A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The pickling was initially successful, and everyone was happy for Sister-in-law Zhou.

Suppressing her excitement, she planned, "It just so happens that the city gates of Qingtian County have reopened. Tomorrow, Old Zhou will be patrolling the village. I'll bring some pickled vegetables into the city to test the waters. I'll sell pickled cowpeas and coriander."

"I can teach the guests how to eat these pickled green beans when the time comes."

Madam Meng pondered for a moment, "At this time of year, fresh vegetables are abundant on the market, so prices naturally won't go up. Processing them into pickled vegetables and selling them is indeed more profitable than selling fresh vegetables, but..."

"Could you only sell stir-fried pickled green beans, like the ones we eat, and display two or three flavors for customers to choose from?"

Sister-in-law Zhou looked at Madam Meng with a puzzled expression.

He Jinglan introduced with a smile, "Madam Meng is the owner of Zhenbaoge in the county town. She has been a businesswoman for many years."

Sister-in-law Zhou suddenly realized and hurriedly asked for advice, "I've seen that the pickled vegetables sold in the soy sauce shops in the city are displayed in whole basins, and people can choose them and pay by weight. Why can't pickled cowpeas be sold like that?"

Madam Meng smiled faintly, "It's not that we can't sell it this way, but rather we can sell it in a different way."

She paused for a moment, then continued to explain in detail, “For example, the pickled coriander you make is very refreshing and can be eaten directly. A small portion is not expensive. And the restaurants and eateries near your stall don’t have the same thing. When customers see it, they will inevitably be tempted. Since it is inconvenient for them to cook, they want to buy some side dishes that can be eaten directly.”

"But as you said, pickled green beans are not suitable for eating directly."

"Pickled vegetables that need to be taken home to cook can only be priced by weight, just like the salted vegetables sold in soy sauce shops."

Madam Meng picked up the jar of coriander. "If raw pickled cowpeas are placed next to this, I'm afraid even the price of this coriander will be lowered."

As if struck by lightning, Sister-in-law Zhou suddenly understood; things that had been vague and unclear before became clear before her eyes.

"That's right, if we do as Boss Meng says, we'll definitely sell more than I do!"

He Jinglan said, "If I were eating nearby, I would probably want to buy one or two to try."

Gu Xixi pondered for a moment and said, "This is a good idea. Process it into side dishes and sell it in small portions. The profit margin will be larger."

Sister-in-law Zhou couldn't understand what profit margin meant; she only knew that it meant making more money.

She felt that her trip had not been in vain, and racked her brains to pester Madam Meng and Gu Xixi with questions.

Half an hour passed, and everything had changed from setting up the stall, deciding how much pickled vegetables to bring, how to price them, how much to pack in a small portion, to how to package them attractively and how to attract customers with catchy sales pitches…

After hearing this, Aunt Zhang fell asleep against the wall, and Sister-in-law Zhou got up to say goodbye.

When Gu Xixi saw her off, the rain outside had stopped.

Unlike her nervousness when she arrived, Sister-in-law Zhou left with a determined look in her eyes.

"Xixi, thank you for giving us another way out."

"Although this is my first time doing business, I'm actually quite unsure of myself, but I will do my best to do it well."

Gu Xixi smiled, "Things we don't know, we'll gradually learn."

"Perhaps this path is suitable?"

After seeing off Sister-in-law Zhou, Gu Xixi smiled and looked at Madam Meng, bowing respectfully with her hands clasped in a solemn manner.

"Everyone has their own expertise. Sister Meng is truly a businesswoman. I admire her."

"Thanks to you today, the ideas that I and the Zhou family came up with were able to be successfully implemented."

Madam Meng covered her mouth and chuckled a few times, unable to suppress her amusement, and said, "Stop flattering me, it's you who's the strange one."

Seeing that He Jinglan also had the same amused expression, Gu Xixi asked in confusion, "What's so special about me?"

Madam Meng and He Jinglan exchanged a glance.

He Jinglan said, "Someone who can't cook can actually write a recipe for pickled vegetables and give it away."

"And it's such a strange and unusual dish that we've never eaten before?"

Faced with their gazes, Gu Xixi blinked. "Hmm?"

During her postgraduate studies, she went to the countryside with her supervisor to help farmers and spent some time at a township-run pickled vegetable factory.

That factory mainly produces pickled cowpeas; I've learned how to make the pickling troughs just by watching.

There's also a story behind pickled coriander.

During that period, Gu Xixi ate all sorts of pickled green beans, her eyes practically glowing with envy. One day at lunchtime, a kind aunt shared a jar of pickled coriander with her.

The chopped coriander mixed with bird's eye chili, minced garlic, and ginger juice was fragrant, spicy, and delicious, saving Gu Xixi's taste buds.

Moved by her actions, she asked the aunt for the recipe and carefully wrote it down on a piece of paper.

Although she never actually made it herself when she got back, the method was simple, and she memorized it after writing it down once.

Unfortunately, there are no small red chilies here, so one ingredient has to be removed from the recipe.

Recalling this, Gu Xixi resolutely said, "Of course, it was just something I came up with randomly. I just thought it would taste good. You see, everyone says it tastes good, right?"

She clicked her tongue. "I can only say that Zhou Dasao and I were both lucky this time."

After saying that, Gu Xixi turned and walked away. "There are still some raw pickled green beans. How about stir-frying them with minced meat and rolling them into spring pancakes for dinner? Or pickled green bean fried rice would be good too..."

He Jinglan and Madam Meng both watched Gu Xixi's retreating figure.

That's it?

How can a random recipe taste this good?

Madam Meng said, "I'm thinking of opening a shop with Xixi too. Do you know what other skills she has?"

He Jinglan shook her head, and after a moment, said, "But I think that as long as Gu Xixi stays with us, there will always be hope for the shop you want to open."

After a brief period of decline, business in Qingtian County has seen a small boom following its reopening.

People of all ages, rich and poor, are hoarding grain, food, and medicine.

I'm afraid that if the fighting spreads to Qingtian County in the future, the prices of goods will skyrocket.

The fruit tree growers in Huachidu Village have sold off all their stock.

Surprisingly, Sister-in-law Zhou's pickled vegetable business was also doing very well.

Many people are reluctant to dine at fancy restaurants and instead opt for street stalls and eateries.

Aunt Zhou's pickled vegetable stall was there, offering good quality vegetables at low prices, and it looked clean.

People who eat wontons, sesame cakes, or steamed buns nearby are willing to buy a serving of pickled vegetables to change their taste.

For three days in a row, these families were busy with village patrols and selling goods in the city, but they still managed to find time to share the good news with Gu Xixi.

Anqing and his colleagues had been eagerly anticipating what others had done in Qingtian County.

"Xixi, I want to go to Qingtian County."

Gu Xixi fiddled with the newly made fertilizer, "It won't work."

An Qinghe was puzzled. "But everyone can leave the village now. As long as you are careful, leave the village when it is broad daylight and come back before dark, you will be fine."

These were things he heard from people who had left the village.

Gu Xixi remained unmoved. "Others are others, and you are you."

"Besides, you sell tree seedlings. At times like this, people either retreat to their homes or are ready to run away at any moment. Who would plant trees?"

An Qinghe frowned, then pouted like a child, "Xixi~ I'm just going for a stroll. Merchants need to constantly explore the market to discover new business opportunities~"

Gu Xixi had a sudden idea. "How about I give you a business opportunity?"

An Qinghe was stunned. "Are you serious? I'm not a child."

Gu Xixi said, "When have I ever lied to you? Come here, finish this matter first and I'll tell you."