"Eat to your heart's content. I went into the Mountains again this morning, and I was lucky enough to hunt a few wild pheasants. I picked up the eggs in the grass."
Father Xu, walking in from outside, held a basin and handed her a wrung-out cloth.
"Why don't you wash up first before eating? There's no rush, it's still early. Your Eldest Sister has already prepared the Chestnuts for you; you just need to stir-fry them after you finish eating."
Xu Jianing took the egg and pressed it into Father Xu's hand. "Father, you've been busy all morning. You eat this egg. I don't really like this stuff anyway. Just having some thin gruel is fine for me."
"How can that be allowed? You two are growing right now. Now that our family has money, we must eat well. I'm not hungry. If I really am hungry later, we can go to the Town and buy a few Meat Buns to try."
Although Father Xu said this with a smile, Xu Jianing still felt a pang of sadness.
She knew that her Father was only saying this so that she could eat the egg without worry.
If she kept arguing, it would seem overly sentimental. She used the kitchen knife to divide the egg into three pieces and handed them over. "When spring comes next year, we'll buy a whole bunch of small chickens. Once they grow up, we'll have endless eggs."
Father Xu smiled and nodded, taking the egg and eating it in a few bites.
Half an hour later, the group finally set off.
This was Xu Jianing's first time leaving the village. Sitting on Uncle Jingde's small Ox cart, she looked around curiously, constantly asking, "Father, are there many people in the Town? Where are we going to set up our stall later?"
"This..." This question truly stumped Father Xu.
Truthfully, he hadn't been to the Town that many times. Each time was a quick trip there and a quick return. He had never properly looked around.
"Ask me about this! I'm more familiar with the Town than your father is. Ning'er Girl, what do you want to sell? Let me see where would be suitable."
Xu Jianing quickly grabbed a handful of Chestnuts from the basket and handed them to Uncle Jingde. "Uncle, please try these. This is the Sugar-fried Chestnuts I just made. I only want to sell this snack. Where do you think would be a good place to set up?"
"You don't need this many; just one for me to try is enough. It smells quite fragrant, and it tastes soft and sticky—quite good. This Girl is skillful. Go to East City Road; there are many places to eat there, so it will sell well."
"Alright, we'll listen to you, Uncle. Uncle, did my father tell you? After we sell these things, we still need to buy some other items, so I'll trouble you to wait a little longer. I'll bring you a Steamed Bun later, hehe..."
"Haha, you are too polite, Girl. Brother Dongyang, this Girl has changed; she is capable. You are blessed."
Being praised, Father Xu felt delighted. He also thought his Girl was very capable. If Eldest Girl could also return to normal, his life would be perfect.
The group chatted and laughed, and soon they arrived at the entrance to the Town.
After Uncle Jingde parked the Ox cart, he took the father and daughter to the market on East City Road.
After dropping them off, he left.
It was still very early, but many Empty plot of lands were already occupied.
After inquiring, they learned that setting up a stall here didn't require any fees; you just needed to arrive early.
However, fixed spots, meaning marked areas, could not be used arbitrarily for setting up stalls.
After understanding the rules, they chose a central spot and prepared to start their business.
This was Xu Jianing's first time setting up a stall, and she was a bit nervous.
She didn't know how to start speaking, and the other two didn't know what to do either. The three of them stood there staring blankly at each other, just standing there.
The uncle selling Pork nearby suddenly burst out laughing. "Brother, you have to call out your wares, or no one will know what you're selling. Are you too embarrassed? Here, let this old brother demonstrate one for you. Watch closely!"
"Ahem, folks, neighbors, come take a look! Pork, fresh Pork! If it's not fresh, you don't pay!"
The uncle selling Pork finished his shout and then said, "Brother, did you see clearly?"
Seeing Father Xu blushing and remaining silent, he couldn't help but shake his head. "Sigh, you won't succeed just by looking like that. Little Girl, you try."
Xu Jianing sighed, rubbing her forehead. She lowered her head, lifted the cloth covering the basket, and smiled kindly at the Pork seller. "How should I address you, Uncle? Thank you for the guidance."
"No problem, no problem. They call me Old Wang. You can just call me Uncle Wang! I can tell you are setting up a stall for the first time. You'll get used to it after a few times."
Xu Jianing sweetly called out "Uncle Wang," then grabbed another handful of Chestnuts from the basket and handed them to him.
"Uncle Wang, this is a local specialty we made ourselves; it's called Sugar-fried Chestnuts. Please take some to try. I hope you'll look out for us in the future."
Uncle Wang smiled. He patted Father Xu's shoulder and started talking, "Brother, you have good fortune! You can tell this Girl is sharp; she's a good hand at business. You just wait to enjoy life! Girl, you don't need this many; just try a few."
In front of an Outsider, Father Xu rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Brother Wang is joking. The child is just playing around. Don't be polite; please take them all. They aren't anything valuable."
After some polite back-and-forth, Uncle Wang finally accepted them and began tasting them carefully. "Girl, these Chestnuts of yours are really good. I happen to be free right now, so I'll help you sell them."
Uncle Wang ate a few while shouting loudly, "Come, come, come try them! Fresh Honey Chestnuts, sweet and sticky! Good for all ages, don't miss out!"
His calls attracted quite a crowd.
Someone familiar asked with a smile, "Hey Old Wang, aren't you selling your Pork anymore? Why are you selling Chestnuts now? Are they tasty? Give me one to try."
Uncle Wang wasn't annoyed. He took a few from his hand and distributed them to the people nearby, unable to resist advertising, "This is my relative, setting up a stall for the first time. Once you've tasted them, don't forget to buy some more; they are genuinely quite good."
Those who tasted them all praised them highly.
Xu Jianing took the opportunity to speak up, "Uncles and Aunts, this thing really isn't expensive—three Wen for a large bowl. See, this is how big the bowl is; you definitely won't lose out."
After speaking, she held up the bowl in her hand. Many people saw that the bowl was quite full and quickly handed over money, preparing to take some home.
Fearing mistakes, Xu Jianing added tactfully, "Please line up, Uncles and Aunts. This is our first time doing business, so we don't make errors."
Very quickly, those people consciously formed a line.
Xu Jianing collected the money, Father Xu helped fill the bowls, and Eldest Sister stood nearby watching the crowd, worried someone might take advantage of them.
The family members were all busy, and soon the entire large basket of Chestnuts was sold out.
Feeling her Purse getting heavier, Xu Jianing really wanted to find a place to count the money properly.
However, she didn't need to count because, with her ability to never forget what she saw, she remembered correctly that they would earn a total of three hundred Wen.
She hadn't expected their first trial run at setting up a stall to be such a success.