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In truth, it wasn’t that Yang Haiyan’s snacks were exceptionally delicious, but rather the ingredients were better.
In this world, pastry chefs didn’t add milk or goat’s milk when making snacks.
Although some women in the villages might buy goat’s milk for their babies if they had money, it was more of a last resort.
People in this world generally looked down on goat’s milk, not because it was considered inferior, but because they didn’t know how to process it.
Moreover, children from wealthy families had wet nurses, so who would think to give goat’s milk to anyone?
Yang Haiyan, however, used goat’s milk in her snacks, giving them a rich flavor that was far superior to anything else in this world.
Understanding Yang Dahua’s implication, Yang Haiyan responded, “Sister Dahua, I have no objection to you selling my snacks. However, if you sell them in town, you’ll just be pulling customers away from me since there are only so many people here. It won’t increase my business profit.”
Even if all 2,000 people in the town bought her snacks, if Yang Dahua started selling them, she would be taking customers from Yang Haiyan, meaning there would be no profit increase for her.
While she was willing to help others, she wouldn’t do so at the cost of her own interests.
Selling her snacks to Yang Dahua meant giving up some of her profits.
Yang Dahua understood and quickly explained, “Don’t worry, Haiyan. I won’t sell in town. Every few days, I go to the county to sell the small bags and pouches I make. I can take your snacks along. Does that sound good?”
Yang Haiyan replied, “Selling in the county is fine.”
Yang Dahua was thrilled, “Then what’s your price for the snacks?”
Yang Haiyan explained, “On the day of the feast, I had three types of snacks in the red wedding bag I made. The softest one, I call cake; it’s two for one wen. The small cookies are four for one wen, and the larger ones with yellow bean filling are one for two wen.
Those are my selling prices.
The profit margin is quite low, so if you want some, it’ll be based on quantity. The cookies are 45 wen per jin, with about 200 pieces per jin. The small cakes are also 45 wen per jin, with 100 pieces per jin. The yellow bean cakes are 55 wen per jin, with about 30 per jin. As for how you sell them in the county, I won’t get involved. Just one thing: once the snacks are sold, they can’t be returned.”
She emphasized this because once the snacks left her hands, she wouldn’t know about their hygiene, so she wouldn’t accept returns.
Yang Dahua calculated the prices Yang Haiyan mentioned and frowned, “Haiyan, your snacks are all delicious. Take the cookies, for instance—four for one wen is quite cheap.”
Yang Haiyan replied, “The people in town don’t have much money; most come from the villages and are reluctant to spend. So I plan to sell at a low profit but high volume.”
She aimed not just to do business in town but also in the surrounding villages.
Poor families are often very frugal, so they’d find it hard to spend even one wen, which is why she aimed for low prices.
Besides, she wasn’t trying to earn a fortune; earning a little to improve her life was enough.
Yang Dahua said, “That’s fine. You open tomorrow, and I’ll come by your shop. Is that okay?”
Yang Haiyan replied, “Of course!”
After finalizing the deal with Yang Haiyan, Yang Dahua left but couldn’t help but glance back at her one more time.
The girl, bathed in sunlight, looked different from the girl she used to know in the Yang household.
Back then, she had been a maidservant to the young mistress, while Yang Dahua had been a lowly maid; after they were both arranged to marry, they stood on equal ground as wives of centurions.
Now, seeing Yang Haiyan owning a courtyard and a shop, she felt a shift in their previously equal status.
Yang Dahua determined to work hard and earn money so she could also open a shop like Yang Haiyan.
At dinner, Qin Fang returned home.
The meals in the Qin household hadn’t changed much even after Yang Haiyan earned 500 taels of gold.
To her, good food meant a balanced nutritional distribution, not just variety, so one meat dish, one vegetable, and one protein were sufficient.
During the meal, Qin Fang mentioned something from the barracks: “Wife, I started serving in the military in March when I was 16, which was the 15th year of Hongyuan. By next March, I will have completed five years. Many people who get promoted during this time might stay, but those who don’t get promoted will go home. After five years away, everyone misses their hometown.”
Yang Haiyan suddenly recalled some plot details.
Indeed, in the original novel, the male lead had been forced to return home due to the protagonist’s misfortune, but there was another reason: his five-year military service was up.
Even though he could have chosen to stay, he didn’t because of the protagonist.
So what about now?
“What are your thoughts, husband? By next March, do you want to stay longer or plan to go back home?”
