Chapter 22: Chapter 022 – Familiarity Comes with Second Encounter (Additional Update)
Translator: 549690339
The buns had thin skin and generous fillers, and the meat soup inside was plentiful. The taste was delightful as the broth flowed freely with each bite.
The two sisters found a spot to devour all the buns and then drank the free tea provided at the bun stand, wiping their mouths in satisfaction.
For this batch, they had made about forty pounds of tofu. After accounting for what they had eaten themselves, what they had given to Aunt Wen as well as other expenses such as transportation and free samples…
Finally, they ended up with thirty-five coins, and after deducting the two coins spent on the buns, they had thirty-three coins left.
Zhuang Qingning thought about it and decided to take Zhuang Qingsui shopping with the labor points she earned from working, which couldn’t be used for daily necessities just yet.
They bought six pounds of flour and three pounds of rice from the grain merchant, purchased more than ten eggs from the street vendor who was quick to throw in some green onions as a bonus for their brisk business. They also bought some green salt for brushing their teeth and a small box of lard cream.
In the spring, the wind could be strong and, with their hands frequently soaked in beans and touching hot paste, fluctuations between hot and cold could easily cause chapping. Applying some lard cream could help protect their hands.
Having completed their purchases, Zhuang Qingning, her back laden with provisions and clutching the remaining copper coins, led Zhuang Qingsui back home leisurely.
By the time they returned, it was already past noon.
After briefly putting their purchases away, they visited Mrs. Wen’s home to soak the beans in preparation for the next day.
While they were there, they also delivered the fried chop rice cake and pea cake to Mrs. Wen.
Both treats were soft and popular among the elderlies.
On seeing the two items, Mrs. Wen raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did you sell all the tofu in town today?”
“Yes, I sold everything.” Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile.
“I wonder what tricks you two young girls used to sell your tofu when most people in the town are loyal to Changji tofu.” Mrs. Wen commented.
“But come to think about it, the taste of the tofu from Changji tofu shop isn’t particularly good. People are probably tired of it and just wanted to try something new. Essentially they are just jumping from one pit to another. There’s not much difference.”
Mrs. Wen snorted, and then turned to the fried chop rice cake and pea cake: “Did you buy these?”
“No.” Zhuang Qingning answered truthfully, “Today, while selling tofu, 1 struck up a conversation with a lady who was selling fried chop rice cake and an old man who was selling pea cake. They both helped me sell a lot of tofu, so I decided to give them each a piece.”
“These snacks were gifts from them. 1 thought you might like them, Aunt Wen, so I brought them back for you. Consider it as a token of gratitude for allowing us to rent the tofu shop.”
“Hmph, 1 knew it. If the food wasn’t given by others, you wouldn’t have brought it back for me.” Mrs. Wen harrumphed, her face full of dissatisfaction.
But she didn’t refuse the food either.
Zhuang Qingning then found a dish to place the food on, covered it with a basket to prevent any opportunistic cats from stealing it.
“I’ve already soaked the beans. We’ll come back and grind the tofu later tonight. Could you please leave the door unlocked for us, Aunt Wen.” Zhuang Qingning said.
“This door has never been locked. You can just push it open anytime. If you can’t get in, you might as well climb over the not-so-high wall. What are your legs for anyway?”
“I really don’t know why a grown woman like you, who’s acting like a three-year-old child, needs to be taught everything.”
Clearly annoyed, Mrs. Wen said, “Alright, just leave once you have done your business and said what you want to say. This is the time when I need to take a nap.”
“Yes, we won’t disturb your rest, Aunt Wen.” said Zhuang Qingning and she left with Zhuang Qingsui.
Aunt Wen was really harsh and would never be satisfied no matter what we did. 1 feel sorry for my sister having to maintain a pleasant demeanor around her. It’s likely because we needed to make a living by renting Aunt Wen’s tofu shop – if we upset her, we wouldn’t be able to rent the shop anymore.
When relying on others, you must always be conscious of their feelings. It’s just like when we lived with our uncle, where we had to be submissive.
In the future, I must think of ways to earn money – my sister should not always have to put up with Aunt Wen.
Zhuang Qingsui pondered these thoughts as she walked home.
After a short tidy up at home, they both went to bed for some rest before finally getting up in the evening to prepare dinner.
The aroma of the rich and thick rice porridge, steaming hot flour pancakes, golden scrambled eggs, and the delicious blend of fresh green onions and tofu made for a sumptuous dinner.
After dinner, Zhuang Qingning urged Zhuang Qingsui to get some more sleep.
However, after sleeping the entire afternoon, and being used to short sleeps due to the many farm tasks at Zhuang Ruman’s home, Zhuang Qingsui found it impossible to sleep again.
Zhuang Qingning also didn’t feel sleepy after a long nap, so she casually joined Zhuang Qingsui in the courtyard, watching the sunset fade bit by bit and counting the gradually appearing stars.
When they started to feel tired, they dozed off for a bit until midnight when they walked over to Mrs. Wen’s house.
As Mrs. Wen hadn’t locked the door, they just lightly knocked and pushed it open.
After closing the door, they crossed the courtyard, entered the tofu shop, and began to work as they did the night before.
Grinding the beans, diluting the mixture, boiling it, curdling the tofu, and pressing it into shape…
With the previous night’s experience, they got the hang of it very quickly, like old pros.
By daybreak, Zhuang Qingning had already made about forty pounds of tofu, very similar to the amount made the previous day.
“Your work today is much more efficient than yesterday’s.” said Mrs. Wen, who had just finished sweeping the courtyard. She stood her broom next to the kitchen stove and rolled up her sleeves.
“Practice makes perfect. We will probably become even more proficient with time.” Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile. “We have left some tofu pudding and hot tofu for you in the kitchen, please have it while it’s still hot.”
“At least you remember that.” Mrs. Wen snorted, not saying much as she turned and headed into the kitchen.
Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui then packed up the tofu, ready to head to town.
The main road was to the east of Mrs. Wen’s house. Though this wasn’t a market day, there were still many people who went to town to sell or deliver goods. The road was still crowded with people and bullock carts for hire.
For two coins, they hired a bullock cart and rode to town.
After getting off the cart, Zhuang Qingning led Zhuang Qingsui to find a spot to sell their tofu like they did yesterday..
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