Chapter 14: Earning money, her little windmill squeaks and turns
Wei Jinyun used a bamboo clip to pick up a piece and placed it in the bamboo bowl made by the skillful Lady Wang. She then took a ceramic pot and made a cup of mint tea, and placed a jasmine flower on it.
“It’s just a street stall.”
The student took the bamboo bowl and examined it carefully. "You've prepared it so well. It has the feel of a proper teahouse."
A bamboo bowl with flower cake and a porcelain cup with tea.
The scent of jasmine lingered around him, making him unable to resist picking it up and tasting it immediately.
Unlike Wei Jinyun and her sisters who swallowed the food whole when trying it, he just took a small sip, elegantly and gracefully.
The cake is soft when you put it in your mouth, and then the delicate sweetness of the mung bean paste comes out, which melts gently on the tip of your tongue. It is slightly sweet but not greasy, and it is warm and fragrant.
“It’s not sweet?”
The student was stunned for a moment, then threw the remaining piece into his mouth.
He had originally thought that the exquisite presentation of the cakes on the street was a real challenge, and that the taste would be inferior. Unexpectedly, the taste of this flower cake called "Linglongxue" was not overshadowed by its appearance.
After eating a piece of cake, he immediately picked up the mint tea and took a big gulp.
The cool well water mixed with the scent of mint and jasmine brushed across his lips and tongue, and he breathed a sigh of satisfaction. His whole body, which had been listening to the teacher's buzzing lectures all day, felt relaxed.
Wei Jinyun knew that he was extremely satisfied.
After all, the word "not sweet" and eating it whole is the highest praise for the dessert.
"wonderful!"
The student drank the entire cup of tea, his eyes blazing with passion. "My wife, you are such a great cook. It's a waste of your talent to set up a stall on the roadside... Please give me three more pieces so I can bring them back to my sister to try."
Then he generously paid another three pieces of silver.
Wei Jinyun picked up three more pieces, wrapped them in oil paper and handed them to him, saying with a smile, "Sir, would you like to leave a message?"
She slowly took out a stack of square paper and a brush from her bag and opened the bag.
"What's a message?"
The student became interested and said, "You actually have a bag and inkstone on your food stall. That's incredible."
This was Zhang Renbai's first business with her. The inkstone was like a natural ink sac, allowing one to dip the ink directly into the inkstone when writing, saving the trouble of grinding the ink.
Zhang Renbai originally wanted to give it to her directly, but she still paid for it after a dispute. After all, it was a bit expensive, and if he gave it to her alone, if someone saw it and said something bad, it would be completely different from the usual pastries sent by her neighbors.
However, she could never win over Zhang Renbai and got some free paper, which was carefully cut into long strips by her grandmother and sisters.
"I ask diners who have tasted the pastries to write rumors on a piece of paper. After they're done, I hang it on the cart. They can write about how the pastries taste, how they feel today, or what they want to do in the future... anything is allowed."
Wei Jinyun prepared a large wooden board and hung it on the side.
This is her best message board, a living signboard.
"It's very interesting."
Wu Sheng smiled and said, "Brother Zhu, you have great literary talent. How about writing a few words for this young lady's cake?"
"Yeah yeah."
Wu Sheng always brought his classmates to his mother's pancake stall. Now everyone was eating egg pancakes and crowded together to watch the fun.
"Then I will write it."
The student immediately wrote a poem, which was then written on a wooden board by Wei Jin using rice paste, amidst the praises from behind him.
"Otherwise, why is it Brother Zhu? His poetry is so good."
Another student behind him praised, "I'm itching to have a piece from this little lady, too."
The man called "Brother Zhu" went home with an omelet in his left hand and Linglongxue in his right hand amidst praises.
"It's delicious. Brother Wu, would you like a piece too?"
One student ate it in one bite and praised it, "It's very refreshing, the tea tastes good, and it's free."
"I don't want to eat anymore."
Wu Sheng waved his hand and said, "You can buy my mother two egg pancakes."
"Why don't I just treat you to a meal?"
