Chapter 30
After cutting a bowl of pork head meat and bringing it to Old Lady Wang next door, Ye Jia came back and started working again.
The soap business had to be put aside for now, but the rouge shop owner's behavior convinced Ye Jia of one thing: her products were good and worthy of recognition. It was just that she hadn't met a sincere buyer, otherwise she would have established a long-term supply agreement.
Ye Jia's original plan was to try out production first and then sell it in retail. Once she had established a reputation in town, she would expand production and then have the capital to approach large caravans for business. Otherwise, if she just showed them her products, they wouldn't want to see her. Besides, they wouldn't even consider such a small business.
This caravan naturally refers to the Cheng family caravan.
Ye Jia had inquired about the Cheng family caravan's reputation and found it to be highly reputable. Their approach was also meticulous and methodical, far more respectable than other caravans passing through. Ye Jia wasn't one to throw the baby out with the bathwater; there was no need to deliberately go far away just to avoid suspicion. However, she hoped that when she negotiated with the Cheng family, she wouldn't have to resort to backstabbing to find Cheng Er, but rather would go directly to the Cheng family caravan to speak with the person in charge.
Ye Jia was thinking about business in his mind, as he had to make cakes with Yu in the afternoon.
Yu wasn't exactly clumsy; she hadn't been able to make them before because no one had taught her. Now, watching Ye Jia do it every day, she tried a few more times and finally learned how to make them. While her hand speed wasn't as fast as Ye Jia's, she could still make them look pretty good.
"Selling the pig's head tomorrow morning?" Yu asked Ye Jia while busying herself. "I always feel that morning isn't the best time to eat it with wine."
Ye Jia knew this, of course. Most people tend to eat light meals in the morning, and eating pork head with garlic and vinegar so early in the morning would be strange. Ye Jia remembered that in her previous life, shops selling this kind of cold cut pork head meat would open at ten in the morning, sell all day, and close at night. Ye Jia had made this yesterday to test the flavor. She figured if it tasted good enough, she would sell it at her stall.
"Tomorrow we'll keep our stall open longer. We'll sell pancakes in the morning, and then switch to selling pig heads at 3:30 PM."
There were now several more breakfast stalls on the market. Besides the Zhou family's Xishi stall, which was still thriving, the old man selling fried chive dumplings was a close second. Besides the Zhang family and Aunt Liu's, there was also a naan stall. The Xishi stall was no longer the only one dominating the market. How many people were there in Libei Town? Ye Jia privately believed that the breakfast market was already saturated, and there was no need to pursue it.
However, due to the good taste of Xishi's pancakes, they were able to sell about 300 pancakes in the morning. Now they only make 300 pancakes a day.
Yu agreed deeply. As she was talking, she remembered to lift the lid of the pot and asked, "How much is left after dinner?"
"There's about 21 or 22 pounds left." Ye Jia removed the pork neck, leaving about three pounds of meat. She and Yu Shi both had small appetites, so they only managed to eat a little over a pound of pig ears after drinking and eating. She served a bowl to Aunt Wang, and the rest remained in the pot.
Raw pig heads were sold at eighteen wen per jin (approximately 150g) on the market. If they were prepared like this, braised, and then sold as cold cuts with the marinade, the price, including the cost, would be at least twenty-five or twenty-six wen per jin (approximately 150g). There was only one cooked meat stall in Libei Town, selling beef and mutton on West Street. Beef and mutton were much more expensive than pork, and braised beef in soy sauce was selling for one qian and two jin (approximately 150g) per jin (approximately 150g). Ye Jia wondered if he could set a higher price.
"Mom, do you think we can sell this meat at thirty cents a pound?"
This question caught Yu's attention. Not many people in town ate meat. Most families in the village only ate meat during the Lunar New Year. Only the Zhou family, with their capable daughter-in-law, managed to prepare some delicious food every now and then.
"It's hard to say." Yu was actually a little worried that it wouldn't sell. "Why don't you try selling it first?"
