Chapter 271: Reborn in the 90s: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 272 Setting Up a Stall

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"You, once you get old you'll be like that. By the time you're old, you might not even match your grandma's health." Chai Mi teased with a laugh: "Who knows, by then you might not only be senile, but also have a crooked mouth and slanted eyes……"

"Heh……" Song Qiushui didn't care much: "At worst I just won't live to be old. When I can't move anymore, I'll just *crack* — I'll just *crack* myself to death. Saves the children from looking at me with displeasure when the time comes."

"Alright, let's go inside." Chai Mi said, then carefully reminded her: "Today I've invited the neighbors over to eat together."

Song Qiushui gave an "mm", then went inside. Looking at Chai Mi's neighbor's family, she wasn't unfamiliar with them either; she'd run into them often when coming to Chai Mi's house, so they counted as fairly familiar. Once inside she enthusiastically helped pour tea for the neighbors.

More at ease than in her own home.

Before long, Song Qiushui even incited Liu Chunren and his wife and Liu An Ping to keep her company playing poker.

Several people praised Song Qiushui nonstop for her sweet talk, saying she was endearing……

Chai Mi, on the other hand, was swamped. Fortunately the little girl was asleep today, no need to coax her, and Su Wan could help steam a pot of steamed buns on the kitchen stove in the west room, leaving Chai Mi to only handle the stir-frying.

Since this wasn't a holiday banquet, just making some simple side dishes for everyone to have a drink, Chai Mi's dishes weren't particularly complicated.

Besides, with crab as the main dish, the rest were just supporting dishes.

Chai Mi first put the crabs in water and washed them repeatedly several times, then soaked them in water with some refined salt, letting the crabs purge their mud and sand.

Afterwards she first cut the spare ribs, trimmed those beans, cut them into sections, paired them with the spare ribs, and started stewing them first.

This takes the most time, so do it first.

Then Chai Mi pondered what else to cook…… There were no chickens raised at home, so stewing chicken wasn't very suitable. And locally stewing chicken wasn't very popular either.

That kind of drinking chicken soup you see in so many films and dramas — in Liaoxi it's actually not prevalent. If nutrition is lacking, in this era people generally eat pork, and fattier pork is even better.

After thinking it over, Chai Mi went to the vegetable garden and picked some vegetables.

Made a stir-fried eggplant box, pork stewed with vermicelli, tomato scrambled with eggs.

Add the braised ribs with beans, and that made four hot dishes.

Chai Mi also casually smashed a cucumber, stir-fried peanuts, stir-fried some bok choy, prepared some lettuce and scallions as dipping vegetables, mixed a block of tofu, and that rounded out eight dishes.

Then she started steaming the crabs. Chai Mi chopped scallions and cilantro, put in some soy sauce, minced garlic, chili, and added a few other seasonings to make a dipping broth.

By this time Liu Zhijing finally arrived. After a few simple pleasantries, he went inside.

And behind him, Liu Zhanggui also came.

Chai Xiu was following behind Liu Zhanggui, looking a bit embarrassed.

After all, Chai Mi had said it'd be best if Liu Zhanggui didn't come, but Chai Xiu only hesitated slightly and Liu Zhanggui came anyway……

This can't be blamed on Chai Xiu.

"Aiya, Village Chief, you're so busy, took you half a day to come." Chai Mi laughed, ushering Liu Zhanggui inside: "Specially steamed crabs, for everyone to have a taste."

Liu Zhanggui entered the house. Chai Mi quietly called Song Qiushui: "You go call your dad over too. With this many people anyway. Your mom can come too if she's not busy……"

"Okay. Just right, don't have to cook."

Song Qiushui went out for a bit, then brought Song Qingshan and Meng Clan along.

Song Qingshan and Meng Clan actually felt quite awkward, but since the girl spoke, the two of them had to listen.

Song Qingshan and Meng Clan even specially changed into a set of fresh clothes, dressed up clean and tidy. Reaching the courtyard they said: "Aiya, this smell is really fragrant. Chai Mi, what good stuff are you cooking at home?"

"Steaming crabs. A big pot. Nothing special to eat, but these crabs — the big fellows haven't really eaten them before — so I called everyone over to have a meal. Come come come, sit inside."

Meng Clan was diligent. Once in the room she helped tend the fire, and even specially lifted the pot lid to look at the crabs.

The crabs weren't big, mostly small ones, but they were already cooked, bright red, looking quite good. She praised Chai Mi's cooking nonstop.

Chai Mi first took out two and handed them to Chai Xiu: "Break them open, eat the meat inside. Know how to eat them?"

Chai Xiu nodded, then took the crab and went outside, hid away, and ate one.

Only then did she come back and say: "Not tasty, not as tasty as meat, thief bitter."

