Song Sanniang's Journey to Wealth

They sat down on the stools, took the soup spoon and started eating with the bowl of sugar water. Song Sanniang served another bowl and put it on the table.

"After you finish this bowl, there's more here. I'll pack up the rest and take it to my parents in the field."

Si Niang looked up in confusion and asked, "Sister, don't you want to eat?"

Sanniang shook her head and said, "I'm full. You guys eat. I'm going to leave now."

The two stopped talking and just focused on eating.

"Dad and Mom, take a break. I've brought you some food."

Song Laoer was still pulling out cassava at this moment, and Song Ersao followed suit and planted the branches in the field where he had pulled out the cassava.

In the past, cassava grew in a disorderly manner, but now the places where they were pulled out have been cultivated into neat rows.

Both husband and wife were sweating profusely, almost wet from head to toe.

"Haha, what delicious food did Sanniang bring us? Let me see." Song Laoer wiped the sweat from his head and face with the sweat towel around his neck, took the bamboo basket from Sanniang's hand and opened it.

"What is this? Oh, you even gave me some candy, girl. That bit of candy was sent by your Uncle Niu San to nourish you. How did you finish it all in one go?"

Song Laoer took out a bowl of brown sugar taro paste mochi balls and felt bad before he even ate it. Sugar was too precious, and only Niu Laosan would be willing to give him sugar because of their life-long friendship.

"It's all for me to eat anyway, so if our family eats it, it's the same as me eating it, Daddy, eat quickly."

After saying this, Sanniang looked around and whispered into Song Laoer's ear, "If Daddy and Mommy think it tastes good, we can sell it for money."

Song Lao Er had already taken a spoonful of sugar water into his mouth. He smacked the taste in his mouth, and then he finished the whole bowl with a few slurps.

"It's delicious, I can't describe it, it's soft and sweet. It's the first time I've eaten such a sweet soup in my life. I think it can be a successful business. I haven't seen it in town before."

Song Lao Er put down the bowl in his hand and touched San Niang's head, while calling Song Er's wife to eat, "Daughter-in-law, come and have some sweet soup."

"coming"

Song Ersao put down what she was holding and picked up a bowl of sugar water. She ate more politely than Song Laoer, tasting the food spoon by spoon. "Is this soft and slippery thing made of cassava flour?"

"Yes, I heard from the mother-in-law that it would be sweeter if milk was added, but unfortunately there is no milk." Sanniang lowered her head in frustration and kicked the mud under her feet.

Song Laoer and his wife looked at each other and laughed, "Child, if you want something else, Dad may not be able to find it for you. As for this milk, Dad will use magic to make it for you tonight. Haha." Song Laoer teased Sanniang happily.

"Don't listen to your father's nonsense. The cow at your uncle Niu's house just gave birth to a calf. There's plenty of milk. I asked your father to go and get the milk, but he didn't go.

If you want it, I'll get some in a bowl later, but it's not for free. Bring me a basket of taro in exchange."

Song Ersao put down the bowl in her hand and turned to go to the taro field to get taro for Sanniang.

When Sanniang heard this, she jumped up with joy and ran over to help. In a short while, she had dug enough taro.

Here, the third cow was happily cleaning the cowshed and feeding the cows, and the calves were drinking milk.

"Is my third brother home?"

Mrs. Song saw that the gate to the yard was locked, so she shouted from outside.

Niu Laosan quickly ran out and said, "Second sister-in-law, why are you here? Come in quickly."

"You said the cow had given birth and asked us to get the milk. I thought Sanniang had recovered from her illness not long ago, so it's a good opportunity to give her some milk to replenish her body."

As Song Sanniang spoke, she carried a basket of taro into the yard and poured it under the eaves where things were hung to dry.

"Second sister-in-law, why are you being so polite to me? Come on, I'm going to squeeze in now," Niu Lao San took the big bowl from Second Sister-in-law Song.

"Sanniang looks much better now." Niu Laosan touched Sanniang's head.

