She didn’t understand her younger sister’s aning, but ng Yuhuai and Jing Taihe both had already guessed most of it, and without saying much, simply smiled and shook their heads in unison.
Hua Xiaomai saw that she was still confused and decided not to discuss it with her for the ti being, turning her head to look at Luo Yuejiao and changing the subject with a smile, "Today my family harvested chili peppers, would you like so? If you’re planning to grow them yourself, I could share so with you. But let’s get one thing straight, since these chilies are precious, if I were to give them to you for free, I’m afraid others might co asking for so too. So you’ll have to give two copper coins, that way, even if others find out, I can justify it."
She was rely feeling that she usually got along well with Luo Yuejiao, and this girl was particularly straightforward, wanting her to get a good deal. Unexpectedly, Luo Yuejiao shook her head.
"I’d better not..." she hesitated and glanced at Hua Xiaomai’s face, "Sister Xiaomai, I know the peppers are good, but your family only harvested so little behind the house. If everyone cos asking for so, you’ll have nothing left. How about this, when you buy land and the peppers mature next year, I’ll co and pay for them, is that okay with you?"
Her considerate attitude made Hua Xiaomai feel especially comforted. She imdiately linked arms with her and said with a smile, "That’s fine. Next year when the peppers are ripe, I’ll make sure to save so seeds for you. Even if there’s none left for others, I’ll definitely not shortchange you."
"Mm!" Luo Yuejiao nodded happily, thought for a mont, and her face showed a hint of shyness, "But Sister Xiaomai, could I ask you for sothing? If there are any leftover beef pinch buns from today, could you give a few? I... I want to take them ho for my mother to try this delicious taste."
This girl’s temperant, compared to Guan Rong, really was like heaven and earth. Hua Xiaomai for a mont didn’t know what to say, but after a pause, she responded with a smile, "What’s the big deal about that, to use the word ’ask’? The leftovers on the table will lose their taste once they cool down, so don’t take them ho. When it’s ti for you to have dinner at ho, I’ll make a fresh batch for you to take to your mother and Sister-in-law Chun Xi to try. If they like them, I’ll make more next ti."
Luo Yuejiao was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy, she grabbed Hua Xiaomai’s arm and gave it a shake, letting out a giggle of laughter.
...
After having lunch in the Jing Family’s courtyard, ng Yuhuai stayed for a short while, then left with Jing Taihe, heading back to the south side of the village. Jing Taihe went back to his usual business at the blacksmith shop as usual. In the afternoon, true to her word, Hua Xiaomai indeed made a fresh batch of beef pinch buns for Luo Yuejiao to take ho. In the evening, she went to set up her stall by the river.
After packing up her stall after the hour of the pig, Jing Taihe and Hua Erniang were waiting for her in the main room.
As soon as Hua Xiaomai entered the door, Hua Erniang rushed up to her, pulling her into the room, first poured her a bowl of hot tea, then eagerly asked, "Little sister, what exactly did you an today when you talked about buying land to grow chilies? I also understood later that perhaps you felt there were so things that were not appropriate to discuss in front of sister Yuejiao. Now that it’s just the three of us, you must tell quickly!"
You’re still pondering over this?
Hua Xiaomai found the situation sowhat amusing. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then turned her gaze towards Jing Taihe, "Brother-in-law, if Second Sister doesn’t understand, you surely must have grasped my aning by now, shouldn’t you? Why haven’t you told her?"
Jing Taihe smiled naively, "I’m not sure if my guess is correct. Even if I told her, she might not take it seriously. It might be easier to wait for you to co back and tell her yourself, saving so trouble."
"Tsk, don’t be so secretive!" Hua Ermu banged on the table, "What sort of secret signals are you two exchanging? Why don’t you just co out with it?"
Seeing her in such a rush made Hua Xiaomai struggle to contain her laughter. She put down her teacup and looked straight into her sister’s eyes, lips pursed, "I ask you, Second Sister, does anyone in Fire Knife Village besides us have chili seeds?"
"Isn’t that obvious?" Hua Ermu glanced at her and said with a shrug, "The small amount of seeds we have was obtained through ng Family’s Big Brother from Chunfeng Restaurant, Mr. Zhao, for us. How could other families have them? Such a precious thing was unknown to be edible in the past. Who would bother planting it in their yard?"
"So, do you think chili makes the dishes taste good?"
"Do I even need to say it?" Hua Ermu nodded vigorously, "Today really opened my eyes and delighted my taste buds. That small and bright red chili looks lovely, but unexpectedly, it also tastes so flavorful when eaten. It adds a nice touch to beef and flatbread, making them deliciously spicy and satisfying!"
"Hmm," Hua Xiaomai nodded, "If chili is so delicious, and yet nobody in our village grows it, what if I let all the custors of my food stall taste this great flavor? Then I buy a piece of land and plant it full of chili. When the harvest cos next year, do you think people will co to us to buy seeds?"
"Hey! That’s it!" Hua Ermu was montarily stunned, then she smacked her palms together strongly, "Right! I don’t know about other places, but here in Fuzhe County, people have a strong taste for spicy food. Everybody would love chili! As long as there are people who want to eat it, there will certainly be people who want to grow it. With the only seeds in the entire Fire Knife Village in our hands, won’t they have to co to us when they want to buy so? Hua Xiaosan, you’re quite clever!"
Aren’t you the one who didn’t think of it yourself?
Hua Xiaomai chuckled inwardly, but outwardly she continued earnestly, "If the chilies we grow yield a good harvest next year, we can keep so for ourselves, and the rest can be sold to our neighbors. Previously, people said chilies couldn’t be bought for any amount of money. We don’t need to sell them for too high a price, as long as it’s fair, there’ll be no shortage of buyers. By then, we will surely make money."
"Okay, okay, it’s settled then!" Impulsive as she was, Hua Ermu was ready to finalize the plan, "This matter seems profitable indeed. There’s a guy in our village, Zheng Yakuai, who always deals with buying land and houses for people. Let’s find him and have him pick out a couple of good plots of land for us, preferably close to our ho. Just one or two acres will suffice. Even if your brother-in-law doesn’t have the ti to help, we sisters can easily manage it. Right, I’ll go find him tomorrow!"
In the midst of her excitent, she suddenly rembered sothing and looked up sharply, "But little sister, didn’t Boss Song from the Provincial City ask you to be the head chef for her? What are you planning to do about that?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welco to vote for it at Qidian with recomndation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.)
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