Chapter 48
48 Making Things Difficult
Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou went to a food shop near the market.
On the way, Su Ergou asked his sister excitedly, “Sister, how many more days do we sell the pastries for?”
“Three days at most,” Su Xiaoxiao said.
As the new year approached, there were fewer and fewer customers in town. Their business did not seem to be affected, mainly because there were many return customers. Everyone was thinking of holding some new year’s goods. Once the new year passed, almost no one came out to buy.
“Only three days?” Su Ergou was disappointed.
Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in amusement. “You like selling pancakes so much?”
“Yes.” Su Ergou nodded.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “It’s cold and freezing and you’re being told what to do. Don’t you feel tired and annoyed? In summer, it’s hot and you might get heatstroke. Don’t you think it’s better to lie at home?”
Su Ergou shook his head. “But I’ll be hungry if I lie at home.”
Su Xiaoxiao sighed and touched the back of his head. “I won’t let you go hungry again.”
With the launch of the new product, they needed more and more ingredients. Yesterday, she ordered 20 catties of glutinous rice noodles, 30 catties of white sugar, 50 catties of flour, and 100 duck eggs.
The salted egg yolk used for the yolk pastry was marinated by her. She did not know if salted duck eggs were sold in the capital, but there were none in town.
The moment the egg yolk pastry was out, it immediately became everyone’s new favorite.
However, because the cost of the salted egg yolk pastry was too high, it was sold for 25 copper coins each. The students could reserve them for 23 copper coins each.
This price was still cheaper than Jin Ji’s snacks, so they sold very well.
The two of them arrived at the grain shop and unexpectedly met Aunt Huang.
Ever since she got snubbed at Little Su’s house, Madam Huang had hated Fat Lass Su. She had been thinking about how to get back at her, but coincidentally, this damn fatty came knocking on her door!
“Yo, I was wondering who it was. Isn’t this that little heartless ingrate?”
Hearing Madam Huang’s sarcastic words, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” Madam Huang said with a dark expression.
Su Xiaoxiao smiled. “I’m laughing at you for not saying anything if you don’t know how to speak, lest you embarrass your son.”
Madam Huang fell back in anger. “You!”
Su Xiaoxiao said bluntly, “What about me? First of all, Aunt didn’t give birth to me, and second of all, you didn’t raise me. Why did I become an ingrate? If you really want to call me an ingrate, aren’t you more like an ingrate who sucked the blood, sweat, and silver of my deceased aunt and treated her children harshly?”
Madam Huang had long learned this girl’s sharp tongue, but it was still infuriating to hear her speak again!
She pointed at Su Xiaoxiao’s nose. “You, you, you… Damned girl, don’t be too arrogant! Your cousin is going to the city to study! When he becomes the High Scholar, you’ll see!”
If he passed the county examination, he would not have to kneel to the county magistrate. If he passed the examination, he would only be more glorious! Thinking of this, Madam Huang finally felt better.
She straightened her back and said, “Wretched girl, just you wait! The first thing your cousin will do is chase you out of town!”
How arrogant of him to chase her out of town! However, the High Scholar was indeed very rare in this dynasty, especially in such a remote town. It was a rare existence. It was not an exaggeration to say that the High Scholar is someone who had transformed into a dragon.
Could it be that Chen Haoyuan could really do it?
When Madam Huang saw Su Xiaoxiao in deep thought, she thought that she must have felt guilty and afraid.
Madam Huang was extremely proud!
Since Su Xiaoxiao had offended her, she would let her see how powerful she was!
“Girl! It’s too late to regret it now! Even if you kneel down and beg me, I can’t agree to your marriage with Erlang!”
Su Xiaoxiuao was incredulous. Who wanted to be her daughter-in-law?
Was Wei Ting not handsome anymore? Or was Wei Ting’s waist not good?
However, Madam Huang was right about one thing. After Chen Haoyuan became the High Scholar, Little Su’s family would definitely not have a good life.
Madam Huang said to the shop owner, “Don’t do business with her. In the future, when my son becomes a High Scholar, he will come to your shop to buy!”
With that, she walked away triumphantly.
Su Ergou snorted. “You haven’t achieved it yet, but you’re already ordering people around. Boss, here!”
He handed the money bag to the boss.
Unexpectedly, the boss didn’t respond.
“What’s wrong?” Su Ergou asked.
The boss’s eyes flashed and he stammered, “Y-You guys take the money back. There’s no more flour. It’s sold out.”
“Why isn’t there any?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.
The boss said, “It was sold out this morning!”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “I reserved it yesterday. You should sell it to me first.”
“I…” The boss panicked under Su Xiaoxiao’s gaze. He turned around and tidied up the food bag.” Anyway, go buy it elsewhere. I don’t have it here! ”
Su Ergou said angrily, “Hey! You have to be honest when doing business! You didn’t sell the flour we agreed on. What do you want us to make pancakes with? Don’t tell me you really believe her. Her son is only a scholar. Who knows if he can achieve a ranking?”
The boss said awkwardly, “I have no choice. Miss, go buy it elsewhere!”
“You!”
“Forget it, Ergou, let’s go.”
Su Xiaoxiao brought Su Ergou out of the shop.
Su Ergou said bitterly, “Sister, why are you stopping me? He’s a man. How can he be frightened by a woman?”
“It’s not Madam Huang,” Su Xiaoxiao said.
Su Ergou adapted to Su Xiaoxiao’s change in address very quickly and felt extremely comfortable.
Su Ergou asked curiously, “If it’s not her, what’s going on? Why did the shopkeeper go back on his word and not sell it to us?”
Su Xiaoxiao had a guess. She thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go ask another shop.”
There were originally many stalls selling flour in the market. They were all villagers from various villages. It was almost the new year, so they didn’t set up stalls anymore. Su Xiaoxiao came to buy them.
Su Xiaoxiao remembered that there were two more nearby.
However, when they came to buy it, they all said that it was sold out.
“Isn’t that a bag of white flour?” Su Ergou pointed at the bag of flour in front of the counter.
The boss of this shop smiled awkwardly and said, “That… was reserved by someone else. The money has been paid.”
“What about this?” Su Ergou found another bag of white flour behind the rice jar. “Why are you hiding it?”
The boss’s smile was stiff. “It’s for eating at home. It’s almost the new year.”
The two of them came out of the third shop.
Su Ergou finally couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, what’s going on? In the past, it wasn’t so difficult to buy flour previously.”
It was not a famine year. The price of food was stable, so there should not be a shortage of supplies. Moreover, there was no shortage of rice and wheat, only flour was unavailable.
It was really strange.
Su Ergou said, “I remember now. There’s also a shop selling rice and noodles in the west, but it’s a little far. Sister, wait for me here. I’ll buy it!”
He picked up his basket and was about to leave.
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. “No need. No one will sell it to us.”
Su Ergou was stunned. “Why?”
Su Xiaoxiao looked ahead and said calmly, “Our business is too good and is an eyesore to some people.”