When Cheng Su returned home, she carried two sacks of pineapples back from the entrance of Sister Wang’s village, where ten pineapples cost only one yuan—ridiculously cheap indeed.
The minibus rattled out of He County and indeed all along the roadsides, she saw plenty of pineapples growing in the fields and many people selling them. It seemed Sister Wang hadn’t lied to her; this was truly the land of pineapples.
After a bumpy ride close to her courtyard, Cheng Su got off the bus, hauling the two bags of pineapples into the yard before locking up; then she hurried home. Qi Taiguo had left a note saying he wouldn’t be back from the army today.
Cheng Su breathed a sigh of relief, with him not around, she could just whip up some noodles and save herself the trouble.
The next day, after the busy lunch rush, Cheng Su started to process the two bags of pineapples. This was because she had previously made pineapple jam for Qi Taiguo and had promised to bring it back for both of their families.
Now that she and her husband were slowly getting along with each other, she certainly couldn’t let a small matter erode the hard-earned affection between them!
Cheng Su chatted with Qiulan while they vigorously peeled the pineapples. Making jam was no small task.
"Is anyone there?" A voice called out from the entrance.
Cheng Su stopped what she was doing and replied loudly, "Over here, who is it?"
She went to greet them and saw a woman at the door dressed in a neat suit and carrying a bag, wearing sunglasses.
"Who are you?" Cheng Su did not recognize her.
"My surname is Mu, first name Yan, Director of the Huaiji Supply and Marketing Cooperative. You can just call me Director Mu," the woman removed her sunglasses and looked at Cheng Su, asking, "I’ve tasted the slush from your place before, that jam sauce..."
She noticed the two big bags of pineapples in the yard and the pineapple with its yellow flesh that Qiulan was holding, smiling as she asked, "Is that jam made of pineapple? Did you make it yourself?"
Cheng Su invited her in, found a stool for her, and said, "I’m afraid it’s a bit crude here, please bear with it." She then washed a teacup and poured her a cup of water.
Director Mu sat down, took in the courtyard and her gaze fell back on the pineapples, feeling saliva secreted in her mouth.
"I make this pineapple jam in my spare time; it’s just a little snack, really. May I ask what brings Director Mu here?" Cheng Su had a hunch but was not quite sure yet.
"Here’s the thing, I’ve tasted your jam, um, do you have any more?" Mu Yan inquired.
"Are you looking to buy?" Cheng Su smiled, "I’m afraid I can’t satisfy your request at the moment. I don’t have any new jam on hand. You see, I just bought the pineapples yesterday and was planning to make some, and besides, I use it for the slush too."
"Are you making it right now? I really want to buy some; would you be able to sell me a bit?" Mu Yan’s eyes brightened as she smiled, "Not to hide anything from you, ever since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve developed a craving for your sour and sweet jam—it’s really appetizing. And I heard it can even be spread on bread, right?"
"Exactly." Cheng Su fetched a small bottle of jam and some bread that she had brought with her that morning, scooped some jam with a spoon, spread it on the bread, and handed it to Mu Yan.
Mu Yan hurriedly took a bite and her eyes narrowed with joy: "That’s the taste, delicious, will you sell it to me? I’ve searched all over Qing City’s Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and have never tasted anything like this. It seems like yours is unique."
Unique!
Cheng Su raised her brows and a bold idea crossed her mind. She tentatively asked, "Director Mu, what do you think, if I were to sell this jam at your Supply and Marketing Cooperative, would it sell?"