Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Making Money
Tang Lu Wu and Tang Yi Xiao exchanged a look.

Sold out?

With that much food, gone in a single hour?

It felt unreal—until Tang Lu Wu looked around. Plenty of people who had bought chilled jelly noodles were still nearby. They squatted in any empty patch of shade, eating straight from the bamboo buckets, smacking their lips and praising it so loudly the whole street could hear.

They had known it tasted good. They just hadn’t expected this many people to buy it.

“What a pity,” someone sighed. “Tomorrow it goes back to five wen.”

“Even at five wen, I’m still buying.”

“The boss said it’ll be five wen tomorrow, but the portion will be bigger,” another person said, licking their chopsticks clean. “We’ll still get free meat tomorrow, too. After tomorrow, though, the meat costs extra.”

The siblings hurried to Fat Butcher’s stall. Li Tao Hua and Qin Hui Yin were already there, sweet-talking as they bought offcuts and scraps.

The mother and daughter played off each other so smoothly Fat Butcher practically glowed. In the end he half-sold, half-gave them a heap of trimmings.

“You’re back,” Qin Hui Yin said when she spotted them, eyes bright. “Good news—the chilled jelly noodles and the meat are all sold out.”

“We heard,” Tang Lu Wu said. Even she couldn’t help smiling at the way Qin Hui Yin seemed to radiate happiness.

Li Tao Hua flicked her chin. “Tang Yi Xiao, go to the town gate and find Third Master. If he’s there, tell him to bring the ox cart. We’re buying a lot. It’ll be easier to haul everything home.”

Tang Yi Xiao grunted and turned to go.

He had been taking his medicine on time these past few days, and his body was stronger. Li Tao Hua only sent him on errands, not heavy work. He could handle that.

Qin Hui Yin turned back to Fat Butcher. “Boss, do you still have pig trotters? If you can collect more, we’ll buy them at five wen each.”

Fat Butcher snorted. “Nobody wants those. Folks used to take ’em home for their dogs. If you want them, I’ll set them aside. Come find me next time.”

Qin Hui Yin smiled so sweetly it could melt ice. “Boss, you’re such a kind, helpful man. From now on, we’ll buy all our meat from you.”

Not long after, Third Master Tang drove the ox cart over, Tang Yi Xiao perched beside him.

Third Master Tang climbed down and helped load the bundles and baskets.

They still bought more. They stocked up on peas and seasonings. They were out of lamp oil. Tang Yi Xiao needed new clothes, and both Tang Lu Wu and Tang Yi Xiao needed new shoes. As for the rest of the Tang family, they could wait.

At a wine stall, Qin Hui Yin asked, “How much is this wine?”

“The cheapest is 10 wen, the most expensive is 30,” the shopkeeper said. “We’ve also got 15-wen and 20-wen. Which do you want?”

Qin Hui Yin pointed. “Half a jin of the 20-wen one.”

It was all just supplies to keep on hand.

Third Master Tang drove them back toward the village.

On the road, villagers glanced at the packed cart and drifted closer, eager to ask if the Tang family had struck it rich.

Li Tao Hua pulled the woven screen shut over the cart bed, blocking prying eyes.

A woman stepped into the path and stopped Third Master Tang. “Third Uncle, where are you headed?”

Third Master Tang tightened the reins, expression blank. “On my way—got errands.”

“Third Uncle, what’s going on with the Tang family? Weren’t they broke? How can they still buy so much? I just saw your cart—it’s stuffed. What did they get?”

“What a strange thing to ask,” Third Master Tang said mildly. “I’m not someone from their household. How would I know? I only helped carry things. I didn’t open anything to peek.”

“Hui Yin’s mother hired your cart first thing this morning, and you took them into town yourself,” the woman pressed. “Other people might not know, but you definitely do. Why are you protecting them so much?”

Third Master Tang’s tone stayed even. “I’m a grown man. I’m not as nosy as you. I’ve never asked about other people’s business, so of course I don’t know.”

With that, he flicked the reins and drove on.

A few women watched the cart roll away, faces twisting with scorn.

“They owe 50 taels of silver, and they still dare to buy so much,” one muttered. “If I owed someone even one or two wen, I’d worry myself sick. How can they be so bold?”

“Of course they aren’t worried,” another scoffed. “Worst case, she marries again. If no man wants her, she still has two daughters. Especially that girl Qin Hui Yin—Squire Jiang is willing to pay 50 taels as bride price!”

“That much?” someone gasped. “Li Tao Hua is so money-hungry, she won’t refuse a match like that.”

“Squire Jiang could practically be her grandfather. If she marries her daughter to an old man like that, won’t Li Tao Hua get mocked behind her back?”

“Hasn’t she done enough disgusting things already? Someone like her has no shame. What wouldn’t she do for money?” The woman’s voice sharpened. “If Squire Jiang asked for both mother and daughter to marry in, I bet she’d even agree.”

The talk grew uglier and uglier, so shameless even some passing men frowned.

Inside the Tang house, Li Tao Hua had no idea what kind of filth the village women were spitting about her precious daughter. If she had known, she would’ve marched over and torn their mouths apart.

Right now, she sat at the dining table, counting the day’s money.

“We made 60 portions of chilled jelly noodles. We gave away six and sold the remaining 54. At three wen per portion, that’s 162 wen.” Qin Hui Yin did the numbers quickly, her fingers moving over the copper coins. “Most of the braised meat was given away, too. We only sold a little, so we earned about 70 wen from that.”

She pushed one pile aside and began tallying what they had spent.

“Ingredients for tomorrow, seasonings, lamp oil, shoes, clothes… all together, it was 407 wen. So we took in a bit over 230 wen today and spent 407. But those purchases were necessities. If we’re calculating profit, we only subtract the costs of making what we sold.”

Li Tao Hua didn’t understand words like cost and profit. She only heard the conclusion.

“In short,” she said flatly, “we spent more than we earned. We worked for nothing.”

“Mom.” Qin Hui Yin kept her voice soft, but she didn’t back down. “Necessities are necessities. We can’t cut those. Money spent can be earned again, and we’re not buying this much every day.”

She stood, already rolling up her sleeves. “I’ll make lunch. After we eat, we keep working. We have to make the pea flour early. This afternoon, I’ll grind the peas we bought today into flour so we can keep doing business. And the meat needs to be braised.”

Tang Yi Xiao sat by the stove, tending the fire. He watched her dart between the counter and the pot. His mouth opened once, twice—then closed again. His little face reddened as he swallowed whatever he wanted to say.

Qin Hui Yin cracked an egg with one hand. “What is it? Are you trying to thank me? You don’t have to. You’re my brother. Of course I’ll take care of you.”

Tang Yi Xiao stared at her, stunned.

[Brother?]