Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Laughed at for Having Nothing, Hated for Having Something
In the afternoon, Tan You was in the kitchen with Tan Qin, making all sorts of small cakes. Tan Qin wasn’t much of a talker, but her hands were steady, and she had a tenacious streak.
Tan You gave instructions that were precise down to the gram, and Tan Qin followed them meticulously. ’Honestly, a slow student has its advantages,’ Tan You thought. ’At least she knows to do everything properly, without cutting any corners.’
With not much else to do on a rainy day, Wang Hunv was at home shelling peanuts. They had been harvested around National Day last year. Normally, Wang Hunv wouldn’t do this kind of chore, but since it was raining, she had little else to do.
The sweet aroma wafting from the kitchen made Wang Hunv restless. She pushed the sieve toward Tan Deming. "I’m going to see if Tan You needs any help."
Tan Deming just smiled, not at all annoyed. He knew full well his wife had a sweet tooth; it was amusing that she’d managed to come up with such an excuse.
Tan You heard Wang Hunv’s footsteps and smiled. She picked out a piece and handed it to her. "Go eat this in the living room. It’s too hot in the kitchen."
Wang Hunv looked at the neat, square little pastry. "How pretty."
Tan You said nonchalantly, "It probably tastes even better."
Tan Tao and Tan Qin had tried one of each kind. Tan Tao’s eyes lit up. "Youzi, can we sell these?"
"You could, but since the weather’s hot, they have to be made and sold on the same day. If you want to sell them, just make a small batch each day. I’d suggest charging one dollar a piece."
What Tan You had been teaching Tan Qin to make was tiramisu, and they had made several different flavors. The prep work was tedious, but the actual assembly was quite fast.
Tan Tao thought for a moment. "I think we can make a business out of this. After all, we’d be the only ones selling it."
Tan You said, "Tan Qin knows how to make them now, right? If it’s not raining tomorrow, you two can give it a try. Little cakes and ice jelly... that sounds like a pretty good combination."
Tan Tao was the type to act on an idea immediately. "Deal. We already have the molds at home. It’s just the ingredients... First thing tomorrow, my sister and I will go to the wholesale market to stock up."
Tan You smiled. "You sound a lot more confident than you used to. Not so hesitant and indecisive."
Tan Tao sighed. "I finally understand what they mean when they say money gives a man guts. Seriously. Before, when I was broke, I’d feel nervous just walking into a restaurant. Not anymore. It’s so much better having money."
"Of course it’s good to have money," Tan You said calmly. "The world has changed. Everyone is just chasing money now. A lot of people who stick to their principles end up having a hard time, and even get ridiculed for it. It’s obviously not right."
"But earning money honestly, like we are, is a good thing."
"Speaking of which, now that you’re making money, has Tan Jin asked you to hang out?" Tan You glanced at the phone hanging from Tan Tao’s neck, a teasing look in her eyes.
Tan Tao replied, "He’s asked a few times, but I’m busy running the stall. Where would I find the time to go out with them? Besides, when he asks, I’m pretty sure he just wants me to treat him."
"He did mention a few times that our family was only able to set up the stall because his dad helped..."
Tan You found that funny. "Your dad was the one who asked his dad for help. It has nothing to do with him. If Tan Jin says that again, just go and tell your dad."
Tan Tao rubbed the back of his head. "I already told my dad the first time he said it. Dad said Fourth Brother Tan gave him a good scolding."
Tan You paused, then suddenly smiled. "I always thought you were the simple, honest type. I didn’t realize you were so cunning."
Tan Tao chuckled. "What can I say? The one person Tan Jin fears above all else is his father."
"Good. It’s good that someone has him under control." Tan You smiled. "As long as you can handle Tan Jin, that’s what matters. Your dad can run interference for you anyway. But Tan Jin’s mother is no saint... You think she isn’t going to get jealous seeing your family make money?"
Tan Tao’s eyes widened. "Youyou, how do you know everything?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "I heard it from my mom. Apparently, Tan Jin’s mother said something to her. The gist was that since our family only got our spot on BBQ street through her husband’s connections, shouldn’t we be giving them some sort of kickback."
"And it’s not like we don’t already give them plenty."
Tan You thought for a moment. "People will mock you when you have nothing, but they’ll hate you when you have something. What do your parents think?"
"My dad’s no pushover. The night she said that, my dad took us over to their house right after we closed the stall. He believes in settling things face-to-face, out in the open. Fourth Brother Tan did help, sure, but we can’t be expected to repay that favor for the rest of our lives, can we? There has to be a limit, right?"
Tan Tao frowned. "Fourth Brother Tan said it was nothing like that, but that couple... they’re just playing good cop, bad cop. It’s all too common in the countryside for the man to hide in the back and let his wife be the one to go on the attack."
Tan You understood. ’Looks like I’ll have to come up with another plan,’ she thought. ’It makes sense. A family that could raise someone like Tan Jin... his parents are probably no good either. This plan to have Cheng Wenhui and the others come back to open a shop... I’ll have to think it over carefully.’
Tan Tao didn’t hold anything back with Tan You. "My dad was in a foul mood for a few days after that. I guess he also figured out what Tan Jin’s family is after. But we already give them so much. When I buy ingredients from them, I’m already paying more than the market price."
Tan You mulled it over. "Tan Jin’s dad... he’s in the pork business at the wholesale market, right?"
"He also deals in frozen goods, like the ingredients for all these barbecue stalls," Tan Tao added. "He charges me more for ingredients than anyone else, and I’ve never said a word about it."
"And now they have the gall to ask for even more money. I feel like they’re trying to bleed us dry."
"They’re just green with envy because you’re making money." Tan You rested her chin on her hand. She could think of plenty of ways to make money. But this was before the major anti-crime crackdowns, so there were still plenty of local thugs around.
Tan Tao’s family didn’t have much money, and while they had some connections, those very connections were looking to suck them dry. That made things difficult.
Tan Tao gave a bitter smile. "Yeah, they’re envious. So they get to eat the meat, and they can’t even let us have the soup? This is too hard, Youyou."
Tan You thought for a moment. "Tan Jin’s family is just a small stumbling block on your path. You’ll definitely meet more people like them in the future. It’s not like there’s nothing you can do... it’s just that your dad probably can’t afford to have a falling out with them right now, can he?"
"After all, it’s still better money than bricklaying."
Tan Tao deflated. "Yeah. He and Fourth Brother Tan are family, after all. How could they just cut ties completely?"
Tan You said, "Actually, there is a way. Your dad can’t have a falling out, but you can take Tan Qin and strike out on your own. Your father might be in a tough spot, but that doesn’t mean the son has to be spineless, right?"
"It’s just a shame it’s summer vacation now. Once school starts, you two could easily set up a stall by a school gate. Fourth Brother Tan’s reach might be long, but he can’t control everything, can he?"
Tan Tao did the math. "That’s true. Thankfully, school starts in two weeks. I’ll just put up with it for now. But when I think about Fourth Brother Tan and his family, I just don’t want to see them at all."
