Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 24: And the Sales Begins!

Chapter 23

And the Sales Begins!

Xiaolin bounced and skipped ahead of the two adults, brimming with good spirits. It seemed her life was now a whirlwind of daily culinary adventures, eating until she became as round as a jackfruit.

"La la la~"

The chubby child bounced along, singing a strange tune all the way home, where the smell of roasting pork wafted out to greet her. She hurried to the backyard, plopping down in front of the fire where her father was grilling pork.

"You’re back already? And where’s your mother?" Tianrong asked his daughter, laughing as he saw her eyes fixed on the pork.

"She’s on her way, father."

"You hungry little thing," Tianrong teased, pinching her round cheeks, making her squint in laughter.

"I’m growing, father."

"Growing a belly, you mean, you little round thing. Not waiting for your mother, huh?" Tianchen walked over, holding the shirt filled with duck eggs. He asked his sister-in-law to join them for some grilled pork before going to help her chop the lotus roots.

"Uncle’s going to get a belly just like me," the little girl pouted, turning her plump face back to the pork.

"I work all the time, I won’t get fat," the young man sat down beside his niece, playfully poking her soft cheek.

Xiaolin glared at him, swatting his hand away until she was so annoyed she bit his arm.

"Ouchh!!"

“Hehehehe” Xiaolin scampered to hide behind her father, peeking out with her round eyes at her uncle nursing his arm.

"You little rascal, come here," the young man stood, intending to pinch her cheek in revenge.

“AHHH!” Xiaolin ran from her young uncle, her belly wobbling.

The little girl’s screams and Tianchen’s exclamations filled the house. Xiaolin, red-faced from running, eventually sought refuge in her father’s embrace, too tired to run anymore.

"That’s enough, A’Chen. The kid’s face is all red," Tianrong lifted his daughter onto his lap, wiping her face and sweat with his sleeve.

"Ah, you always cheat, Xiaolin, getting your big brother to help," the young man said half-heartedly.

The cheeky child stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Drink some water first, child," Tianrong handed a water bottle to his daughter, who gulped it down eagerly.

"Here, eat this and then go help your aunt," Tianrong handed a skewer of grilled pork to his brother, who took it and went back to the kitchen to help his sister-in-law.

Mouth agape, Xiaolin chewed the pork her father fed her, her cheeks moving vigorously. Hui Song and Liu Hao, returning from the stream with a bucket, greeted them.

"What did you do to make the child’s face so red?"

"Running around with Tianchen."

"Little piggy playing too rough, huh?" Liu Hao teased. Xiaolin responded with a pout.

"Xiaolin is a cute little piggy."

"Indeed, the cutest," Liu Hao laughed.

"And when will you dig up the sweet potatoes, Uncle Hao?" Hui Song inquired.

Originally, Liu Hao planned to cultivate sweet potatoes over ten mu, but ended up planting just two acres for winter consumption. He decided to wait and see how much Tianrong would sell them for, considering expanding his cultivation if the price was right.

"I’ll dig them up gradually myself. I didn’t plant as much as Brother Rong."

"After we finish harvesting the sweet potatoes, I plan to sell the vegetables, A’Rong. Is there anything else important to do?" They had vegetables ready to sell, and the little niece’s small vending booth was prepared. Unless there was more work, he would take the vegetables to market with his wife.

"That’s all for now. We just need to dry the grass for Xiao Zhong. Or is there anything else you need to do, child?" Tianrong asked his daughter, who shook her head.

"Nothing else, father. We have enough dried food, just need to pickle some vegetables and make salted duck eggs, which I’ll do with Uncle. We’ll also gather some mature coconuts to store at home," she said while pointing towards the roasted pork. Tianrong laughed softly and quickly tore some pork to feed his little daughter.

The next day,

      The  villagers gathered together early in the morning with digging tools in hand. Many children came along, either to help a little or because they had no one at home.

The large sweet potatoes spurred the villagers to dig energetically, forgetting their fatigue. A single potato could feed two to three people.

The young boss lady watched the village’s forced labor force, her small arms akimbo, walking proudly along the sweet potato ridges, watching the villagers dig diligently.

"These sweet potatoes are really huge."

"Yes, I’ve never seen them so large before. My husband once bought some from the city, and they were tiny."

The villagers chatted excitedly. The people from the Tang household were truly skilled at growing such large sweet potatoes and generously shared them. Even though they worked for it, selling them would likely bring in more money than their wages.

The people from the Ling household also paused their seafood drying to help with the sweet potatoes. Their faces looked much brighter, well-fed, and with the money from selling their land, they had bought rice and grains for the winter. The Tang family had already shared a lot of dried food with them.

