Hua Erniang had been accompanying the two all along, and had initially inwardly cursed Hua Xiaomai a "fool" when she heard her willingness to compensate Pan Ping’an. However, seeing Pan Ping’an’s reaction now, her heart imdiately relaxed and she couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.
Hua Xiaomai also knew that although Uncle Ping’an rarely returned to Fire Knife Village, he always held great reverence for his father. So she didn’t insist any longer and glossed over the matter.
Pan Ping’an wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned sheepishly at Hua Xiaomai, "Xiaomai, why don’t you tell what preserved sweets you plan to make this month?"
Having already considered this question, Hua Xiaomai calmly and smoothly articulated her plans, "Uncle Ping’an, given the hot weather, fried and sweet foods like Crispy Yellow Turnip and Yuan Yang Roll, even if well-made, tend to feel greasy and might not be as popular with the common folk as in winter and spring. Now that various fruits are ripening, I plan on making more types of preserves this month, which are refreshing and light. Even if one eats a bit more, it wouldn’t feel too sweet."
"My, we really are thinking alike!" Pan Ping’an, enthusiastic, slapped his thigh and said, "On the way back I was pondering that I must have you make more preserves! What do you plan to make?"
"Dried green crispy plums mixed with licorice powder, repeatedly stead dried peaches, salt massaged sour salty plums, and sugar berries layered with fruit—these are all possible. Plus, with proper storage, they can last a month without spoiling. Oh, I also plan to soak so fruits in honey and White Plum Juice that can last quite a while too..."
Whenever Hua Xiaomai spoke about food preparation, she was always effusive. Normally Hua Erniang found her pesky and might not genuinely want to listen to her rambling, but Pan Ping’an was her business partner and took her chatter as if pennies dropping before his eyes, listening intently with great interest.
"All good, all good!" Pan Ping’an, impressed, nodded vigorously after Hua Xiaomai finished speaking, "Xiaomai, despite your youth, how do you know how to make so many edibles? Just listening to things like salty plums and green crispy plums makes my mouth water as if the hot weather has turned cooler! No doubt, I will take so of each of these fruits you make—thirty pounds each. In a few days, we will continue to trade cash for goods as usual!"
Doing a rough calculation, Hua Xiaomai figured that a fair amount of money would soon be in her pocket. Although she constantly reminded herself to be ’savvy’, she still couldn’t help but broaden her smile a bit: "Good, then it’s settled—by the way, Uncle Ping’an, how is my Plum Sauce selling in the Provincial City?"
However, upon hearing this question, the smile on Pan Ping’an’s face suddenly stiffened: "That... uh..."
As he hesitated, Hua Xiaomai instantly grew suspicious. Hua Erniang, who was famously hot-tempered, could not sit still and clapped her hands saying, "Uncle Ping’an, just speak frankly. There are no secrets between our two families. Could it be my younger sister’s Plum Sauce is not good and you can’t sell it in the Provincial City, causing you losses?"
"Not at all, not at all!" Pan Ping’an quickly waved his hands and sighed, "Oh, Huanzi, how can you, her sister, not know her capabilities? The Plum Sauce Xiaomai made is attractive in color, and rich and lush in flavor. After I took it to the Provincial City, it was all snapped up in just three to five days! It’s just that..."
"Uncle Ping’an, have you encountered so troubles?" Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but frown.
Pan Ping’an’s appearance really seed like encountering a difficult problem, yet not knowing how to solve it. She had confidence that nothing was wrong with her sauces, so what could have possibly happened?
"Indeed a bit troubling, but if you say troubles... not really, as your craft has nothing to do with it. Those sauces indeed sell well. Just the day before yesterday, I was dining at a familiar restaurant, and the owner there kept asking when I would bring new sauces for him to sell! It’s just that..."
His face clearly read "difficult to speak," and as Hua Xiaomai puzzled over this, she couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious. Hua Erniang, with her fiery temper, couldn’t stand it either and raised her voice, "Ah, Uncle Ping’an, not to reproach you, but why are you hesitating so much? Speak up, and we can discuss it slowly! After working together for so long, don’t you trust us?"
Pan Ping’an, scared out of his wits, kept glancing towards the yard wall, frantically waving his hands, and whispered in agony, "Huanzi, keep it down, my father has long ears, and if he hears us, it’ll only cause more trouble!"
He lowered his head and thought hard for a while, as if finally making up his mind: "Can’t worry about that anymore, we earn money honestly and take no unfair advantage, wherever we go we hold the moral high ground! Xiaomai, before I left last month, didn’t I order a batch of sauces from you, dried fernted black beans sauce and fairy sauce? Are they ready now? Besides these three, what else do you plan to make?"
Seeing that he refused to explain, Hua Xiaomai felt powerless and simply told him that given the current weather, making Plum Sauce, Plum Sauce, and sweet sauce was most suitable. Pan Ping’an, without a second word, demanded forty pounds of each, and thus, four hundred more coins fell into the purse.
"Tonight, I’ll have the noodles you made. These few days, you’re going to be busy!" Pan Ping’an drank another sip of tea, stood up, smiled at Hua Erniang, and headed back to the neighboring house. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welco to visit Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation ticket and monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian to read.)
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