But, as easy as it looks, doing it—really, it’s too hard!
Xu Nianji watched the passing crowd, lips moving, but couldn’t muster the courage to shout out for half a day.
"Big brother, just shout once, and you’ll be bold enough to speak up," Xu Nianhua said encouragingly.
Xu Nianji’s face turned red with embarrassment and still, he couldn’t find the courage to shout.
Xu Nianhua cleared her throat and said with a smile, "Big brother, watch me."
"Bean sprouts for sale, thirty cents a pound, fresh bean sprouts, don’t miss out as you pass by."
Xu Nianhua’s voice was clear and, coupled with her sweet smile, attracted the attention of many. Their bean sprouts were clean and well-presented, priced the same as the market.
"Brothers and sisters, buy a pound of bean sprouts to take home. They’re delicious and affordable—a whole plateful for a pound."
"Our bean sprouts are homegrown, and they’re delicious when stir-fried."
Xu Nianhua recommended them diligently.
"I’ll take a pound," a woman said, impressed with the quality of the sprouts.
"Right, auntie, I’ll weigh a pound for you."
Xu Nianhua handled the scale deftly, weighing out the full amount for the woman, even adding a small handful more, which delighted her immensely.
In the past, when buying bean sprouts inside, the vendor would barely give a full pound, but Xu Nianhua was generous enough to add a bit extra.
Though this small handful might have been just enough to press the scale down further, a sense of getting a bargain sprang up spontaneously.
"Young girl, next time, I’ll come back to buy bean sprouts from you," the woman said cheerfully as she left with her purchase.
With such a positive start, more people came to buy their bean sprouts.
Xu Nianhua specifically took on the task of calling out, while Xu Nian’an weighed the sprouts, and Xu Nianji managed the money.
They had brought a large bucket of bean sprouts, several dozen pounds, and Xu Nianhua had talked until her mouth was dry.
Xu Nianji said, "Little sister, go get some water and rest. I’ll take over."
At first Xu Nianji was shy, but seeing his little sister’s dry mouth and rapid speech, he felt it was time for him to speak up.
"Auntie, how many bean sprouts would you like?" Xu Nianji’s voice was quiet, and the auntie, seeing his bashful demeanor, said, "That young girl is your sister, right? She’s really pretty and sweet-talking."
"Yes, my little sister has always been sweet-talking," Xu Nianji said with pride in his sister.
Once they had a beginning, the rest came easily.
Xu Nianhua, watching their busy figures, didn’t delay and brought water back for them to drink.
As noon approached, the sun blazed hotter, as if trying to bake everyone alive. Xu Nianhua glanced at the dwindling supply of bean sprouts and suggested, "Why don’t we take the rest home?"
"This much, how can we finish it?" Xu Nianji looked at the remaining five or six pounds in the bucket.
"We can give it away if we can’t finish it."
Xu Nianhua said, "We’ve borrowed money from the Cai Family, the Yao Family, and Uncle Xu. Let’s give them a pound of bean sprouts each. It’s not much, but it’s enough to add a dish."
Xu Nianji and the others, faced with the searing heat outside, moved their belongings back into the courtyard.
Xu Nianhua went to the kitchen to cook lunch—a stir-fried bean sprouts dish with their brought chili sauce, enough for an afternoon meal.
After lunch, the three siblings started counting the money they earned from selling bean sprouts. Most of it was in dimes and twenty-cent pieces, with some half-dollar coins too. They were taken aback once they tallied it up.
Eleven dollars and forty cents.
Minus the less than two-dollar cost, that meant today, just from bean sprouts, they had earned nine dollars.