“Yes, there are so many things, how can you carry them all by yourself?” He Liu added.
"When I first started selling, although I was confident in my skills, I couldn't be too arrogant. I didn't dare to say how the sales would be at the beginning, so I just carried the goods on a shoulder pole for the time being. Later, when the business grows, I'll consider getting a vehicle," Su Yun'er said.
Seeing that she had considered everything thoroughly, Aunt Song and He Liu felt relieved.
That evening, Su Yun'er soaked even more soybeans, planning to grind them into soy milk the next morning.
The "stealing vegetables" function in the space has not yet been restored, so for now only the most basic planting and harvesting are available, which makes it much easier to take care of.
The next morning, Su Yun'er brought the beans soaked in spring water and ground them into a paste in her space.
Having a space mill was a huge help; otherwise, just grinding beans would have broken Su Yun'er's back.
After pouring the separated soybean pulp into the chicken coop, Su Yun'er began to boil soybean milk and mix gypsum. She then poured the soybean milk with the mixed gypsum into a wooden bucket and let it sit for the soybean curd to form.
While waiting, Su Yun'er started preparing the sauce for the tofu pudding and steaming the rice.
To ensure the sauce tastes fresh, a new sauce must be prepared every day.
Su Yun'er would also mix a certain proportion of rice produced in the space into the old rice that He Liu bought.
Firstly, it can extend the shelf life of aged rice, and secondly, it can enhance the aroma of aged rice, making it taste better.
In addition to the prepared food and utensils, Su Yun'er also prepared several half-person-high wooden planks, which could be set up to create a simple stall.
After everything was prepared, Su Yun'er secured everything to the carrying pole. To keep the tofu pudding and rice warm, Su Yun'er also wrapped small blankets around the wooden buckets containing them.
With lunchtime fast approaching, Su Yun'er, keeping track of the time, carried her load on a shoulder pole all the way to the dock. Construction had already begun at the dock, where two official ships were moored. Wide, heavy wooden planks were placed between the ship's side and the dock, swaying with every step, a sight that was quite alarming. Yet, the laborers were busy carrying sacks, making trip after trip.
Su Yun'er found a spot and began unloading things from the carrying pole.
A small, simple stall was set up.
Su Yun'er's actions attracted the attention of the laborers. They kept working but kept their eyes on her, talking to each other and wondering what Su Yun'er was doing.
After Su Yun'er finished tidying up, the foreman at the dock also called for a break.
"Alright, alright, that's enough for this morning. Everyone, come over here for piecework!"
As the foreman's shouts ended, the laborers began to line up in front of a table. Behind the table sat a person who helped each laborer check something in a notebook.
Su Yun'er guessed that it was a piecework book. Each person had to register how much stuff they unloaded from the ship with a special clerk after each trip. Then, after each work session, the clerk would settle accounts with the laborers based on the recorded quantity.
After receiving their wages, the laborers would go to the nearby canteen to get a flatbread to fill their stomachs.
"Why is this pancake so hard?! It's getting harder and harder, I can't even bite into it! How am I supposed to eat this?!"
"It's not just hard, it also has a sour smell!"
"Do you even consider us human beings?!"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the food stall area.
After listening for a while, Su Yun'er roughly understood.
It turns out that although the pancakes were provided free of charge, they were managed by the dock officials.
However, because the person in charge of the meals was a relative of the person in charge, he embezzled the money, and the bread supplied to the laborers was of extremely poor quality and inedible.
Many laborers had to bring their own steamed buns or something to fill their stomachs.
Now that it's cold, the steamed buns I take out in the morning are already ice-cold by lunchtime. When it's hot, they just spoil.
Therefore, the laborers basically couldn't get a decent meal all year round.
Over at the canteen, the argument escalated into a brawl. But no matter how strong the laborers were, they had already worked hard all morning and had to make a living under the supervision of the foreman and his men. In the end, the foreman could only bow his head and apologize, and he still couldn't escape being whipped a few times by the foreman.
A group of people surrounded the beaten laborer as he left the canteen.
"Forget it, you young people, can't you see the true colors of these corrupt officials? You can't fight city hall, you have to bow your head when you're under someone's roof." Several older men advised the young men who had spoken up earlier.
"Yeah, don't be angry. Let's fill our stomachs first. We have to start work later this afternoon. Making money is the most important thing. What can we do when our lives are so hard?"
"Hey, look, what's that young lady up ahead doing?"
"I saw her just now, but I don't know what that young lady does."
"I can smell the aroma of food."
"Really?"
As the group approached, Su Yun'er quickly greeted them, "Gentlemen, would you like to eat? We have tofu pudding and rice. It's freshly made and piping hot, have a bowl!"
"Tofu pudding? What's that?"
The novel food piqued their curiosity, and they all came over to take a look.
Su Yun'er quickly grabbed a bowl, scooped out a portion of tofu pudding from the rice bucket, and added seasonings except for chili oil: "Here it is, a portion of tofu pudding. Eat it with a spoon, it's smooth, tender, and savory. Would you guys like to try some? This portion is free, no charge."
"Really, you don't need to pay?" The laborer closest to Su Yun'er hesitated, looking at the bowl of food with some caution.
"Really, it's free. With so many grown men like you, how could I, a weak woman, dare to deceive you?" Su Yun'er's hearty laughter eased some of everyone's wariness.
"But you're quite bold, young lady. In recent years, no one has dared to set up a stall at this dock. Aren't you afraid?"
"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of that unfounded 'water-side curse'?" Su Yun'er raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it could be life-threatening!"
"But there really are people who have been struck by lightning and died."
"If it's really that accurate, I'd rather that lightning strike me sooner. Life on earth is too tiring; I'd rather escape this sea of suffering as soon as possible." Su Yun'er shook her head with a smile.
She had just witnessed the laborers arguing with the officials in charge, and the laborers' only wish was to have a decent, edible meal.
This reminded her of her past life, where she and her colleagues worked nine-to-five, enduring outrageous leaders and their lackeys, all just to make ends meet with a few cents a day.
It turns out that whether in ancient or modern times, the most basic desires of the general public are the same.
Live, live like a human being.
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