Chapter 26

"Of course you can. It’s a snack for you and Xiao An, so you two decide how to handle it."

Old Mrs. Chen had said not to keep bringing things over, and indeed, Sang Luo hadn’t intended to send anything along this time. But when it came to friendships between children, it was only natural for the children to decide for themselves.

As soon as Shen Ning heard her elder sister-in-law agree, she happily went to fetch a small bamboo tube. She placed two pieces of cracklings inside, then paused and added two more. Thinking that perhaps she had taken too many, she cautiously explained to Sang Luo and Shen An, "I’m bringing two for Brother Ershan, too."

Ershan was the second son of the Chen family and the older brother of little Xiaoya.

Shen An, of course, had no objections, and both siblings looked toward Sang Luo.

Sang Luo smiled. "I told you that you could decide for yourselves. However, you should take two more. You two can't just stand there watching Ershan and Xiaoya eat in a little while."

She meant that the siblings could have an extra piece for themselves later.

Shen An and Shen Ning both beamed. It wasn’t just about being able to eat an extra piece; it was because, in the past, it had always been Ershan and Xiaoya sharing their snacks with them. Now, they were finally able to share snacks with their friends, and the two children were incredibly excited.

Excitement aside, Shen An remained behind to watch the house, as the few belongings they had were now his treasures.

Thus, Shen Ning brought only five pieces of cracklings in her small bamboo tube. Carrying it, she trotted alongside Sang Luo toward the Chen house.

...

The August sun was blistering. It was not a good time for farm work, so most of the men who had worked in the fields that morning were still resting. The women, having rested a while, were back at it—some spinning hemp, others weaving cloth.

The Chen family was no exception.

When Sang Luo arrived at the Chen house with Shen Ning, Shen Ning greeted Old Mrs. Chen and quickly ran off to whisper and giggle with Xiaoya. Before long, the two little girls scampered out together.

Sang Luo paid them no mind. When Old Mrs. Chen bustled over to offer her a chair, Sang Luo pulled the old woman into the main room and explained why she had come.

Old Mrs. Chen stood stunned for a long time, wondering if something was wrong with her ears.

"Help you sell Immortal Tofu?"

"Yes. Whether it’s you or your daughter-in-law, for every piece sold, I will give you a commission of half a copper coin. What do you think?"

Was there even a need to ask? This was like a pie falling from the sky.

But Old Mrs. Chen didn't understand. "There’s only one market day every five days. Can’t you just sell them yourself? That way, you wouldn't have to share any of the profits."

Sang Luo shook her head. "I’m asking for your help not to sell them at the village market, but to go into the county town. Your family will provide a person, and I will go too. It’s essentially adding another stall so we can sell in different spots."

Old Mrs. Chen understood instantly. This woman had tested the waters for two days, found it viable, and was now planning to expand the business.

This Sang woman...

Old Mrs. Chen looked at her. "You have to pay an entry fee to enter the county town. If you expand the stall and end up not selling everything?"

Sang Luo patted her chest. "That’s on me. I’ll cover the entry fee."

For her, Immortal Tofu had almost zero cost, so she said this without any pressure. However, remembering another matter, she turned serious. "Of course, if we are to set up a stall in the county, we need to ask the village chief to issue a travel permit. That requires a five-copper handling fee, which your family will have to pay."

A travel permit was similar to a letter of introduction. In this era, population movement was strictly regulated. To enter a city or pass through a checkpoint, one needed an official document verifying one’s identity. The common folk used these travel permits.

Getting a permit for the local county seat required the village chief to draft and sign it, which was then sent to the county sheriff’s office for verification and stamping. If one were going to another county or province, it was even more complicated, requiring approval from the household registry office of the prefecture.

Five copper coins was not a small amount for rural folk to spend carelessly, but fortunately, a permit was valid for three months. Old Mrs. Chen gritted her teeth and nodded.

She couldn't let someone else provide her with a way to make money, cover the entry fees, and then pay for the permit as well. She didn't have the audacity for that.

Having made up her mind, Old Mrs. Chen said, "That’s only natural. I can go see the village chief about the permit shortly. If we go today, we should have it by tomorrow afternoon. Will you come with me to the village chief's house later?"

Sang Luo hesitated. It wasn't anything else; it was simply that the money she had earned today had already been spent.

"Let’s make it tomorrow."

...

