152 Warmth and Harmony
Su Wenzhe became more open-minded when he heard his sister’s words. He said excitedly, “You’re right. Why didn’t I think of that? Although our shop is in a remote area, the street in front of the shop is spacious.
“We can set up a stall at the entrance with some tables and chairs. Then the customers can sit and eat whenever they buy our tofu pudding, haggis soup, and other foods.”
He thought about that scene and wished he could immediately set up the stall at the shop’s entrance.
Shen Qiuhua said, “In that case, we will have to prepare the tables and chairs in advance.”
After some thought, Su Fengmao said, “I’ll go to my eldest cousin’s place in the morning and ask for his help making the tables and chairs.”
Su Binglan remembered something when she heard her father’s words. Her grandfather was a middle son, and he had two brothers. They got along very well.
Old Master Su’s eldest brother, who Su Binglan called First Granduncle Su, was the leader of the Su family and chief of Su Teng Village. In Su Binglan’s impression, he was an amiable and straightforward person.
Old Master Su’s eldest son, Su Fengmao’s eldest brother, Su Zhengde, was a carpenter in the village. Therefore, the villagers typically visited him for furniture, tables, and chairs.
Since Su Zhengde possessed such a talent, his family’s living conditions were relatively reasonable.
In the past, Su Binglan’s parents would go to First Granduncle Su if they needed to borrow money. Since they were related, her first granduncle would help whenever possible. Su Binglan thought this was a warm and harmonious memory.
Shen Qiuhua instructed, “We’re well off now, so we can afford to pay Zhengde to make tables and chairs for us. Still, we can’t always trouble him since he’s helped us a lot in the past.”
Su Fengmao added, “When I visited him last, I brought him some of Binglan’s desserts. His grandson liked them too, so we should bring more this time.”
Shen Qiuhua nodded. “Okay, I’ll pack some in a basket so you can bring it to them.”
“Okay,” Su Fengmao responded.
Meanwhile, Liu Yinyin had memorized Su Binglan’s words, but she was a little concerned as she asked softly, “Binglan, do we need chicken eggs for the herbal eggs we plan on selling?”
After some thought, Su Binglan replied, “Yes, we need boiled chicken eggs, but we don’t have much at home. We can buy some from Uncle Fengchen or the villagers.
“However, it’s best to make the herbal eggs daily because we can’t keep them as long as the salted or preserved eggs. If we sell them all, we can always make more the following morning.”
Su Binglan would have told her uncle about the herbal eggs long ago if they could store them for an extended time. Still, it was not ideal for her grandparents and Su Fengchen to set up a stall, so it would not have benefited them to know about the herbal eggs.
On the other hand, Su Wenzhe and Liu Yinyin could make herbal eggs and sell them at their shop in the morning. They could also buy the eggs from Su Fengchen; if he did not have enough, the couple could buy them from the villagers.
Liu Yinyin nodded thoughtfully and said, “Okay, I’ll remember that, Binglan.”
…
A while later, everyone finished their breakfast and continued making tofu. It was then that Su Binglan thought of the schoolbags she had made.
She was carrying a basket when she arrived at her parents’ house, so Luo Jin’an was the one carrying the schoolbags.
Su Binglan took the bags from her husband and said, “These are the three schoolbags I made for Jin’an, Xuexuan, and Xuehai. Now it’s more convenient for them to carry things to school.”
Shen Qiuhua took one of the bags and studied it. She could not put it down. “I’ve never seen a bag like this before. There are so many layers inside that can hold several things.”
‘This is much more convenient than carrying a basket to school.’
With that thought, Shen Qiuhua called Su Xuexuan over and said, “Here, your aunt made this for you. Why don’t you try it on?”