It can only be done this way. All things are difficult at the beginning, so cross the river by feeling the stones.
Speaking of which, there is a difference between selling cooked meat and selling pancakes. After all, meat cannot be easily taken away in a bag like pancakes. The meat must be cut by kilograms, weighed, and the sauce must be mixed. It would definitely be too late to prepare the marinade tomorrow morning, so Ye Jia prepared the marinade early and put it in a large and deep pot. The lid of the pot was closed tightly to prevent it from shaking tomorrow. Yu Shi and Rui Jie'er helped to peel garlic. They peeled a lot of garlic silently, chopped it for Ye Jia, and put it in a small bowl. The coriander and celery were also washed and chopped.
Ye Jia carefully checked the things and felt that they were not enough. He also needed a large wooden chopping board and a small scale.
"Mom, we also need a small wooden rack." Ye Jia thought about the need for a wooden rack when cutting meat, "Just like the rack they use to put cutting boards when selling cakes. Otherwise, it will be difficult to move it tomorrow if it can't be opened."
Yu Shi understood what she said and frowned, thinking, "But we don't have that thing at home. It's too late to ask a carpenter to make it."
"That's true. It's so late."
Ye Jia thought about using the small square table in the kitchen tomorrow. He had to have a scale, the kind that could measure small amounts. Yu Shi sat in her chair, silent. After a moment, she wiped her hands, went inside, brought some snacks for Rui Jie'er, and then left again.
The Zhou family doesn’t have a small scale, but the old lady Wang next door does.
It was Yu's first time going back to borrow something, and she felt a little embarrassed. Seeing her expression, Old Lady Wang took the initiative to ask her, "You've eaten so many good things from the Zhou family. You treat me like a human being, so naturally I treat you like a human being too." Neighbors are like this, giving and taking. Old Lady Wang knew that the Zhou family was going to run a pork head business, and when she heard that Yu didn't have a small square table, she even used the low shelf behind her house to store things.
"Shun Niang, do you think this shelf can be used after scrubbing it?"
Shuniang was Yu's maiden name. Her maiden name was Yu, and her maiden name was Mingshu. Old Lady Wang didn't know which Mingshu her name was, so she just called her Shuniang.
Seeing that it was almost done, Yu turned around and called Ye Jia over.
Ye Jia took a look and stood over to test the height. With her height, if she placed the cutting board on the shelf, it would be enough for cutting vegetables. Old Lady Wang was happy that the cabinet was usable: "Use it. I don't have much use for this shelf at home."
How could Ye Jia have the nerve to take something for free? Every stitch and thread from a country person is a valuable asset, let alone a large wooden frame. Ye Jia quickly said he was only borrowing it for two days and would return it as soon as he had a carpenter build a suitable frame.
Old Mrs. Wang was not in a hurry. The bowl of pork head she had eaten tonight was so delicious that she could still smell the pleasant taste in her mouth.
Ye Jia and Yu Shi carried the cabinet back and borrowed Old Lady Wang's small scale. Perhaps it shouldn't be called a scale, but rather a balance. This scale is the kind used in the old days, with a small weight. The scale is notched, with a hook to hold the goods, and the weight hanging at the back. All you have to do is hold the rope attached to it. Once both sides are level, it's correct.
The largest weight on this thing was only 20 jin. Ye Jia had never used this kind of scale before, and only after Old Lady Wang showed her how to read it did she understand the scale. Yu Shi was also watching and took the opportunity to try it out twice, finally figuring out how to weigh and read it.
As usual, three hundred pancakes were made in the evening. Ye Jia washed up early and went to bed, ready to sleep.
Diandian was already able to run and jump, and was running very fast. He also ate voraciously, growing taller, and his once milk fat quickly disappeared, his limbs becoming slender. His dark fur gradually turned gray, and with good care, it became shiny and smooth. He gradually resembled a particularly famous dog of later generations, the Husky. But his fur color was not as uniform and clear as the Husky's.
