Song Sanniang's Journey to Wealth

Before dawn that day, Song Laoer's family got up and started making sweet soup. When Song Ersao saw Song Sanniang's operation, Song Sanniang had now been changed from the head chef to the assistant chef.

Because Song Ersao's cooking skills are much better than Sanniang's. After all, she has been in the kitchen for a long time. Just kneading the dough and making perfect pearl meatballs is already a win over Sanniang.

Song Laoer was tidying up the bamboo basket in the yard that would be used later, and would put the prepared sugar water into the basket.

It was my first time selling and I didn’t know how to do it, so I only made fifteen bowls of double skin milk, at six cents a bowl, and twenty bowls of taro mochi balls, at ten cents a bowl.

The rim of the bowl is wrapped with rice dumplings leaves to prevent dirt from falling into it, and all the sugar water is put into a backpack.

Originally, Song Laoer was the only one who went to sell the goods, but Song Sanniang had long wanted to go out and see the outside world, so she pestered him and followed him. Climbing that mountain cost her half her life.

By the time she saw the archway of Dajiang Town, Sanniang was already sweating profusely. Dajiang Town was far away from the heartland of the Central Plains. Sanniang didn't know its exact location, but judging from the accent, it was probably in Guangdong and Guangxi.

Although it is called Dajiang Town, there is only one tributary of the river passing through Dajiang Town. However, Dajiang Town also attracts merchants coming and going to settle here because accommodation here is cheaper than other places and the waterway is also unobstructed.

Moreover, this place is surrounded by mountains, with beautiful scenery, rich resources in the mountains, and all kinds of fruits.

The lychees mentioned in the poem “A horse gallops through the dusty world, and the concubine smiles; no one knows that it is the lychees coming” are grown here.

There are also abundant fruits such as carambolas, green plums, guavas, bayberries, citrus, longans, etc.

Although there is no modern large-scale specialized cultivation, the farmers here can still live off the mountains and have enough food and clothing.

The father and daughter entered the town smoothly. They did not need to check or pay any fees. They just had to find a yamen runner at the entrance of the market to pay the fee when they set up a stall.

After paying two cents for the stall fee, Song Laoer and Song Sanniang followed the yamen runner to the stall. Song Sanniang stopped the yamen runner who was about to leave and handed him a bowl of double skin milk.

"Sir, thank you for your hard work. This is the sweet soup we sell. I'll give it to you to try. It's not worth much."

The yamen runner looked about the same age as Song Lao Er, around 30. He was used to it and did not refuse. He took the bamboo bowl and

"If you have any problem, just find me at the door. My last name is Li." Then he left.

"You kid, who taught you to be so good at dealing with things, haha" Song Lao Er himself didn't expect this and thought Sanniang's approach was good.

As the saying goes, "People should not fight against officials." This is actually a true saying today and even now.

It was about nine o'clock in the morning. The market was crowded with people, and the sounds of hawking and talking were endless. A real Qingming Riverside Scene was unfolding before Sanniang's eyes.

As soon as the father and daughter put their things on display, several people stood in front of the stall. One of the men asked, "What are you selling? It's so pretty in white."

"This is called double skin milk, with milk and sugar, sweet and delicious, six coins a bowl,

This is taro paste mochi balls, with milk taro paste candy inside, ten cents a bowl, would you like a bowl?" Song Lao Er said hurriedly,

"Give me a bowl of this," the man who asked pointed at the taro mochi balls and threw down ten coins.

Song Laoer handed him an unopened bowl of taro and mochi balls. Sanniang handed him a bamboo spoon. He tore open the rice dumpling leaves and scooped a mouthful, nodding as he ate.

"Not bad, not bad, rich in milk flavor, sweet and delicious, the meatballs are soft and chewy." Some people on the side looked at them envious and couldn't help but buy some.

The more people there were at the stall, the more people it attracted. Soon, the sweet soup sold out quickly. When there were not many people around, Mr. Huang, who was selling carambolas next door, spoke with envy,

"It seems like this is your first time here. You're doing really good business. It looks like you'll sell out soon and go home. I don't know how long I'll have to keep the stall open, Mr. Huang."

"Everyone is just trying to find something new. I guess it won't sell so well in a few days." Song Laoer took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with him.

Here, Sanniang was looking around at the things being sold at the market.

The market is set up on a blue brick road with shops on both sides of the road. The stalls are placed about one meter outside the shops and cannot block the shop exits.

The middle of the road can accommodate two carriages, but due to the heavy flow of people at the market, carriages generally do not enter.

Vegetables, fruits and other things are sold on the left side of the road, while meat and noodle soup and pancake stalls that require fire are sold on the right side of the road. This market is the East Market.

There is also a West Market. Next to the West Market is a big river, a pier, and an arch bridge. The road there can accommodate three horse-drawn carriages running side by side if there are stalls. However, the stall fees there are more expensive. Now let’s get back to Sanniang.

