79 Selling Sugar
Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli did not believe him, Zheng Yongyan panicked. “I wasn’t crying just now. I’m a man, alright? How could I cry because of this?”
Zhou Xiaoli nodded. “Ah, yes, yes.”
Zheng Yongyan snorted coldly. “What kind of attitude is that? Hmph! You’re indeed an uneducated young lady. How unreasonable.”
Zhou Xiaoli: “Ah, yes, yes, yes.”
Zheng Yongyan: …
Zhou Xiaoli’s attitude made Zheng Yongyan feel like his words had fallen on deaf ears. He was so angry that he stopped being angry.
In the end, he simply turned his head away, pursed his lips, and ignored Zhou Xiaoli.
However, he was cursing in his heart. “How was she as sensible, obedient, and smart as his father said?” he thought.
Fortunately, he had eavesdropped on his parents’ conversation that they planned to matchmake him with Zhou Xiaoli. As such, he had begged his father to let him sell the sugar today. Only then was he able to see Zhou Xiaoli’s true colors for himself!
Hmph! Just you wait. When I get home, I’ll definitely tell my father that he had misjudged her. Zhou Xiaoli is not obedient at all!
Zheng Yongyan had a lot of internal conversation going on.
On the other side, Zhou Xiaoli and Wei Chiyu sat side by side. The two of them chatted casually and admired the scenery by the roadside. It was a very relaxing time for them.
The donkey cart moved very quickly. Before long, they saw the city gate.
After paying the entrance fee, the donkey cart slowly drove into the city.
The county city was as prosperous as ever. The streets were filled with traffic and the sounds of shopkeepers hawking their wares were endless.
They didn’t stay in this bustling place for long. They rode the donkey cart and headed straight for Qing Tao Workshop.
Qing Tao Workshop was the largest sugar shop in Wenshui County. Not only did it sell candy, but it also sold all kinds of dried fruits and candied fruits. Business was very good.
When they arrived at the entrance of Qing Tao Workshop, they saw an endless stream of customers.
“Hey, we’re here. Let’s get out of the cart.” Zhou Xiaoli called out to Zheng Yongyan, who was sitting still, and jumped out of the cart first.
Zheng Yongyan said in disdain, “How rude. It’s not like I don’t have a name.”
However, he obediently got off the donkey cart.
After tying up the donkey cart, Wei Chiyu walked around to the back of the cart. He carried the cane sugar out of the cart and followed Zhou Xiaoli into the shop.
“Sir, take a look inside and see what you want. Our shop has fruits, candy, candied fruits, and everything.”
Seeing Zhou Xiaoli and the others enter, the shop assistant called out to them enthusiastically.
Zhou Xiaoli went straight to the counter and asked with a smile, “Is your shopkeeper here? I’m looking for your shopkeeper.”
The shop assistant looked at Zhou Xiaoli. A moment later, he slapped his forehead. “Ha, I know you. You’re Miss Zhou, the one who came to look for my shopkeeper the last time too, right?”
Seeing Zhou Xiaoli nod, the shop assistant added, “You’re here to deliver the sugar, right? Wait a moment, my shopkeeper will be here soon.”
As he spoke, the shop assistant walked around the counter and entered the back room.
After a while, Shopkeeper Qian walked out from behind. He smiled and went straight to the point. “Miss Zhou, how much have you done over the past few days?”
Zhou Xiaoli pointed at the bag in Wei Chiyu’s hand and said with a smile, “It’s all here.”
The shopkeeper looked over and saw a thin cloth sack. He could not help but be shocked at the size of it. “Wow! It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already made so much.”
Zhou Xiaoli smiled and said, “It’s for livelihood.”
Qian Zhantang nodded in understanding and did not say anything else.
Seeing that the shopkeeper had walked over, Wei Chiyu placed the sugar on the counter and opened the bag for the shopkeeper to see.
The shopkeeper took out a spoon and flipped the content over. The bag was filled with crystallized sugar cubes.
Then, he picked up a piece with a pair of tongs and placed it in his mouth. The taste of it was good and since there was no problem, he nodded. “Alright, let’s weigh it.”
As he spoke, he called two assistants over.
