“The chickens are fed…”
“The chickens are fed, Fifth Sister. The bowls and chopsticks you mentioned are washed and placed in the bamboo basket. When should we leave?”
Su Tao walked in from the doorway. Though dressed in coarse clothing, she was exceptionally beautiful—the prettiest among the three sisters of the Su Family. When she entered the room, it seemed to brighten instantly.
“Almost ready. Fourth Sister, check if the rice is cooked. If it is, scoop it into the wooden bucket and place it in the bamboo basket,” Su Li said, scooping the Feichang into an earthen basin while speaking to Su Tao.
After boiling and stir-frying, the ten catties of Feichang had shrunk significantly, filling only one earthen basin. Su Li scraped the last of the Feichang from the pan, gently tapping the spatula to shake off any clinging pieces, then poured water from the gourd ladle into the sizzling pan.
With a sizzle, Su Li quickly scrubbed the pan clean with a loofah sponge before it cooled, making it harder to clean. Her movements were swift and efficient—after cooking, the stove was left spotless, without a trace of grime.
Chen Shi, who had been ready to help, couldn’t help but marvel. Though her youngest daughter had only two hands like her, it felt as if she had eight. She was so capable that Chen Shi almost doubted this was the same delicate, shy girl from before.
“Mother, I searched all morning but couldn’t find the handcart at home. Could you look for it?” Su Li asked Chen Shi. Everything was prepared—they only needed this final piece.
Just yesterday, Su Li had been worrying about transportation. Carrying so many bowls, utensils, and food to Ma Tou by human power would have been exhausting. But while discussing with her mother, Chen Shi, they remembered there was a wheelbarrow at home—reportedly part of Chen Shi’s dowry, used to transport her belongings when she married. It had been idle for years (mainly because there was little use for it) and now happened to be perfect for their needs.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Chen Shi replied, “It’s in my room. Didn’t you see it?” With that, she turned and left the kitchen.
A wheelbarrow, as the name implies, has a single wheel and is assembled from wood, mainly used for transporting goods. The Su Family’s wheelbarrow was quite old and looked worn, but fortunately, Chen Shi tested it and found it still functional.
Chen Shi wiped it down with a dry cloth, dusting off the grime, then used a damp cloth to clean the handles and other dirty spots. Finally, holding the handles steady, she had Su Li and Su Tao work together to secure the bamboo baskets and back-baskets containing the food.
But this alone wasn’t enough. The village paths were rough and broken, even without rain, and only became smoother once they reached the stone-paved official road. So, they needed to reinforce the load.
They used rope—hemp cords as thick as a person’s finger—to tie the bamboo baskets securely to the wheelbarrow frame, fastening them with slipknots for stability.
Once everything was ready, the three of them set off on their journey to sell food.
After locking the door, Chen Shi specifically went to the village to ask her close friend Mo Shi to keep an eye on the chickens and prevent theft. Only then did they leave with peace of mind.
The journey proved truly arduous. At first, the cart was simply difficult to push, requiring particular skill. Once the mother and her two daughters mastered the technique, they frequently encountered muddy, nearly impassable roads. They had no choice but to proceed slowly and cautiously—one person steadying the cart from both ends while another pulled from the front.
The steep, undulating uphill stretches left the three of them utterly exhausted. Before they had even covered half the distance, their clothes were soaked with sweat.
“I’m so tired!” Su Tao couldn’t help but exclaim as she stared at the slope ahead. In the past, walking empty-handed, she had never realized how difficult the road was. Now, pushing the cart, she truly understood the strain.
Su Li wiped the sweat from her forehead, inwardly complaining incessantly. In her previous life, she had either driven herself or taken taxis when going out. Apart from hiking with friends, she had never walked such a long distance. Just moments ago, she couldn’t help but feel envious when she saw a village ox-cart carrying passengers pass by.
But envy was useless. The ox-cart cost two copper coins per person—six coins for the three of them. Their family was currently penniless, stretching every single coin as far as it could go. Where would they find extra money for an ox-cart? They could only watch others and indulge in a bit of longing.
“Once we get over this slope, it’ll be downhill. Let’s push harder.”
Chen Shi gritted her teeth and pushed the cart, with Su Li and Su Tao joining in to heave it upward. However, the more rushed they were, the more prone they were to mishaps—especially since the single-wheeled cart was unstable on both sides and easily tripped by stones or other obstacles. Sure enough, just as the cart was about to tip over from accidentally rolling over a loose stone, threatening to spill all the food onto the ground, a pair of rough, strong hands suddenly reached from behind and steadied the cart frame, saving the entire load of meals.
“Thank you, Brother Wang.” Chen Shi had nearly broken out in a cold sweat from the scare, terrified that all their hard work preparing the food would go to waste. After all, their family’s stored grain was already scarce, and the meal they had prepared today was enough to feed them for over ten days.
“No problem, no problem. Be careful—this road isn’t easy to navigate.” Wang Tie Zhu straightened the cart and reminded them, though his eyes involuntarily drifted toward the contents of the cart.
