“Four cents each, huh…” Aunt Liu picked up a pot and examined it. “It looks quite crude and a bit expensive…”
Su Qingyue smiled and said, “Aunt Liu, I bought these pots from the town not long ago. It’s quite far away, so I have to make some profit. Everyone has used the medicinal mud toothpaste I sold before and knows its effect, so they definitely want to continue buying it after using it up. Wrapping it in tree leaves is prone to leakage and drying, which is indeed inconvenient. Buying a pot for toothpaste is just a small expense of a few cents. Once it’s used up, you can wash the pot and bring it back to refill. Isn’t that much more convenient?”
When she bought more than a hundred small pots back then, she had planned to use them not only for medicine but also for selling medicinal mud toothpaste. At that time, she was worried about the cost of the pots, but now she found them useful.
“That’s true.” Aunt Liu looked at her big jar of medicinal mud toothpaste. “Wife of the Xiao Family, are you sure your family will continue to sell medicinal mud toothpaste in the future?”
She nodded, “Yes, I’m sure. We will have it whenever you want to buy it. Even if it’s sold out some days, it will be available again in one or two days.” One or two days was enough time for her to make more.
“Alright then, I’ll buy one small pot and four scoops of medicinal mud toothpaste,” said Aunt Liu.
“Alright,” Su Qingyue scooped four scoops into the small pot, filling it up. “The medicinal mud toothpaste costs eight cents, and the pot costs four cents, making it a total of twelve cents.”
Aunt Liu paid and left.
Ding Er’s wife asked, “Wife of the Xiao Family, what if I don’t want to buy a pot?”
“Then wait for a while; I’ll pick some tree leaves, wash them, and wrap it up for you.”
“I’d rather buy a pot,” Ding Er’s wife grumbled. “My husband always likes to hang out around town and spend a lot of money for no reason. What’s the big deal with me buying a pot? It’s only four cents. I want my toothpaste pot filled up too…”
“Okay, twelve cents.”
“I’ll buy half a pot…”
“I’ll also buy a pot. I’ll be using it for a long time, and it’s inconvenient without a pot to hold it…”
Ten people who came to buy the medicinal mud toothpaste ended up buying pots as well.
Su Qingyue called out to their retreating figures, “Take your time, guys from our village! Spread the word that the Xiao Family is selling medicinal mud toothpaste again, with good quality and the old price!”
Several villagers responded from afar.
Half of Su Qingyue’s big jar of medicinal mud toothpaste was sold to those ten people. Originally, it was meant for her own household use, but she had accidentally made a bit too much. Selling it for cash was even better.
She threaded the copper coins she’d just sold and flicked one of the coins with a smile at Xiao Qinghe, “140 cents!”
Feeling dejected, Qinghe looked at the half-finished bamboo basket in his hand. It would take about half a day for one person to complete one basket, and it would sell for only ten cents. His wife, on the other hand, earned money so much faster than him…
Su Qingyue could tell what he was thinking by the look on his face. “Fourth brother, I believe that word about our family always having medicinal mud toothpaste for sale will spread quickly. The toothpaste is cheap, and every household can afford it. Once they get used to it, they will use it for the long term. Our family won’t have to worry about money in the future. It doesn’t matter who earns the money, we are… husband and wife. What’s the difference?”
Husband and wife… She said they were husband and wife! Upon hearing this, Xiao Qinghe’s calm heart surged with emotions, and his heart almost leaped out of his chest. He suppressed his inner feelings and nodded with a smile at her.
Aunt Zhang entered the Xiao Family’s courtyard with a basket full of flat beans in one hand and a large winter melon in the other. “Qingyue, my husband said you’ve placed an order for vegetables.”
Su Qingyue led her into the kitchen. “Put the winter melon on the table, and the flat beans can be poured into the wooden basin.”