Chapter 136 Selling Fruit Ice Jelly

Chapter 136 Selling Fruit Ice Jelly

Whether to change the subject or because Lin Shu was genuinely thinking of Wang Yingen and the other boys, she suddenly asked Lin Xiaopu, "What did you tell Wang Yingen and the others? Why haven't they shown up yet?"

Lin Xiaopu grinned. "I was afraid they'd come too early and look too pathetic staring eagerly, so I told them to come later. Don't worry, Sister, I've chilled their portions with mountain spring water. They'll definitely get the coolest, most refreshing fruit ice jelly when they arrive."

It was hot outside, so Lin Zhaodi and He Guixiang were also sitting in the main room. Everyone else had finished their ice jelly, and Lin Zhaodi had just started hers. After hearing Lin Shu's advice, she didn't dare eat it too cold, waiting until it was no longer icy. Though it lacked some coolness, the taste was still quite good.

Lin Zhaodi ate slowly, savoring each bite—she couldn't bear to finish it too quickly.

Sweet treats weren't just popular with the village children; the women enjoyed them too. But in the village, food was often scarce. In many larger families, aside from the working men, others often ate until only sixty or seventy percent full. When there wasn't even enough rice, who could afford to buy sugar?

Hearing Lin Xiaopu's words, Lin Zhaodi couldn't help but chuckle. "I only knew Wang Yingen and his gang were mischievous before, but now, for a taste of A Shu's food, these kids have become much more obedient. Xiao Pu is quite capable too, actually able to boss these kids around."

This was praise for her own daughter—how could He Guixiang not respond? She also smiled. "She used to be timid, not even daring to call out loudly. But after spending time with A Shu, she's gradually become braver."

Strangely enough, when A Yao was around, she had also mentioned Xiao Pu's timidity and tried several times to teach her to be bolder, but Xiao Pu just couldn't. Now, with A Shu, who knows what method she used, she actually managed to build up Xiao Pu's courage.

Lin Zhaodi chimed in, "Sister-in-law He, now that you mention it, it's true! Xiao Pu's voice when calling people is so loud—I can hear it clearly even in the yard!"

Lin Xiaopu's little face flushed red from the praise, her eyes sparkling.

Hehe, she hadn't expected her own voice to be so loud either—when calling out, it was even louder than her sister's!

"Mom, Aunt Lin, stop praising her, or you'll make Xiao Pu so dizzy with pride she won't know which way is up when she goes out," Lin Shu said with a laugh.

Lin Xiaopu snorted. "Mom, don't listen to Sister. I'm not someone who can't handle praise. Praise me as much as you want—I definitely won't get arrogant."

He Guixiang laughed and scolded, "You child, who goes asking for praise themselves!"

As the few in the room were chatting and laughing, playful laughter suddenly came from outside the yard.

Wang Yingen and Feng Shitou rushed into the yard like little monkeys. "Sister Xiao Pu, Sister A Shu, look what we brought?!"

The six children hadn't come empty-handed—each had used Tung leaves to roll cone-shaped containers filled with small river shrimp.

"My mom said we can't go to someone's house empty-handed to ask for food. Since we had nothing to do, we caught some more shrimp for Sister A Shu. Didn't you say the more the better?"

Lin Shu went over to take a look. Wang Yingen and Zhang Laifu had the fullest containers of shrimp; the other children had slightly less, but it still showed effort.

She couldn't help but pat their little heads, smiling. "It really is the more the better. Each of you did well and deserves a reward. Xiao Pu and I saved some snacks for you. Go wash your hands and come eat."

Hearing this, Wang Yingen and the others quickly handed their shrimp to Lin Xiaopu and lined up to wash their hands in the yard.

They had used the bamboo water pipe in the yard before and didn't need instructions. They pulled out the cloth stopper and washed their dirty hands clean.

Lin Xiaopu transferred all the shrimp into a large bowl. The amount the six children brought in their Tung leaf cones filled half the bowl again. After rinsing it several times, she spread it out with the previous batch to dry on a large bamboo sieve.

Lin Shu watched Lin Xiaopu busy herself with a smile, lazily sitting in the main room.

She wasn't sitting on the bench inside but had moved the small bamboo stool Zhou Ye made for her into the main room. Bamboo stools were cooler than wooden ones.

"Sister A Shu, where's the food?" Wang Yingen asked after washing his hands.