"Why are you walking in the sun, Xiaolin?" Ling Hai asked as he saw the pale figure standing beside him, brushing soil off the sweet potatoes and collecting them in a basket.

"I’m just walking around. Can I take two or three sweet potatoes home?"

"Sure, they are yours after all," the boy chuckled softly.

Xiaolin carried three large sweet potatoes back home.

The plump figure entered the kitchen where her mother, grandmother, and Aunt Mi Hua were preparing food for the villagers with the sound of chopping pork bones echoed.

"What are you making, Hui Ning?" Mi Hua asked as she peeled garlic.

"I’m making pork bone soup with lotus root, stir-fried liver with wild spring onions, stir-fried cabbage with pork, and duck eggs," Hui Ning replied, picking up chopped bones to clean.

"In that case, let me peel the lotus roots for you," said Zhang Ruo as she grabbed the lotus roots, placed them in a basket, and disappeared to the back of the house.

"Mom, can you make quail egg snacks for Xiaolin too?" asked the plump figure, hugging a sweet potato as she came in.

"Of course, dear. Put it down for now. Let me finish preparing the meal first, okay?"

"Okay."

Xiaolin placed the sweet potatoes on the table before walking outside. She stopped to look at the soybean plants that had started to dry, realizing she had forgotten about them. Her brows furrowed in thought.

The plump figure hurried over to her father, who was helping the villagers dig sweet potatoes. When Tianrong turned around, he saw only the tips of her hair buns peeking over his shoulder.

"What’s up, child?"

"After harvesting the sweet potatoes, we also need to gather the soybeans and dry them, okay, Dad? And also dry them well."

"I know, I know. We’ll harvest them and dry them in the sun. After that, your uncle and I will go cut grass for Xiao Zhong."

"Can I go sell vegetables with Grandma and Grandpa?" She pressed her round cheek against her father’s back.

The villagers nearby looked affectionately at the chubby figure. Besides being cute, she was also very endearing. If they could have children this cute and chubby at home, it would be so nice.

"Are you going to just sell things, hmm?" Tianrong could guess that the little one probably wanted to play more than sell. Xiaolin giggled shyly.

"I definitely won’t go to the port!"

Hearing his daughter’s clear voice, Tianrong chuckled softly before giving his permission. Xiaolin shouted joyfully, her chubby body swaying and humming a tune happily.

"What are you doing, Xiaolin?" asked Tianchen, laughing at her antics until his stomach hurt.

"Uncle, if you don’t focus on your work, I will not pay you," the little girl warned, causing everyone nearby to laugh affectionately at her authoritative manner.

"Oh! What will you pay me with, little lady?"

"I’ll ask Mom to make quail egg snacks. If Uncle doesn’t work hard, I won’t let you eat them," her round face lifted up proudly.

"Alright, alright, as your servant, I will start working right now, ma’am."

Seeing his sincere effort to dig, Xiaolin stopped laughing, satisfied. The chubby figure jumped onto the young man’s back, turning into a chubby white weight clinging to him, making him sweat profusely.

Digging sweet potatoes was one thing, but dealing with back pain was another. He could probably only dig sweet potatoes for one day before needing to rest for three days.

When the sun was high in the sky, Hui Ning came out to call everyone to sit under the trees and wait for lunch. The villagers, with their kids dirty from playing in the dirt, walked towards the shade. The aroma of food made them all very hungry.

"Line up here, please. Bring your plates and bowls," Hui Ning called out. They carried the pots of food prepared and ready to serve.

The villagers lined up neatly, each family received a bowl of curry, a plate of liver stir-fried with spring onions, and a plate of pork and egg stir-fry, one plate of each dish per family.

Many adults picked pieces of meat to feed their children, praising the generosity of the Tang family for using such costly meat to prepare their meals. The children enjoyed the meat, which was a luxury for villagers who earned only a few coins a day and could hardly afford to buy meat for their families.

"Where did the Tang family get their wealth from to afford such lavish meals like these?"

"They must have found something valuable in the forest, not to mention buying lots of land and building a new house."

"They’ve become wealthy, but their kind hearts haven’t changed, unlike those rich people in the city."

"How can you compare them to the city folks? The Tang family grew up in this small village, living in poverty for half their lives, while those born rich in the city have always looked down on us as if we were beggars."

"Exactly, you’ve got it all right."

As the villagers ate, they chatted softly among themselves, grateful to the Tang family for giving them a chance to taste such expensive pork. Not everyone could afford it the last time Hui Song sold pork.