Qin Fang replied, “I plan to stay, but I haven’t been home in five years. Once my service is complete next year, I’ll have leave, and I want to go back and see my family. Wife, if I stay, I have a chance to be promoted to be a captain. If I just go home after five years, I… won’t be worthy of you for a lifetime.”
Yang Haiyan didn’t know his thoughts but said, “I will support you, husband.”
Although she enjoyed a comfortable life, she also admired a man with ambition and drive; a man striving for his career was incredibly appealing.
Qin Fang was not a traditional patriarch who kept secrets from his wife, but he still had some traditional views, such as believing a man should support his family.
Now that Yan Yan was financially stable, he felt that his needs were being met by her.
He wasn’t insecure or unwilling to accept her help, but it motivated him to work harder, to become someone she could be proud of—that was his way of repaying her.
Hearing Yang Haiyan say this, Qin Fang sighed in relief. “Thank you, wife.”
Yang Haiyan playfully replied, “I don’t want your thanks; just remember my kindness.”
Qin Fang held her hand and nodded.
Watching Qin Fang, who was confident and hard-working, Yang Haiyan had a thought: in the novel, Han Zhen was promoted to Captain, and when Qin Fang’s five-year service was up, he took the protagonist back home.
This time, who would receive the position of Captain?
Was it Han Zhen, the male lead, or Qin Fang?
Yang Haiyan wouldn’t steal the female lead’s opportunities, but she would also strive to create chances for her husband through her own efforts.
The next day
Early in the morning, Yang Haiyan and Qin Fang left together.
Qin Fang headed to the barracks, while Yang Haiyan went to her snack shop.
The Delicious Snack Shop opened early.
Unlike modern shops that usually open around 8:30 or 9:00 AM, in this era, the morning was when most people came, especially villagers who rushed to town early.
So, the snack shop naturally opened early.
Before opening, Yang Haiyan checked the shop again.
It was clean, the tea was prepared at four tables, and the counter was neatly arranged with small cakes, cookies, red bean cakes, green bean cakes, and yellow bean cakes.
There were enough small cakes and cookies prepared.
Inside the counter, there was a stove keeping goat’s milk warm, alongside a large bowl of small round cakes.
After confirming everything was in order, Yang Haiyan announced, “Open for business!”
Aunt Hong and Aunt Fan responded, “Okay.”
They were both dressed in deep blue ru skirts, a common outfit for women, with a short top and a long skirt.
However, they had white aprons over their outfits, making them look a bit more refined and tidy.
The Delicious Snack Shop opened its doors.
As it was the first day, they prepared a lot of snacks and decided not to limit the quantities; limitations would begin the next day.
Yang Haiyan stood at the door with Aunts Hong and Fan, calling out to passersby, “Good morning, everyone! Today is the first day of Delicious Snack Shop! If you buy a snack here, you’ll receive a small gift!”
Wearing a white ru top and a pink pleated long skirt, with simple hair accessories adorned with a light pink silk flower, she looked clean and elegant.
Many people had already tasted Aunt Hong’s snacks the day before, so they were eager to come back early this morning. Plus, the low prices attracted a lot of people.
“Shopkeeper, what’s the small gift?”
“Yeah, if I buy one, do I get one gift? If I buy two, do I get two?”
Aunt Hong answered, “Yes, buy one, get one gift; buy two, get two gifts. And this offer is only available on the first day.”
“Shopkeeper, I want five wen worth of cookies and five wen worth of cakes. Does that mean I get ten wen worth of gifts?”
“Shopkeeper, I—”
Yang Haiyan said, “Everyone, please be quiet. There’s a basket here. You can choose which snacks you want at the counter, and after choosing, you can check out. After you pay, the cash register will give you a gift. Of course, you can also relax inside, enjoying the snacks while sipping on milk tea.”
“What is milk tea?”
“Is it good?”
“What kind of milk tea is it? I’ve never heard of it.”
Yang Haiyan responded, “One at a time, don’t rush! For those who haven’t tried milk tea, you can taste it for free first. Now, everyone can start lining up.”
Though there were many people, the crowd wasn’t overwhelming since that was about all the folks in town.
The first in line was an elderly woman whose grandson had been asking for cake ever since he had one two days ago.
The price was so cheap that she came early this morning with a basket, picking four small cakes and twelve cookies.
Then, noticing the red bean cakes, green bean cakes, and yellow bean cakes that hadn’t been advertised before, she curiously asked, “What are these snacks?”