Lin Shu gestured toward the little girl in the yard with her chin and smiled. "Your Sister Xiao Pu is in charge—ask her for it."

The children chuckled and went to find Lin Xiaopu again, probably getting teased by this clever girl who seized the chance to gain some verbal advantages.

When Lin Xiaopu brought the bamboo containers chilled in mountain spring water to the small low table in the yard, Wang Yingen and the other children stared wide-eyed.

"What's this? It looks so delicious!"

"It's fruit ice jelly made by my sister. It has rock sugar syrup inside, and I chilled it in mountain spring water for a long time. It's really delicious. Since you did well today, my sister prepared it for you early. Here, one each—go ahead and eat. I've put spoons in each bamboo container—just dig in and eat."

Before Lin Xiaopu even finished speaking, Wang Yingen and the others couldn't wait to pick up the bamboo containers and start eating.

"Mmm, it's really good!"

"I don't know what this green thing is, but it's smooth and tender—I love it!"

"The mung beans inside are soft and sandy, and sweet too—better than the mung beans in the town's mung bean soup!"

Wang Yingen: "The melon pieces inside are from my family, hehe. I saw my mom bring two melons—it tastes better mixed with the other stuff!"

After finishing the ice jelly and fruit, the children held the bamboo containers and drank all the syrup inside. Two even licked the container walls.

Lin Xiaopu: ...

She'd have to wash these bamboo containers several times later.

After finishing the ice jelly, Wang Yingen and the others didn't leave immediately. They played around in the yard, even setting up wooden sticks to compete with slingshots.

In the main room, He Guixiang and Lin Zhaodi rarely had time to relax. They did nothing and chatted idly with Lin Shu.

"A Shu, aren't you going to take a nap? It's still early," He Guixiang asked.

Lin Shu said coyly, "Mom, I don't take a nap every day."

He Guixiang laughed. "Alright, alright, I won't ask."

Lin Zhaodi, thinking Lin Shu was embarrassed to nap because she was there, was about to find an excuse to leave. But before she could speak, Lin Shu suddenly asked her, "Aunt Lin, do you think the fruit ice jelly I made today is good? How does it compare to the drinks sold in town?"

Lin Zhaodi, not yet aware of what Lin Shu had in mind, praised cheerfully, "I've actually tried some of the drinks sold in town. I'm not exaggerating at all—A Shu, your fruit ice jelly is incredibly delicious, no less than those sold at drink stalls."

In the first two years after she and Zhao San married, he secretly took her to try town drinks. She couldn't quite remember the taste, but they definitely weren't as good as A Shu's fruit ice jelly.

Lin Shu followed up, "After the thatched house is built in a few days, Aunt Lin, do you have any plans?"

The topic changed too quickly. Lin Zhaodi didn't react immediately, thinking Lin Shu was asking about how she planned to live going forward. After a moment's thought, she replied, "There are quite a few slopes and banks near the new house where I can clear out vegetable patches. I'll plant some greens, radishes, cucumbers, and such, so the family won't lack vegetables."

"The grain we got from the distribution won't be much left after building the house. I'll have to buy more at the market—not too much, just enough to last until the rice in the fields is harvested."

"Pots, bowls, ladles, and such—I'll need to buy them at the end-of-month market in a couple of days. But I'll have to trouble Sister-in-law He then. I'd like to store the miscellaneous items I buy at Sister-in-law He's place first."

He Guixiang agreed, "It's no trouble at all. Just buy them and bring them over."

Actually, it would be better to store these things at the Zhao family first and move them all together later. But He Guixiang knew her and Zhao Laosan's current situation in the Zhao family, so she didn't say more.

In the future, the two families would not only be in the same village but also neighbors. He Guixiang naturally wanted to help where she could.

Though she and Lin Zhaodi had completely different personalities, she could see that Lin Zhaodi was someone who could live steadily—hardworking and not troublesome. Even if they often didn't see eye to eye in conversation, she recognized Lin Zhaodi's character and felt comfortable associating with such a family.

After listening, Lin Shu asked meaningfully, "The first couple of years after setting up a separate household are harder. Aunt Lin, you have no other ideas?"

