Chapter 29 3/3

Even if it wasn’t all spent, there probably wasn’t much left.

Qin Fangniang touched her own purse. She had been overjoyed earlier, having earned nineteen copper coins in a day. Now she felt even happier, realizing she didn’t have to spend any of it. Saving money was truly wonderful.

Only the money you saved was real money.

If Sang Luo knew what Qin Fangniang was thinking, she would probably say that even though it wasn’t all spent, it wasn’t far off.

She now had twelve copper coins left.

Sang Luo wasn’t too bothered. She had bought necessities. With these two new barrels, if Qin Fangniang brought the cart tomorrow, Sang Luo could increase her sales by eighty copper coins a day by adding two more barrels of fairy tofu. The money for this pair of barrels would soon be earned back.

Since they had spent most of the money, Qin Fangniang asked, “Should we head back now?”

But Sang Luo shook her head. “Auntie, since it’s our first time here, let’s take a look around the East Market. I’m a little hungry, and I want to see if there’s something to bring back for Xiao An and An Ning.”

The two children hadn’t been able to come out today. Who knew how curious they were about what the county town was like? Since they couldn’t come to the county town for a while, bringing back some food from there would always be a good idea.

Qin Fangniang thought it was a bit extravagant to buy food from the county town, but then she remembered Sang Luo’s skill in making magical tofu and decided not to object.

She had never been to the county town before. Leaving that aside, she hadn’t even had a chance to take a walk around the East Market. They had paid an entrance fee to come in, after all.

But once her mindset changed, everything was different. Qin Fangniang felt a bit silly for not taking a stroll around. “Alright, let’s take a look around.”

The two of them each carried their burdens and wandered around the East Market.

There were many stalls in the East Market, and naturally, there were many food stalls. The most common were various types of pancakes: steamed, pan-fried, ring-shaped, and filled.

Sang Luo stopped in front of a stall selling filled pancakes.

The rich aroma made her mouth water.

“Old man, how much are your filled pancakes?” she asked.

Before the old man could answer, Qin Fangniang tugged at her sleeve cautiously and whispered, “These filled pancakes have lamb meat in them. They’re expensive!”

Before Qin Fangniang finished speaking, the old man making the pancakes smiled and said, “Three copper coins each.”

Three copper coins were indeed expensive. With an extra half of a coin, she could buy half a liter of grain. That would be enough for her and the children to have a meal of dry rice.

But the filled pancakes made by the old man were freshly made. Sang Luo watched as he spread minced lamb meat on them, added a savory sauce that looked extremely appetizing, and then topped it with butter before putting it in the oven to bake.

About sixty to seventy percent of the pancakes in the oven were already half-cooked. The aroma of lamb meat, wheat, and sauce combined was tantalizing. Three copper coins were indeed three copper coins, but Sang Luo had never tried this before, and now she was craving it.

The two children definitely hadn’t tried it either.

Looking at it from another perspective, it was worth it for a piece and a half of fairy tofu. Trying out a new food was also worth it.

Money had to be spent wisely, but she couldn’t neglect her own stomach, especially since her original body was so weak. After walking ten miles with such heavy things and working hard for so long, the little bit of fairy tofu she had eaten at home before coming out was no longer enough to satisfy her hunger.

She took out three copper coins and handed them over. “Please give me one.”

The old man took the money with a smile and quickly wrapped one that had just come out of the oven in oiled paper. When Sang Luo took it, the heat transferred through the paper to her hand. She tore off a piece and handed it to Qin Fangniang.

Qin Fangniang took it blankly, stuttering, “Why are you giving it to me?”

Sang Luo tore off a piece for herself, wrapped the remaining two-thirds in oiled paper, and put it in the barrel. Then she said, “You’re not hungry, but you’ve been busy all morning. Let’s have a snack with some oil and meat.”

She took a bite of the torn-off piece. The taste made her give the pancake seller a thumbs up. “Old man, your pancakes are delicious! I’ll buy more next time when I have money.”

Just a few bites couldn’t satisfy the craving; you needed to eat at least one or two more to curb the desire.

The pancake seller chuckled and said, “Sure, young lady, come back next time.”

“I will definitely come back!”

Qin Fangniang held the small piece of pancake in her hand, hesitating to put it in her mouth. Watching Sang Luo enjoy it so much, she couldn’t help but feel a little thirsty.

After hesitating for a moment, she tore off a tiny piece no bigger than a fingernail and put it in her mouth.

It was delicious!

This delicious food made her reluctant to eat more. She looked at San Luo and said, “These pancakes are really delicious, Sister Alie. Can I take this small piece back for my mother and the two children to taste?”

In fact, she felt a bit embarrassed. When Sang Luo gave it to her, it was meant to satisfy her hunger.

But this food was too good. It was oily, it had flour, and it had lamb meat. Her family had never eaten anything so good before. She couldn’t bear to spend three copper coins on one. After walking twenty miles round trip and paying the entrance fee and market tax, she only made twenty copper coins, and after deducting the entrance fee and market tax, she only had eighteen copper coins left.

There were too many places at home that needed money.

Sang Luo didn’t mind at all. Giving away a little was a courtesy. Qin Fangniang wanted to leave some for the old people and the children, which showed her filial piety and kindness. Sang Luo smiled and said, “Auntie, feel free to take it.”

When Qin Fangniang heard this, a smile appeared on her face. She bent down, took out a clean lotus leaf from the barrel, wrapped the small piece of pancake carefully, and put it into the barrel.

Thinking about the expression on her in-laws’ and two children’s faces when they tasted the pancake after returning home, Qin Fangniang couldn’t help but smile broadly.

After finishing two bites of the pancake, Sang Luo didn’t buy anything else. With the remaining nine copper coins in her sleeve, she and Qin Fangniang set off on their return journey, feeling content and satisfied.

What Sang Luo didn’t know was that outside their grass hut in the village, five little kids were also having a showdown over a mouthful of food.