Chapter 15 Taking Advantage
At noon.
The tenant farmers rested on the ridges of their fields to eat lunch.
There was a trustworthy person who took a steamed bun made of mixed grains and a few chopsticks of vegetables and ran to the field of Tanaka Masaru's house to chat with Huang Mei and ask her some random questions.
Did He really pay for Chen Yao’s bean curd sheets?
How much did they sell for?
Huang Mei glanced at her family members. She had told them not to talk nonsense long ago. Seeing them just stuffing food into their mouths, she felt very satisfied.
Fortunately, A Yao did not stay to eat with them, otherwise, with people coming to push people away and peel people's clothes, the meal would not have been peaceful.
The visitor got anxious when he didn't get a response, so he provoked Huang Mei: "Aunt, don't you mean to lie to us? We have never heard of bean curd sticks."
Huang Mei took a sip of water to soothe her dry throat. "Niu Wazi, there's no benefit in lying to you. Why would I lie to you? Take the tofu for example. If it weren't for my A Yao carrying a load of tofu to sell in the village, how many times a year could you eat it?"
Tian Baolai and his sister nodded in unison.
What my mother said was right. If it weren't for A Yao's kindness, the villagers would probably only be able to eat tofu when they go shopping for New Year's goods at the end of the year, and they would have to pay two cents to buy it.
Niu Wazi's face flushed red, but he was still unwilling to accept it: "Did the wife of the village head really buy the dried tofu skin?"
"Of course, the butcher himself praised it, saying that bean curd sheets are a great side dish for wine." Huang Mei saw that the family had finished their meal, so she and her daughter cleared the dishes and urged Niu Wazi to go back.
Niu Wazi looked at the black, grain-filled steamed bread in his hand and couldn't eat it. "Auntie, can we exchange these dried bean curd sheets for soybeans?"
"Yes, of course. My A-Yao said that if you buy yuba (bean curd skin) for two cents a piece, you can exchange it for two bowls of soybeans."
"How come this is more expensive than tofu!" Niu Wazi almost choked on the hard dry food. He hurriedly grabbed the half bowl of water that Huang Mei had not finished drinking, and gulped it down into his mouth without any disgust.
Huang Mei raised her hand to hit him. This cowboy was really annoying. "Yuba is much harder to make than tofu. Go out and ask if anyone can exchange two bowls of soybeans for two cents. Or go to Qingfeng Town and ask the tofu vendors and see if they're willing to give you a change."
It’s good that I don’t use a big stick to beat you out. You guys are never satisfied with taking advantage!
Niu Wazi put down the coarse porcelain bowl and wiped the water stains from his mouth with his yellowed sleeve. His eyes rolled back and forth: "So this bean curd sheet is also made of soybeans?"
Huang Mei was slightly startled, but remained calm as she carried the basket back home. "How would I know? They all came up with their own ideas."
Huang Mei left her own field and saw Niu Wazi still following her. She couldn't help but scold him, "Why are you still following me? If you don't go back to till the fields, your parents will beat you up."
"Aunt, I saw you took a bundle of bean curd sheets when you went to the butcher's house. They must have sold for a lot of money, right?" Niu Wazi had just finished asking when he saw Huang Mei picking up a piece of thick firewood on the ground and immediately turned around and ran away.
I was afraid that if I was a step late, I would be beaten by Huang Mei!
Shahe Township.
Yang Wenying carried the load to the big willow tree in the village. Huang Dongsheng shouted and someone came forward with a bowl of soybeans and a piece of cloth to exchange for tofu.
Looking at the groups of people, Yang Wenying shook the sacks, her movements becoming more and more skillful. She also said to the people who came to exchange tofu: "Your beans are too bad. They are black and insect-eaten. Only half of them are left and mixed in. If it continues like this, we will not come here again."
"Oh, please don't not come. Her beans are ugly. Look at mine, they're plump and the bowl is bigger than hers."
Then the neighbors started to scold those who tried to take advantage of others, saying that one bad apple would spoil the whole bunch.