The more Ye Jia watched, the more she felt a resemblance. Every day, she worried that it would be full of energy and destroy the house while she was away. The little guy didn't usually bark much, and he didn't seem to get into trouble like a Husky. He just quietly stared at people from the shadows.
As the old saying goes, a dog that bites doesn't bark. Ye Jia guessed that Diandian was probably the kind of dog that was too fierce and didn't like to bark.
At this moment, Diandian was curled up in the nest at Ye Jia's feet. At the slightest movement in the room, it would open its eyes and look over. Its eyes were dimly shining. Ye Jia reached out and rubbed its forehead. The little guy whimpered a few times, licked her palm with its scarlet tongue, and slowly lay down again. At night, Ye Jia also gave it a small bowl of pork head without any seasoning. When it was full, it yawned leisurely.
After blowing out the lights, she slept till dawn. The next morning, Yu was busy in the yard.
Ye Jia got up, quickly washed, and went to put food down for Diandian. Yu had just carried Rui Jie'er to the next room. As she aged, she slept less, so she got up early to feed the chickens in the yard. Old Lady Wang put down the chicken feeder, picked up Rui Jie'er, and told her to go back to work. Yu hurried back and happened to catch Ye Jia moving some things, so she came over to help. The two of them packed up and hurried to town.
The pancakes are no longer as popular as when they are just put on the stall after they are sold. People come to buy one or two from time to time.
The three hundred pancakes were sold out just at 9:00 PM. Ye Jia and Yu Shi kept one or two pancakes to fry, and each of them had one for breakfast.
They rested for a while, ate some pancakes and drank some goat milk from a bamboo tube, and then extinguished the fire in the stove. One of them put the frying pan away, while the other took the pig's head out of the basket.
The pig's head had already been disassembled, and the pig's face and nose had been separated. A large basin of brine, minced garlic, cilantro, and celery was placed next to it. Ye Jia placed the disassembled pig's face clearly on the shelf.
After the initial rush hour, the market wasn't crowded. The only people still wandering were locals. I wandered around to buy some groceries, then turned around and saw this stand at the exit. Curious, I leaned over to take a look.
Ye Jia knew that selling meat for the first time would be difficult, given the high price. So he took a piece of pork cheek and sliced it thinly. He mixed it with minced garlic, cilantro, and celery in the marinade sauce and placed it in a small dish on the side. The garlic was so fragrant that you could smell it from far away. Many people passing by took a look and couldn't help but ask about it. Ye Jia greeted them with a smile: "Thirty-five cents a pound, cold-cut braised pork head."
The price of thirty-five cents startled many people. Ye Jia wasn't afraid. For those who clearly wanted to eat it but couldn't, he simply took a small dipping saucer and scooped out two pieces of the prepared pork head for them to try.
The promotional method of tasting food was common in supermarkets in later generations, but it is not common nowadays.
I have to say, this trick worked perfectly. One or two bites of the braised pig's head were enough to leave you wanting more. Some, hoping to get a bargain, came to try a few more. After taking a chopstick, they found the flavor so enticing that they bought it even if they didn't want to. Yu, now a talkative woman, offered them a chopstickful while saying, "It's getting hotter. Eating greasy food is too greasy. Cold cuts are better with wine."
There were about 20 pounds of pork head meat. Five or six people tried it. One of the red-faced men ordered three pounds at once.
"Cut me a piece of the pig's snout. I love the chewy part with the cartilage!"
"Big brother will eat it. This pig's nose is really the best." Ye Jia finished cutting it for him, put all the ingredients on it, poured the brine on it, and mixed it in front of everyone. The smell of acetic acid and garlic rushed up, and the fragrance made people drool.
