16:Forging Wok[1]iron griddle jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2258963_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2258963_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Having expended so much energy tilling the soil, Tao Qinghe slept soundly through the night, waking only when the village rooster crowed. Seeing that dawn was breaking and the sky was already ablaze with the morning glow, she hurried to get to work.
After the three of them had finished their simple wash, Tao Qinghe picked up her wooden basket and went out, whilst the other two prepared to knead the dough and roll out the pastry.
Taking yesterday’s sales into account, she decided to make a larger batch. By the time it was fully light, she had slung the basket over her shoulder and set off with twenty-five pastries.
Although the July weather was stiflingly hot, the thought of earning money soon spurred Tao Qinghe on, and she quickened her pace.
Arriving once more at the street where food was sold, she was brimming with enthusiasm. Taking advantage of the bustling crowd, she raised her voice and called out, “Crispy pastries that melt in your mouth, just four coins a piece. Try before you buy—one bite and you’ll be all smiles!”
Regardless of the looks she received from passers-by, she continued to hawk her goods with boundless energy as she walked. The stifling summer street seemed to be roused by the young girl’s voice, and the sleepy stallholders began to join in the hawking.
Perhaps drawn by the lively tone, it wasn’t long before a well-dressed woman of striking beauty came walking towards the sound. She took a good look around before asking, “What sort of pastries are you selling, young lady?”
“Mouthful of Fragrance, a thousand-layered pastry—the aroma fills your mouth and reaches your stomach.” Seeing someone approach, Tao Qinghe hastily produced the sample pack again. “Sister, do try a bite first—no charge. If it suits your taste, you can buy some then.” She looked at the woman with a beaming smile.
“You’re actually letting people try before they buy?” the woman asked in surprise. “That’s a rather bold approach. Aren’t you afraid people might just eat them and not buy any?”
“My pastries are truly one-of-a-kind,” Tao Qinghe replied, her tone brimming with confidence. “If you try them today and don’t buy any, you’ll surely come back to buy some tomorrow.”
The woman was amused by her words and picked up a piece of pastry to savour it carefully. “No wonder you’re so bold. These pastries are rather ingenious,” she couldn’t help but praise after tasting them.
“Once you’re out of the county town, you won’t find pastries this delicious anywhere else. Why not buy a few? If you buy five, I’ll knock a copper off the price.”
“Hmm… I’ll take five then.”
“Right then. If you like them, please do come back and support my business in future.” As she spoke, Tao Qinghe had already wrapped the pastries tightly and handed them over.
“You’re quite the little chatterbox,” the woman remarked, finding the girl before her rather amusing. She asked, “You look quite unfamiliar. Where are you from?”
“I’m from Dongtou Village. Have you heard of it, sister?”
“I’m not sure, but we’re close to Huailing Prefecture here, and many people travel that way. You’re really missing out by selling these pastries in the county town.” Seeing that the young girl was rather endearing, the woman offered her some advice.
“Huailing Prefecture?” Tao Dalang seemed to have travelled there often in his lifetime; she hadn’t realised it was so close to the county town. She replied earnestly, “Thank you for the advice, sister. When I have some free time in a few days, I shall certainly go and have a look.”
Seeing that the young girl had grasped the implication of her words, the woman said no more, took the pastries, and left.
Having just enjoyed a successful start to the day, Tao Qinghe put the matter aside for the moment and, riding the wave of good fortune, began hawking her wares once more. Yet as she walked along, the situation was much the same as yesterday: many people sampled the pastries, but almost none bought them after tasting. Having finished her rounds on this street, she looked around and decided to try her luck in the alleyways.
Although Baiyi County looked rather run-down, the town’s layout was actually quite well-planned—at least far better than the haphazardly built houses in the countryside. As Tao Qinghe walked through the narrow lanes, her voice calling out ceaselessly, she couldn’t help but make the comparison in her mind.
Just as she turned a corner, a woman sweeping the ground came into view. She quickened her pace and approached, saying, “ ‘Miss, would you like to buy some pastries? My pastries are sweet and delicious—once you’ve had one, you’ll want another.’
The woman had been carefully sweeping the entrance to her home; upon hearing the voice, she looked up to see a young girl selling goods. She sized her up—noting that the girl looked reasonably clean—before asking, “What flavours do you have?”
“You’re clearly a connoisseur. These have a sweet filling and a crispy, flaky pastry. One bite and the aroma will have you wanting more!”
“You’ve got quite the way with words,” the woman remarked in surprise; it was rare for a country girl to speak so boldly. “How much are they?”
“Four coins apiece. Buy five and I’ll knock a coin off. You can try one first before you buy.” As she spoke, she handed the sample over to the woman.
Having tasted it, the woman nodded repeatedly; they were no worse than those from the Zhou family’s pastry shop. She said, “Give me five to try.”
Tao Qinghe agreed. Just as she picked up a bamboo leaf to wrap the pastries, the woman hurriedly stopped her. “Wait! I’ll go inside and fetch some bowls and plates to serve them on.” With that, she turned and walked into the courtyard.
Tao Qinghe didn’t care whether she’d been snubbed or not; as long as she could sell the pastries, none of that mattered. She simply stood there waiting quietly. When the woman returned with the pastries neatly arranged, she added, “If you like them, I’ll come back here to sell them in future.”
The woman merely acknowledged her without saying anything else. Tao Qinghe did not wish to impose further; she took the money and walked on to the next crossroads.