"Uncle San, I'm fine now. Thank you for the gifts and milk you sent me." Sanniang knew how much help Uncle Niu had given to her family, so she hurried to thank him.

Niu Laosan laughed and said, "What a nice kid! Why be so polite!" Then he turned and went to the cowshed. Sanniang followed him curiously.

The cow was standing on the ground feeding her calf. When she saw Sanniang, she opened her big round eyes and stared at her curiously.

Sanniang cried out in her heart, "How adorable! What a lovely little look!" Sanniang couldn't help but want to touch her.

"Uncle San, can I touch her?"

"You touch it, you touch it, Dahuang is very obedient." Niu Lao San responded while milking.

Sanniang carefully reached out and touched the cow's head. The cow did not struggle, but just cried "Ah~"

After touching the cow, Sanniang squatted down and touched the calf. She felt very happy after doing that.

Song Ersao and Sanniang were very careful on their way back, for fear of spilling the milk.

When they got home, the two kids were already asleep in the room. Even though they were asleep, they were still holding hands. Sanniang quietly left the room.

"Mom, I'm going to cook the sweet soup. You go and do your own thing. We'll eat the sweet soup tonight." In order to dispel Song Ersao's doubts, Sanniang sent her out.

With milk, there are many desserts that can be made, the simplest ones are ginger milk and double skin milk. Now with taro paste and tapioca flour, you can also make milk and taro paste mochi balls, taro paste snow meringue and so on.

Sanniang prepared to make a milk taro mashed mochi and a ginger milk. The steps were the same as making brown sugar taro mashed mochi, but when cooking the mochi, the water was replaced with milk.

When making taro paste, replace water with boiled milk, and even the pearl meatballs are made by mixing milk and flour. This way, all the small ingredients have a strong milky flavor, and finally add brown sugar water to increase the sweetness.

The texture and taste of buffalo milk are better than those of ordinary milk, and its protein content is also higher, which is also the key to making ginger milk.

First peel the ginger, then grind it into powder. Use gauze to evenly separate the ginger juice at the bottom of each bowl. Then pour the boiling buffalo milk into each bowl one by one and cover the bowl with a plate.

Soon, the ginger milk solidified. Sanniang took a sip with a spoon. Although no sugar was added, the rich aroma of milk and the spicy taste of ginger filled her mouth. After swallowing it, her stomach immediately felt warm. Sanniang put down the spoon with satisfaction.

"It's time to eat," Sanniang put the sweet soup on the table and called everyone to come and eat.

Song Lao Er had just arrived home. He hurried to wash the dust off his hands and feet and sat down. Song Ersao put down her work and sat down. Fourth and Fifth Mothers also sat down obediently at the table.

"What's this, Sanniang?" Song Lao Er asked as he scooped a spoonful of his ginger milk.

"My grandmother taught me this, it's called ginger milk, it can drive away the cold, and it can only be made with buffalo milk. I tried it, and who knew it would work? Doesn't it taste good?"

"It's delicious, but it lacks sugar so the flavor is a little off." Song Lao Er nodded in praise.

"Next time that old lady comes to beg for food, we will invite her in to eat. We didn't have the conditions before, but it's different now. We can make the decision. You don't have to give her your own rations secretly like before." Mrs. Song said as she ate.

Sanniang hurriedly agreed, but she felt uneasy in her heart, wondering what would happen if the old woman came and exposed her trick.

"What do you think about us taking these to town and selling them?" Song Ersao's mother's home is also in Songjia Village, and her family runs a rice shop.

It is called a rice shop, but in fact it is just a sign hung up by the family. In addition to selling its own rice, it also goes to other villages to collect rice, then processes it into rice and sells it to grain stores to make a profit from the difference.

Her family also built a large stone mill. If someone wanted to use the millstone, they would charge money. If someone didn't have money, they would collect some grain to offset the cost of using the millstone. Under the influence of this family, Song Ersao developed some business ideas.

"I am indeed my mother's daughter. I have already told my father that I can sell this for money. We have so much cassava that we don't have to spend any money." Sanniang boasted.

