The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 17

Chen Youtian felt a bit pressured being stared at by three pairs of eyes. After carefully recalling scenes from previous visits to the market, he nodded.

As soon as Shen An saw him nodding, she rushed forward with her basket on her back, pulling Shen Ning along. They found a vacant spot big enough for both their stalls, and Shen An immediately took off her basket and occupied the space behind them!

Chen Youtian helped to carry the two buckets of tofu over and placed them down. His task was considered completed. He then took the basket of eggs and squatted down at the spot Shen An had reserved for him.

Sang Luo looked around. Next to their two stalls, on the left, there were vegetable sellers, and on the right, there were sellers of sifters. Further along, there were sellers of malt sugar, eggs, hemp ropes, coarse cloth, mats, brooms, and various other goods, mostly locally produced.

In addition to the vendors, there were also people walking around with baskets, presumably living nearby.

Shen An looked at the nearby stall owners, most of whom were just standing there. When someone passed by, they would ask if the person wanted what they were selling. Then she looked at Chen Youtian, who had placed his basket on the ground and was squatting silently beside it. She asked Sang Luo, “Big sister-in-law, how are we going to sell our goods? Should we call out?”

Concerned about their livelihood, Shen An was already feeling nervous.

“Yes, we should. The scent of wine is not afraid of the depth of the alley. Moreover, many people may not recognize this product. But before that, we need to do some preparation.”

As she spoke, she arranged the two buckets and brought over Shen An’s basket, placing the bamboo tube filled with syrup into Shen Ning’s basket with the lotus leaves. She handed the ceramic basin and bamboo knife to Shen An, and then flipped over the empty basket and placed it on top, taking the ceramic basin from Shen An’s hands and putting it on top. After trying it out, it seemed stable enough.

“Alright, this selling platform is all set up.”

For items at the entrance, especially those that can be eaten directly without further processing, no matter how good the goods are, they don’t look presentable when placed directly on the ground.

Sang Luo had plenty of experience setting up stalls before formally starting work in her past life, so improvising with these items was like second nature to her.

Turning her head, she called out to Shen Ning, “An Ning, bring the water for washing hands.”

Shen Ning, unsure of what to do, was incredibly enthusiastic when she heard Sang Luo call her to work!

She swiftly retrieved a bamboo tube filled with clean water from several others and, together with Sang Luo, turned around and poured it along the roadside for Sang Luo to wash her hands.

After washing her hands, Sang Luo scooped out some leftover pieces of “fairy tofu” from the bucket, holding them in one hand and gripping a bamboo knife in the other, she began cutting small pieces above the ceramic basin.

Her habit of washing her hands before touching anything caught the attention of several neighboring stall owners. They also couldn’t recognize the green and trembling thing Sang Luo was holding. An elderly woman selling eggs nearby was curious and asked, “Miss, what are you selling? Is it food?”

Sang Luo smiled, “Yes, it is food, fairy tofu, and it’s delicious!”

Hearing about this unheard-of thing, especially one with the name “fairy,” the old woman craned her neck to take a closer look. “I’ve never seen it before. How do you eat it?”

“It depends on your preference. If you have malt sugar or honey at home, you can dissolve some in water, cut the tofu into pieces, mix it as a topping, and eat it directly, like a dessert. If you prefer savory, you can add oil, salt, soy sauce, and some chopped green onions to adjust the taste, and it can be served as a dish.”

Her voice was clear and resonated well with several curious stall owners nearby.

As she skillfully cut the tofu into neat squares, the green and shiny “fairy tofu” was arranged neatly in the earthen basin, contrasting beautifully against its background color. Several nearby stall owners who were watching the excitement almost drooled at the sight.

It looked quite appetizing.

As their attention shifted, Sang Luo had already grabbed another piece of leftover tofu from the bucket and swiftly cut it into pieces. The pile of “fairy tofu” in the ceramic basin grew a little more.

She cut with such agility that several nearby stall owners just stood there watching.

After cutting four pieces of leftover tofu, the bottom of the ceramic basin was finally filled. She looked up at Shen Ning and said, “An Ning, add some syrup.”

Upon hearing about the syrup, the elderly woman who had asked earlier raised her eyebrows, subconsciously stretching her neck to see.

Seeing that it was finally her turn to work, Shen Ning quickly brought the syrup forward, opened the bamboo stopper, and evenly poured it over the fairy tofu. Then, using the wooden spoon they had brought from home, usually used for cooking, she stirred until it was mixed evenly before placing the wooden spoon in the basin.

“It’s done, big sister-in-law.”

For the young girl’s first significant task, this “done” sounded particularly fulfilling.