The tall, strong woman next to him, who had finished two chopsticks, pulled out her wallet and shrewdly ordered half a pound. The others watched, their mouths drooping with greed, especially Ye Jia, who had deliberately stood in the wind, the smell catching the wind and luring them like a hook. Several greedy men gritted their teeth and bought one or two pounds. Ye Jia, smiling, mixed the mixture for them in public, and in no time, he'd sold nearly ten pounds.
When it comes to selling meat, men are more willing to spend money than women.
Yu sat aside collecting the money, her heart pounding. If for no other reason than the sound of the copper coins hitting the cash box was so pleasant.
"Would you like to make more tomorrow?" Half of the food was sold so quickly, which was quite unexpected. Yu had assumed that the locals didn't eat much pork, and even less likely to eat pig's head, but she hadn't expected that delicious food didn't discriminate by type. The people of Libei Town weren't as picky as the wealthy families in the Central Plains, and they didn't care about food taboos. "I think these will be gone in no time."
The weather was getting hotter, approaching noon. After a busy morning, everyone was hungry. The aroma wafted through, and the more they sniffed, the hungrier they became. Ye Jia stood there with a smile on her face, thinking the breeze was truly wonderful.
There was only the bottom of the small plate left for the tasting. Yu felt a little distressed and watched Ye Jia mix some more food in it.
Less than half an hour later, the remaining ten pounds of pork cheeks were sold. Yu, worried that she might run out of pig heads later, and since Ye Jia was busy, she hurried to the butcher's stall, bought two large pig heads, and brought them back with a groan. Their stomachs growled with hunger; the pancake they'd eaten that morning hadn't been enough to satisfy their hunger; by now, they'd already digested it. Ye Jia silently loosened the cloth covering her head a little, letting the heat inside dissipate.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bought some more vegetables and left a small bag of pork head for Old Man Sun, asking him to take it home and eat.
Ever since Old Man Sun hired the Zhou family's car, he'd been able to eat out every now and then. As time went on, he stopped being pretentious and quietly helped the Zhou family with small tasks. For example, if Ye Jia wanted to buy a scale and a wooden frame, he'd find someone to get him a good price.
Selling twenty pounds of pork head meat brought in seven hundred coins. Compared to the cakes, it wasn't a huge profit, but considering that her family ate some and gave some away, leaving three pounds of pork neck meat, it was actually quite a bit of money. Ye Jia realized belatedly that her cakes were expensive. It was also thanks to her quality ingredients: eggs, oil, and flour—all goodies not often consumed by ordinary people. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to sell them.
After the two of them got home, Old Man Sun had to hurry back. Old Man Sun had two grandsons, one four and one six years old. Although the older one could cook, Old Man Sun felt sorry for the two children because their parents didn't raise them, so he loved them more.
As soon as Old Man Sun left, Yu soaked the two large pig heads in the basin. The wooden rack I borrowed yesterday would have to last for two more days; the new rack would be ready tomorrow.
I did buy the scale, but I'll return the borrowed one first.
Yu was watching how Ye Jia dealt with the pig-head yesterday, so she naturally remembered it.
The two of them took their things back to the house, and Ye Jia went to the kitchen to cook. Yu first went to the backyard to cut a handful of leeks and soaked them in a basin. Then she turned back to prepare the pig's head. With two adults and a child at home, cooking didn't require any fancy tricks. Ye Jia thought it was hot, so she decided to use the remaining brine to make some cold noodles. She also prepared the remaining three pounds of pork neck and stewed it into a red-braised pork stew.
While they were busy, someone else arrived outside the courtyard. Ye Qingjiang knew the Zhou family had set up a stall in town and that it would probably be noon before they closed. He had come specially at this time and stood outside the courtyard to greet Yu.
Yu had just met Ye Qingjiang last time and was not familiar with the Ye family, so she just politely invited him into the house.
