Behind the tall rosewood counter, a middle-aged shopkeeper was clattering away on an abacus. Upon hearing the words “bean sprouts,” he came forward to take a look, then directly reserved ten catties of soybean sprouts and ten catties of mung bean sprouts, promptly paying seventy copper coins.
Li Qiushuang clutched the string of copper coins, her hands trembling with joy as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
Tang Tian, however, felt things had gone too smoothly. She tugged at Li Tie and pleaded, “Uncle Li Si, could you ask who the owner behind this restaurant is? Since they were the first to buy our bean sprouts, we shouldn’t forget to repay their kindness in the future.”
Li Tie, who often hunted in the mountains and sold his game in the city, was no stranger to dealing with people. Using the excuse of needing to relieve himself, he walked off.
Tang Tian and her mother pressed on, visiting another restaurant. This time, however, things did not go smoothly.
The shopkeeper didn’t even bother to look at the bean sprouts. As soon as he heard they were sprouted from soybeans, his face turned cold, and he shooed them away.
“Where are you people from? Do you have a grudge against our restaurant? Soybeans are fed to livestock! If others find out we’re serving them at the table, I’ll be cursed to death!”
“No, shopkeeper, although bean sprouts are sprouted from soybeans, they won’t upset your stomach. And there are also mung bean sprouts…” Li Qiushuang hurriedly explained, but the shopkeeper refused to listen. With an extremely impatient expression, he called over a young assistant to drive them out.
Tang Tian, being small and short-legged, nearly tripped over the doorstep.
Li Qiushuang quickly pulled her daughter up, but the basket of bean sprouts she was carrying in her other hand tilted, spilling quite a few. She had no time to worry about that.
It was only when Second Grandpa Li and Li Jin stepped in to help that the two assistants, grumbling and cursing, finally went back inside.
Tang Chuan, watching anxiously from the cart, was about to get down when Third Grandma Tang stopped him. Worried that Li Qiushuang and her children might be disheartened, she quickly reassured them, “Don’t be afraid. In the past, soybeans did cause a lot of suffering, so it’s no surprise people don’t believe us. There are still plenty of small eateries and food stalls—we’ll just have to ask around slowly.”
Li Qiushuang felt a pang of regret seeing the spilled bean sprouts kicked into a corner, but thinking of her two sons waiting on the cart for medical treatment and her four-year-old daughter, she forced herself to cheer up and said with a smile, “Third Grandma is right. Let’s try somewhere else. At worst, we can give away a few catties for them to taste. Once they try it and like it, they’ll change their minds.”
The group pulled the cart further down the street, but the greater their hopes, the deeper their disappointment.
Near the end of the street, there were three or four small taverns and food stalls. However, after four years of famine, only the wealthy still had the means to dine out—ordinary folks could barely scrape together enough for basic sustenance.
Occasionally, when someone needed to ask for a favor, they might visit such small taverns or food stalls to order a couple of dishes, or sometimes just a bowl of wontons to get by.
On some days, these small eateries and food stalls might not see a single customer if luck wasn’t on their side. Even if they wanted to introduce new dishes, they couldn’t afford to invest the money or take the risk.
Feeling helpless, Li Qiushuang gritted her teeth and gave away ten catties of bean sprouts to each establishment, hoping for a chance.
Unfortunately, the small proprietors or their wives smiled as they accepted the bean sprouts, only to set them aside by the door—clearly with no intention of trying them…
Faced with this situation, even Tang Tian felt disheartened.
They had brought a hundred catties of bean sprouts: twenty catties were given to the county office and the grocery store, twenty catties to the small eateries and food stalls, twenty catties were sold, and in the end, forty catties still remained.
She had anticipated being swamped with orders, imagined every household clamoring to buy, but she never expected such a cold reception!
In the end, she had underestimated the devastating impact of four years of famine.
When people can’t even fill their bellies, who has the mind to try new things?
Similarly, Li Qiushuang was even more troubled.