The shop assistant was quick and immediately brought over a scale. The two shop assistants weighed it together and said, “Shopkeeper, it’s a total of 84 kilograms and 140 grams.”
As soon as the shop assistant announced the weight, Zhou Xiaoli nodded and muttered to herself in a low voice, “Hm, it’s not bad. We earned 10,110 in four days.”
Qian Zhantang, on the other hand, calculated a few times on the abacus and came up with the final figure. “60 copper coins for half kilogram, that will mean a total of 10,110 copper coins.”
Hearing this number, Zheng Yongyan subconsciously looked at Zhou Xiaoli in surprise. “She knew mental arithmetic?” he thought.
Although Zhou Xiaoli was talking to herself just now and her voice was not loud, Zheng Yongyan, who was beside her, heard her mutterings.
However, he immediately felt that she must have calculated it at home before.
The shop assistant had already retrieved the money from the back room.
Qian Zhantang counted the money and handed it to Zhou Xiaoli. “It’s a total of 10 taels of silver and 110 copper coins. Keep it well.”
“Thank you, shopkeeper.” Zhou Xiaoli took the money with a smile and thanked him politely.
Seeing Zhou Xiaoli’s calm reaction after receiving the money, Qian Zhantang could not help but be surprised again.
He was also from a farmer’s family, so he naturally knew what an ordinary farmer’s family was like.
Even after years of hard work, one might not be able to earn so much money. Yet, this young lady had such a calm reaction when she received the money?
Just as he was in shock, Zhou Xiaoli’s voice rang out again.
“By the way, shopkeeper, how long would this sugar last in your shop?”
Qian Zhantang thought about it. He thought that Zhou Xiaoli was worried that the sugar sales would be bad, so he immediately said, “Don’t worry. This bit of sugar is not even enough to sell in my shop. It will be gone in two or three days. If you take it to my shop in the capital, the sales will be even better. It will probably be gone in a day.”
Zhou Xiaoli nodded. She now had a rough understanding of the purchasing power in the county city, so she said, “Alright, thank you, shopkeeper. We’ll come back in three days to deliver the goods to you.”
After bidding farewell to the shopkeeper of the sugar shop, Zhou Xiaoli bought some candied plums and the three of them entered the First-grade Restaurant.
The First-grade Restaurant and Qing Tao Workshop were on the same street. It was only a few steps away.
Wei Chiyu went inside to sell some wild game, while Zhou Xiaoli and Zheng Yongyan waited outside.
Zheng Yongyan was still refusing to talk to Zhou Xiaoli and had an arrogant expression on her face.
Zhou Xiaoli was too lazy to speak to him too. She sat in the cart and ate the sour plums while swinging her feet. She hummed a tune as she waited for Wei Chiyu to come out.
Obviously, she was in a good mood.
Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was enjoying the sour plum, Zheng Yongyan immediately felt that his stomach was a little empty. However, he could not ask for a sour plum because of his pride.
Sensing his gaze, Zhou Xiaoli turned to look at him. “What are you looking at?”
Then, she realized that his gaze had landed on the candied plums in her hand. She understood immediately. “Oh, you want to eat these?”
Zheng Yongyan, who had been caught red-handed, was a little embarrassed. He explained, “No, I didn’t want to eat! A gentleman doesn’t talk when he eats. I just saw that you were eating inelegantly and felt a little uncomfortable, so I wanted to remind you of your manners.”
“Oh, what does a gentleman have to do with me? I’m not a gentleman.” Zhou Xiaoli shrugged. What a stubborn fellow.
Zheng Yongyan: “… One can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
Just as the two of them were bickering, Wang Defu suddenly ran out of the restaurant.
“Aiya, Miss Zhou, why don’t you come into the restaurant and have a seat?” Wang Defu ran over to Zhou Xiaoli’s side, appearing extremely excited. “I’ve already prepared a banquet in the private room. Miss Zhou, would you like to come up and have a seat?”
Zhou Xiaoli jumped out of the cart and said with a smile, “I have something to do in the city today. I still have to go back later, so I won’t be going in.”
“That won’t do. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you for more than a month. You have to come. You saved my life. I haven’t thanked you in person.”