Old Mrs. Chen looked at her. "Are you short on cash?"

Sang Luo nodded. "What I earned today was spent on supplies."

Since it was decided that they would sell for Sang Luo, it was better to start sooner rather than later. The sooner they started earning, the sooner they would recoup their costs. Old Mrs. Chen was generous. "I’ll pay the fee for you first. You can pay me back when you’re more flush. Otherwise, we’d be dragging it out another day."

Since she offered, and it wasn't a debt she couldn't repay, Sang Luo didn't act coy. "Alright, then. I’ll go home, get my household registry, and come find you."

Old Mrs. Chen nodded and asked, "Besides a person, what else do you need? If you need buckets or basins, you can take ours first. See what else you’re missing; if we have it at home, you can borrow it."

In reality, this was no longer just helping Sang Luo; the two families were now business partners. The more Immortal Tofu Sang Luo made and the more they helped sell, the more money they would all make.

After all, if she went to help manage a stall, she was paid by the piece. For every extra piece sold, she earned an extra copper coin.

Old Mrs. Chen calculated the accounts clearly—this wasn't just helping Sang Luo; it was helping herself!

Thinking about how Sang Luo had sold over thirty pieces in just one hour at the Sanli Village market, Old Mrs. Chen’s enthusiasm surged.

It was a good thing for Sang Luo that the old woman was willing to support this. She smiled and said, "Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have had the cheek to ask to borrow things. A pair of buckets, and if you have smaller carrying baskets, I’ll borrow two baskets and a carrying pole. I have two ceramic basins at home, but I can't carry both on my back alone. It would be much better to use a carrying pole."

Seeing how clearly Sang Luo had planned it out, Old Mrs. Chen nodded. "Fine, we have all of that. I’ll have my daughter-in-law go with you to help deliver the things."

She called out for her daughter-in-law, but Sang Luo interrupted, "No need, Grandma. These are empty and not heavy. I can carry them back myself. Once we determine which day we’re going to the county, just decide whether you or your daughter-in-law will come with me at dawn. You can bring a carrying pole then and pick up the goods at my place."

Stacking the buckets and baskets, Sang Luo hoisted them onto her shoulder, bid farewell to Old Mrs. Chen, and left.

Qin Fangniang emerged from the west room, confused, to see the Sang woman carrying off their buckets and baskets, with her mother-in-law seeing her all the way to the gate. Once the old woman returned, she asked curiously, "Mother, were you calling for me just now?"

She was more interested in why Sang Luo had come over. It wasn't the first time she had borrowed things, but her mother-in-law had never been this enthusiastic before.

Old Mrs. Chen smiled so broadly her face seemed to bloom. "Good news."

As she walked inside, she told her daughter-in-law, "Didn't you envy the Sang woman for making money with her stall? In a couple of days, I’m going to have you go with her."

Qin Fangniang: "???"

Old Mrs. Chen’s eyes crinkled with joy. "She came over to ask us to help her sell Immortal Tofu in the county town. For every piece sold, we get half a copper coin."

Qin Fangniang’s eyes widened slightly. "Half a copper coin for every piece? Mother, is that true?"

Old Mrs. Chen shot her a look. "Do I look like I have nothing better to do than lie to you?"

Qin Fangniang’s eyes curved into a smile. "That’s not what I meant, Mother. I just didn't expect such a good thing to fall into our laps."

Thinking of how the Sang woman had sold over thirty pieces in under an hour the day before, she knew the product would sell well in the county. Even if she didn't have the Sang woman's gift of gab, she could sell thirty pieces if she spent a little more time. That would be over ten copper coins in a single day.

Even if it were only ten coins, it would still be a good deal.

In these times, women at home had few ways to earn money besides raising chickens and weaving. Even chicken farming was limited, as the livestock needed grain to feed.

This job from Sang Luo was like a pie falling from the sky, landing squarely in their home, leaving Qin Fangniang feeling incredibly fired up.

Seeing her daughter-in-law’s radiant face, Old Mrs. Chen said, "She wouldn't be looking for our help if she weren't lacking the strength. When you go in a few days, be observant. Carry the heavy things yourself. Once in the county, sell whatever amount she gives you to sell. Don't think that because you carried it, it belongs to you. And when she comes back, if she bought anything, help her carry that, too."

Qin Fangniang: "Mother, I understand."