When Sanniang saw the dazzling array of fruits and vegetables on the street, she felt like her mouth was watering, and all kinds of new ideas and inspirations came to her mind.

On the right side of his stall is Mr. Huang, and on the left is an aunt in her forties or fifties, who are selling mulberries.

"Auntie, what's my name? I'd like to ask how much your mulberries are selling for?" Sanniang squatted in front of Aunt Wu's stall to check out the mulberries she was selling.

All the mulberries have been picked, each one is plump, and are placed in small bamboo baskets that are as big as two palms.

"You can just call me Auntie Wu, little girl. I used to sell mulberries for 15 cents a basket. If you want, you can exchange a bowl of meatballs with me.

I have two grandchildren at home, and they are craving for food. I think your milk meatballs are good, so I will give them a chance to satisfy their cravings."

Aunt Wu happily picked up a basket of mulberries and handed it to Sanniang, saying, "Hey, this basket has the most, and the biggest ones."

Sanniang took the mulberries and said happily, "Thank you, Aunt Wu, but I can't take advantage of you." Then she went back to her stall and took a bowl of double skin milk and taro meatballs for Aunt Wu.

Aunt Wu took the things and said, "Then I won't be polite."

When she returned to her stall, she said to Song Lao Er, "Dad, I think this taro paste is white and the color doesn't look good. If we add some mulberries, it will turn purple and go well with the milk balls. If we add some osmanthus honey, it will look even better. I wonder how much a can of osmanthus honey costs."

Song Lao Er scratched his head and said, "Your father has never bought osmanthus honey. Let's go to the grocery store after we sell these."

When there were only a few bowls of sugar water left, a yamen runner came straight to the father and daughter's stall and said, "There are a few bowls of sugar water left here. I want all of them. Do you have any more?"

"Officer, there are only five bowls left today. The ones with double knots are milk and taro balls, and the ones with single knots are double skin milk." Song Lao Er was a little nervous, afraid that the officer would take the money and not pay.

"How much?" The officer took out his purse.

"A bowl of milk and taro balls is ten cents, and a bowl of double-skin milk is six cents." The officer took out forty-two cents and threw them on the dustpan, then picked up the five bowls of sugar water.

"Will you guys come tomorrow? If you come, make more. I want ten bowls of double-skin milk and ten bowls of taro meatballs."

"Come here, come here. I'll send it to you directly. Where do you live, sir?" Song Lao Er quickly took the business that came to his door.

"Didn't you deliver a bowl to Lao Li today? We are all waiting at the market entrance. You can deliver it there tomorrow." After saying this, the officer left.

"Sanniang, you are our God of Wealth, hehe." Song Lao Er happily touched Sanniang's head.

"Dad, I'm grown up now, stop touching my head all the time." Sanniang felt a little embarrassed.

"It's time to close the stall. Brother Huang, Sister Wu, we're leaving first." After packing up his things, Song Laoer greeted his neighbors refreshed and went to the grocery store with Sanniang.

A small jar of osmanthus honey cost the father and daughter thirty cents, which made them feel very distressed. But when they thought that all the syrup was sold out today and twenty bowls had been reserved for the next day, they felt much better.

When the father and daughter returned home, Mrs. Song had already cooked dinner and was waiting for them.

"I'm back, come eat."

"Let's count how much money we earned today first." Sanniang didn't even bother to eat and asked Song Laoer to take out the purse.

After deducting the money from the sweet soup given away, the money from the sweet soup exchanged by Aunt Wu, the stall fee, and the money from buying osmanthus honey, the total profit today was two hundred and thirty-six cents.

"Mom, you don't know how popular our sweet soup is today. Most of it has been sold out in just a short time. Look, a clerk has already placed an order for twenty portions for tomorrow." Sanniang couldn't suppress her inner joy.

"This is what we earned today. Keep fifty cents for future use, and give the rest to you, mother, for safekeeping." Sanniang counted out fifty cents and obediently handed the remaining money to Song Ersao.

"Sanniang, why don't you give the money to me and only give it to your mother? It seems that I, your father, have no status in your mind." Song Laoer was also happy in his heart, but he felt a little jealous when he saw that Sanniang only had his wife in her heart.

"Dad, why do we make money?" Sanniang asked

"To have enough food and clothes?"

"anything else?"

"Build a house?"

"Dad, why are you so stupid? We make money so that mom can live a good life, not worry about food and clothing, build a big house, and then hire a maid to serve mom."

"Haha, girl, you are so good at making your mother happy. That's right, we make money to make your mother happy." Song Laoer suddenly came to his senses and didn't dare to compete for favor with his wife.

The fourth and fifth mothers also grinned and laughed at the side.

"Don't dawdle, both of you. Come over and have dinner quickly," said Mrs. Song happily.

"Dad, I think we need to make more sweet soup tomorrow, otherwise we won't have enough to sell."

"Indeed, how about making fifty bowls of each tomorrow?"

"Then it's settled."