The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 199 Malicious Intent (8)_1

Chapter 199: Chapter 199 Malicious Intent (8)_1

After preparing the sugar-coated peanuts, Pei Qian and Pei Wendong stayed at home, while Pei Qin and Pei Yuan carried their loads and took a cart to Yuanyang County.

First, they delivered a package to Landlord Chang’s house and then gave one to the Wang family. The siblings, dragging a handcart, arrived at Moon Restaurant.

The shopkeeper saw them and thought that the Snow Vegetable was in season again. When he learned it was a snack before meals, he told them to ask him first, and if he didn’t need it, to take it to the teahouse. After tasting the sugar-coated peanuts and praising them as wonderful, he decided to keep the entire batch.

Keeping to the budget of twenty taels of silver she had spent, Pei Qin intended to earn at least ten taels in profit.

After some haggling, both sides reached an agreement on a price close to their expectations, and Pei Qin sold all the sugar-coated peanuts she had brought to Moon Restaurant.

Pei Qian recorded the earned silver, "By the time these peanuts sell out, we should have enough! We must set up our noodle stall quickly before someone else learns how to make them!"

Pei Qin was planning to make even more sugar-coated peanuts, bringing more each following day than the last, and went directly to a teahouse called Ju Xian Building.

While Ju Xian Building had a grand-sounding name, its business was mediocre. Several people had tried to buy it, but the shopkeeper was stubborn, calling it a family legacy and refusing to sell no matter what was offered.

When Pei Qin presented the sugar-coated peanuts, Boss He hesitated a while before finally buying all they had brought.

"Shopkeeper! If you still want our sugar-coated peanuts in the future, I can offer you a suggestion!" Pei Qin, after collecting the silver, smiled at Boss He.

This was her broaching the idea of a partnership, but Boss He was somewhat reluctant, "I don’t know how these sugar-coated peanuts will sell. I’ve already taken a risk by buying so much from you. If it doesn’t sell well, I will have made a loss!"

A twitch appeared at the corner of Pei Qin’s mouth, "It’s almost time for the Lantern Festival; your tavern should come up with some new dumplings!" She then suggested several kinds—colorful dumplings, savory dumplings, and fruit-filled dumplings—saying, "... Next time I come, if you don’t want to buy, we’ll just find someone else!"

At first, Boss He was a bit unwilling, but the idea of various exotic dumplings seemed worth a try. So he quickly found someone to make the dumplings and began recommending a new snack, sugar-coated peanuts, to his customers.

Unexpectedly, although he found the sugar-coated peanuts too sweet, clashing with the tea’s flavor, they sold surprisingly well.

Pei Qin also started making dumplings at home, but her creations were not very impressive. When visiting relatives in Fang Family Village, she brought along a piece of meat weighing over five pounds, a bag of not very attractive-looking dumplings, and two boxes of sugar-coated peanuts.

For the fifteenth-day Lantern Festival visit to her parents’ house, she would need to bring dumplings. Some were already prepared, and for those that weren’t, she had to bring along green onions, ginger, salt, and flour. When coming back, Grandma would give her grandson steamed toy kittens made of dough.

In modern times, Pei Qin had seen steamed toy kittens being sold around the Lantern Festival as well. It was said to be related to New Year traditions. Daughters would take large steamed buns to their parents’ home to show respect, and in return, they would receive date flower buns, also known as "date mountains." Grandchildren carrying home mountains from their grandmother’s house meant each year would be more prosperous. After the festivities, children were to bring dumplings to their parents, and in return, receive a little toy kitten to catch the mice at home.

Pei Qin listened and grinned broadly.

Together with Fang Hui’s family for the day, Pei Qin brought a box of her sugar-coated peanuts to Fang Hui’s house. When bringing dumplings, it was customary only to bring them to one’s maternal home.

Before they had even finished eating, more than half of the box of sugar-coated peanuts was gone. Fang Fang, clamoring for more, tugged at Pei Qin calling her cousin and asking if there were any left at home. Upon hearing that they were homemade, she insisted on staying at their house for a couple of days.

"We’re starting our stall tomorrow," said Pei Qin, her eyebrows arching slightly.

Fang Fang recalled how last winter, after eating a bowl of noodles, she was made to wash so many dishes that her hands developed frostbite, itching and aching at night. She pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. By the time Pei Qin left, Fang Fang no longer mentioned wanting to go to Taiping Town.

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