If I provoke Chen Yao and the others to not come, how will I fool those crying mouths at home in the future?
Nowadays, every household is busy plowing the fields and has no time to prepare meals. It is so hard to come by this simple and easy-to-eat tofu that tastes good no matter how it is cooked. It can really solve the women's urgent needs.
Besides, they don't charge any money, so don't take advantage of the three kids just because they look young. If anyone does such a wicked thing, they will stop coming. When buying New Year's goods, they will have to pay a penny to go into the city.
Yang Wenying opened her mouth slightly, and it was the first time she heard someone joining in the discussion, which she found incredible.
After only one day of absence, the tofu they made had already occupied a place in the hearts of their neighbors.
After selling two plates of tofu, he had already collected a sack of soybeans and several pieces of rags.
There were a few people who came to ask about bean curd sheets, but after hearing Chen Yao say that they had all been exchanged in Shanghe Village and that they could bring some back next time, they didn't feel it was a pity and just exchanged them for two pieces of tofu and left.
It seems that if you want to promote new food, you have to make it and let people try it.
If you want the cold bean curd to taste good, you have to season it with onions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers and vinegar. I don’t know if there are chili peppers here.
Chen Yao rubbed against Yang Wenying who was packing baskets, and blinked at her, but didn't say anything.
Yang Wenying raised her hand and pushed the person next to her, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't act weird."
"Have you ever eaten spicy food before?"
"Yes, I have eaten it. Roasted lamb. Just sprinkle a little Evodia rutaecarpa powder on it to cover up the strong smell of lamb. But don't eat too much, or you will get poisoned. Why are you asking this?" Yang Wenying put away the basket and was about to pick it up when she was pushed away by Huang Dongsheng.
Huang Dongsheng walked behind the two of them, carrying a load on his shoulder and holding a sickle in his hand. He occasionally looked back, fearing that someone was following them and doing something bad.
When Chen Yao heard about Wuzhuyu, she felt relieved. She picked up a stone from the roadside and threw it into the grass behind Huang Dongsheng.
Puff-da-da-da
The stone rolled in the grass and fell into the mountain stream, and no one followed them.
So Chen Yao said, "The three of us will all go to the city in a few days!"
"Cousin, are you going to take me to Qingfeng Town?" Huang Dongsheng was so excited that he almost spoke in his hometown accent while carrying the load.
Chen Yao nodded and led the way. As she walked, she used a stick to move the weeds on the roadside to see if there were any wild onions or anything like that.
Huang Dongsheng walked up to Yang Wenying carrying the load, put it at her feet, and motioned her to carry it. He pestered Chen Yao eagerly, "Cousin, are you serious? Are you really going to take me into the city?"
A face that was a little tanned suddenly came closer and scared Chen Yao. She saw that under her cousin's thick eyebrows, his big eyes were shining.
Chen Yao forgot that the number of people from Xiahe Village who had been to the city could probably be counted on one hand, so it was no wonder that her cousin was so surprised.
"Here, keep these three cents."
Huang Dongsheng held the three coins in his hand, feeling a surge of emotion in his heart. He said in a muffled voice, "Cousin, why give me three coins? One coin is enough to get into town!"
As he said this, he was about to return the other two copper coins.
Chen Yao took out another three coins and handed them to Yang Wenying: "Not only do we have to go into the city, we also have to sell food in the city. My father said that the East Market in the city is specially for people to set up stalls. It costs two coins per person to enter. When the time comes, you and Wenying will sell tofu together."
"What about you?" Yang Wenying and Huang Dongsheng asked her at the same time.
Chen Yao smiled and said, "I sell bean curd sheets and bean sprouts. Let's separate them so that no one can guess that our food is made from soybeans."
"But, but I..." Huang Dongsheng scratched his head and wanted to say that he didn't know how to count. But when he saw Yang Wenying had already stuffed the money into her sleeve, he slapped his forehead and finally understood why his cousin asked him to go with Yang Wenying.