The Ye family wiped their hands and came over, and Ye Qingjiang said that the fourth sister of Ye would be married in three days. Because Ajiu was easy to talk to, Ye Tongsheng intervened in the marriage of Ye Yuan and Ajiu, and it took two months of hard work to finally let their daughter get married. It is said that after the incident, Ye Tongsheng said that the large cart of wild animals that Ajiu brought was not counted, and he also asked Ajiu for an additional betrothal gift of ten taels of silver.
Ye Jia was speechless after hearing this. After a long while, he said, "Then what about the fourth brother-in-law?"
"How can I not give it?" Ye Qingjiang didn't think there was anything wrong with giving a betrothal gift. He took a sip of tea and continued, "The Ye family is marrying off a daughter. With Fourth Sister's looks and personality, a proper betrothal gift would naturally be worth this amount. Besides, Fourth Sister's husband is a bachelor and doesn't understand any reasoning. When you got married, the betrothal gift was thirty taels. Fourth Sister, you only asked for ten taels. I'm already being polite."
Ye Jia thought Ye Tongsheng's behavior was quite interesting. He was very shameless, but his daughters had clearly stated their prices. Was a betrothal gift of ten taels of silver considered too little?
"Fourth sister didn't say anything?" Ye Jia was helping her family because she had taken over the original owner's body. Otherwise, she really didn't want to have anything to do with the Ye family. Thinking of Fourth Sister Ye, she finally asked, "How much dowry does your family plan to let Fourth Sister take away?"
Ye Qingjiang was stunned for a moment, choked on a mouthful of tea, and stopped talking.
Ye Jia understood. This was the case of demanding a betrothal gift with a clear conscience, yet being so stingy as to not give a penny in dowry. Just like when the original owner got married, she asked for thirty taels of betrothal gift, but she didn't bring back a single copper coin except for a few clothes and some jewelry given by Cheng Feng. Ye Jia was too lazy to say anything else; it would be a waste of breath to tell these people. Ye Jia nodded and said only, "I understand. I will go back early the next day to help."
Ye Qingjiang had seemed like a good person before, but now it seemed that what Ye Zhang had said about him was not entirely wrong. This irresponsible look was really annoying, taking advantage of others and acting like a spoiled brat. She was less polite: "Second brother, I won't keep you for dinner. I have things to do at home."
Ye Qingjiang's face flushed a little, he put down the tea bowl and said he was leaving.
Ye Jia escorted him out of the yard and watched him walk away from a distance. Yu Shi came out of the backyard and was still wondering, "Jia Niang, why didn't you invite my second brother-in-law to have dinner?"
"No, he's busy."
After saying that, she turned back to the kitchen to see how the meat was stewing. Yu looked at the figure that had receded into the distance, now a mere speck in the distance, and then turned to look at Ye Jia. With a flicker of her mind, she understood her daughter-in-law's thinking. The person who had once wanted to drain the Zhou family to supplement her own family finally came to her senses.
A few days later, Ye Jia and Yu packed up their stall early and went to Yejiazhuang.
When Ye Jia's younger sister got married, it was natural for Yu, her elder sister's mother-in-law, to come and have a feast. Yu was a good-natured woman, and she felt uncomfortable staying home alone, so she came with Ye Jia to help. The Ye family courtyard was full of people, many of them women from the same clan. Ye Tongsheng had some prestige in the village, so naturally, many people would come to help when his daughter got married.
At home, chickens, ducks, fish, and meat were placed in basins. Several women squatted beside the basins, chatting happily while plucking and scrubbing them. There was a lot of noise and many children running around in the yard.
Ye Jia couldn't help, so he went to the house of Ye Simei and Ye Wumei.
A group of girls sat in Fourth Sister's room. Fourth Sister Ye sat by the bed, a shy expression on her face. The girls chattered and chattered, and when they saw Ye Jia enter, they fell silent. It was because Ye Jia had a domineering temper when she was still a boudoir girl, and many girls had suffered at her hands. Even now, many people were afraid of her. Ye Jia ignored them and slowly walked towards the bed.
