The pickles made at home by Wu Xinyan were usually just casually prepared. Aside from being salty and spicy, they barely had any flavor.
But the plate of pickles in front of them was completely different. The red and green colors contrasted beautifully, and the cucumber strips, marinated in soy sauce, looked especially appetizing. The shredded celtuce also appeared crisp and delicious.
Only after Grandma Qin had finished eating did she push the plate toward the center of the table and stand up to return to her room.
That gesture meant everyone else could start eating now.
Wu Xinyan had already been craving them, so she quickly picked up a piece of cucumber and put it into her mouth.
Wow! It was really delicious!
Not to be outdone, Ning Kun immediately grabbed a second bite.
Seeing the whole family eating so enthusiastically, Ning Guokang also picked up a piece.
Huh!
It tasted far better than he had expected.
“Xinyan, all these years, you’ve really wasted those pickles,” Ning Guokang couldn’t help remarking.
In return, Wu Xinyan pinched his arm hard.
“Fine then. From now on, I just won’t make pickles anymore. If we want some, we’ll buy them from her,” Wu Xinyan replied. She really wasn’t skilled at cooking anyway, and honestly didn’t want the extra work.
“Mom, I want to eat this again tomorrow,” Ning Kun said after finishing her porridge, still craving more of the pickles.
“Tell your dad to buy them,” Wu Xinyan said as she set down her bowl and headed off to work.
Afterward, Qin Suian also went to knock on Zhou Jinfeng’s door and brought a plate of pickles for her landlord as well.
Zhou Jinfeng had been quite curious about Qin Suian’s cooking skills, so she accepted them.
After taking one bite, she had to admit that Qin Suian truly wasn’t just fooling people by trying to make money with this. Even though she normally disliked heavily flavored food, she still couldn’t resist eating several more bites.
The next day, Qin Suian returned to the same spot in the market to set up her stall.
She again offered free samples, which attracted many people to come taste the pickles.
More than half of those who sampled them ended up buying at least one mao’s worth.
Business was even better than the previous day, and several returning customers showed up too, including Song Hongxia, the grocery shop owner from yesterday.
Yesterday, Song Hongxia had brought a large bowl of pickles home as an extra dish for the family meal, and unexpectedly everyone loved it. The bowl of pickles had been the very first thing finished.
Her mother had even specifically told her to buy another bowl for breakfast, since her precious grandson had eaten an extra half bowl of rice after trying the pickles yesterday.
So when Song Hongxia saw Qin Suian setting up her stall again, she immediately came over.
“Boss, two bowls please—one of each.”
Two bowls were enough for breakfast.
“Certainly, I’ll get them right away.” Having just finished setting up, Qin Suian accepted the bowl and began serving the pickles.
This time, she and Xiaojuan had each carried out two jars, so they wouldn’t need to make another trip home midway through the day.
By noon, the dock workers nearby became the main customers. In less than half an hour, the remaining pickles were completely sold out.
“Big sister, your pickles are seriously delicious. I even dreamed about them last night, so I came back again today,” said the talkative worker from yesterday as he bought another bowl of pickled cucumbers.
“As long as you like them! Come again tomorrow,” Qin Suian replied warmly, chatting easily with everyone.
“They’d be even better if they were spicier. Back where I’m from, we love spicy food. Ever since coming here, nothing tastes spicy enough,” another customer commented while buying a bowl of cucumbers.
She had come with her family to work on construction projects. Her husband was an official construction crew worker, and she herself had found temporary labor carrying sand by the Huaishan River.
Since she did heavy physical work, she preferred strong-flavored dishes to go with her meals.
Qin Suian’s pickles suited her taste perfectly—except the spice level wasn’t quite enough.
“Sure. Tomorrow I’ll prepare an extra jar with extra spice,” Qin Suian replied.
She had already heard at least three customers ask for something hotter.
That wasn’t difficult at all. She could simply pickle a separate jar.
“One jar probably won’t even be enough. Everyone in my family loves spicy food. Your current spice level is just mildly spicy—not nearly strong enough. When the time comes, I’ll buy several bowls so my family can really enjoy it,” the worker said with a laugh.
The two jars prepared for the afternoon also sold out before sunset.
As Qin Suian and Xiaojuan carried home the now-empty shoulder poles, they couldn’t hide the lightness and joy in their hearts.
When they got home, Xiaomei had already finished preparing dinner.
“I told you not to do so much work,” Qin Suian said, feeling distressed when she saw that Xiaomei had already washed and sliced all the celtuce and cucumbers meant for today’s pickling.
“It’s alright. This isn’t heavy work. I was bored anyway,” Xiaomei replied.
Ever since she had started eating properly and getting enough food, she felt much stronger. The frequent dizziness she used to experience had lessened as well.
She only did the work because she felt physically capable of handling it.
“Xiaomei, be good. Right now the most important thing for you is proper rest—for both you and the baby,” Qin Suian said gently.
She knew Xiaomei was simply too used to working hard. From childhood in the Wang family to later in the Li family, there had never been a single day when she didn’t work.
If she were truly left idle for a whole day, she wouldn’t know how to handle it.
At the root of it all, Xiaomei lacked security. She had no real vision for her future. As long as she kept herself busy and exhausted, she didn’t need to think about those frightening uncertainties.
“Xiaomei, I’ve already taught both you and Xiaojuan all my pickle-making skills. Right now we’re earning several yuan a day. Even if you two don’t eventually start businesses of your own and just work for me instead, you could still earn at least twenty or thirty yuan a month. Think about what that money could do for you.”
Qin Suian looked at her daughters, wanting them to realize they were capable of supporting themselves.
They didn’t need to feel lost or afraid about the future anymore.
As long as they could earn money themselves, everything became far less terrifying.
Neither Xiaomei nor Xiaojuan had ever imagined something like that before.
Working for Mom and earning twenty or thirty yuan a month?
Could they really become workers too?
Back then, their younger uncle had spent the family’s entire savings—and borrowed heavily besides—just to become a postal worker.
Wang Yaowen was the same. The family had spent a huge amount of money to get him into a factory as an apprentice, and even then his monthly salary was only eighteen yuan.
If selling pickles with Mom in the county town could also earn a salary…
Did that mean she might not have to return to the Li family?
Xiaomei’s heart pounded violently, as though something was about to burst out from her chest.
Xiaojuan’s eyes widened too. She was imagining that if she earned twenty yuan every month, wouldn’t she be able to eat until she was full every single day? Maybe even eat meat?
Back at the Wang family, the three of them never got to eat meat.
She craved it desperately.
“Mom, can I really become a worker?” Xiaojuan asked expectantly.
“As long as we work hard and slowly expand the business, once the income increases, we can pay you fixed wages. For now, though, I can probably only give you ten yuan a month first.” Since the business had just started, there were still many expenses. They needed to save up for a while before setting proper wages.
“Ten yuan is fine! Mom, teach me again how to cook that sauce.”
Previously, Xiaojuan had simply followed instructions and worked hard at whatever Qin Suian told her to do. She had learned seriously enough, but not with true passion or focus.
This time was different.
Now she truly wanted to learn properly and master how to make that sauce as soon as possible.