"Second Brother, you can rest easy, I bought this because I have a use for it," Xu Nianhua reassured Xu Nian’an, knowing he was worried that buying too much would lead to waste. She then tip-toed and whispered in his ear, "Second Brother, I’m thinking of selling bean sprouts."
"You know how to make them?" Xu Nian’an knew what bean sprouts were, but he didn’t know how to make them.
Xu Nianhua nodded repeatedly. After selling mung bean jelly, as she wandered the market, she was certain that in the county, there was only one bean sprout seller!
With so many people in the whole county and only one selling bean sprouts, there surely wasn’t enough supply. If their family also started selling bean sprouts, they could definitely make money.
It might not be a fortune, but little by little, like rolling a snowball, it could grow larger and larger.
"Second Brother, shall I pick it then?"
Xu Nianhua had thought of everything, except that they had to walk back to Shuangzhu Village, and carrying twenty kilograms of soybeans was not going to be easy.
Xu Nian’an smiled lightly and said, "Little sister, with your slight arms and legs, better not try. What if it stunted your growth? That would be awful."
Xu Nianhua looked down at her height; although not tall, she was definitely not short.
The siblings chatted and laughed all the way back to Shuangzhu Village, meeting many villagers along the way.
"You siblings carry so many plums to town every few days; does anyone buy them?"
"What have you picked up this time?"
Xu Nian’an and his sister carried things to the county every few days, usually when everyone else was at work, which meant they seldom ran into many people.
"Soybeans, we bought some soybeans back."
Xu Nian’an responded with a smile.
"Oh, are you going to make tofu?" the aunt asked with a laugh.
Xu Nian’an pressed his lips into a smile but didn’t reply. Would people laugh if he said that his little sister wanted to use them to make bean sprouts?
In the village, there were not a few who knew how to make bean sprouts, but the ones they produced were especially thin, not as good as the ones for sale. Besides, making bean sprouts was a hassle; made in excess, they easily spoiled.
Made too little, and there wouldn’t be enough to go around.
Moreover, it was particularly troublesome, and people only made them during festivals to add to a dish.
"Hey, is that for delivering a notice?" Xu Nian’an suddenly spotted the postman, who was holding a green parcel, likely carrying a letter.
Could it be that Xu Zhiyuan had actually passed?
"Doesn’t he often come here to deliver mail?" Xu Nianhua casually replied, then suddenly, as if realizing something, she comforted him, "Second Brother, I think, some people’s notices just can’t wait any longer?"
"Why?" Xu Nian’an asked without any forethought.
He then realized, although Xu Zhiyuan wasn’t in the same class, he was aware of his grades. They weren’t the worst in class, but they were definitely near the bottom.
In the entire school, only a few dozen had passed the college entrance exam. With Xu Zhiyuan’s scores falling behind the 200th place, his chances for college were very slim.
"Next year, he’ll definitely deliver our notices," Xu Nianhua said with a comforting smile.
There, Xu Zhiyuan and his family were exactly those waiting for a notice. Every day, seeing the postman approach, they would run over to ask if there was a letter for them, but each time they returned empty-handed.
Xu Zhiyuan’s heart grew increasingly anxious, although he felt he had performed well in the exams, what if he hadn’t?