Upon hearing this news, Wu Baoan looked surprised. "You bought five thousand catties of vegetables?"
Chen Qingqing nodded and smiled, "Yes, so I would like to trouble Uncle Lizheng to help me find a suitable large courtyard."
My yard is a bit small; it can't hold all these vegetables.
“Your yard really can’t hold it all. How about this, our old house is still empty. The yard there is big enough, and there’s a large stone cellar built against the mountain behind the house, which is perfect for storing vegetables so they don’t rot easily.”
Chen Qingqing knew that the Wu family's old house was not far from her home. Not only was the yard large, but it was also close to the well. If she made sugar there, she could save a lot of labor.
She was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Village Chief. You've really helped me a lot."
"No need to thank me, I just want to know why you bought so many vegetables? In this hot weather, aren't you worried they'll rot?" Wu Baoan frowned and asked with a puzzled look.
"Uncle Village Head, don't worry, this kind of beet doesn't rot easily."
"Although I don't like spoiled food, look at all the stuff you bought, how long are we going to eat it all!"
"I didn't buy these beets to eat; they have a very important use," Chen Qingqing smiled slightly. "I'm going to use them to make brown sugar!"
"Sugar making?" Wu Baoan looked puzzled. "Sugar making should use mulberry leaves, how can you use vegetables?"
The "zhe" that Wu Baoan mentioned is what modern people call sugarcane, which is the main raw material for sugar production.
As far as Chen Qingqing knew, sugar beets were only introduced from abroad in modern times and quickly became the main raw material for sugar production.
The Da Ning Dynasty was a dynasty that never existed in history. She didn't know why sugar beets appeared, and what intrigued her even more was that they didn't know that sugar beets could be made.
This is absolutely wonderful news for her.
Seeing Wu Baoan's suspicious look, Chen Qingqing offered a haphazard explanation: "Uncle Village Head, this vegetable is also called beet. I saw it in a book by chance. According to the book, this vegetable can indeed be boiled to make brown sugar, which is why I dared to buy it all."
Upon hearing that she could make sugar, Wu Baoan's eyes lit up. If this girl could really succeed in making sugar, not only would he, as the village head, be proud, but the villagers could also find something to do and earn some income.
Brown sugar is quite expensive, but it sells very well. He was eager to see what this sugar-making vegetable looked like.
Just then, Chen Qingqing said, "Uncle Village Head, you lent me such a big courtyard, I can't just use it for free. How about I give you 100 coins a month for rent?"
Wu Baoan nodded in satisfaction, "Sure, why not? That yard is just sitting empty anyway. I'd be more than satisfied with a hundred coins a month."
After finalizing the rent with Wu Baoan, Chen Qingqing finally breathed a sigh of relief, said goodbye to Lin Shi, and headed towards the Wu family's old house.
The Wu family's old house covers a full two acres of land, with a large and spacious courtyard.
Behind the thatched house is the mountain behind the village. The Wu family built their house against the mountain, carving out a large cave in the middle of the rocky cliff.
This is the stone cellar that Wu Baoan mentioned. The space inside is indeed large enough to store a lot of beets.
Then I went inside and took a look around. I found two more big pots. Everything was ready except for the beets. I could start making brown sugar first thing tomorrow morning.
The convoy transporting sugar beets soon arrived at Nanshan Village.
The news that Chen Qingqing had bought 5,000 jin of vegetables spread like wildfire throughout the entire village.
When the villagers heard about this unusual event, men, women, and children all rushed over to watch. They were all surprised and curious as the beets were unloaded into the yard.
"This thing looks a lot like a radish, can it even taste good?"
"They say this stuff tastes sweet, so it must taste good."
"No matter how delicious it is, we can't buy this! I heard that Qingya bought an entire boatload of vegetables, a total of five thousand catties!"
"Oh my, five thousand catties! Even if we ate it every day, every meal, we probably wouldn't finish it in a year. Is this girl planning to raise pigs?"
"Get out of here! Didn't you hear people say this vegetable is only three cents a pound? Who would buy it to feed pigs? That's just crazy!"
"That's right, five thousand catties is fifteen taels of silver, enough to buy several pigs!"
"Then why do you think the Chen family bought so many vegetables?"
"Who knows what's wrong with them? Maybe they just like this kind of food."
......
Hearing the murmurs, Old Mrs. Chen pulled Old Mr. Chen closer.
Looking at the yard full of beets, I couldn't help but smack my lips, really wanting to sneak a bite when no one was looking to satisfy my craving.
Old Man Chen was envious and couldn't help but complain to Old Woman Chen, "That wretched girl is so wasteful! She's just throwing money away. She doesn't know how to show off when she has a little money. Can these things even taste good?"
Old Mrs. Chen spat fiercely on the ground, "Who says otherwise? This ungrateful wretch! If I had known she was so heartless, I should have thrown her out to feed the wolves after she was born."
Old Chen gave her a disapproving look. "If you hadn't insisted on separating from the family and cutting off ties, you wouldn't have been able to watch them gloat. Now it's too late to regret it!"
Old Mrs. Chen was speechless for a long time. If she had known that this brat was so capable, she would have beaten her to death rather than separate from the family.
But there's no going back in life, so what could she do?
Suddenly, Old Mrs. Chen's eyes lit up. "Old man, I heard them say this thing tastes sweet. Go and get a couple, let's go home and try it."
"I'm not going. There are too many people around, and I'd be embarrassed."
"What's so shameful about it? Hurry up and move closer to the yard, and when no one is looking, slip a few into your pocket. No one will notice."
Seeing that he hadn't moved, Old Mrs. Chen raised her hand and gave him a push, "Hurry up, go quickly."
Old Chen shook his head repeatedly, "You go if you want, I won't do such a shameful thing."
"Look at you, so pathetic. You'll never have a good life, not even as a dog."
Old Mrs. Chen gritted her teeth and glared at Old Mr. Chen, then ignored him and craned her neck to peer into the yard, hoping to find an opportunity to sneak a few to taste.
The last truckload of sugar beets was finally unloaded. Chen Qingqing ignored the villagers' doubts. As long as she could make brown sugar tomorrow, the villagers' doubts would naturally be resolved.
Zheng Zhong couldn't believe that Chen Qingqing could buy an entire ship full of sugar beets, especially since she insisted on delivering them only once a month. This was a profitable business, so it had to be confirmed beforehand. Otherwise, the agony of not being able to sell them after they arrived would be unbearable.
He looked grateful and stepped forward, cupping his hands in a fist salute. "Miss Chen, the beets have been unloaded. I'd like to confirm with you again, is it really possible for us to cooperate long-term?"
Chen Qingqing nodded solemnly, "Uncle Zheng, don't worry, as long as you deliver it, I will accept it all."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Zheng Zhong beamed with joy. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he rose to take his leave...
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