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Wan Chunmei replied, “It’s not expensive, really. Two copper coins for a jar, enough for you to eat for a month or so.”
Old Master He was taken aback. “So cheap? Will you be able to make any profit?”
Wan Chunmei wiped the sweat from her brow and explained, “These are vegetables grown at home, so they don’t cost much. It’s just that the jars are few, so I only have a few available. If your family has jars, it’ll be two copper coins; if not, it might be a little more expensive.”
The jars she used for the pickles were small earthenware ones, ones she had collected from the vegetable garden. They were cleaned up and perfectly fine, though there weren’t many of them. If someone bought a jar of pickles, they could bring the jar back, and the price would be a bit cheaper.
Old Master He ate another piece and immediately said, “Give me three jars—three jars. I’ll bring the jars back to you later.”
Wan Chunmei was delighted. “Alright, alright, I’ll pack them for you right now.”
She quickly filled up three jars and handed them to him.
Old Master He took them, inspecting the pickled vegetables closely, and said, “Girl, there are quite a few families in this village who also make pickled vegetables, so selling them here might not work. But your flavor is really good. Why not shout out and let others try? If they think it’s good, they might buy some. After all, it doesn’t cost much.”
Wan Chunmei thought his advice was very reasonable and nodded. “Okay, thank you, Old Master He.”
Old Master He tossed six copper coins to her and left.
Wan Chunmei hurriedly stuffed the six copper coins into her pocket, smiling so widely that her cheeks nearly touched her ears.
She thought about what Old Master He had said and agreed that it made sense. She took a bowl of pickled vegetables, stepped outside, and called out loudly, “Pickled vegetables for sale! Pickled vegetables for sale!”
Villagers from the neighboring village, drawn by the enticing aroma, walked over and asked, “Old Tan’s family, these pickled vegetables smell really good.”
Wan Chunmei nodded with a smile. “Come, give them a try!”
The villagers, drawn by the delicious aroma, were eager to try the pickled vegetables. Hearing Wan Chunmei’s offer to taste them, they quickly gathered around. “Well then, we won’t hold back,” one of them said, grabbing a piece of pickled vegetable and eating it immediately.
After tasting it, they couldn’t stop. They eagerly grabbed more with their hands and shoved it into their mouths.
Wan Chunmei quickly urged, “Gentlemen, if you think it’s good, why not buy a jar to take home?”
One tall, thin villager smiled and asked, “How much for a jar?”
Wan Chunmei replied straightforwardly, “Two copper coins.”
The villagers, however, weren’t as generous as Old Master He. They began to haggle. “Sister, these pickles aren’t exactly rare, why do they cost two copper coins?”
Wan Chunmei responded, “The pickles themselves might not be rare, but salt is precious. If you think it’s too expensive, then don’t buy it.”
Seeing that she wasn’t willing to lower the price, but also realizing how tasty the pickles were, the villagers still took out two copper coins each. “Alright, we’ll each take one jar.”
There were about three or four people, so that made four jars, totaling eight copper coins.
Wan Chunmei packed the pickles, collected the money, and handed each of them a jar.
The villagers, grinning with satisfaction, left. As they walked away, they commented to each other, “This woman’s not bad-looking, and the pickled vegetables are really tasty.”
“Yeah, I wonder which family she belongs to.”
“Ah, you guys, don’t go getting any ideas. She’s the eldest daughter of the Wan family. She’s already married, with six sons and one daughter.”
“That’s a lot of children! What good luck she has.”
“Well, that good luck is hers, not ours.”
As the villagers walked away, their conversation faded into the distance.
Wan Chunmei sighed in relief, realizing it was just a false alarm. Fortunately, Old Tan had just left. If he had heard what they were saying, it would have definitely led to another quarrel.
With most of the pickled vegetables sold, she was in a much better mood.
Little Qiyue, who had been sleeping beside her, woke up. She rubbed her eyes and reached out to Wan Chunmei.
Wan Chunmei glanced around, then picked up the child and began nursing her.
After Little Qiyue had finished, Wan Chunmei stood up again and resumed calling out to potential buyers.
About half an hour later, a group of farm women arrived.
These women were different from the village men and were not as friendly toward Wan Chunmei. One of them approached and asked, “Can these pickled vegetables be eaten?”
Wan Chunmei responded confidently, “Of course, they can. Don’t believe me? You can try for yourselves.”
The women had originally come with the intention of causing trouble, but the delicious smell was irresistible, and one by one, they couldn’t help but try a piece.
Once they tasted it, they couldn’t stop, and their attitudes immediately softened.
“Girl, how did you make this pickled vegetable? It’s so delicious!”
Wan Chunmei smiled and replied, “It’s a family secret, passed down from my ancestors. I can’t tell just anyone.”
Hearing this, the farm women understood they couldn’t ask any more questions.
Wan Chunmei smiled and said, “If you like it, you can buy a little to take home. Use it to stir-fry some leafy greens, I guarantee it will make your husbands fall in love with you all over again.”
Her words were entirely true, without any exaggeration.
The farm women, having tasted the pickles, nodded in agreement. They shyly looked up and asked, “How much for a jar, girl?”
“Two copper coins, two copper coins,” Wan Chunmei said as she prepared to pack the jars.
The women hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright, give us two jars.”
“Only two?” Wan Chunmei asked.
The women nodded. “Yes, we’ll divide it among ourselves later.”
Wan Chunmei smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll pack two jars for you.”
It didn’t take long for the jars to be filled.
They handed Wan Chunmei four copper coins in exchange and, as they took the jars, they happened to glance down at Little Qiyue, who was lying beside them.
“Wow! This little girl is so cute.”
“Yes, she’ll definitely grow up to be a beauty just like her mother.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
When Little Qiyue heard them, she happily wiggled her little arms and legs, which made the women shower her with even more compliments.
“This child is so charming, you can tell she’ll be lucky.”
“Girl, which family are you from?”
Wan Chunmei replied, “I’m from Fengping Village.”
The women remembered it, saying, “Alright, good girl. If the pickles are as good as we think, we’ll come back next time.”
“Okay then, take care, sisters,” Wan Chunmei said cheerfully as she saw them off for a few steps.
In fact, Wan Chunmei wasn’t much younger than the women; it was just that her face had no wrinkles, which made her look younger. People who didn’t know her always liked to call her “girl.”
After selling for most of the day, she had earned more than ten copper coins—more than when Old Tan went out to work. She was delighted and very satisfied.
As the weather grew hotter, Wan Chunmei couldn’t bear to see Little Qiyue exposed to the sun any longer. She began packing up, preparing to leave.
Just as she finished packing, her Fourth Sister Wan arrived.