The man put his arm around Wu Sheng's shoulders, turned to Madam Qian, and said cheerfully, "Aunt Qian, please give me an extra egg later."
Aunt Qian agreed and smiled from ear to ear.
Wu Sheng got a piece of cake, sniffed it first, and then slowly bit into it. His brows twitched, and the soft cake and the delicate floral fragrance immediately conquered him.
He seldom ate snacks on weekdays. When Wei Jinyun handed him a pen, he wrote down embarrassedly: I ate a delicious jasmine cake today, which made his classmates beside him so happy that their mouths were crooked.
"Give me a piece!"
"Take two pieces home and eat them. Can I drink this tea now?"
"Give me a cup of tea and I'll have it with an omelet."
"Buy the cake first, you're just taking advantage of others, how shameful!"
“…”
Of course, there were not only students at the gate of the provincial school, but also passers-by who saw the excitement and bought some to take home to try out out of curiosity.
Wei Jinyun didn't make much, and the last ten cakes were bought by a lady in red.
"My second brother likes sweet food. I'm sorry everyone."
She smiled apologetically at the remaining students queuing behind her, her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Well, disperse."
A student walked two steps and then came back, "Young lady, will you come again tomorrow?"
"nature."
Wei Jinyun agreed, packed up the last few teacups, and slowly pushed her cart.
Wei Jinyun put a total of sixty pieces of cakes on the cart today, and she didn't make more.
The value of good things lies in striving for perfection and never forgetting them.
She had come to set up a stall in front of the prefectural school to supplement her family's income. After deducting expenses, she could earn a little over two hundred coins. Her shoulder bag felt heavy, and she felt like she was rich.
The second and most important thing is to build her reputation. It would be best if everyone who passes by here in the future knows her, likes her pastries, and knows about "Yun Lai Xiang".
This is the name of her shop.
Wei Jinyun hummed a tune as she left the government school. Dusk gradually fell and suddenly raindrops fell on the back of her hand.
Summer always rains a lot, and the rain drops quickly.
She opened the tarpaulin on the cart, carefully placed today's message board under the cart, and slowed down the cart.
When passing a bridge, the small vendors on the bridge were quickly packing up their things, picking up their loads and running home.
The wind started to blow, and Wei Jinyun saw a peddler selling small items running past with boxes on his back, and the small windmill behind him was turning.
She became interested, reached out to stop him, and asked for two.
The peddler wiped the rain off his face and earned his last business of the day with a helpless smile.
Wei Jinyun stuck the windmill on the cart. When the wind blew past her, the two small windmills made of bamboo strips squeaked as they turned.
Wei Jinyun stared at the two little windmills and smiled. My sisters will definitely like them. I wonder what they do at home.
I hope I don’t have to run around outside with Meng Ge’er again and get soaked.
She slowly pushed the bridge to the middle when she heard the rhythmic sound of horse hooves approaching from afar. She looked up and saw that the men on the horses were all dressed in uniform, with conical hats, straw raincoats, and long swords.
The man in the lead was dressed in scarlet and had an upright figure. He sat upright on his horse, his face dark in the rain and mist.
Although Wei Jinyun's cart was exquisite, it still took up a bit of space on the narrow bridge. She subconsciously moved the cart aside and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, please go first."
Lu Lan's gaze fell on the flag of the cart and lingered for a moment, while two small windmills were turning "swish" beside it.
He didn't say anything, just nodded in response.
Then he gently tapped his horse's belly and walked calmly through the path Wei Jinyun had made. The patrolman behind him also followed suit and soon disappeared at the other end of the bridge, blending into the rain.
When Wei Jinyun walked not far from the shop, the rain gradually stopped.
"Sister is back!"
When her two sisters saw her cart, they ran towards her, faster than the windmill she bought, and mud splashed all over the hems of their skirts.
The author has something to say:
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I feel like there are a lot of ancient style students (not
Jinyun: Let’s make some money. My Lord, please leave first. [Rainbow fart]
Mr. Lu: I'm just passing by (Can I show my face [bursts into tears]
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