Aunt Hong explained, “These are red bean cakes, green bean cakes, and yellow bean cakes, each filled with red bean paste, green bean paste, and yellow bean paste, respectively. Each piece is two wen.”
Upon hearing the price, the elderly woman didn’t even look at them.
Although they were larger than the small cakes and cookies, she could give her grandson one piece in the morning and another in the afternoon for just one wen, making it last two days.
But two wen for a stuffed cake seemed too expensive.
The old woman skipped the red bean, green bean, and yellow bean cakes and noticed the white, thick, and fragrant small round cakes in the milk tea. “What’s this?”
Aunt Hong replied, “This is small round cake milk tea; you can try some.”
She scooped out a small bowl, which contained two round cakes.
The elderly woman took it and drank: “This is really good.”
The sweet, milky flavor made her mouth water. “How much is this?”
Aunt Hong said, “Three wen for a bowl. You can drink it here in our shop; there are tables over there where you can enjoy it slowly. If you take it away, you’ll need to bring your own bowl. Plus, this milk tea is very nutritious; it’s great for both children and adults.”
Although Yang Haiyan was at the cash register, it was connected to the snack counter, and she listened to Aunt Hong and Aunt Fan explaining to customers—everything they said had been taught to them by her.
In modern times, no one would think of milk tea as a health drink, and it might even be considered junk food.
But in ancient times, it was different.
Firstly, modern people are prone to diabetes, but in ancient times, it was rare.
If someone in ancient times had diabetes, it would be a unique rich person’s disease. So, milk tea was seen as a very nutritious drink.
Moreover, Yang Haiyan’s goat milk had little sugar added, and the round cakes were made of flour, unlike modern milk teas that contain artificial flavors and excessive sugar, which can be harmful when consumed in large quantities.
If given a choice between goat milk and cow milk, Yang Haiyan would prefer cow milk.
However, in ancient times, goat milk was much more accessible.
The two sheep Yang Haiyan bought had just given birth.
Sheep can produce milk for about seven to nine months, yielding around three to four pounds daily.
With two sheep, that would be six to eight pounds, although it could fluctuate.
After seven to nine months, the sheep would need to be bred again.
Once they had new lambs, they would produce milk again.
This was somewhat cumbersome, so Yang Haiyan thought that once the sheep stopped producing milk, they could be roasted, and then she could buy two new milking sheep, achieving two goals at once.
The elderly woman asked, “How do you take it away? How much is in a bowl?”
Aunt Hong produced a small bowl, the size used for regular meals: “This is the size of the bowl.”
One bowl held about 200 grams.
After sterilizing the goat milk daily, they set aside a bowl for Uncle Hong’s son.
After making the cakes and cookies, there was less than five pounds left, equating to less than 5000 grams, which could make around 20 cups of milk tea.
The elderly woman pondered, “I didn’t bring a bowl; can I borrow one from you to buy a bowl? I’ll return it later; I live in town too.”
Yang Haiyan explained, “Aunt, this milk tea cannot be stored for long. It needs to be consumed within half an hour; otherwise, its nutrition is lost. So, we don’t encourage takeout; we recommend guests drink it here in the shop, where we have tables and chairs for you to rest.”
Hearing this, the old woman reconsidered: if her grandson couldn’t finish it within half an hour, it would be a waste of money—three wen was quite a sum. “Then I don’t want it; I’ll just take the small cakes and cookies.”
Yang Haiyan replied, “Then please come to my side to pay.”
The elderly woman approached the cash register. “Shopkeeper, you said there’s a gift for buying a portion. I’ve purchased these; what will I receive?”
Yang Haiyan said, “You bought four small cakes for two wen and twelve cookies for three wen, totaling five wen, right?”
The old woman nodded, “Yes, yes, I calculated; it’s five wen.”
Yang Haiyan continued, “For every one wen spent, you get a cookie as a gift. You spent five wen, so you receive five cookies as a gift. That means you’ll have four small cakes and seventeen cookies now; can you count them?”
The elderly woman exclaimed, “Wow, what a great deal! One wen gets me a cookie? If I spend five wen, doesn’t that mean I get an extra cookie?”
Yang Haiyan confirmed, “Yes, this is only available today for the opening. After today, it won’t happen again.”
The elderly woman exclaimed, “That won’t do! I need to buy a bit more. My grandson loves to eat them, and since there’s a discount today, I must stock up!”