Chapter 80 (1/2)
Yu Xiaocao earnestly asked, ”The next time you kill a pig, can you leave me the pig blood, pork tripe, and pig intestine? I can give you the money for it……”
Butcher w.a.n.g was very curious and puzzledly asked, ”What do you want these things for? Little girl, these things are both smelly and dirty. They really don't taste good!”
Yu Xiaocao mysteriously smiled and said, ”I know, but I have a use for them. How about this? I will place an order on those items for two copper coins. You usually throw those things out, but if you sell it to me, you will earn an extra two copper coins!”
Butcher w.a.n.g's business was pretty good, so he didn't care for an extra two copper coins. He smiled and said, ”Okay, okay! I will keep those items for you. But you don't need to pay for it. Consider it as a gift from this uncle. If your family needs to buy meat in the future, just remember to take care of my business. That will be enough.”
”Do you want me to use straw ropes to tie up the pig head for you? I will also go to the house to get some pork tripe and pig intestines for you!” Butcher w.a.n.g didn't forget to get some rice straws to carefully make a cus.h.i.+on inside Xiaocao's basket. He feared that the pork tripe and intestines will dirty the fish on the bottom of the basket.
Xiaocao allowed him to also put the pig head inside the basket. She considered this to be a rewarding journey because she had profited a lot. After that, she spent another ten copper coins to buy a jar of soybean oil. The basket was stuffed to the brim with items, so it was quite heavy. Little s.h.i.+tou picked up a wooden stick from the roadside. Utilizing the stick, both the older sister and younger brother carried the basket together. On their way home, they walked and took occasional breaks from carrying the basket. Because of this, they didn't get home until it was afternoon.
They had just walked to the entrance of the village when they saw a familiar figure pacing back and forth. The small shadow underneath its foot followed the figure as it wandered back and forth. When the little roe deer saw the sister and brother, it took the initiative to run over to them. First, it ran over to Xiaocao's feet and acted like a spoiled child, rubbing its head against her leg a few times. After that, it ran over to Little s.h.i.+tou to play with him.
”Haha! Tiny, we haven't seen each other for half a day, did you miss me? Our Tiny is the most sensible for coming over and greeting us. Second Sister, I'm afraid that we don't even know where your Little Glutinous Dumpling has run off to. Father is right! It's hard to get a stray kitten to become close to you!” Little s.h.i.+tou held the little roe deer as it licked his face. His face was covered in saliva, but he was still taking pleasure in it.
The mini golden kitten that the little divine stone had taken the form of was very proud and haughty. It didn't pay heed to anyone from the family besides Xiaocao. Little s.h.i.+tou wanted to get closer to it but he was scratched by its claws, leaving behind a few red marks. Little s.h.i.+tou loved the kitten but he also feared it. Thus, he would always make sour remarks about it.
Xiaocao found the situation to be rather funny. She pinched Little s.h.i.+tou's face and said, ”What? Has Little Glutinous Dumpling offended you again? You really are too much for holding a grudge against a kitten!”
Ever since the little divine stone had a physical form, it would bring its real body, the multicolored stone, out to look for the spring water with the most amount of spiritual energy in the forest. Every day, it would leave early and come home late. It would soak in the spring water for the entire day and obediently return home at nighttime.
Xiaolian, who had been pacing around the entrance of the village for a long time, gasped for breath as she ran over. She took over the basket from her siblings and was astonished when she felt the weight of the basket.
When they went out, the basket wasn't this heavy. So, when Xiaolian felt the weight of the basket, she thought that they didn't sell any of the braised chicken giblets. She comforted her younger siblings, ”Tonight, there will be a lot of fine food! The small piece of chicken gizzard that we tasted yesterday was tasteless. But tonight, you'll be able to eat your fill. Little sister, thanks to your blessing, our dinner will be more sumptuous than the New Year's!”
Xiaocao was just about to lament about her appet.i.te when Little s.h.i.+tou was unable to wait any longer. He noisily shouted, ”Eldest Sister, all the braised food dishes we have brought there today were sold. We didn't even have enough to sell! Guess how much money we have earned? Quickly guess!”
”You sold everything?” Xiaolian opened her mouth in surprise, ”Do I really need to guess? I was the one who had divided the servings of braised food. When I was dividing them up, I counted a total of sixty servings. So, it would be sixty copper coins at most, since it only cost one copper coin each. But, did you guys really sell everything?”
When Xiaocao saw the uncertain expression on her sister's face, she giggled. She replied, ”We sold everything in less than half an hour! We didn't even have enough to sell! Many people, who either bought or didn't manage to buy our food, asked me if I would still be selling tomorrow! Even a steward, who had come from the capital, praised the taste of our braised food!”
”That's great! But unfortunately, Auntie Zhou's family doesn't often have the chance to kill that many chickens…” On one hand, Xiaolian was very happy with the results from today. But on the other hand, she felt regretful because it was just a one-time business opportunity.
However, she quickly pulled herself together. She weighed the heavy basket in her hand and asked, ”Little sister, what did you buy? You didn't spend all of the sixty copper coins that you earned, did you? No wonder Mother always says that you can never save any money……”
”I didn't! I only spent sixteen copper coins! This time, we have earned back the money that we spent. In the future, we will only be gaining profits when we sell. When we have enough money later, we should also make a hut at the docks, selling all kinds of braised food!” Xiaocao patted the place where her purse was placed. She was confident in her braised food business.
”Xiaolian, Xiaocao, and Little s.h.i.+tou, where did the three of you come from?” The village idiot's wife had her eyes fixed at the heavy basket in Xiaolian's hands. She was full of laughter when she asked.
The village idiot's wife was a famous gossiper in the village. She and Madam Li were quite a pair since their ability to gossip were on par with each other.
Xiaolian didn't want to pay her any attention. In a perfunctory manner, she replied, ”Little sister had said that she wants to take a look at the dock. So, I made Little s.h.i.+tou take her there. Auntie, my little sister, and brother haven't even eaten breakfast yet. We will be going first……”