"Don't worry, we still have to wait until my cousins have finished plowing their fields so that they can have people to carry the loads for us to exchange for soybeans in the village. Then we can go to the city." Chen Yao didn't want to be like a monkey cracking corn, cracking one and throwing it away.
"Then you should keep the money." Huang Dongsheng estimated that it would take at least seven or eight days to plow the land of his aunt's house.
"Keep it for yourself. It'll give you peace of mind." Chen Yao took two steps forward and suddenly turned back. "If you lose it, don't say I didn't let you into the city."
As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Dongsheng hurriedly stuffed three copper coins into his waist and stuffed them into the seams of his trousers again and again.
A plate of tofu was placed on the table at Grandma Goudan's house. When the eight old people took it away, they also told Chen Yao that they were willing to continue raising silkworms.
"It's not easy for us to take your things for free, so we'll just consider it as exchanging silk cocoons with you." Two slightly stronger old men carried backpacks and leaned on wooden sticks and walked out of the village.
"Grandpa, are you going to pick mulberry leaves?" Chen Yao stood up and asked the two elders who were out.
Grandma Goudan took Chen Yao's hand and asked her to sit down. "Child, among the eight of us old people, only your Grandpa Song and Grandpa Zhao are in good health. They are responsible for going out to pick mulberry leaves, and we are responsible for feeding the silkworms, cleaning up the silkworm feces, and then taking turns to prepare meals. We can also take care of each other."
The six old men in the yard were several hundred years old in total. They all nodded at Chen Yao and said, "Don't worry, kid. If we don't want to die, we can hold on for several days even without food or water. We are all people who have survived the famine."
"That's right. I heard from Grandma Goudan that you are from Xiahe Village. It's not easy for you either. You don't have to bring me food every day."
Chen Yao looked at her cousin and Yang Wenying being held by the elders' hands, looking at her for help, and changed the subject: "You have to come every day. If we are busy in the future, we will let my cousin come over."
After all, the grandparents were people with rich life experience and knew that among the three children, Chen Yao was the one in charge.
"Okay, then what are your cousins' names?"
Chen Yao smiled and told everyone the names of Tian Baolai and Tian Baozhu, and said that she would bring them here when the time comes. "Grandpa and grandma, if you don't keep the silkworm manure you collect, please save it for me."
Chen Yao was used to acting like a spoiled child, and the way she called them grandpa and grandma softened the hearts of the elderly people, and they became closer to her.
"Here, grandma, you can decide. Save it all for our A Yao." Grandma Goudan leaned on a wooden stick and said in the direction of Chen Yao.
Although she couldn't see, she knew in her heart that these three children were the best.
The fields are overgrown with weeds. Although silkworm manure can fertilize the fields, the young and middle-aged people in the family are no longer around, so why keep the manure? It would be better to give it all to these good children.
Before it got dark, the three of them returned to the Shen family.
"Dad, where is my mom?" Chen Yao didn't see Huang Xing and went into the main house.
Shen Qingshan put his finger to his lips and said in a hushing voice, "Your mother has gone to bed. Go to the kitchen and get something to eat."
Chen Yao stepped forward to take a look, then took out the 14 copper coins he had earned today. "Dad, in a few days, when my aunt's land is plowed, I will take my cousin and Wenying to the city to sell food. With the money I make, I will hire a doctor to prescribe medicine for you and Mom."
Shen Qingshan's body trembled slightly, and he suppressed the surging emotions and looked at his daughter, "Okay, Daddy understands."
In the yard, Huang Dongsheng washed his hands and was no longer in a hurry to go home to cook for his mother. Instead, he brought the sand table placed under the corridor and asked Yang Wenying to teach him mathematics.
That's right, he must first learn how to count so that he won't make mistakes when doing business.
Chen Yao came out of the main house and looked at the three winnowing baskets drying in the yard. They were filled with bean curd sheets made by her mother. She brought them into the house before the sun set.
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