Chapter 43: Chapter 043: It’s Not That Simple
Translator: 549690339
Mrs. He’s words were casual, but there was a faint hint of fatigue beneath her eyes, clearly due to staying up all night.
Zhuang Qingning noticed this and felt warmth in her heart. She held up the clothes against her body and said, “Auntie, your skills are impeccable. The clothes fit perfectly, both in size and shape.”
“As long as you don’t mind the thick stitches.” Mrs. He, praised by Zhuang Qingning, had a face full of smiles. She then took out several small cloth bags. “These are vegetable seeds from our home. You can plant them as you see fit.” “These garlic bulbs can be planted now. In a few days, we would be able to eat garlic sprouts. Whatever else you need, vegetables seeds or sprouts, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui said in unison.
“Why be so formal with your Auntie?” Mrs. He laughed. “I can’t really help you guys much; these are small things I can do. The more you thank me, the more embarrassed I become.”
Zhuang Qingning understood Mrs. He’s intentions, so she changed the subject.
Once Mrs. He measured the foot sizes of Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui and had a bit more conversation, she said it was time for her to go back for lunch.
Zhuang Qingning didn’t insist on her staying, and after bidding her farewell, continued to have lunch with Zhuang Qingsui.
After their afternoon nap, while it was still early evening, the sisters planted some of the seeds Mrs. He had given them.
Pumpkin, wax gourd, loofah – these vines prefer to climb, so it’s best to plant them along the wall. For the garlic bulbs, there’s no need to dig holes; just plant them in the soil, water them, and they’ll grow. As for tomato and cucumber seeds, choose a plot of land carefully, scatter the seeds, wait for the sprouts to grow, then select the healthy ones to plant properly.
Once they finished sowing all the different kinds of vegetable seeds, Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui heaved a sigh of relief, wiped their sweat, and decided to rest a bit before watering them.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering the vegetable planting mission. The mission is divided into six stages: sowing, sprouting, growing, flowering, fruiting, and maturing. Each completed stage grants different amounts of vegetable-specific growth liquid, high-quality seeds, or random rewards.]
[Now that the host has completed the first mission stage, sowing, you have obtained two bottles of vegetable-specific growth liquid and two pieces of “Spring Wind” fragments. The growth liquid can be watered or sprayed after diluting with water, and using it once in each stage is sufficient. Too much use will be ineffective. Given the number of vegetables the host has planted, one bottle is enough.]
That’s fair enough.
Although the rewards aren’t great, they are still an unexpected gain.
Zhuang Qingning, who is easily satisfied, took one bottle of the vegetable-specific growth liquid, mixed it with water, and then joined Zhuang Qingsui to water the newly planted vegetables.
After tidying up, they made egg and pimple soup and stir-fried celery with pork, ate to their heart’s content, then took a nap before the tofu-making madness began at the tofu factory.
This time, Zhuang Qingning soaked an extra two catties of beans.
As usual, by the time they arrived at the town, Chai Zhengzhen was already waiting.
“If you’re going to be a regular buyer, I can deliver it to you every time you come to town,” said Zhuang Qingning, not reluctant to exert her own labor now that the business deal was finalized and there was no more room to negotiate the price.
“On the contrary, I have to buy other vegetables for the restaurant in the morning, so it’s convenient to buy tofu at the same time.” Chai Zhengzhen responded with a laugh.
To buy things yourself is to choose carefully, striving to get the vegetables, meat, and eggs that match your taste. If someone else delivers them and you’re not satisfied, it’s troublesome to ask them to deliver again. If they don’t, it’s not okay either. To avoid the trouble, the less bargaining, the better. Chai Zhengzhen felt more at ease with things he had chosen himself.
Seeing that Chai Zhengzhen was speaking in this way, Zhuang Qingning stopped insisting and quickly cut the tofu according to Chai Zhengzhen’s request.
The over twenty catties of tofu, sold at a 10% discount, fetched a total of fourteen coins.
“I’ll come again tomorrow.” Seeing that there was a bit more tofu this time, Chai Zhengzhen, smiling, instructed Zhuang Qingning to cut it into large blocks and place them in the bamboo basket next to him.
After sending Chai Zhengzhen away, Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui continued to sell the tofu.
Having stayed in this town for so many days now, their tofu has gained a bit of fame. Although there were times when the stall was quiet, they occasionally had to shout to attract customers, they no longer needed to give out taste tests.
The tofu business was booming, and in a blink of an eye, several days passed.
“It seems there’s more tofu today than before.” Bai San looked at the three large bamboo baskets on the tofu carriage and laughed, “But it makes sense, since your tofu sells so well, you should grind more.”
Despite this town being the largest and richest one nearby, most families lead modest lives. Compared to pork selling at four coins a pound, tofu selling for just over a coin per pound is both delicious and economical. When unwilling to consume meat, tofu is an excellent delicacy.
Moreover, the tofu made by Zhuang Qingning indeed tastes exceptional, even better than what Mrs. Wen used to make. It’s a business that is hard not to do well, even if they tried.
“It’s thanks to everyone’s support,” Zhuang Qingning responded with a beaming smile.
The business has indeed been good these few days. Zhuang Qingning has consistently increased the number of bean pods she soaks every day, yet the tofu always sells out before noon. However, she is not planning to increase the number of bean pods yet.
What is missing is always the best.
Bai San, knowing that this was her being humble, just smiled and stopped talking. He set up the tofu stand for Zhuang Qingning in the town, then, with his share of tofu, went on his way, grinning the entire time.
The tofu stall began its usual bustling activity, with a steady stream of people coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere.
“You know, that tofu stall is really doing good business.”
At the corner of the street, Chang Yuanda, who had been watching the tofu stall for quite a while, furrowed his brows.
“Looks like there really is someone trying to compete with us,” the assistant, Sun Xing, chimed in. But then he laughed, “It doesn’t seem like a big deal though, we’ve had competitors before, and none of them caused any significant trouble.”
“They’re just relying on selling their tofu at a slightly cheaper price and attracting some people who like a bargain. It won’t last long.”
Even though Sun Xing said this, Chang Yuanda’s brows didn’t relax. Instead, they furrowed even deeper. “But this time, there’s something not quite right. It doesn’t feel as straightforward as before.”
“Hmm?” Sun Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise.
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t see what was complicated about it.
Changji Tofu Shop was an old brand. People living in the town, those coming to the fair, people from ten surrounding villages, they all recognized this brand. When buying tofu, they always chose ours.
Although there were some small mills that wanted to grab some business and share the pie, they all ended up unable to maintain their businesses in the end..
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