Chai Mi just laughed: "You ate the parts you shouldn't have. I'll tell you how to eat them in a bit."

Before long Chai Youqing returned with a gloomy face, and everyone gathered at one table to eat.

Drinking alcohol and eating meat.

There weren't too many outsiders either. Several people squeezed around one table.

Chai Mi first poured alcohol for a few. For those who didn't drink, she poured drinks.

After one cup, Chai Mi leaned next to Liu An Ping and said to him: "Second Brother, in a few days I reckon the calf will be born. At that time I'll still have to trouble you."

Liu An Ping had a straightforward temperament and spoke directly: "You're being too polite saying that. We're neighbors. Whatever happens, just give me a shout."

Everyone clinked cups and crossed chopsticks, eating happily.

Especially Liu Zhanggui. After two or three drinks he started puffing on his little cigarette again — a puff of smoke, a sip of wine — looking every bit the picture of a comfortable life.

Then he ate a crab too. After finishing he took another sip of wine: "This thing, is really delicious. Not to mention anything else, this is still my first time eating crab. I've never eaten this thing before. If it were fish, or meat, I've eaten those. This thing, first time. This crab, compared to other things, the taste is different. Eating it, really delicious."

Liu Zhanggui asked Chai Mi as he spoke: "Any more? Give me some…… I'll go home and steam a few too."

"Ah…… no, Village Chief, how *bizarre* can you get. Eating them, and still want to take some? Why don't you *go to heaven*?" Song Qiushui was the first to disagree. She gnawed on a crab while opposing: "Chai Mi and I stayed up all night busy to get just these few, and you still want to eat…… If it weren't for Da Zhi hauling me there this morning, you wouldn't have known, couldn't have been invited to eat. You're just basking in your son's reflected glory."

The rest of the people laughed.

Song Qiushui has always spoken like this. Everyone was used to it and didn't find it strange.

Only Meng Clan pinched Song Qiushui: "He's the Village Chief at any rate. Don't speak nonsense."

"Tch." Song Qiushui dismissed it: "He can't be Village Chief for a lifetime. Sooner or later, the Village Chief will be me."

As they talked, they didn't forget to eat crab.

The crabs were steamed for just the right time. Especially the broth was delicious. One bite was exceptionally fresh.

Besides, everyone was eating crab for the first time, so they all thought it tasted good.

Only Su Wan felt a bit embarrassed to eat; she ate just one crab, then moved on to other dishes.

If everyone else was eating it, she would too; if they finished it all, that wouldn't be good.

But Su Wan also thought the crab was decent and tasted good; it was just that this thing wasn't easy to get locally, so wanting to eat it was purely a matter of luck.

Last night Chai Mi and Song Qiushui had set ground traps and caught quite a lot, but there might not be any the day after tomorrow.

Chai Mi ate quickly, and the main reason she invited these people to eat was because she had some matters to discuss; she brought them up during the meal.

Mainly to ask Liu Zhijing to help modify that inverted donkey properly, and secondly, in case old cow gives birth to a calf in a few days, they might need Liu An Ping's help.

The rest was just drunken talk; Chai Mi didn't care much about it either.

Fortunately, everyone ate quite well.

……

In the following days, Chai Mi began to seriously think about making money.

Mother's health was fine now, the third child was running around energetically, it was still early before autumn school started, and Chai Xiu didn't have to go to school; she could help with something at home.

Moreover, there was still a long time until the autumn harvest, so Chai Mi happened to have some free time.

Although life at home was much happier than in her previous life, it was ultimately still a situation of eating up the mountain while sitting; making money was very urgent.

Of course, there were no major events these past couple of days; the old residence had quieted down considerably, and there shouldn't be any trouble.

Now that inverted donkey was not only repaired but also modified. It could pull seven or eight small tables and small stools, hold two gazi jars, plus a pot, and some bowls and chopsticks—enough to set up a stall.

The problem…

The problem was, from her previous life until now, Chai Mi had never done business.

She used to work for others mainly; she didn't know how to do this business.

Although it was just the simplest business of selling food.

But this stumped her.

She had been thinking for several days and simply didn't know what to do.

She, who used to be decisive and efficient, felt a bit embarrassed.

Finally, Chai Mi specifically went to her maternal aunt's home to seek advice from Liu San and his wife, asking what to pay attention to when setting up a stall.

Liu San and his wife told Chai Mi: just have a thick skin… if someone buys, you sell; one hand exchanges money, the other hand exchanges goods; simple.

Chai Mi then made up her mind and went to set up a stall the next day, selling dumplings and noodles.

The next day was the big market day in the xiangli; Chai Mi started preparing in advance at night, kneaded the dough, bought the seasonings, tidied everything up cleanly, and just waited to go to the market.

