Chapter Twelve: Preparations Before Setting Up the Stall

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But having something is better than nothing. Fine, let’s leave it at that for now.
[Why does the host still look down on this... It sounds quite high-end.]
“You call that high-end, you stick-in-the-mud? I’d be happy with any fully automatic planting machine. Converting the soil still means getting your hands dirty.”
[Host, you’re really lazy.]
[Now, announcing the second additional task to the host.]
[Task Two: Earn 15 taels of silver. Task reward: a beginner’s treasure chest.]
Fifteen taels? Liang Yunqing now wanted to rip the system out of her head and give it a good thrashing. The last treasure chest only contained a converter, and now it expected her to earn 15 taels herself? No wonder the original storyline collapsed...

When Liang Yunqing returned home, she saw several people sitting in the courtyard waiting. They all hoped the money they put up would double.
Li Pinghua smiled as she rubbed her hands together.
“Well, Yunqing, since the marriage has been called off, we...”
“Mmm, I’ll go to town with Second Aunt and Mother to do the shopping. The rest will stay home to prepare the stall tables.”
After she spoke, everyone stood and agreed. If yesterday’s beating was a physical attack, then today’s madness from Liang Yunqing was a mental assault.
Liang Youyong didn’t even dare look her in the eye, feeling like the next second he might be “bull-rushed.”

Li Pinghua and Madam Chu followed Liang Yunqing to the village gate, just in time to see Uncle Ma preparing to set off with his cart. Liang Yunqing quickly climbed aboard and said,
“Uncle Ma, we might be using your cart often from now on. Please accept this token of appreciation.”
She then handed Uncle Ma 3 wen coins.
“We’re all from the same village; how could I accept your money?”
Uncle Ma had no objection to Liang Yunqing but glanced disdainfully at Li Pinghua sitting behind, eyes full of disdain.
“I say, Second Wife of the Liang family, what wind blew you here today?”

Li Pinghua looked at him with equal dissatisfaction. Wasn’t it just that she had taken her eldest son to the county a few times without paying? It was all on the way, after all.
Memories surfaced in Liang Yunqing’s mind. She recalled that Li Pinghua had previously wanted her eldest son, Liang Youcai, to study in the county and had arranged for him to take Uncle Ma’s cart with an agreed 2 wen as travel expenses. But the payment was delayed repeatedly, and Li Pinghua had thrown a fit and even smashed the cart wheel.
She looked at Li Pinghua—everyone in the Liang family was truly villainous...
“Uncle Ma, please don’t be angry. My aunt is just a shrew.”
While speaking, she took out another 3 wen coins, stuffing a total of 6 wen into Uncle Ma’s coat pocket.

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This made Li Pinghua quite heartbroken since some of that money was hers, yet 6 wen had been handed over just like that.
“You’re the only sensible one in the Liang family.”
Uncle Ma stopped refusing, cracked his whip, and drove the cart toward the town.

On the way, Liang Yunqing looked solemnly at Li Pinghua and said,
“Second Aunt, the cart fare just now isn’t even the main challenge. When we do the shopping, you’ll need to use all your cunning to haggle the prices down.”
“Huh?”
Li Pinghua was a bit puzzled. Didn’t Liang Yunqing just call her a shrew? Now she was telling her to use tricks?
“Second Aunt, the travel fare can’t be saved. We rely on this cart to transport everything later, but shopping is different.”
Liang Yunqing lowered her voice and continued,
“The shops in town will jack up prices. You’ll be responsible for throwing a fit and rolling on the floor to lower the prices, while I’ll smooth things over with sweet words and confusion. Together, we can save a lot.”

Li Pinghua’s eyes brightened the more she listened. She was extremely skilled at this kind of thing and quickly nodded in agreement.

When the cart stopped, the three went straight to nearby grain shops, then to several meat shops to buy pork.
By noon, the three piled with bags climbed back onto the cart.
Liang Yunqing’s throat was nearly hoarse. She glanced at Li Pinghua, who was still haggling, and her gaze showed some admiration.
So fierce! It was the first time she’d met someone even more shameless than herself—a true modern-day shrew.

After Li Pinghua threw her tantrums and rolled on the floor, Liang Yunqing stepped up with kind words. They quickly bought all that rough rice and white flour, plus a new steaming pot, at cost price.
The 530 wen spent on rice and flour should be enough to set up the stall two or three times, Liang Yunqing reckoned.

Chu Youmai, clutching her rapidly beating heart, dared not utter a word during the fierce bargaining. She simply watched her daughter and Li Pinghua haggle with all their might. The scene was so stirring it moved her deeply.

Soon, the cart jolted its way back to the village. By the time the three carried the goods home, it was nearly afternoon.

In the courtyard, Liang Zhiyan, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, stacked firewood that Liang Youyong chopped. In the center stood the prepared stall table.
Everyone watched Liang Yunqing return and immediately came forward to help unload.
“Bought so much? That must have cost a lot.”
Grandmother Wang looked at the heaps of rice and flour with a heavy heart.
“Everything’s ready. Tonight we prepare the goods properly. Tomorrow we open the stall.”

Liang Yunqing entered the kitchen to eat a bit of wild vegetable cornbread and then called everyone to wash the rice and start the fire. After giving instructions, she quickly ran out of the courtyard.

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Just outside on the roadside, she spotted wild Sichuan pepper. She noticed that no one in this era used such spices. Lowering her head, she searched for a while.
Soon she found a cluster of wild green Sichuan pepper among the weeds.
She quickly picked several handfuls and stuffed them into her pocket. Sichuan pepper could enhance flavor, making it a rare and valuable spice in this bland era.

“Steam the rice like I showed you yesterday. Bring that pot here.”
Running into the courtyard, Liang Yunqing immediately grabbed the pot and began to roast the Sichuan pepper.

Liang Youyong, who was helping add firewood, sniffed the aroma curiously as he watched the color in the pot darken grain by grain.
“Cousin... Cousin, what is this?”
Though not keen to indulge him, Liang Yunqing knew she would need his help later and replied,
“This is a wild seasoning. Go get a hammer and crush these into powder.”

Liang Youyong hurried to fetch a hammer. Liang Yunqing wrapped the roasted pepper in cloth and instructed him to pound it hard until it turned into fine powder.

“That’s enough. Go help steam the rice.”
She sent him away, then mixed the pepper powder with soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil in a small bowl.

She lifted the pot and began stir-frying the purchased pork. The tiny meat cubes, mingled with the seasonings, released a rich fragrance. For a moment, everyone working stopped what they were doing.

Having tasted meat only the day before, everyone looked at Liang Yunqing with anticipation, wondering if they would get meat again today.

Liang Yunqing was generous with the pork, dishing out small portions to each to seek their opinions.
“Everyone, try this pork. How does it taste?”
“It’s so numbing and fragrant! How did you make this?”
Li Pinghua exclaimed in disbelief, feeling new and unprecedented flavors burst in her mouth.

The others widened their eyes, tasting the unusual flavor, their confidence for tomorrow’s stall growing stronger.

Seeing their expressions, Liang Yunqing knew adding the Sichuan pepper powder was a brilliant idea. Ever since she had eaten that meat bun in town, she realized people of this era didn’t use spices.
Their tastes were limited and monotonous. This addition would surely attract more customers to try their goods.

Grandmother Wang even ate several pieces before stopping, musing aloud,
“Yunqing, how come your cooking is so delicious now? I never tasted meat this fragrant before.”