After replenishing their energy with the meal, the temporary workers resumed their digging with vigor, their thin bodies working tirelessly. In just one day, they managed to dig up to ten mu. At this rate, they would finish in another day.

In the evening, Hui Ning asked her younger brother to collect about twenty eggs to prepare scrambled eggs with cabbage for the villagers’ dinner. The villagers expressed their gratitude before leading their children back to the village with smiles on their faces.

After dinner, the Tang family sat in the living room to digest their food, but some couldn’t help but continue snacking on quail egg snacks.

"I won’t be here to help tomorrow, A-Ning. Dad and I will be selling the vegetables."

"Alright."

"I’m going too," said the plump figure, jumping into Zhang Ruo’s arms.

"Won’t you be helping at home?" Zhang Ruo stroked her granddaughter’s head. The little girl shook her head before replying,

"I’ll be helping Grandpa and Grandma sell things."

"Is that so? Then you must wake up early because I will head straight to town after picking the vegetables."

"Mommy, please wake me up too," Xiaolin turned to her mother, making everyone laugh.

"Of course, my dear."

 

The next morning before dawn,

The plump child was woken up by her mother, bathed, and dressed while still half asleep. However, once she encountered the cold water, she became fully awake. Her mother handed her a small basket with six large pork buns and a small water bottle tied with a string for easy carrying.

Xiaolin was placed on a cart that her grandfather pushed, while her grandmother pushed another cart filled with vegetables to sell in the city, aiming to sell as much as possible so they wouldn’t have to make multiple trips.

Upon arriving at her grandparents’ house, Xiaolin sat on a bench, eagerly biting into a delicious bao. As dawn broke, she was picked up and placed on a pile of cabbages covered with cloth.

The two carts headed out of the village along a small path, passing by villagers heading in the same direction, some of whom greeted Xiaolin’s grandparents.

"Where are we going to sell the vegetables?" The little face turned to ask her grandfather. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"We’ll sell in front of the city walls because there’s no stall fee. But if you want to sell inside the city, there are no stalls available. The merchants living in the city have already reserved them all for their regular sales," Hui Song informed his granddaughter.

"And how will we sell?"

"Just five brass coins per jin."

Xiaolin frowned, wondering who would buy their vegetables if they sold them outside the city gates. Servants of the wealthy would prefer shopping in the market.

"Let’s head straight to the pharmacy," she directed her grandfather.

"To the pharmacy?"

"Yes, to Grandfather Hong’s pharmacy," Xiaolin replied, intending to ask the Elder Hong if they could rent some space in front of his shop to sell their vegetables. She hoped he would remember her from their last big trade.

Hearing this, Hui Song glanced at his wife before deciding to head towards the city gates, paying two brass coins per person to enter the city, then moving towards the Hong family’s pharmacy.

Once the cart stopped in front of the pharmacy, Xiaolin signaled her grandfather to lift her down. Her plump figure marched into the shop immediately, prompting her grandfather to quickly follow.

"Welcome, what medicine do you need?" It was Elder Hong Chuan who greeted them before bending down to see the chubby cheeks in front of him.

"Oh! It’s the little lady herself. Long time no see. Have you brought something good to sell to Grandpa again?" The elderly man squatted down to chat with the little girl in a friendly manner.

"Greetings, Grandfather. Today, I don’t have any special items to sell. Instead, I’m here to sell vegetables. There are no available stalls in the market, so I thought, since Grandfather Hong’s pharmacy is large and probably attracts many customers, I’d like to rent a spot in front of the shop to sell vegetables for a day."

Hearing the clear and endearing speech, Elder Hong laughed out loud, cheerfully stroking his long beard while Hui Song stood sweating nervously.

Why is this grandchild of mine so brave..

"Of course, I’ll allow it. But I won’t charge rent. Just share a couple of bunches of vegetables with me."

"I have cabbage, cauliflower, and a few turnips. I’ll share some with you, Grandfather," the plump child said, her wide smile making Elder Hong feel even more fond of her.

"Thank you so much. Then let’s set up your stall. I’ll have someone bring a table for you."

"Uh, sorry for the trouble, sir," Hui Song said respectfully, to which Elder Hong waved dismissively.

"No need to be formal."

Hui Song handed over a couple of heads of each vegetable to Elder Hong, who remarked on their large size, noting a head of cauliflower might weigh more than two jin.

Once the pharmacy’s staff brought over a table, the couple quickly arranged their vegetables neatly, with their little granddaughter calling out to passersby from the roadside.

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