High Price
Feng responded.
Qian had many children. Although she was not a midwife, families in the village liked to have her sit in the yard when they were having a baby. Even if she did nothing, just chatting with the woman in labor was enough.
Feng soon returned and said, "It's not going to happen so soon." "It will be good if she gives birth tonight."
So, everyone didn't wait for her and started eating. After finishing the meal, Feng and a few others helped collect the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen. It was Zhou's turn to wash the dishes today.
Then the adults moved their chairs to the yard to discuss the day's work, while the children ran and played in the yard. The older generations used burnt sticks to write and draw in the yard, learning the words taught by Manbao.
Manbao also taught them a passage from The Analects, which was not long, consisting of only three sentences. After repeating it twice, she set the stick down and went to listen to her older brother.
Zhou Erlang displayed the earnings from the city trip, capturing everyone's attention. There were four strings of high-quality copper coins and a sizable pile of unstrung coins, estimated to be around fifty or sixty wen.
Zhou Erlang joyfully said, "Father, although tofu and vegetables are inexpensive, their accumulation over time is valuable." The wild mushrooms we brought also sold well. This year, there are fewer people selling wild mushrooms, and affluent families are more willing to spend money.
Old Zhou grew impatient. He knew the prices of these things. It wasn't what he wanted to know the most, so he asked directly, "Just tell me how much the tuckahoe sold for."
Zhou Erlang couldn't contain his smile. "You won't believe it." The tuckahoe still had mud on it when I brought it to Zheng's shop. "He bought it all, including the skin, which weighed three and a half catties, so it sold for two hundred and eighty wen."
Just those two pieces of tuckahoe sold for as much as a basket of wild mushrooms, two baskets of vegetables, and two buckets of tofu.
If it weren't for that basket of wild mushrooms, they might have needed another basket of vegetables and another bucket of tofu to match those two pieces of tuckahoe.
Old Zhou was also surprised and asked, "Is it really that expensive? Even more expensive than glossy Ganoderma?"
"Indeed, according to Mr. Zheng, some affluent women and young ladies prefer using tuckahoe to prepare snacks and desserts." They say it's a beauty product, not inferior to bird's nest. "So, a box of tuckahoe can sell for two to ten taels."
Zhou Erlang also lamented, "Our tuckahoe is large and has a good texture." It could sell for at least five taels when processed. I've seen the boxes they use for tuckahoe, and they definitely can't fit a catty; I estimate around seven or eight taels.
Old Zhou started to ponder, "Should we dry it ourselves?"
"Father, please don't consider it." "It's not that simple," Zhou Erlang said. "It needs processing." Tuckahoe isn't like glossy ganoderma; you can't simply dry it in hot water. I've heard that there are several methods, and each method results in different tuckahoe, which are used for various treatments. There is a method called cinnabar processing, which is extremely difficult, and I can't remember all of it.
Old Zhou then looked at Manbao.
All eyes followed suit.
Manbao was enjoying herself. When she noticed everyone looking at her, she blinked and asked, "What's the matter?"
Old Zhou eagerly asked, "Manbao, have you seen any books on processing medicinal herbs at Mr. Zhuang's or Mr. Shaw's house?"
Manbao thought for a moment and said, "I think Mr. Zhuang has a thin book."
Old Zhou's eyes lit up as he asked, "Can you understand it?"
Manbao knew what her father was thinking and said, "Father, please don't consider it." The processing of medicinal herbs is prone to failure. We need someone experienced, and we would have to purchase cinnabar. If we don't handle the heat properly during processing, we will waste not only the cinnabar but also the tuckahoe. It's too wasteful.
This item was challenging to locate. How could they squander it so carelessly?
After hearing this, Zhou Erlang also came to his senses and said, "Father, this catty of tuckahoe is worth eighty wen, including the skin and mud."
Manbao couldn't help but say, "Brother, the skin of tuckahoe is also a medicinal herb, so it has to be kept with the skin."
"Oh, even the skin is a medicinal herb."
Zhou Erlang couldn't bear it and said, "Even the skin needs to be processed." "This, Manbao can teach, but we probably wouldn't learn it."
Zhou Sirlang nodded firmly, "Father, this thing isn't easy to find."
Old Zhou sighed in disappointment, "Well then, let's just sell the tuckahoe."
But it was still a significant amount of money lost in vain. Old Zhou was still a bit heartbroken. He looked at his sons with frustration and said, "Look at all of you, grown up and not even able to process medicinal herbs."
The sons said, "You can do it yourself."
In fact, Zhou Dalang and his brothers thought they were already very capable. In their childhood, their father had never done what they are doing now.
Back then, their father only knew how to work in the fields. As long as he didn't go hungry all year, that was enough. They all wore clothes that were hand-me-downs from their uncle, passed down one by one.
Manbao was as easily contented as her brothers. Mr. Zhuang had taught her and Baishanbao more than once to slow down and not try to run before they could walk, and not to think about flying to the sky as soon as they learned to run. The former would result in a painful fall, but the latter could even lead to falling from the sky to the ground. The former might just hurt for a while and be alright, but the latter could kill. Of course, this conclusion was reached after deep discussions with Keke.
Although she was always confident to a certain extent, she also felt humble and had self-awareness.
Keke: Just pretending!
Old Zhou asked Manbao to bring out the account book, record today's earnings brought back by Zhou Erlang, and then collect all the money. After some thought, he counted out ten wen from the scattered coins and gave it to him, saying, "Since vegetables and tofu can sell at a good price, you can continue going to the county tomorrow. "Didn't they say the vegetables in Xiaowan are ready to be eaten?"
"They are, but they are too tender." "They are tasty, but we will miss out a bit this time."
"Then tomorrow, continue selling the vegetables from the garden." In two or three days, the vegetables from Xiaowan will be ready. "Lao Da, you can soak the beans now and make tofu early tomorrow morning."
Xiao Qian responded.
Zhou Erlang took the ten wen and sighed sadly. It would be good if mother were at home. Now, all the money he earned from going to the city was handed over, and he didn't receive a share. Every time he went to the city, his mother would give him fifteen wen.
Apart from the expenses of traveling to the city and the protection fee, he could save around five wen. This amount would enable him to purchase a bowl of hot soup with dry provisions in the county or treat himself to a bun occasionally.
But his father only gave him ten wen today.
Manbao also thought that her father was being stingy. She sympathetically looked at her older brother before patting her bottom to go see her nieces and nephews playing. After taking a bath and changing her clothes, she couldn't go out to play today.