79, The Dishonest Trader (5 more
Li Hengyi frowned.
He took a pair of chopsticks, picked up a jam bun, and bit into it.
The jam was sweet and sour, fragrant and delicious. After another bite of Bird’s Nest, he instantly felt comfortable all over.
From his stomach to his organs, and then to his limbs, he couldn’t care less about being graceful as he quickly polished off the remaining buns and Bird’s Nest, still feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
He felt he could eat another portion.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhinuan looked at the several men at the door and slightly furrowed her brows, “Do you need something?”
The men looked at each other, and one of them stepped forward, “Miss Xie, are you selling these buns?”
“…” Xie Zhinuan hesitated for a moment, “Yes, but they’re more expensive than elsewhere!”
“How much for one, we’ll take them all!”
“Eight wen each, sold in portions of five!” Xie Zhinuan spoke softly.
She had intended to sell them for five wen each, but she didn’t have much jam. If she sold them cheap, everyone would buy them, and she’d have nothing to sell later.
“Deal, we’ll take them all!”
For the top guards around Li Hengyi, a few wen really wasn’t much.
“Wait a moment, I’ll go check!”
She had only made three steamers of buns, intending to share some with the children to taste. After all, it was their collected wild fruit turned into jam, but now it seemed best to sell them first.
Keeping one steamer for herself, Xie Zhinuan sold the remaining thirty-five buns to them.
“Miss Xie, we’ll bring the silver over in a bit!”
Someone couldn’t resist and started eating one, “Do you make these every day?”
“I do, but tomorrow I plan to make vegetable buns, same price. If you want them, you can place an order!”
“We’ll take a hundred. Miss Xie, could you also cook a pot of porridge for us?”
Xie Zhinuan thought for a moment, “Alright, then let’s call it one tael of silver!”
How much money she made wasn’t the main concern yet, but she needed to get the business started.
After some thought, she decided to find someone to set up another stall at the door, place a table, and lay out a few benches. Then she could let these people eat under the stall without entering her home, keeping it neat and tidy.
With this in mind, Xie Zhinuan immediately went to the carpenter’s to order two tables and several benches.
She called Routuan to head out.
When Carpenter Yuan of Xiaohe Village saw Xie Zhinuan, he greeted her with a smile, “Miss Xie!”
“I’d like to order two wooden tables and eight benches! Also, do you have someone who could help me set up a stall with bamboo on top and around?”
“Certainly, certainly. We normally keep tables stocked, we have them ready. The stall is easy to manage, I’ll call someone for you right away!”
Carpenter Yuan had many hands at his disposal and they worked quickly.
The stall Xie Zhinuan wanted wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. Thanks to the ample workforce at Yuan’s, it was completed by nightfall, complete with two windows for light.
Xie Zhinuan was very pleased when she saw it and promptly paid.
Carpenter Yuan happily accepted the money, but couldn’t help asking, “Miss Xie, what are you going to do with this stall?”
“I plan to sell some food, and later on I’ll also sell braised meat. You all are welcome to come and try some!”
Carpenter Yuan glanced toward the courtyard, sniffing the delicious aroma wafting from inside the house. Clutching the silver in his hand, he thought about coming to buy some treats to satisfy his cravings when the time came.
Xie Zhinuan cooked porridge for the gentleman across the way, added some minced meat, and gave him a serving of chilled cucumber salad, keeping the meal very light.
The gentleman across the way seemed easy to please; he would eat whatever she cooked without a complaint.
That night, as Xie Zhinuan lay in bed, she suddenly realized why those guards wanted porridge.
Because cooking porridge required the most water from the well…
Perhaps she could make egg drop soup. After all, the goal was to make more money with the least cost.
Having figured this out, Xie Zhinuan fell asleep with the thought that she must be a crafty merchant at heart.
In her dreams, she lay laughing on Mount Jin, counting her gold…
Chapter 81