After winding her way through the neighbourhood, having covered all the nearby alleys, she had already sold two-thirds of the pastries she’d brought. Seeing that there weren’t many left, she resorted to her old trick and went back to stake out the area near the pastry shop. And so, as the afternoon wore on, Tao Qinghe sold the rest of her pastries for the day. With a bag full of copper coins, she made her way towards the blacksmith’s shop.
‘Clang! Clang!’ As the sound grew louder, Tao Qinghe had reached the smithy. It appeared to be a father and son, each holding a hammer and striking at something; beside them, the flames blazed high, baking them until their faces were flushed red and they were drenched in sweat.
Noticing someone approaching, the pair paused their work. Tao Qinghe seized the opportunity to ask loudly, “Do you have any iron woks for sale?”
The older blacksmith raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow and replied, “We don’t use these very often. If you wish to buy one, it will take three days to get it ready.”
“How much does it cost?” she asked again.
“It depends on the size you’re after, young lady. The smallest is no more than three and ten coins,” he said, gesturing roughly with his hand before adding, “Larger ones will naturally cost more.”
Tao Qinghe watched his gesture and understood. She reckoned the smallest one would be about the same size as the one Auntie Li had, capable of baking a dozen or so pastries at a time. After a moment’s thought, she decided that this size would do for the time being, and asked, “If I take the smallest one, shall I come back in three days to collect it?”
“You’ll need to come back in three days, but you’ll have to pay a deposit of twenty coins today,” the blacksmith replied.
Tao Qinghe pondered briefly before making up her mind. Kitchen utensils were best acquired early; one couldn’t keep borrowing them from others indefinitely. She spoke again: “That price is a bit steep. Could you knock a bit off?”
The blacksmith merely shook his head, gulped down a mouthful of water, and replied: “ “Iron’s now forty cash a catty; making these iron ladles doesn’t bring in much profit.”
“Could you knock off ten coins to make it an even number…” No sooner had the words left her mouth than she added, “To be honest, I’ve just split from my family and have plenty of things to buy. If you offer a fair price, I’ll come to you for all my purchases in future.”
The blacksmith merely chuckled at her words. “I’m the only blacksmith in the whole county. If you were to go to Huailing Prefecture to buy one, I’m afraid it would cost you even more.”
“That’s precisely why I’m not going to Huailing Prefecture—because I know your work is the best, sir.” Tao Qinghe, though her pretence had been seen through, remained unfazed as she spoke.
“Never mind, never mind,” the blacksmith waved his hand and added, “I’ll knock five coins off the price for you. If you’re happy with that, you can pay a deposit now and come back in three days to collect it.”
Seeing that further haggling was futile, Tao Qinghe had no choice but to agree. After paying the deposit and arranging a time, she simply had to wait until three days later to return.
Having ordered the iron griddle, Tao Qinghe realised there wasn’t much sugar or oil left at home, so she turned and went to the general store to buy a pound of sugar. When she went to the butcher’s, however, the meat had already sold out, so she had no choice but to come back early the next morning to place an order.
Having finished these errands, Tao Qinghe hurried home with the sugar.
As she watched the little cottage draw nearer and saw the clothes drying in the courtyard, Tao Qinghe was suddenly overcome by a sense of belonging. She quickened her pace and was home in no time.
As soon as she entered the house, Tao Qingmiao put down what she was carrying and brought a bowl of lukewarm water to her elder sister. Tao Qinghe took it with a smile and asked, “What are you doing?” A large bundle of grass lay on the floor, and Zhao Liniang appeared to be sorting through it.
“The rushes I brought back this morning,” Zhao Liniang replied with a worried look. “Our house isn’t very warm in winter, so I’m weaving some rush mats to have ready.”
Tao Qinghe nodded and sat down to help. It was indeed a matter of great importance; without other means of heating, one could freeze to death in winter. However, as the pastry business had only just begun, she still needed to make the most of her time to save up some money to survive!
Yet, no matter how desperate she was for money, it wasn’t something that could be earned on a whim. She had to gather her thoughts and, mustering her spirits, said: “ “Today’s pastries brought in nearly a hundred coins, and the net profit was more than half of that. If every day is like this, we’ll certainly be able to buy some warm clothes before winter.”
Hearing this, Tao Qingmiao jumped to her feet. “Big Sister, you’re amazing! You’ve earned even more than yesterday!” She looked at her sister with excitement. “If we make a few more tomorrow, might we earn even more?”
“I’m afraid we won’t make much more than this.” After all, pastries weren’t a necessity; only those with spare cash or visiting relatives and friends would buy them. Besides, Baiyi County was simply too small; purchasing power couldn’t be all that high.
“Ah, money isn’t that easy to come by,” Zhao Liniang said, sorting through the rushes in her hands. “In years past, your father had no choice but to go to the prefectural capital to sell flowers.”
The prefectural capital? Could it be Huailing Prefecture?
Tao Qinghe asked her, “Have you ever been to Huailing Prefecture? How does it compare to Baiyi County?”
“I’ve never been there,” Zhao Liniang shook her head. “It’s only when your father needs to get hold of some rare goods that he goes there; it seems to be much better than the county town.”
“Is it far from here?” Tao Qinghe pressed further.
“I’m not quite sure,” Zhao Liniang pondered for a moment, then added, “Your Uncle Li has been there; he should know.”
Tao Qinghe felt a surge of excitement. If she could go to a livelier place to sell pastries, she would surely earn much more money every day!
“I went to the blacksmith’s today and bought an iron griddle. It’s not right to keep using Auntie Li’s things all the time,” Tao Qinghe said.
“I suppose that must have cost quite a bit?” Zhao Liniang’s heart skipped a beat.
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