“Yes, it’s fermented rice tofu in chili sauce. You can’t buy it in the market. My friend said it was made by a descendant of an ancient imperial chef. It can be kept unopened for half a year, and opened for a month, but it should be kept in a cool place.” Ning Shu introduced.

Zhang Min said, “It’s indeed different from what I bought at the supply and marketing cooperative. The milk is like soup. But don’t say it can be kept for a month. I bet once it’s opened, it won’t last a week before it’s all eaten. I can eat two big bowls of rice porridge with this tofu in chili sauce.”

Ning Shu smiled, “Me too.”

Zhang Min continued, “Comrade Ning, since we’re so familiar now, I won’t be polite. The tofu in chili sauce at the supply and marketing cooperative costs 5 cents per piece. I can see that your tofu in chili sauce and its fragrance are better than what’s at the supply and marketing cooperative, and I don’t have a coupon. So, I’ll buy all the tofu in chili sauce in this bottle from you for 7 cents per piece. There are 20 pieces in this bottle, which is 1.4 yuan. It’s not expensive for me.”

“Well…” The tofu in chili sauce that cost 11 cents could be sold for 1.4 yuan, while the oranges that cost 58 cents only earned 4 yuan after removing 4 pieces. When calculated like this… “Comrade Zhang, will one bottle be enough for Auntie’s poor appetite?”

“Do you still have more?” Zhang Min’s eyes lit up. This quality of tofu in chili sauce would be face-saving even as a gift.

Ning Shu said, “I only have two bottles here. If you need more, I’ll ask my friend to send me a few bottles, but I don’t know when they’ll arrive.” She didn’t know when the app would refresh.

“Then give me both bottles, you won’t have any left?” Zhang Min felt a bit embarrassed.

“I’m fine, Auntie is more important.” Ning Shu replied generously.

Zhang Min didn’t ask further. Since she was willing to give two bottles, why be polite? So, she happily paid 2.8 yuan and accepted the two bottles of tofu in chili sauce.

Ning Shu was also happy. The 22 yuan worth of tofu in chili sauce was equivalent to the 5 jin of chestnuts she exchanged, which she had traded for only 10 pieces of candy.

In other words, she had exchanged 10 pieces of candy for 2.4 yuan.

Oh, what a feeling to make big money. Also, in the future, she would use fruit candy for exchanges to keep costs low.

The post office was a stable job, with decent wages. Someone like Zhang Min, with a stable job herself, would have a decent husband, meaning her family conditions were good.

Ning Shu had an idea, “Comrade Zhang, do you want fruit? Apples, pears, or oranges from Sichuan Province?”

Ning Shu and Zhang Min had known each other for five years. One was an employee of the post office, the other was a military spouse, so they trusted each other.

Especially Zhang Min, who trusted Ning Shu more, as she was a military spouse.

“Yes, yes, we can’t easily buy fruit here. Even if there are fruits in the county, they’re usually all sold out by the time we get there. Comrade Ning, do you have a source?” Zhang Min was willing to spend money.

Her parents had jobs, she and her husband had jobs, and their two children were still young, so they had no financial pressure. She was willing to spend money to ensure her family ate well and drank well.

“I’m not sure yet. If I find a source, I’ll order directly. It will be close to the market price, plus a few cents for my trouble.” Ning Shu revealed her approximate plan.

“No problem.” Zhang Min knew the rules. If she didn’t give extra for the trouble, why would they reserve fruit for her?

“Comrade Ning, my family has a large number of people. There are over ten people in my parents’ family, and about ten people in my husband’s family. If there’s extra fruit, I can prepare 20 or 40 jin without any problem. If there’s more, that’s fine too. Both sides will pay, so I’m not just asking for a freebie.”

A big customer indeed.                                                             

“That’s settled then.” Ning Shu decided that she would come to Zhang Min first for good things in the future.

After discussing with Zhang Min, Ning Shu didn’t wander around and went back.

Ning Shu leisurely walked back to the brigade, calculating as she walked. She had earned 6.5 yuan from Li Fei yesterday, and 2.8 yuan from Zhang Min today, totaling 9.3 yuan.

After deducting the 5 yuan she spent on candy yesterday and today, she had 4.3 yuan left, which was her private money. She was happily calculating, unaware of the lively atmosphere at home.

“Yi Bao, has your mother not returned yet?”

“Yi Bao, when is your mother coming back?”

“Er Bao…”

In the courtyard, many children were chatting excitedly, asking endless questions.

Yi Bao had no choice. It was the second time so many little friends had come to his house, the first time being yesterday, of course. “My mom said she’ll be back before lunch. You can eat lunch first and then come over,” Yi Bao said.

“I don’t want to. What if the candy runs out again? I want to wait for your mom.”

“Yeah, me too. I want to wait for auntie. I’m going to exchange for candy today.”

“I want to exchange for candy too.”

“And me…”

Yi Bao looked at the crowd and asked, “So, with so many of you, who’s going to exchange candy first?”