"You don't need to spend money on cassava, but what about sugar? You need to buy glutinous rice flour to make meatballs, and you need to pay Uncle Niu San to buy milk.

Now the family only has the little money from the separation, and if it is all spent, there will be nothing we can do."

When Mrs. Song saw that Sanniang's tail was raised, she hurried to press it down.

"Why are you panicking? I'm still here. What do you need a father like me for?

If I can't sell them, I'll go out and find a job. This batch of cassava and taro will be enough for us to get through the year." Song Lao Er was full of pride.

The family discussed and planned together. They had cassava flour, and they needed sugar. Glutinous rice flour didn't seem to be enough, so they had to buy some too. Song Laoer planned to go to town to buy some the next day.

the next day,

The herb had been dried, and Sanniang divided it into small bundles of equal size and gave them to Song Laoer to sell at the pharmacy, and she also reminded him,

"Dad, go to a few more pharmacies and sell to the one offering the highest price." Song Lao Er agreed and went out with the bamboo basket on his back.

It takes about an hour to get from Songjia Village to the town by official road, and half an hour by ox cart. You can also take a detour and climb a mountain, which also takes half an hour, but the road is difficult to travel on.

The dried tricholoma in Song Laoer's backpack weighed less than ten pounds, very light. It took him half an hour to climb the mountain and reach the town.

There are two large drug stores and two small drug stores in the town. The largest one, Tong Ren Tang, has a history of more than 60 years and was inherited by He Youguang, the son of the founder He Tongren.

The second largest Renxintang was opened by Xu Zhiqiang, a disciple of He Tongren, the founder of Tongrentang.

One of the remaining two small pharmacies is a branch of Tong Ren Tang, called Ren Yi Tang, and only the last one, Miao Shou Tang, is opened by Shen Zhengliang, a barefoot doctor from outside.

Song Lao Er first came to the nearest Renxin Hall. Before he could open his mouth, the waiter at the counter shouted at him, "No credit for medical treatment."

After hearing this, Song Lao Er left without looking back. When he arrived at Tong Ren Tang, the consultation area was already full of people, and there was a long line in front of the medicine dispenser and medicine collection counter. Song Lao Er waited in line for a long time before it was his turn.

"Are you buying or selling medicine?" The attitude of the servant at Tongrentang was much better than that of Renxintang, and he did not look down on Song Laoer for his shabby clothes.

Song Lao Er took out a golden mulberry from his backpack and said, "I want to sell this. See if you will take it."

The medicine boy took the gold stalk, examined it carefully and said, "We will accept it, but we can't give you a high price. How much do you have? We will take it all and give you 200 coins."

Song Lao Er remembered his daughter's instructions. He took the one-legged gold from the medicine boy and said, "Then I'll go to another store to have a look."

The medicine boy thought to himself, this town all belongs to our master, it would be a waste of time for you to go there, so I'll just let you make a few trips in vain.

Song Laoer went to the branch again and got a lower price. Finally, he came to Miaoshoutang, where Shen Zhengliang was getting medicine. When he saw Song Laoer coming in, he asked, "Are you here to see a doctor or get medicine?"

"I sell medicine." Song Laoer took off the backpack on his body and took out a handful of gold coins and gave them to Shen Zhengliang.

Shen Zhengliang took it, looked at it carefully, and smelled it, then nodded with satisfaction, "This golden thread is good, it is clean and dried. I'll give you fifteen cents per ounce."

When Song Lao Er heard the price, he immediately offered, "Then can you weigh how much is this in total?"

After weighing it, the total weight was four pounds and five ounces. At that time, one pounds was sixteen ounces, which meant it was sold for one ounce and thirty-five cents.

Song Laoer exchanged half a tael of silver and the rest for copper coins. Shen Zhengliang also asked Song Laoer to send him more in the future, and Song Laoer quickly agreed.

Now that he had money in his pocket, which he got for free, Song Laoer was overjoyed.