“However, I suggest waiting until after eighteen to marry,” Xiao Ying added. “Marrying too early isn’t actually good, especially for girls, when their bodies aren’t fully developed yet.”
“I’ll listen to Mother.”
Chen Xinghai quickly agreed. Mother knew best, so she must be right.
Xiao Ying smiled and patted his shoulder. “Of course, if you have a girl you like, you can tell me.”
“I don’t,” Chen Xinghai immediately shook his head.
“Hmm, then is there anything you enjoy doing?” Xiao Ying asked while picking lotus leaves.
Chen Xinghai looked puzzled. Something he enjoyed? He had never thought about that, since merely surviving was already difficult.
“I mean like doing business or studying, for example,” Xiao Ying hinted. “When our life improves, you can do what you want.”
“Does farming count?”
Chen Xinghai thought for a while but couldn’t come up with anything else.
The only thing he wanted to do now was farm the land well, so they would have food.
Xiao Ying chuckled. “Farming counts too. Never mind, there’s still plenty of time, you can think about it slowly.”
Chen Xinghai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and decided to think carefully when he had time, so as not to disappoint Mother.
The mother and son soon picked over a hundred lotus leaves. They picked a few here and there, so as not to strip the plants bare.
After gathering the lotus leaves, they went to pick reed leaves. These leaves were wide and long, perfect for wrapping the Potato and Egg Pancakes, and even carried a faint, fresh fragrance.
They collected another hundred reed leaves, then headed back to dry them, being careful not to let them dry out completely.
At noon, Xiao Ying and her two daughters made more Potato and Egg Pancakes and Tiancan Potatoes, mainly to practice their skills and strive to make them even tastier.
In the afternoon, they brought some for Chen Jin and his son to taste. Both father and son praised them highly.
Hearing that they planned to sell them in town, they felt sure they would fetch a good price.
Meanwhile, the two men worked quickly. By the end of the day, they had finished preparing both mu of Superior farmland and even helped sow the rice seeds in them.
In their view, it was better to first grow seedlings and transplant them later when the sprouts were ready.
But Xiao Ying found that too troublesome and didn’t want to do extra work, so she specifically asked them to sow the seeds sparsely.
The two mu of Inferior farmland were left for now. She planned to plant potatoes there in a few days.
That evening, Xiao Ying first planted potatoes in the one mu of Spiritual Field inside her Xianfu. Even with the help of a Magical Artifact, she was exhausted. She soaked in the Spiritual Spring Water and circulated her energy for several cycles before gradually recovering.
The next day, with the fields fully prepared, Xiao Ying began preparing the snacks.
She planned to make a hundred portions of each snack and store them in the Immortal Abode Space to prevent spoilage.
The family of four divided the tasks: Chen Xingyue washed the potatoes and tended the fire, Chen Xinghai peeled them, Chen Xingyun cut them into strips, and Xiao Ying was in charge of making the snacks.
By before noon, they had made a hundred portions of Tiancan Potatoes.
They were lightly fried in oil and set aside to cool, without adding seasoning. The dressing would be mixed in on the spot when someone bought them, to avoid them losing flavor.
In the afternoon, they made another hundred portions of Potato and Egg Pancakes. These pancakes were sizable, as big as the stuffed pies sold in town, with each pancake containing half an egg on average—truly good value.
Early the next morning, Xiao Ying set out with her three children.
With Chen Xinghai driving the cart, they no longer needed to ride with Zhao Qing, so they didn’t have to worry about timing their departure.
They arrived in town around eight in the morning when the weather was still relatively cool, yet the streets were already bustling with people.
Xiao Ying found a spot with high foot traffic and had Chen Xinghai stop there. This area was designated for street vendors—first come, first served, though a two-coin management fee was required.
After paying the fee, the family of four began setting up their stall.
Xiao Ying spread a clean cloth over the ox cart, then took out fifty portions each of Potato and Egg Pancake and Tiancan Potatoes, placing them in two separate clean basins.
She also prepared an empty basin for mixing ingredients later.
Lotus leaves, reed leaves, and a set of clean bowls and chopsticks were arranged nearby. At one end of the ox cart, a wooden board displayed two eye-catching lines:
Potato and Egg Pancake: 5 coins each
Tiancan Potatoes: 5 coins per portion
The characters were written by Chen Xinghai using charcoal. His late father had taught him some basic literacy—though he wasn’t scholarly material, he recognized several hundred common characters.
Having not written for a long time, the characters appeared somewhat crooked and messy, but no one minded.
Signage alone wasn’t enough, as many townsfolk were illiterate. The three siblings mustered their courage and began loudly hawking their goods.
“Come, come, take a look!”
“Respected elders, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters—don’t miss out as you pass by!”
“Delicious and sweet Potato and Egg Pancakes, only five coins each! Exquisite Tiancan Potatoes, also just five coins per portion!”
“Limited quantity—first come, first served!”
“The first five buyers pay only four coins! Just four coins for a taste of unparalleled deliciousness! What are you waiting for? Come take a look!”
The sales pitch was, of course, taught by Xiao Ying. The three siblings had memorized it thoroughly, feeling as though they’d gained a whole new perspective. Had they heard others promoting goods this way, they too would have been curious to investigate.
At first, the siblings felt somewhat reserved, especially Chen Xinghai and Chen Xingyun, who had spent their entire lives in the village and never done anything like this.
Chen Xingyue, however, was bolder and more straightforward by nature. She found the experience rather amusing and adapted more quickly.
After a few rounds of shouting, the three gradually grew more comfortable.
Undeniably, the advertising lines worked remarkably well. Within just a few calls, they had attracted several passersby.
“What are potatoes?”
A girl of about fifteen or sixteen asked curiously, her eyes shifting between the two basins as she noted the enticing aroma.
Seeing a potential customer, Xiao Ying stood up.
The girl’s clothing looked familiar—likely that of a maid from the town chief’s household. Xiao Ying’s heart stirred with anticipation.
“Potatoes are a new crop I discovered in the mountains. They taste wonderful! Would you like to sample a piece of Potato and Egg Pancake first?”
She promptly took out a Potato and Egg Pancake, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and handed the girl a pair of chopsticks.
The girl seemed intrigued. She picked up a piece and tasted it—her eyes immediately lit up.
“It’s delicious! A flavor I’ve never tasted before. How did you make this, auntie?”
After finishing one piece, she praised it enthusiastically and seemed eager for another.
Xiao Ying felt reassured. Even a maid from the town chief’s household praised it—a clear sign the flavor was truly exceptional.
“That’s my secret recipe! Would you like to buy one, miss?”
“Five coins each, right?”
“Correct.”
“Then give me five for now. If my master likes them, I’ll come back for more.”
To their surprise, she asked for five pieces right away. The three Chen siblings were overjoyed.
“Of course.”
Xiao Ying also revealed a faint smile and instructed Chen Xingyun to wrap them for her.
Chen Xingyun immediately took out two reed leaves and deftly wrapped five potato and egg pancakes for her.
Just as the young woman was about to pay, Xiao Ying asked again, “We also have another snack here called Tiancan Potatoes. Would you like to try it, miss?”