“I came first, so I’ll exchange first.”

“Nonsense, I clearly came first.”

“It’s me. You ask Yi Bao and Er Bao if I came first.”

“Yi Bao, you say, who came first?”

Yi Bao’s head started to ache from their questions. They had been arguing at home for a long time, and he had forgotten who came first.

“I don’t know who came first. How about this, we play rock-paper-scissors. The oldest goes first, then line up and wait for my mom to come back.”

The children didn’t know what to do, but rock-paper-scissors was the most acceptable game for them, so when Yi Bao suggested it, they thought it was a good idea.

Then, one by one, the children started playing rock-paper-scissors.

First, two children started competing. The winner stayed on the stage to accept challenges from other children. If this child won, they continued to stay on the stage, but if they lost, they gave the stage to the winner. Well, the children had their own ways.

Yi Bao acted as the referee, watching them play rock-paper-scissors.

When Ning Shu returned home, she saw a long line of children at her door, about twenty of them. Did she poke into the children’s nest in the village?

“Auntie is back.”

“Yi Bao’s mom is back.”

“Auntie, did you exchange candy?”

“Auntie, how much candy did you buy today? Is it enough for all of us?”

“Mom…” Yi Bao heard his mom come back and hurried over.

Er Bao and San Bao were playing and also heard their mom’s return. They came over, supporting each other.

“Mom… hug…” San Bao saw his mom and immediately opened his arms.

Ning Shu had walked a long way and didn’t have the strength to hug him. She squatted down, gently hugged him, and then let go. “San Bao, let me rest for a while. You go play first, and I’ll hug you later, okay?”

“Okay.” Er Bao crisply agreed.

“San Bao is so good.” Ning Shu rubbed his head and looked at the other children. “You all came so early. Don’t you have anything to do in the morning?”

“We’re afraid that if we come late, there won’t be any candy left to exchange.”

“Yeah, we’ve picked all the chestnuts, and there are no more left for us to pick.”

“Auntie, when are you starting to exchange? I want to eat candy.”

“Auntie, I want to exchange candy too.”

“Auntie…”

Ning Shu listened to the chatter of more than twenty children, and her head was starting to ache.

“I’ll give you candy now.” She didn’t want to delay any longer, as their noise was giving her a headache. “Yi Bao, go get the scale.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, let’s start weighing the chestnuts now. Are you lining up in the order you arrived?” Ning Shu asked.

“Yes, Yi Bao told us to line up and weigh.” Ning Shu didn’t expect this to be Yi Bao’s idea.

“Mom, here’s the scale.” Yi Bao came out with the scale.

“Thank you, Yi Bao, you’re great. You’ve arranged the kids so well. I’ll reward you later.” Ning Shu praised Yi Bao again.

Yi Bao’s little face turned red, and his mouth curled up. “Mom, I’ll weigh the chestnuts with you.”

“Mom, what about me? Do I get a reward too?” Er Bao’s ears were sharp. He heard that his brother would get a reward, and he was envious.

This was also where Er Bao and Yi Bao differed in character. Er Bao would ask if he envied, while Yi Bao wouldn’t.

However, although Yi Bao wouldn’t ask, he would learn. Just like last time when Er Bao wore pants and Ning Shu praised him for looking good, Yi Bao put on his clothes and ran to Ning Shu before Er Bao to show her.

“I’ll weigh the chestnuts with your brother later. If you take care of your little brother, I’ll also reward you.” Ning Shu said.

“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of San Bao.” Er Bao promised, patting his chest. “I’m the best at taking care of San Bao.”

“Then I’ll watch… Children, let’s start weighing the chestnuts. The first child, get ready. I’ll go get the things.” Ning Shu took a basket and paper and pen, because the scale was limited in size, they could only weigh in batches, so she needed to record.

Ning Shu: “This child weighs a total of… 2 catties and 6 taels. Have you weighed at home? I’ll give you 5 candies, you can take 1 tael back, okay?”

“Auntie, my mom said 5 candies are enough for me, I won’t take it back.” The child said with a smile.

Ning Shu didn’t mind and gave 5 candies. “The second child… you weigh a total of 7 catties and 9 taels, rounding up to 8 catties, so I’ll give you 16 candies.” Some children’s parents were polite and rounded down to a tael or two, so she naturally wouldn’t be stingy and rounded up to the nearest integer for those who were short by a tael.

“Thank you, Auntie.” The child had also weighed at home before coming. Her mother said she could take 15 candies, so if Yi Bao’s mom gave 16 candies, it would be an extra one, so she had to say thank you.

“Don’t mention it… Here, take the candies. The second child… 3 catties and 6 taels…”

“The next child, 1 catty and 2 taels.”

“And… I don’t know which child this is, suddenly Ning Shu looked at the child in front of her and was stunned, “Haicai, are you also in line?”

She didn’t see him when he came in just now, mainly because there were more than twenty children, so she didn’t notice!