Sang Luo smiled and praised her, then turned around and took out a piece of leaf from her basket, pinching it in her hand. She looked at a few women carrying baskets not far away, raised her voice, and started shouting, “Fairy tofu here! It’s the most refreshing delicacy. You’ve never tasted anything like it before! Mixed with syrup, it’s sweet, and mixed with oil, salt, and sauce, it’s a delicious dish. Sweet or savory, it suits all tastes. Two cents for a big piece. Don’t miss it as you pass by!”

Her voice was loud and crisp, and coupled with the string of words, amidst a crowd of “Do you want to buy vegetables?” “Do you need a sieve?” “Want some malt sugar?”, it was simply eye-catching.

Sang Luo wasn’t done yet, “Fairy tofu! Sweet or savory, it’s versatile. When chilled, it’s a delicacy. It clears heat, detoxifies, and fights aging. Two cents, you won’t get cheated, you won’t get fooled, but you can buy a delicious food you’ve never tasted before!”

Shen An, Shen Ning, and Chen Youtian, who was squatting on the side, were all stunned.

Shen An swallowed her saliva: “Big sister-in-law, such a calm person… she can be so strong to earn money to support the family!”

Shen Ning looked at Sang Luo affectionately: “My big sister-in-law is the best!”

Chen Youtian: “…Selling things, and you can sing praises like this?”

Several nearby small stall owners were also astonished: “This young lady is amazing! She may be a newcomer, but she’s so skilled and experienced.”

At this point, Sang Luo had already balanced a small piece of fairy tofu on a leaf, which she held in one hand along with a wooden spoon. Each spoonful of tofu was neatly placed on the clean and fresh green leaf. She first handed it to the old man selling malt sugar closest to her, saying, “Uncle, it’s our first day selling, fresh food for tasting. Give it a try.”

The old man was dumbfounded, unsure whether to accept or decline. If he accepted, would he have to pay two cents for it?

Sang Luo seemed to understand the old man’s thoughts and smiled, “Free taste of a small piece. Two cents will get you quite a large piece, so feel free to taste.”

After saying that, she handed the item over.

A free taste… this was the first time the old man encountered such a good thing at his stall, so he hesitated and finally accepted it.

Sang Luo swiftly scooped another piece and handed it to the old lady, who had been the first to inquire, “Auntie, you should try it too.”

The old lady hesitated and looked at her, “Really free?”

Sang Luo smiled, “Yes!”

Hearing that it was free, several nearby stall owners exchanged glances. Some were tempted, some just shuffled their feet, and some, being reserved, stayed put. But a bold and decisive tall man walked straight to Sang Luo’s stall and said, “Miss, give me a piece to taste.”

“Sure!”

She scooped up a piece of fairy tofu and handed it over on a leaf.

The tall man immediately put it in his mouth, chewed, and his eyes lit up.

Sang Luo smiled, “Brother, how does the fairy tofu taste?”

The man nodded, “It’s good. It should be delicious even with a salty taste.”

He leaned over to look into the bucket where Sang Luo had put the fairy tofu and asked, “How big is a two-cent piece?”

Sang Luo reached into the bucket and grabbed a piece larger than her palm. She smiled and said, “Brother, you can cut it yourself when you take it back. It’s enough to make a dish.”

The man was quite satisfied with the quantity and readily agreed, “Alright, give me one.”

“Sure!”

Sang Luo’s voice sounded especially cheerful. This was a great start!

Shen Ning was so excited that she took out a lotus leaf from her basket and handed it over. Sang Luo took it, placed the piece of fairy tofu in her hand onto the lotus leaf, then bent down to scoop out another small piece from the bucket to add to it. With a beaming smile, she said, “Brother, thank you for supporting our opening day. Here’s a small piece as a token of appreciation.”

The man didn’t expect such a good deal and thanked Sang Luo with a smile, pulling out two cents from his pocket and handing them to her.

Sang Luo gestured for Shen An to take it and handed the two pieces of fairy tofu wrapped in the lotus leaf to the man, saying, “Enjoy your meal. Come back next time.”

The man nodded, took the wrapped fairy tofu, and returned to his own stall.

Shen An and Shen Ning were ecstatic, with Shen An holding the two cents in her hand, trembling with excitement. “Big sister-in-law, did we really make money?”

Sang Luo smiled, “The money is in your hands, isn’t it? Why wouldn’t you believe it?”

“I believe! I believe!” Shen An was thrilled, looking at the money in her hand and asking Sang Luo, “Big sister-in-law, where should we put this money?”

Sang Luo didn’t have time to explain, so she just gestured to her, “You hold onto it for now.”

Sang Luo thought to herself, ‘So they trust me this much!’

Shen An’s eyes sparkled, “Big sister-in-law, I’ll take good care of it!”