Seeing her like this, many girls left with the excuse that they had something else to do. Fourth Sister Ye was actually a little scared, but when she thought about how Third Sister had protected her the two times she had been in trouble, she wasn't so afraid of Ye Jia anymore.
"Sister." He quickly made room for Ye Jia to sit down. "Did you just get off the stall and come over?"
Ye Jia nodded. Seeing the expressions of the three sisters, the other girls in the room guessed that they were probably talking to each other. They laughed and said they were going outside to help, and left one by one, holding hands. Soon, everyone in the room had left. Ye Jia looked up and saw that Ye Wumei had not left, but she did not care. She handed her a silver bracelet and a pair of silver earrings that she had bought in town yesterday: "These are for your makeup."
When Ye Simei got married this time, she had nothing except a red wedding dress, a pair of shoes and a new quilt.
Unlike the original owner, who could hide and take away the things Cheng Feng had secretly accepted, she accepted whatever the Ye family gave her. However, with such little, she was not much better off than the poorest families in the village. Fourth Sister Ye felt aggrieved, but when she thought about how her third sister had been so favored by their father at home, she swallowed her grievances and realized that she would be the same after she got married.
When Ye Jia took out something, her eyes immediately turned red. She rushed over and hugged Ye Jia's arms: "Sister."
Ye Jia was a little uncomfortable. Having been an only child for so many years, she wasn't used to being so close to others. She nodded and said stiffly, "I'm giving it to you when you get married tomorrow. Make it look nice."
Ye Wumei was watching from the side with envy in her eyes. She bit her lower lip and looked at Ye Jia eagerly.
Ye Jia wasn't a stingy person, so it wasn't like she couldn't afford these small things. Out of a bit of ridiculous empathy, Ye Jia had picked out these two items from the jewelry store in town before coming. At this moment, she glanced at her fifth sister and said, "You'll have some too when you get married."
Ye Wumei pouted and hummed, then sat down and called out "sister" in a soft voice.
The wedding was a small affair, with only the Ye family members enjoying a feast. Fourth Sister Ye wore a bright red wedding dress, the silver earrings Ye Jia had given her yesterday adorning her ears, and a bright red silk flower on her head. Fourth Sister Ye's husband, Ajiu, had somehow managed to get a mule. A red flower ball hung around the mule's neck, and he grasped Fourth Sister Ye's waist and lifted her onto the mule.
With one hand carrying Ye Simei's dowry on his shoulder, Ajiu led the mule and took her away.
Ye Wumei was standing at the door, about to cry, but when she saw Ye Jia coming over, she couldn't help but throw herself into Ye Jia's arms with red eyes. Ye Jia patted her and turned to see Ye Qinghe hiding in the corner with two crutches and red eyes.
The young man was much thinner than he had seen before. Seeing Ye Jia looking at him, he hesitantly bared his teeth and said, "Sister, I broke my leg and reattached it."
Ye Jia glanced at his legs and indeed they looked much smoother.
She nodded and just said that he should take good care of it. Ye Qinghe's eyes lit up.
Ye Jia's face was sullen, and he wanted to leave without even eating. The main reason was that the food they cooked was truly unpalatable. The men were drinking, and with the children at the table, the food was filthy. Every dish was snatched up as soon as it was served, leaving not even a scrap of leftovers. Yu Shi didn't eat either. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were so busy that they didn't stay for dinner at the Ye family's that night. They said goodbye to Ye Su Shi and went home early.
Just as she got home, a dark figure suddenly rushed out from the yard, ran to Ye Jia's feet, and circled around her legs while howling.
After a day of delays, Ye Jia was tired and hungry. She quickly prepared something to feed her puppy. Then she cooked a large pot of egg noodles for the whole family to eat. It was already late. It was unlikely that tomorrow's business would be done at this hour. Yu Shi put down her chopsticks and brought up Zhou Jingchen's birthday again.
Ye Jia didn't refuse. She still hadn't found the ten yuan worth of soap, so she could go to Dongxiang Town to ask.
