Those who reacted quickly had already taken out money to buy a bowl and returned to buy porridge.
In no time, Su Zhen’s porridge stall was bustling again, and the bowl seller’s stall also became lively.
Before long, all three double-eared jars were empty. Su Zhen handed the last bowl of porridge to a customer and said cheerfully to the others waiting, “Aunties and grannies, we’ve sold out of porridge today. I’ll be back tomorrow—how about you come back then to buy some?”
After waiting for so long without getting any, everyone couldn’t help but complain a little, especially those who had gone home specifically to fetch a bowl and returned, sighing and feeling extremely frustrated.
Still, good business meant Su Zhen’s nutritious porridge tasted great. Hearing she’d be back tomorrow, everyone grumbled a bit before dispersing.
Su Anyu busied himself packing the jars into the basket, while Su Zhen tucked away the heavy coin pouch, listening to the jingling inside, her eyebrows practically dancing with joy.
“Sis, I counted just now—we sold sixty-three bowls of porridge in total!”
Su Anyu leaned in and whispered into his sister’s ear.
Sixty-three bowls! That meant sixty-three times ten copper coins! On their very first day of setting up the stall, they had already earned back all the capital they invested yesterday. How thrilling!
Su Zhen hadn’t expected her brother to have carefully counted the bowls, marveling at his sharp memory and delighted by his change.
“Here, these five copper coins are for you—you worked hard today!”
Su Zhen fished five copper coins from the pouch and pressed them into her brother’s palm.
Su Anyu had never had his own money in all his years. His palm felt as if it had been scalded, a mix of excitement and joy.
But it lasted only a moment before he obediently placed the coins back into the pouch. “Sis, earning money to support the family isn’t your burden alone. I’m part of the family too—we should work and endure hardships together!”
Besides, the family still had a five-tael silver debt to repay—how could he accept money from his sister?
Su Zhen didn’t insist. She was heartened by her brother’s maturity. She’d use the money later to buy some small snacks, which he could share with the friends who helped cut the bamboo sections.
Suddenly remembering something, Su Zhen immediately looked across the way and spotted a man selling pots and bowls happily counting the copper coins he’d just earned.
Noticing Su Zhen’s gaze, the man looked up and grinned. “Little girl, thank you so much! If it weren’t for your porridge, I wouldn’t have sold any bowls today!”
He’d been setting up his stall here for quite a while, but selling over thirty bowls in one go like today was a first!
Su Zhen smiled back. “Uncle, you’re the clever one—you deserve to earn this money!”
The man was taken aback, then laughed even louder, joined by chuckles from the neighboring stalls.
Su Zhen was puzzled. Had she said something wrong?
It was the auntie selling pickled vegetables next door who cleared things up. “Girl, Brother Qiangzi is just in his early twenties, only a few years older than you. You should call him ‘big brother.’”
Early twenties?
Su Zhen felt a bit embarrassed. It wasn’t her fault for calling him wrong—Qian Daqiang had white hair at his temples, and after years of exposure to wind and sun, his skin was somewhat rough, making him look indeed like an uncle.
Qian Daqiang scratched his head and waved it off with a laugh. “Don’t blame yourself for getting it wrong, little sister. My hair turned white early. My dad didn’t get white hair until he was almost forty, but mine started when I was just twenty. There are even kids who call me ‘grandpa’—haha!”
He wasn’t even married yet, hadn’t become a father, yet he was already a grandfather—who would believe it if word got out?
Su Zhen could hear the helplessness and faint sorrow in Qian Daqiang’s laughter and felt some sympathy for him.
However, premature graying was also a kind of ailment, and it could be treated with some medicine. But Su Zhen didn’t say this out loud. After all, it was only their first meeting. Once they became more familiar in the future, she could help him.
On the other side, the old man selling woven baskets chimed in: “There are plenty of young people with white hair these days. I’ve seen many students at the school with white hair before. At first, I thought they were just older, but later I found out it was all from studying and exhaustion!”
The group continued discussing the students’ studies, but Su Zhen wasn’t listening anymore. She had already come up with the idea of setting up a stall outside the school to sell nourishing soup.
That was a school, after all. In these times, not just anyone could afford to study. Without some money at home, one truly couldn’t afford an education.
Students’ money was still easy to earn.
Su Zhen picked out three small pots from Qian Daqiang’s stall. Tomorrow, when cooking porridge, she wouldn’t have to borrow small stoves and pots from everywhere.
A small pot cost eighteen wen, but Qian Daqiang, grateful for the customers she had brought that day, charged her sixteen wen each. He also earnestly invited her to continue selling porridge at his stall in the future.
To be honest, this stall location was a bit out of the way and not ideal for business. But since her first day of selling had been so successful, Su Zhen felt this place brought good fortune and readily agreed.
With a basket on her back and small pots in her arms, the two sisters slowly made their way home.
They had arrived in town mid-morning, and by the time they sold all the porridge, it was barely lunchtime. If they hurried, they could go back and cook another pot of porridge to sell out before dinner.
But this thought only flashed through her mind before Su Zhen dismissed it.
Su Village wasn’t exactly close to Ping’an Town. There were no ox-carts back to the village in the evening, and it wouldn’t be safe for two children to travel alone.
If they could open a shop in town in the future, selling porridge three times a day wouldn’t be a problem, let alone just in the evening.
A shop… I wonder how much it would cost to rent one?
As she walked, she glanced left and right at the shops along the road, silently calculating in her mind.
The two caught the ox-cart back to the village at the town gate. Eager to get home for lunch, they didn’t hesitate to spend the two wen and rode the cart back.
Mrs. Song had been busy all morning. Just as she set lunch on the table, she saw the two children running excitedly into the house.
Su Zhen mysteriously pulled her into the room, took out the money pouch from the basket, and gave it a shake.
Clatter!
Copper coins rained down like a downpour, covering the entire kang.
“This… this is…”
Mrs. Song didn’t dare to ask further. She had hoped her daughter’s nutritious porridge would earn money, but she never dreamed it would earn this much!
Su Zhen grinned and nodded repeatedly.
Su Anyu and A-Qiao also crowded around: “Mother, this is all the money we earned today! Hurry and count how much there is! Sister and I were afraid of being robbed, so we didn’t dare count it!”
A-Qiao also stared at her eagerly, her big eyes holding only two words: count money.
Mrs. Song’s mind went blank, her hands and feet moving mechanically as she picked up the copper coins one by one to count them.
She counted slowly, and none of the three children urged her on. They all sat quietly nearby, watching. At first, they silently counted along in their minds, but by the end, all three were softly counting along with Mrs. Song.
“Five hundred sixty-eight, five hundred sixty-nine, five hundred seventy, five hundred seventy-one!”
When she counted the last copper coin, Mrs. Song finally couldn’t hold back any longer. Covering her face, she let out a low sob.
The children could truly earn money now. Even if her husband was gone, even if they had been driven out by the Su family, the four of them wouldn’t starve to death!