Chapter 641 The Passing of Time 6
He quickly picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Ugh, it's hot, so hot!"
*Hissing sounds* "The taste is alright. No wonder you insisted on coming here to eat. It's definitely better than other places."
Qiu Juncheng didn't seem to care about Huang Tao's words; his eyes would occasionally glance in Ning Yan's direction.
It's no wonder she smeared herself with soot just to stroll around town; she really is beautiful.
Huang Tao was feeling guilty, so he naturally kept a close eye on his classmate's expression. When he noticed that his classmate kept glancing at the pretty girl next to him, he understood what was going on.
No wonder he insisted on running outside so early in the morning; he was bewitched by beauty.
Ning Yan ate quickly and cleared the table after finishing her meal. Just then, someone else came to eat, so she personally served them. By the time she finished serving them, everyone at that table had already left, leaving two silver dollars on the table.
Zhou Xiuhua exclaimed in surprise, "Why did these two give so much?"
Ning Yan casually said, "They look like young masters from wealthy families. They're used to tipping people when they eat out. Just consider the extra money as a tip from them."
Who gave such a large reward?
"Do you know that we can't even earn two silver dollars a morning setting up our stall?"
"I know, I understand what you mean. At worst, we can just not charge them if they come again tomorrow, right?"
Zhou Xiuhua stopped grumbling. She had seen a lot in the past two days. It was just two silver dollars. Just like her daughter said, she could simply not take their money tomorrow.
...
Huang Tao and his old classmate had been busy all day. When he got home in the evening, he and his father played crickets in the house.
When is your classmate leaving?
Huang Tao frowned and replied, "At most two days, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You still need to practice."
"With your interpersonal skills, no wonder someone who graduated in the same year became the deputy chief of the police station, while you're still at home farming with me."
Dad, what kind of farming are you? Without the land deed, you probably wouldn't even know the boundaries of the land!
"Father, speak plainly."
“Your classmate Qiu is obviously capable. His visit here was just a coincidence. He'll leave as soon as he's done his business. So, you need to find a way to get closer to him.”
He'll only think of helping you out if you become like brothers.
How to build rapport?
Huang Boren said, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'We've fought together, and we've also slept together'?"
"Forget it, carrying a gun is impossible, and as for soliciting prostitutes, Qiu Juncheng is not that kind of person."
What do you mean by "not that kind of person"?
You didn't understand what I meant. Of course he wouldn't be interested in an ordinary woman. Not to mention your father, I wouldn't be interested in either.
But what if that person is a great beauty? You present her to him, he accepts her, and then he might never think of you again, thanks to the whispers of his wife!
"You wait, Dad will find him two absolutely gorgeous girls..."
Huang Tao immediately recalled the scene at breakfast that morning and suddenly felt that what his father said seemed to make some sense.
So he shared his thoughts.
"Are you sure he's taken a liking to that girl who sells steamed buns?"
Huang Tao nodded. The girl was indeed exceptionally beautiful, and he was confident in her looks.
As for Qiu Juncheng, well, we're all men, those who know, know.
"Sure."
"Then you do this..."
Huang Tao listened intently, tilting his ear to the side, and after a long while, he nodded emphatically.
...
Ningxia Sheng finally returned from the county around 7 p.m.
"You must be exhausted. Come on, go inside first, I'll go get the food."
"I'm not tired. I just happened to hitch a ride back in an oxcart from town." Even though I paid for it.
Zhou Xiuhua quickly brought the food into the house. Ning Xiasheng glanced at the three sets of bowls and chopsticks and immediately said, "You haven't eaten yet?"
"How can my daughter and I eat if you don't come back?"
Tonight she specially made scallion pancakes, corn porridge, a plate of shepherd's purse salad, dandelion with dipping sauce, and a plate of stewed snake meat.
She was too excited yesterday to eat the snake meat, so she cleaned it up as soon as she got home today and simmered it over low heat until the bones were tender enough to chew before turning off the heat.
"Try it and see if it tastes good."
After Ning's father started eating, Ning Yan also picked up a piece. The texture was similar to chicken, but the snake meat was firmer, fresher, and more delicate. Especially since her mother had stewed it for a long time, the flavor was incredibly fragrant.
She picked up a thin scallion pancake, added some mixed shepherd's purse, spread a little homemade soybean paste on top, rolled up the pancake, and served it with snake meat. The aroma was so enticing that you could swallow your tongue.
"Mom, the pancakes you made are so delicious," Ning Yan praised sincerely.
Ningxia Sheng ate without even looking up. It's no wonder everyone wants to live a good life. Just when it comes to food, the difference between the rich and the poor is like night and day.
Zhou Xiuhua was pleased to be praised. "Before, my family couldn't afford to buy soybean oil, so I rarely made pancakes. Now, if you want to eat them, Mom can make them for you anytime."
How much does pork cost per pound during this period?
Seven or eight cents.
How much does soybean oil cost per pound?
One dollar and six cents!
Ordinary people wouldn't be willing to buy it if they didn't have anyone in their household.
Ordinary families (note: those who can afford to eat) use lard for cooking oil, and they have to be careful with it. Making pancakes, which are oiled inside and out, is out of the question.
Ning Yan rolled up two pancakes and drank a bowl of porridge before putting down her chopsticks.
The couple only started talking about the house after they had almost finished eating.
"Houses are easy to find. Many people in the county have fled to the south, and some are planning to leave. The house prices are also within an acceptable range."
Those who can leave at this time are all wealthy people; the houses they sell are quite large, so I hesitated.
Ning Yan thought to herself that her father was really perceptive. It was a pity that he was born into such a terrible world, otherwise he could have succeeded in anything he did.
"There are only three people in our family, so a big house is useless." He was afraid that if he bought a big house, someone with ulterior motives would take it away, because there is no justice in this world.
Zhou Xiuhua nodded in agreement. The four rooms they had were just right. "If we can't find a suitable one, we can take our time. There's no rush."
“I told the middleman that I have a suitable small house and he can come to my house. I expect to hear back soon.”
He also made a special inquiry and found that some people preferred to take the gold with them, since it took up less space.
Therefore, he was in no hurry to exchange the gold.
After dinner, Ning Yan went back to her room.
Ningxia Sheng then asked about setting up a stall today.
"By the way, how are sales today?"
Zhou Xiuhua then recounted the story of those two silver dollars, saying, "Those two were really generous."
Ningxia said, "That's because we're not worldly. Do you know how much it costs for those rich people in Beiping to have a meal at a high-class restaurant? Thirty silver dollars!"
We think they're wealthy, but that's just because we're unsophisticated.
While ordinary people couldn't even afford mixed noodles, the rich continued to live a life of luxury.
Even though the Japanese tried every means to make money, they only targeted small vendors or medium-sized merchants. They wouldn't touch the truly wealthy and powerful; in fact, they would treat them with respect.
(End of this chapter)
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