"Sister-in-law, doing business really brings in the money quickly! It’s only been a few days, and we’ve already made two taels of silver!" Yang Dong exclaimed, having become more talkative after spending several days together.
"Absolutely! Nothing beats doing business, earning silver is real, with more silver our life will get better, ignoring those who say doing business is base; they are just envious and resentful..." Xiaoxiao started her brainwashing mode again.
"Yes, sister-in-law, the candied hawthorn is sold out; what should we sell next? I will just follow you from now on!" Yang Dong was completely brainwashed, focused solely on doing business.
"Oh! The times are tough now, it’s deep into the winter, and there’s nothing available!" Such a miserable crossing; if it were Xiatian, things would be more abundant, but in deep winter, what can I come up with? There’s nothing available.
"Sister-in-law, can’t hawthorn be substituted with something else?"
"..." Yang Dong is more flexible-minded than herself, right, food coated with sugar could also be candied sweet potatoes, candied apples, candied dates; they could be dishes in a restaurant. But such simple food to learn, can it bring in silver? After all, there’s no secret recipe, just need to boil the sugar well and it’s done, the candied hawthorn was unique because no other family had hawthorn, thus preventing others from copying. The candied sweet potatoes are uncertain; might as well try it.
"Brother, let’s go to the restaurant."
"Sister-in-law, let’s not eat out, it’s too expensive, let’s go back home to eat." This sister-in-law, just a few days and already not being thrifty!
"I’ve come up with a great money-making idea, just come with me!" Without waiting to finish, she grabbed Yang Dong and started looking for a restaurant.
After a while, they discovered two restaurants; one restaurant looked bustling with people, the other seemed sparse in comparison—Xiaoxiao entered the sparse one, Yuelai Restaurant. Xiaoxiao was self-aware, a larger store probably wouldn’t care for her novelty.
"Guests, please come inside; what would you like?"
"Xiao’er, it’s almost mealtime, why are there so few diners?"
"Previously, Yuelai Restaurant used to be one of the top here in the county, but recently the Dongfeng Restaurant opened across the street with some new dishes, so we’ve had fewer customers; our shopkeeper is really worried..." Xiao’er was genuinely anxious for their restaurant, chattering on.
"Don’t talk too much!" A man emerged from behind the counter.
"Guests, I apologize for any indiscretion; our Little Second here spoke out of turn."
"Are you the shopkeeper? Haven’t you thought about where you fall short compared to the place across the street?"
"..." The shopkeeper was surprised to see that the speaker was just a teenage girl. He too had thought about it, but there was little he could do about the dishes!
"Do you have candied sweet potatoes here?"
"Candied sweet potatoes? What is that?"
"It’s sweet potatoes coated in sugar!" Xiaoxiao didn’t bother to keep secrets; it was a very simple dish!
"I am uninformed, I’ve never heard nor tasted it before!"
"Shopkeeper, I have this dish at hand, it might help you for now, why not give it a try! Desperate times call for desperate measures, what do you say?"
"If it succeeds, what would the young lady want in return?" The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up, if there really was a new dish, it might be worth a try! But certainly, she wouldn’t help for nothing.
"Shopkeeper, you are an open-minded person; I will not lie, I am offering my help because I am in need of silver," Xiaoxiao smiled knowingly; she liked dealing with straightforward people.