It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

After Grandma Liu left, Song Zhi asked her grandma to help peel the apricots, which she would use to make sauce and sweet fruit leather later.

Mrs. Wu looked at the two large baskets full of apricots and subconsciously asked, "How many do we need to peel? Do we not have enough malt sugar?"

Song Zhi thought about the pottery jar containing malt sugar and said, "Let's make 30 kilograms of apricots today, and make the rest tomorrow."

"Then the remaining apricots..."

"Don't worry about this, grandma. I soaked the wheat when I came back yesterday. Now that the weather is hot, the malt grows fast. We should be able to make malt sugar tomorrow!" Song Zhi explained.

Seeing that her granddaughter had a plan, Mrs. Wu finally felt relieved and waved her hand, "Okay, go help your eldest brother and the others set up the oven, and I'll take care of peeling the apricots."

Several younger ones also chimed in, "Sister, we're here too! We can help!"

Song Zhi rubbed the heads of the little ones, then went to the back to continue setting up the oven.

In the evening, Song Youshan went out to order pottery jars and returned home. An old man carrying a basket also came with him.

Song Youshan said to his niece who was pickling apricots in the yard, "I've been to Xiaofeng Village and there are several kinds of the small jar people you mentioned, weighing about a pound."

"I don't know which one you want, so why not just invite Mr. Feng over and have him introduce it to you personally? You can choose the one you like."

After saying that, he waved to Old Man Feng beside him and motioned him to come forward. "It's my niece who wants to buy a pottery jar. Please introduce it to her."

Old man Feng walked forward with a smile on his face. He first put down the basket in his hand, then took out the pottery jars one by one with his rough and cracked hands and placed them carefully in front of Song Zhi.

"These pots are all made by me. I guarantee they are strong and durable."

"This purple tea pot has a fine texture and beautiful shape. It's usually used to store tea, so the price is naturally higher."

"This red pottery one is perfect for pickling sauerkraut, making wine, or making vinegar. Although it looks a bit rough on the outside, it's breathable and very reasonably priced."

"Also, this gray pottery is sturdy and durable. It's perfect for storing food and water. It's very versatile and very affordable."

When Song Zhi heard Old Man Feng introduce that red pottery jars can be used to hold wine and vinegar, her heart was moved.

In fact, apricot jam is just like vinegar, which is somewhat corrosive. You can’t go wrong if you choose the same container as vinegar.

She picked up the red pottery and asked directly, "Grandpa, how much is this red pottery?"

"This one is three cents each."

Seeing that the other party was willing to make a special trip for the business of this pottery jar, Song Zhi thought that he was really eager to make this deal happen.

She then calculated in her mind the approximate amount of apricot jam she would need to make, and then she said, "How about I order four hundred of these pots? Two cents each, is that okay?"

Old man Feng agreed without hesitation, smiling with wrinkles on his face.

He hadn't received such a large order for a long time, and he was very excited at the moment.

This kind of small pottery jar doesn't require much material, but it does take some effort.

By firing these four hundred together, the cost can be greatly reduced. Although the price is lowered, it is still profitable.

I had originally followed Song Youshan on this trip with the attitude of giving it a try, but I didn't expect that the other party would decide on it so readily.

Seeing that he agreed, Song Zhi asked again, "Grandpa, I need this pottery jar urgently. When can it be made?"

Old Man Feng said hurriedly, "This pottery jar is simple and can be made in just one day. I'll make it when I get home today and bring it to you around this time tomorrow, okay?"

Song Zhi agreed, but remembered that there was no tray in her new oven.

Song Zhi discussed with Old Man Feng again, "Grandpa, can you help me make ten long trays?"

"What long tray?" Old Man Feng asked with a puzzled look.

Song Zhi went to the kitchen and took out the mold she usually used to make mung bean cakes. "It's a square wooden plate like this. It would be better if it was longer and slightly narrower than mine."

Song Zhi gestured to the size of the tray while talking to Old Man Feng.

Old Man Feng had been making porcelain for so many years, and no one had ever made such a strange request to him. However, the customer was the most important, so he suppressed his doubts and asked:

"Do you have any requirements for this tray, such as glazing or painting patterns?"

Song Zhi waved her hands repeatedly, "All I want is a smooth surface!"

This means there are no special requirements, so Old Man Feng agreed without much hesitation.

Finally, the two sides reached an agreement and ordered these pottery jars and trays plus the six pottery jars brought by Old Man Feng. Song Zhi first paid a deposit of five cents of silver.

The remaining half of the balance will be settled after the goods are delivered tomorrow.

Later in the day, the grandfather and grandson packed the apricot jam and prepared for Song Zhi to take it to the county town to sell it the next day.

"How much do you plan to sell a jar of this apricot jam for?" Mrs. Wu asked curiously.

Song Zhi calculated in her mind: "Just sell it for thirty cents!"

“Why is it getting lower and lower?”

Song Zhi, still adhering to the principle of selling the apricot jam as quickly as possible, did some calculations for Wu. "Five pounds of apricots, boiled into jam, will yield about one and a half pounds, which is more than the amount produced by drying into sweetened peels."

"If we sell a pound and a half of apricot jam for thirty coins, we'll have forty-five coins. After deducting the cost of buying the apricots, the labor and firewood, the sugar, and the cost of the pottery, we can still make a profit."

"We can still make money even if we only sell one kilogram. Let alone if we sell more, we will definitely not lose money."

After hearing her granddaughter's detailed explanation, Mrs. Wu finally came to her senses. She said with emotion, "You're right. I think it would be better to just sell apricot jam. It would save me a lot of trouble and effort!"

Song Zhi spread her hands and said, "I'm just worried that the apricot jam alone won't sell well."

"I just want to try more. After all, food is something that feels fresh when you first try it, but you get tired of it if you eat too much."

"Plus, this thing is a bit expensive because it's dipped in sugar, and only a few people are willing to spend money to try it. There are many ways and many paths."

Wu nodded repeatedly, "It's the same as if the east is dark and the west is bright!"

After saying that, she sighed again, "It's hard for you to come up with so many tricks."

Mrs. Wu rubbed her granddaughter's head. "Grandma knows you have good intentions and want to help the other party, so I will do as you wish."

"Just Ah Zhi, don't take everything on yourself. A person's energy is limited. You have to worry about these family businesses and also identify herbs with Doctor Zheng."

"Grandma doesn't need our family to be rich and powerful, but I just hope that you all grow up safely and healthily!"

Song Zhi felt the warmth of the big hand on her head, which reminded her of her grandmother who used to rub her head like this in modern times and told her not to work so hard.

She sniffed her sore nose and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Grandma. What I'm doing now is all in accordance with my heart, and I'm not forcing myself."

“I enjoy being able to help others and make money at the same time.”

Mrs. Wu shook her head and laughed, letting her do as she pleased, as long as her granddaughter didn't force herself!