With that, the old woman stopped talking to her daughter-in-law, turned, and went to unlock the chest to find her daughter-in-law's household registry, waiting for Sang Luo to return so they could go see the village chief for the permit.

Just as Old Mrs. Chen took out the registry, a wailing sound erupted outside.

She hurried out just as little Xiaoya came running in. Seeing her grandmother, her eyes lit up, and she ran toward her.

"Slow down! Why are you running so fast?"

Before Old Mrs. Chen could finish, Xiaoya was already in front of her, tugging at her sleeve and gesturing for her to lean down.

Old Mrs. Chen leaned over instinctively, wanting to ask what was going on outside, when she caught a whiff of a savory aroma. Xiaoya stuffed something into her mouth.

Old Mrs. Chen didn't even need to chew to know it was pork cracklings. This was such a delicacy; now that it was in her mouth, she couldn't spit it out, but she hated to swallow it. She was torn.

"Where did this come from?"

"Sister A-Ning gave it to us. Second Brother told me to bring some back for Grandma and Mother to taste."

"Why didn't you eat it yourself? Did you thank Sister A-Ning?"

"I did! Sister A-Ning gave us four pieces. Second Brother didn't eat his, and I saved one too," Xiaoya said, already running over to Qin Fangniang, pulling her down, and offering her the crackling.

Qin Fangniang quickly turned her head away and blocked her with her hand. "Mother won't eat it. You keep it and eat it with your second brother."

As the mother and daughter were pushing it back and forth, a loud wail erupted from next door: "Shen Ning is eating pork cracklings! How can we not have any? Mother, when are we going to render lard?"

Through the thin walls, Old Mrs. Chen heard it clearly—it was Shen Jin.

Old Mrs. Chen looked at her granddaughter suspiciously. "Did he see you eating the cracklings?"

Xiaoya shrank her neck. Under her grandmother's gaze, she admitted honestly, "I took A-Ning to find Second Brother. We didn't know he was playing in the reeds. He tried to grab A-Ning's bamboo tube, so Second Brother just picked him up and moved him aside."

She added, "He didn't hurt him, just moved him. He wouldn't let him bully Sister A-Ning."

He had just picked him up by the arms.

Old Mrs. Chen could easily picture the scene.

Fortunately, that brat Shen Jin only cared about eating and wasn't the type to throw a tantrum just from being touched, otherwise, he would be rolling on the ground right now.

Shen Jin only cared about the food. Watching Shen Ning and the Chen children eating pork cracklings, each with a piece in hand, he was nearly driven mad by the aroma.

He didn't care about being picked up by Chen Er; he only nagged his mother to buy meat and render lard.

Shen Yin and Shen Tie, who were standing behind him, were also drooling and making a scene.

"Are you sure that crackling was Shen Ning's? Not the Chen family's?" Li Shi didn't believe it.

Shen Jin: "I heard it clearly—it was Shen Ning's!"

The six-year-old Shen Yin and five-year-old Shen Tie chimed in as well.

Doubt flashed in Li Shi's eyes. She thought carefully; she hadn't smelled any lard being rendered next door for the past two days.

She frowned and looked at Shen San. "Where would they get the money to buy pork?"

Since the day Sang Luo had confronted him in front of the neighbors and Old Mrs. Chen had exposed his bottom line, Shen San had been feeling humiliated. He grew irritable whenever he heard anything about the eldest branch.

"Who am I supposed to ask? Who knows how she got it? They can't even afford grain, and yet they have pork."

Li Shi muttered, "You have to admit, they’ve been acting tough lately. Even those two little brats haven't come over begging for food."

Seeing his parents only bickering and not mentioning when they would buy pork, Shen Jin started wailing again: "Mother, I want meat! I want cracklings!"

Li Shi was irritated by the noise and snapped, "Enough! Stop the racket! It’s just pork cracklings. We’ll have some when we render lard later."

"When is 'later'? If you're going to do it, do it tomorrow!"

Li Shi was annoyed. "Who renders lard just like that? It's so hot—do you think it won't spoil?"

Then followed another round of howling, with the older ones leading the younger ones, loud enough to lift the roof.

Old Mrs. Chen: ...

Well, this was only the beginning. If a single piece of pork crackling could make them cry, what would happen later?

Old Mrs. Chen chewed the crackling in her mouth. *Tsk, truly delicious.*