Lin Zhaodi caught her implication and hesitated before saying, "Sister-in-law He and A Shu are like family, so I won't hide it from you. If we only rely on Zhao San, the family probably won't save much money in a year. I'm thinking of selling some things at the market when I go. I'm good at growing melons, fruits, and vegetables—I'll sell any extras at the market. Besides that, I plan to make other things to sell. Like palm fans and raincoats—though every household has them, there's always someone who needs them urgently. And straw sandals—I know your third aunt sells straw sandals. My hands aren't as skilled as hers; I can't make such fine ones. I'll make the kind we usually wear and sell them for seven or eight coins a pair—someone will buy them. Making these rough straw sandals won't steal her business either..."

If it were anyone else, Lin Zhaodi wouldn't have poured out all her thoughts so thoroughly and in such detail. But since it was Lin Shu asking...

She had an unexplainable trust in Lin Shu.

After listening carefully, Lin Shu thought to herself, with the kinds of things Aunt Lin was selling, she wouldn't earn much even if she worked herself to death.

“Has Aunt Lin ever considered making food to sell?” Lin Shu asked.

Lin Zhaodi acted like she'd heard a joke and waved her hand dismissively. “Over the past couple of days while we’ve been cooking together, you must have noticed that my cooking skills are just average. I was only able to put together such a full spread because I followed your instructions exactly, and Sister-in-law He helped me a lot too. If you weren’t around, A Shu, I wouldn’t be able to make that many dishes again. Besides, the town already has every kind of food seller—how could I possibly compete with those who’ve been in the business for so long?”

Lin Shu blinked once. “Then, Aunt Lin, do you think the fruit ice jelly I made today would sell well?”

At these words, Lin Zhaodi suddenly caught on. Recalling Lin Shu’s earlier questions, she felt her breath hitch.

If she wasn’t mistaken, was A Shu suggesting… could it be that she wanted to…?

Lin Shu smiled warmly. “Summer is almost here, and the days will only get hotter and more unbearable. Who wouldn’t want something icy cold? I won’t charge much for this fruit ice jelly—just ten coins a bowl. Do you think people would be willing to buy it, Aunt Lin?”

Lin Zhaodi answered right away, “Yes! Definitely!”

Then, wringing her hands nervously, she waited for Lin Shu to continue.

Sure enough, Lin Shu went on, “Aunt Lin, you know I'm not cut out for this. Would you be willing to help me by being the one to go to town and selling this fruit ice jelly?”

Hearing this, Lin Zhaodi’s breathing quickened. “A Shu, you mean…?”

Lin Shu said, “Of course, I wouldn’t ask you to do this for nothing. What if I give you thirty percent of the earnings from selling the ice jelly?”

Lin Zhaodi, now sure that Lin Shu really intended to go into the ice jelly business with her, was both shocked and overjoyed. But when she heard “thirty percent,” she was startled again and hastily waved her hands. “No, no, A Shu, thirty percent is too much! You’re providing all the ingredients, and there’s even rock sugar in it—rock sugar is expensive! I’m just helping you by selling it; how could I take thirty percent?”

Just considering the batch A Shu made today, it could fill thirty or forty bowls. At ten coins per bowl, that would be three or four hundred coppers. If she took thirty percent, wouldn’t that be a hundred coins?!

Lin Zhaodi gasped in surprise, shaking her head and waving her hands even more vigorously. “A Shu, really, it’s too much. I can’t take advantage of you like that. Just give me thirty coins for my trouble!”

Thirty coins a day would add up to nearly a thousand coins in a month—she wouldn’t complain about that!

But Lin Shu was no skinflint. Selling in the heat of summer was no easy task, and offering only thirty coins was like treating her like a beggar. Besides, she was already charging very little, and the cost of ingredients wasn’t high—just a bit of rock sugar and some fruit.

Because Lin Zhaodi was so stubborn, the two went back and forth for a long time before finally settling on a compromise: twenty percent.

After the matter was settled, Lin Zhaodi still felt somewhat dazed.

Just when she had been worrying about how to save money in the future, A Shu had brought her such an amazing opportunity!

What had she done to deserve earning A Shu’s trust so quickly and being entrusted with such a profitable business?

“A Shu, when should we start selling the ice jelly?” Lin Zhaodi asked, already eager to begin as soon as possible.

Lin Shu laughed. “Don’t rush, Aunt Lin. We’ll have to wait at least until you and Uncle Zhao San have moved in.”

Lin Zhaodi didn’t want to be impatient, but when she thought about how the house wouldn’t be ready for several more days, and that every day they delayed selling the ice jelly meant money they weren't making, she felt she couldn’t wait even one day longer!

Money—this was all money!