It looked like food? He and his son, walking behind the group, could smell the enticing aroma. It was incredibly fragrant. He wondered what the Su family planned to do with it.
Meanwhile, Chen Shi thanked him again. Although the Wang family lived next door, they were hunters who often went into the mountains and returned late at night, so the two families rarely interacted. She hadn’t expected the Wang father and son to be so helpful—quite contrary to their rough, burly appearances.
“Where are you headed?” Wang Tie Zhu asked curiously, extremely interested in what was on their cart. It was no wonder—early that morning, when he and his son returned from hunting, they had caught the rich, overpowering aroma coming from the Su family. The two had sadly made do with soaking half-cooked, cold rice in boiling water, spurred on by that tantalizing smell. It was a rather pitiful situation.
There was no reason to hide it, since they had decided to sell food and weren’t afraid of others knowing. “We made some food to sell at the Ma Tou.”
Food? For sale?
Wang Ergou, who was carrying a roe deer larger than himself, pricked up his ears upon overhearing the conversation between his father and their neighbor.
So the Su family next door actually made food to sell? Then what was the point of him eating that pig slop all this time? Huh?? Tell me!! What was the point!!
Wang Ergou instantly stared at the cart with burning eyes, swallowing his saliva while hoping his father would say something. It couldn’t be helped—the aroma kept drifting into his nose. It was so fragrant! What could possibly smell this good, even better than Xiang Man Lou’s dishes? Was it stewed mutton? Or stewed pork? He sniffed again but couldn’t tell, though it was definitely the scent of meat. He just didn’t know what kind.
Meanwhile, Wang Tie Zhu proved to be Wang Ergou’s biological father. Upon hearing Chen Shi’s words, he immediately asked what they were selling, his neck stretched so far it looked utterly ridiculous.
When he learned it was Huobao Feichang, he froze. “Feichang?”
Wasn’t that pig offal? That incredibly fragrant smell actually came from Feichang? Wang Tie Zhu found it hard to believe.
But there was no reason for them to lie to him. Finally, after asking where at the Ma Tou it was sold and the price, Wang Tie Zhu quickly left.
Watching the two burly men depart, Su Li couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy. Hunters really had it good—just look at the plump wild rabbits hanging at their waists and that deer-like animal weighing at least a hundred jin carried on their shoulders. It was obvious they could fetch a good price.
.
Returning to the matter at hand, due to the earlier incident, Chen Shi, Su Li, and the others proceeded very cautiously for the rest of the journey, arriving at the Ma Tou a bit later than planned.
Fortunately, Su Li ran into Shen Danniang, who had been selling goods with her the other day. Seeing Su Li, Shen Danniang quickly waved her over.
“Why are you so late today?” Shen Danniang moved her stool, basket, and charcoal aside to make space for Su Li to position the cart.
Over the past few days, thanks to her younger daughter’s introduction, Chen Shi had quickly become acquainted with Shen Shi while selling fruits. Smiling, Chen Shi asked, “The road was slippery after the rain. So, how are things today? Many boats? Business good?”
“Ah, about the same as yesterday. We always have some leftovers.”
As the weather heated up, mutton pancakes didn’t sell well. Shen Shi had grown accustomed to it, making only a small batch each day. During her free time, she’d find a spot to sit and doze off, placing the pancakes on the stove without adding charcoal, letting the residual heat slowly warm them. If someone came, she’d sell one; if not, she’d rest. Though she sometimes felt frustrated about unsold goods, there was nothing she could do.
This was exactly why she had warned Chen Shi and her daughter to mentally prepare when she first heard they planned to sell food here—in hot weather, it was just hard to sell.
“Thank you so much, Shen Danniang. Have you eaten lunch yet? Would you like to have some?” Su Li secured the cart, arranged all the food, bowls, and chopsticks, and then spoke to Shen Danniang.
“No, no, I just had a pancake. I’m not hungry.” Shen Danniang hurriedly waved her hands, too embarrassed to accept their food. Over the past few days, she had grown familiar with the Su family mother and daughter and knew that Su Li’s grandmother had broken her leg and was receiving treatment at the Yiguan, so they urgently needed money.
Seeing Shen Danniang’s refusal, Su Li didn’t press further. The sun was high overhead—it was already noon. The number of workers carrying sandbags and moving cargo at the Ma Tou had gradually decreased, while the crowds at nearby food stalls, like the wonton and steamed bun vendors, were growing. Even Shen Danniang’s stove had attracted a customer.
Seeing this, Su Li gathered her thoughts and began calling out, “Delicious meals, one meat and one vegetable dish for only ten coins. With meat and vegetables, generous portions to fill you up. Don’t miss out if you’re passing by.”
Just these few sentences left both Chen Shi and Su Tao stunned, the two of them momentarily frozen in place.
Was she really starting to hawk so boldly right away?
Although Su Tao had practiced with Su Li at home, when it came down to it, she opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.
Chen Shi was the same. Despite being much older than her daughter, she had never done street hawking before and felt a bit embarrassed for a moment.
Just as Chen Shi opened her mouth to try following along with the calls, a burly man dressed in coarse gray clothing walked over.