But before leaving, Chai Mi still felt a bit nervous, so she dragged Song Qiushui along.

"I'm not good at showing my face; I can do things like making food. But shamelessly going to hawk, I feel a bit embarrassed…"

Song Qiushui looked dazed: "Sister, I feel like you're setting me up, but I have no evidence… you mean I go shout slogans for you, and then you're responsible for making money?"

"Lunch, I'll cover it."

"Plus dinner. Don't worry about this; as for shouting slogans, I, Song Qiushui, dare say I'm second in the village, and no one dares say they're first."

Chai Mi then loaded the cart with Song Qiushui, putting all the things they needed onto the inverted donkey; after everything was ready, they prepared to set off.

Su Wan was also not very reassured; after all, it was her own daughter's first time setting up a stall. Although the family didn't oppose it, she had never done this before.

Especially Su Wan; she had honestly farmed for a lifetime and didn't know what doing business was like at all.

Watching Chai Mi go set up her stall, she felt somewhat like a person from later times sending their child to the college entrance exam venue: "Chai Mi, this… make less. We'll just make enough for thirty or forty people; if we can't sell it, we'll take it home to eat. Although this family doesn't have much money, raising you is enough to eat and drink…"

Chai Youqing was actually quite worried at this moment; he felt that he hadn't earned money, yet his own daughter was going to set up a stall to earn money; as a father, he felt quite embarrassed.

But Chai Youqing was even more honest and simple than Su Wan.

Chai Youqing usually found speaking very difficult, and doing business was even more beyond him.

He had no experience at all.

As for Chai Youqing as a person, he was definitely not a bad person, but he had a particularly narrow-minded small-farmer mindset in his bones, feeling that only farming was the proper path…

Everything else was crooked ways.

But since his daughter Chai Mi had taken the "crooked way," he couldn't manage it; he could only worry a bit.

"Chai Mi, all sorts of people go to that market. I'll go with you; in case you run into some disreputable people, you're a young lady, and if you get taken advantage of again, that wouldn't be good."

Chai Mi had been a bit worried about herself, but after Chai Youqing said that, she immediately got fired up.

"Fine, fine, fine; whoever I run into, I can handle them. Don't worry needlessly. Do something useful at home; the vegetable garden needs watering again. After that, help my mom coax the child or something. My business, you don't need to meddle."

Chai Mi didn't know why, but she had some objections to Chai Youqing; so hearing Chai Youqing feel that she couldn't do this or that, she instead became spirited.

"Let me tell you, this thing actually doesn't seem like a big deal. It's just selling things; you just need a thick skin. And selling food has small capital. For example, this portion of dumplings, I wrap them bigger; half a catty is about thirteen or fourteen; the cost is just two yuan for the meat filling, and one yuan two cents for the leek and egg filling; selling them, leek and egg sells for three yuan five, meat filling sells for five yuan. This time there's only pork and green onion and leek and egg. Each portion earns about three yuan… cheaper than restaurants; restaurants are at least eight yuan." Chai Mi had actually calculated the accounts very clearly.

Doing business, the first step is calculating the cost.

Chai Mi had calculated many times; if going to the market, selling thirty-plus portions at one market would earn one hundred yuan. Going to one market earns more than Chai You Fu's half-month wages…

Of course, Chai You Fu's wages were indeed a bit low.

Every time Chai Mi compared with Chai You Fu's wages, she felt a bit embarrassed.

As if Chai You Fu earned especially little…

Of course, in fact it was indeed so; Chai You Fu indeed earned very little.

The cost is relatively low, and secondly, it's food itself. As the saying goes, food is the people's heaven; everyone has to eat, right? So selling food, there will always be people to eat it.

At the market, people sell sesame cakes and fried dough sticks, and someone buys them. The customer base isn't a problem… even if it tastes bad, the first time it can probably sell out.

After all, country people haven't eaten any good pork…

"Anyway, you don't need to worry. And with Qiu Shui helping, if we two can't sell them, I'll give them to her, let her contract and buy them all…"

Song Qiushui frowned and cursed in her heart: As expected, this sister is targeting me alone to set me up; she has the posture of not stopping until she bankrupts the village belle.

However, Song Qiushui also felt that the dumplings Chai Mi wrapped were especially delicious.

Belonging to, the kind that's deliciously good. Eat one meal, and you'd want to stuff yourself full and never want to lose weight—that kind of delicious.

"Aiya, Chai Mi is right. If it doesn't sell, isn't there still me, this Rice Bucket/Useless Person, here? At worst I'll hire Chai Mi to cook for me every day, and I'll give her one hundred pieces of Ji per meal." Song Qiushui said shamelessly: "Anyway, this Village Belle has nothing else, just money. Wow, so rich... a pure little Rich."