Chapter 54 - 54 Setting up a Stall in the Night Market
It was almost noon, so Sheng Qiuhua and the others finished filling up their baskets and started looking for Su Binglan.
“Binglan! Where are you?”
Su Binglan returned to her senses when she heard her mother and sister-in-law’s shouts. Then she put more soybeans into her basket and met with them.
Shen Qiuhua was relieved to see that Su Binglan was fine. However, she was also puzzled to see the things in her daughter’s basket.
“Did you find more treasures, Binglan? Can you use them in your cooking?”
Shen Qiuhua didn’t recognize those things in her daughter’s basket. She hadn’t the foggiest, but she knew they were good things when she saw her daughter’s happy expression. Shen Qiuhua guessed those things were for cooking.
Su Binglan explained smilingly, “These are soybeans. We can use them to make several dishes. Our family’s conditions will undoubtedly improve with these in our hands. We can eat tofu, drink soybean milk, and many other amazing things.”
Although Shen Qiuhua and Lui Yinyin didn’t understand a word Su Binglan said, they knew it was something good. Hearing about those unknown dishes enticed Shen Qiuhua and Liu Yinyin’s appetites.
Shen Qiuhua said excitedly, “I knew they would be delicious. Come, Let’s go home for lunch. We can continue picking them in the afternoon if there’s still some left.”
Su Binglan nodded and said, “I think we have a lot of chestnuts this time. I will cook them in the afternoon and go to the night market. I will go to town with Sister-in-law to sell them.”
Su Binglan knew there was a night market near a pier in Tanghe town, which was quite lively at night. The surrounding villagers used to set up stalls to sell food to earn money before it developed into a night market.
Several people were setting up stalls on the eastern side of town in the afternoon, so Su Binglan also decided to set up a stall there. She wanted to bring Liu Yinyin along to learn to set up her very own stall.
Shen Qiuhua nodded and said, “All right, I will do what you say, Binglan.”
Liu Yinyin said in disbelief, “Y-You want me to come too?!”
“Yes, you’re coming too. I’m thinking of calling Big Brother back in the future so you two can set up a stall and run a business together.”
Liu Yinyin was ecstatic when she heard that. She was also very excited. “Can Wenzhe come back?”
Liu Yinyin naturally hoped that her husband, Su Wenzhe, could stay by her side. However, that was what Liu Yinyin’s parents arranged. Su Wenzhe also wanted to work and earn money, so Liu Yinyin couldn’t object.
It would be great if they could earn money together. Liu Yinyin looked at Su Binglan with gratitude as she spoke.
Then Su Binglan said, “Of course, Big Brother can come home. We’re going to set up our very own stall to do business. We can earn a few taels of silver a month at least. It’s better than earning money elsewhere. So, Mother, you need to get Big Brother to come home.”
Su Binglan didn’t know where Su Wenzhe worked and never asked because her mother never said anything.
Shen Qiuhua nodded and said, “Okay.”
However, no one knew what Shen Qiuhua was thinking with her head lowered.
Luo Jin’an remained quiet as usual. He had been silent the whole time.
Luo Jin’an wanted to take one more basket on the way home, but Su Binglan didn’t let him because she was aware of his condition and was worried about him.
When they got home, Su Binglan told her father about the soybeans and explained what they were. Su Fengmao was just as delighted as the rest.
After the family had lunch, Su Binglan made roasted chestnuts with sugar with Liu Yinyin’s help.
Meanwhile, Su Fengmao and Shen Qiuhua removed the soybeans from the baskets, sorted them, and soaked them in clean water.
Luo Jin’an then insisted on going to the fields to work because it hadn’t rained in the village for a long time, and the fields were dry. To protect the crops, Luo Jin’an had to carry buckets of water to water them.