But pig heads were hard to come by at this hour. Remembering his promise to bring snacks, Ye Jia pulled out the three pounds of lean meat hidden in the basket. He planned to splurge and make some fried crispy pork for the guy. Sichuan peppercorns were too expensive, so he could only make a home-style version without them. It was so crispy and delicious right out of the pan, so he'd have to make it tomorrow.
In that case, pack up early, take a shower, change clothes and go to bed.
If you go to bed early, you naturally wake up early too. The next morning, Ye Jia woke up before daybreak. He opened the door to a hazy blue sky. He went to the kitchen to light a fire, then cut the lean meat into thick chunks. He mixed in flour, cornstarch, salt, and some cumin powder, then marinated it for a while. Cumin is cumin, a common ingredient in Libei Town.
Then mix some flour with corn flour, add some salt, beat in a few eggs, add water, and stir quickly with chopsticks into a milky paste.
Pour oil into the wok, then dip the marinated meat strips into the batter until evenly coated, then deep-fry in the 70% hot oil. This isn't difficult to make, it's all about the waste oil. Ye Jia was very frugal. To save oil, he used a small wok. He slowly fried four or five pounds of crispy pork. He set it aside to drain. Yu Shi had already gotten up.
Smelling the aroma from the kitchen from afar, she sniffed and came over to take a look: "Is this made for Yun An?"
"Yeah." Ye Jia wasn't a stingy person. She'd been told it was Zhou Jingchen's birthday several times, so even if she was deaf, she'd know it. Making a birthday cake was out of the question, and even if she knew how to make one, she wouldn't. Frying some crispy pork was enough as a token of appreciation. "Mom, do you have any oil paper left at home?"
Ye Jia left a small amount in the basket for Yu Shi and Rui Jie'er as a snack, and wrapped up the rest for Zhou Jingchen to take back.
Yu let the children play and took Ye Jia to the house to change into her Xiang Fei-colored waist skirt. As she watched her change, she began to fix her hair: "You need to take good care of your hair. You can't just put it in a messy bun and leave it at that."
Ye Jia was rarely seen dressed so well for a trip, so she was naturally delighted. She quickly packed up her nearly month-old soap and boarded Old Man Sun's oxcart for the trip to Dongxiang Town. However, Ye Jia was known for her money-conscious nature, so her first priority in Dongxiang Town wasn't to rush to the garrison. Instead, she asked Old Man Sun to accompany her to the rouge shop. There were two rouge shops in Dongxiang Town, and she went to the largest one first.
Coincidentally, Ye Jia ran into the owner of the rouge shop who was inspecting the shop just as he arrived. Seeing Ye Jia, who stood out from the crowd, and seeing Ye Jia coming over with something in her arms, he smiled and came over to ask in person.
This boss is quite knowledgeable. As soon as Ye Jia took out the scented soap, he immediately smelled the sweet scent of osmanthus.
The scented soap in his own shop was still for sale, and even the best ones didn't smell as good as this one. The owner looked at the items for a long time, naturally assessing their quality. Ye Jia continued, "If the shopkeeper is serious about doing business, let's be frank and sign a long-term supply agreement. Besides the sweet-scented osmanthus scented soap, I also have other scents available."
"I have to see the effect of this wash." The owner saw that Ye Jiasheng was good-looking and had a good impression, but he would not make a loss because of this. At most, the two sides would have a better attitude when discussing things. "If it can't be washed clean, I'm afraid it won't meet the girl's expectations."
"Of course." Ye Jia brought the cut piece of fragrant soap and asked the boss to try it on the spot.
The trial was effective, of course. The shopkeeper, smelling the sweet fragrance of osmanthus on his fingertips, offered a price: "One tael and one qian of silver each. A large one is one tael and three qian each. What do you think of this price, young lady?"
This was a sincere business deal. Ye Jia's bottom line was one or two taels of silver per item, but the store offered a higher price than she expected.
