering the source of goods for a long time.
At that time, there weren't as many supply channels as in later generations, no nationwide logistics network, and certainly no Yiwu small commodity wholesale market. Fortunately, Bianjing was the capital, and merchants from all over the country circulated there. The Grand Canal was well-connected, the population was abundant, and all kinds of workshops and artisans were readily available.
She had originally planned to regularly go to various markets in Bianjing to "hunt for bargains." In addition to the grass market that Cheng Niangzi mentioned, Xingguo Temple and Daxiangguo Temple also held a monthly trade fair for all kinds of people. At that time, many small vendors and farmers would bring their own goods to sell, and she should be able to get to know some small merchants.
Another approach is to collaborate with workshops. For example, pottery workshops can produce various pottery jars and bowls, while blacksmith shops can make knives, cookware, and so on. Over time, they might even be able to have their own names engraved on the pottery.
The last type is the large caravans that travel between various regions. They typically carry a wide variety of goods, selling them from street to street or to major trading houses. If given the opportunity, cooperating with these merchants and purchasing novel or exotic goods from them can greatly enrich one's own product range. However, such wealthy merchants usually require connections to make acquaintances, so there's no rush.
Yao Ruyi also thought that if the small shop opened smoothly in the future, she could help sell any items the aunties and sisters-in-law in the alley had to sell, such as handkerchiefs, shoes and socks, or some food. However, she would not rush to consider anything more.
All these issues, when discussed in detail, ultimately involve the flow of money.
Without funds, operations can't get started, and goods can't be purchased.
I still need to make more money! Yao Ruyi nodded solemnly to herself.
Just as she was pondering this, Madam Cheng returned, wrapping a large piece of red date, peanut, and brown sugar cake in oiled paper. As if instructing her own daughter, she ruffled her hair and said in a gentle voice, "Take this! I used to manage all this on my own, so I know very well... You must be exhausted these days, right? This cake can be kept in a cool place for several days. You can cut a little bit every day and fry it in oil, or you can eat it as a snack. It will help replenish your energy and blood."
Yao Ruyi was startled by the warm hand rubbing her chest. With the still-warm brown sugar cake in her arms, her heart felt both sour and hot. She lowered her head and softly murmured "Ai".
On the way back, she tore off a piece of brown sugar cake from her arms and put it in her mouth.
The brown sugar cake was freshly steamed, warm and soft. When you bite into it, you first feel the chewy texture, then you can taste the roasted peanut crumbs and red date slices. The caramel sweetness of the brown sugar mixed with the sweet date flavor creates a rich and sweet taste that seems to melt on your tongue, like swallowing a mouthful of warm sunset, filling you with warmth.
She looked up.
As dusk falls, the alleyways meander into the evening light, resembling a still river.
In her past life, her mother passed away too early. She had no memory of her, only seeing her photos and hearing her grandmother tell many stories about her. But across the long passage of time, it always felt like listening to the story of a stranger.
What's it like to have a mother? Is it like this: she can see through your hidden hardships at a glance, pat your head, and try to feed you lots of delicious food?
It's so nice to have a mom.
*
As dusk fell, Yao Xiaoniangzi's figure stretched long, as if she were wearing a skirt edged with gold thread.
Lin Weiming, with his homework due tomorrow tucked under his arm, slipped through the back door to the Cheng family's house. He bent down and put on the various colored clothes hanging haphazardly in the Cheng family's courtyard, and found his way to the small side room where Cheng Shujun was studying.
Upon entering, one sees the bookworm who usually reads even while squatting in the outhouse, now with paper spread out in front of him, pen in hand, but with his head slightly tilted, staring blankly out the window.
What are you looking at?
Although the Cheng family's residence was a gift from the government, it wasn't spacious. The front had been converted into a tailor shop, and the back courtyard only had three rooms. Cheng Shujun usually studied in the side room where his wife spun and wove cloth. The small bamboo window of this room faced the alley, and all the sounds outside could be heard clearly; it was very noisy.
It's fortunate that he was able to keep reading.
Cheng Shujun was startled by Lin Weiming's shout, his shoulders trembled, and he turned his head to glare at him irritably: "Why are you dawdling? Why are you only arriving now?" He had caused Lin Weiming to make a fool of himself earlier.
Lin Weiming was completely baffled: "I always have to eat before I come, what's wrong with that?"
"Hurry up and write it down, or Dr. Zhu will teach you to recite the article in class tomorrow."
"Zhu Dabing is really... annoying!" Lin Weiming immediately forgot his friend's slight strangeness, plopped down, spread out some paper, but his mind went blank again, so he started scratching his head again.
*
The next morning, Yao Ruyi only braised fifty tea eggs and sold thirty servings of instant soup noodles. She closed her stall early after the morning bell rang. She went home, scooped a bowl of mixed vegetable and millet porridge, and then couldn't wait to sneak to the corner gate of the Lin family's house to feed the dog.
This time, she deliberately and quietly unlatched the door. When she opened the door, she indeed saw several puppies playing near the dog hole. The chubby, short fur balls were running and jumping around, chasing grasshoppers that were jumping in the grass.
She cautiously peeked halfway in, which startled them, causing them to scramble to squeeze through the dog hole. The kitten, being the smallest, was the first to disappear, followed closely by the most wary little dog, Iron-Clad Gold, which vanished in a flash.
Only the belatedly aware little yellow and little black dogs were left, running around in a panic. They barked and scrambled in their haste, then simultaneously crouched down to squeeze through the hole. Their two chubby butts got stuck at the entrance, making them even more anxious. It took them a while to finally squeeze through, howling and whimpering.
She found it both funny and heartbreaking, but she didn't have time today, so she poured the porridge into a plate and left in a hurry.
He went back inside and changed into a short jacket with narrow sleeves and a blue coarse cloth trousers. He then quickly baked a large round sesame seed cake with a diameter of more than ten inches, threaded it with straw rope, wrapped it in oil paper, and had Grandpa Yao carry it in his arms. He then pushed it in a wheelchair all the way across the state bridge and took him to Zhao Taicheng's clinic for acupuncture.
The market day happened to be the day Grandpa Yao went to the clinic for acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and a medicinal bath. The doctor said that this kind of physical therapy, combined with the daily herbal decoction, could gradually clear the blood vessels that had become congested after the stroke.
Yao Ruyi wholeheartedly agreed; this expense was not to be skimped on. Even according to the treatment methods of Western medicine in later generations, after a minor stroke, one would need to receive alteplase or urokinase for several days to dissolve the blood clot.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatments require consistent practice and are time-consuming; a single visit can take up most of the day. Since she's taking him there today, and there's someone looking after him at the clinic, she can go out to the market without worry.
Having arranged a time to pick up the patient with the young apprentice, and instructing Grandpa Yao to cooperate fully with the treatment, Yao Ruyi hurriedly returned to the alley entrance to wait and travel with Madam Cheng.
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Peanuts: The peanuts that are now commonly found were introduced from South America, but archaeologists have discovered carbonized seeds that resemble peanuts in the Hanyang Mausoleum pits.
The peanut mentioned in the text can be considered a fictional creation; there may have been a similar native crop in ancient times. [Three-Cardinal Cat Head]
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