Thinking about returning to face the villagers’ mockery and pointing fingers, and even having it reach Tang Dayong’s ears—imagining how he would gloat—her throat suddenly felt half-choked. Instinctively, she turned to her daughter for advice.
“Tang Bao’er, what should we do with all these bean sprouts?”
Tang Tian took a deep breath, thought carefully, and regained some confidence. She comforted her mother in a low voice.
“Mother, don’t overthink it. Perhaps it’s just not the right time yet. Once the heavy snow falls and every household runs out of vegetables, the bean sprouts will surely sell well. Besides, you’ve tasted them yourself and know how delicious they are. I guarantee others will crave more after trying them. Maybe repeat customers will come looking for them then.”
Third Grandma Tang and Second Grandpa Li, who were listening nearby, chimed in to support her.
“Yes, Tang Bao’er is right. It must just be bad timing.”
“Let’s take the remaining ones back. Even if no one else wants them, I’ll definitely give them a try! I’ve been craving them all the way here.”
With this reassurance, Li Qiushuang finally managed a smile.
Just then, Doctor Cui emerged from the pharmacy across the street. Spotting the group by the roadside, he came over to greet them.
Li Qiushuang hurriedly took Tang Chuan and Tang Hai to get medicine and acupuncture.
Just as Tang Hai’s head was once again covered in needles like a hedgehog, Li Tie returned.
Second Grandpa Li, thinking his son had been slacking off, scolded him sharply.
Li Tie smiled sheepishly and didn’t argue back. After his father finished berating him, he quietly found Tang Tian and said, “Tang Bao’er, Fourth Uncle got some information for you. The manager of Meiwei Ju is surnamed Tian. They say he’s a clansman of that Master Tian from the county magistrate’s office. In fact, the real owner behind the restaurant is that very Master Tian!”
Tang Tian’s eyes lit up. No wonder the manager of Meiwei Ju had so readily bought the bean sprouts earlier—it must have been on Master Tian’s orders.
They really owed their luck to him today; otherwise, they might have returned completely empty-handed…
As the sun began to set, the number of people loitering at the entrance of Tangjia Fort noticeably increased.
Young and old alike craned their necks, peering down the road. When they finally caught sight of the cart, everyone couldn’t resist crowding around.
Second Grandma Li was the first to eagerly ask, “Old man, did you sell that bean sprout thing? How much did you get for it?”
Second Grandpa Li glared fiercely at his wife. He wanted to scold her but held back out of respect for her dignity, only snorting coldly. “You’re always sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, meddling in others’ affairs!”
Second Grandma Li looked embarrassed and didn’t dare say more, but Zhang Shitou’s wife couldn’t resist. She pushed aside the baskets on the cart, revealing the tender white bean sprouts inside.
As if vindicating years of injustice, she crowed triumphantly.
“Oh my, so many bean sprouts left unsold! Sister Qiushuang was boasting about running a business, but it’s all a scam! Let’s be honest—we can understand if Sister Qiushuang has some connection with the grocery store manager. After all, it’s been years without a man to warm her bed. It’s no surprise if she can’t hold out…”
“Shut your filthy mouth!” Third Grandma Tang couldn’t bear to listen any longer and was the first to testify for Li Qiushuang. “Li Er Shu and I followed the whole situation from start to finish. We saw the grocery store owner with our own eyes – he didn’t even glance twice at Qiushuang! They’re completely innocent! If you dare spew such filth again, I’ll break your legs!”
Zhang Shitou’s wife, convinced she had caught them red-handed, had no intention of backing down. She simply threw herself on the ground and began rolling around, making a scene!
“Oh, everyone come look! Even favoritism shouldn’t be this unreasonable! They’re all bullying us just because my husband isn’t surnamed Tang! She can flirt with men all she wants, but I can’t even speak the truth…”
Third Grandma Tang’s face turned livid with rage. Just as Second Grandpa Li stepped forward to speak, a carriage came galloping wildly from the distance. The driver on the carriage shaft was shouting something at the top of his lungs, inexplicably making everyone’s hearts tighten with apprehension!