Ye Jia's face immediately lit up with a hint of a smile. Seeing the other person's sincerity, she couldn't pretend. Naturally, she agreed. As for the long-term contract, the owner of the rouge shop also spoke frankly, "Whether we'll keep your goods long-term depends on the sales of this osmanthus-scented soap. If it sells well, we'll naturally keep it long-term. If not, could you please leave your address here?"
Ye Jia didn't leave her home address so naively. He just said, "If you need to find her in the future, go to the Xishi stall in Tile Market in Libei Town to look for her."
As soon as the deal was finalized, Ye Jia immediately received sixteen taels of silver.
Happy, Ye Jia even went to the nearby pastry shop to buy a bag of maltose. Old Man Sun whipped his bullwhip and squeaked his way to the Dongxiang Town headquarters. With this delay, it was almost noon. The weather was getting hotter, and Ye Jia felt her forehead was sweating. Old Man Sun gave Ye Jia his bamboo hat, hoping her pretty face wouldn't get sunburned.
Ye Jia staggered to the camp, where two soldiers were guarding the door.
She didn't go up to talk to him. Old Man Sun told her to stand under a nearby tree while he went to ask for her. The soldier took a bag of crispy pork and immediately ran in to ask. Not long after, he ran back. After a long while, Old Man Sun wiped his sweat and came back to tell Ye Jia the truth: "The Zhou family kid doesn't seem to be in the camp. I heard he accepted a mission early this morning. He should be in the woods to the east now."
Ye Jia blinked. After coming all this way, she couldn't just leave without seeing anyone, right? After thinking about it, she asked, "Is that place far?"
"It's not far." Old Man Sun was a soldier in his youth and was very familiar with the area. "It takes about a quarter of an hour to walk there."
"Okay, please, Uncle Sun, give me a ride."
Old Man Sun smiled, guessing she was definitely going there, and cracked his whip and drove the cart in that direction.
When they got there, the forest was completely silent. Old Man Sun tied the ox cart to the forest's edge, and Ye Jia went inside, carrying a large bag of crispy pork, to search for the people. Because this forest belonged to the garrison, people frequently came and went, so there weren't many bad guys or wild animals. Old Man Sun knew that the young couple were newlyweds and must have missed each other terribly after such a long separation, so he didn't go in with Ye Jia to disturb her, saying he would wait for her outside.
Ye Jia didn't pay attention to his little thoughts, nodded, picked up the hem of her skirt and ran into the woods.
It was quite a coincidence. The forest wasn't very big, and Ye Jia wasn't exactly directionally challenged. Yet, she wandered around a few times, completely disoriented. She looked up at the sky; the trees blocked the blazing sun, but she still broke into a sweat. Ye Jia noticed red ribbons tied between the branches of the trees. She simply followed them and headed inside.
When you're unlucky, even drinking water gets stuck in your teeth. Ye Jia had trouble finding the path, and when she reached a patch of deep grass, she couldn't see clearly. She stepped on empty air and rolled down. Even worse, she accidentally pulled something and it covered her face.
After finally stopping, Ye Jia tore off the thing covering his face, which turned out to be a pair of wet shorts.
Ye Jia was so furious that she couldn't understand why there were pants in the woods. With a sullen look on her face, she stomped on the pants a few times, then kicked them into the ravine.
When she calmed down after panting, she found a pair of eyes looking at her quietly.
Ye Jia turned her head and met those eyes. Zhou Jingchen's hair was loose, long enough to cover his hips and dripping with water. It stuck wetly to his chest and back, covering his front and back. It just barely blocked a part of his lower body. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, and the green against the man's face made his skin look even more translucent. Zhou Jingchen's body was dripping with water, his skin glowing white.
"Jia Niang," he said in a deep and strange tone, revealing a strange sense of grievance, "Did my pants offend you? Why did you have to kick them so far?"
Ye Jia: “…”
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