We have glutinous rice at ho, Lin Wan went to town to buy so red dates. Candied dates taste even better, but they’re too expensive and require ration tickets. So just wrap so red dates inside.
Made more than fifty the first ti.
After the zongzi were cooked, Lin Wan got up before dawn the next day, changed into a loose set of clothes, deliberately to hide her figure. She originally had a single braided pigtail but now styled it into two large braids. When you’re out, a young girl shouldn’t stand out too much.
After a simple breakfast, she carried the ready-made zongzi and prepared to go to a village two or three villages away. It wasn’t until past ten when she arrived.
As soon as she entered the village, Lin Wan cleared her throat and started calling out to sell. Initially, she felt embarrassed, but once she let go of her voice, she didn’t feel shy anymore.
"How much for one?" asked a young woman from the village holding a child.
"Five cents each. Would you like to let the child have one, sister?" She wrapped triangular zongzi, each one not very big.
"Okay, give us one."
"Sure, sister, please get a bowl, and I’ll give it to you."
"Alright, wait a mont."
Lin Wan placed the bamboo basket by the roadside, and while waiting for this sister, she called out a couple more tis.
"What are you selling?"
"Zongzi, five cents each."
Hearing this, the person went ho and brought out a bowl, offering it to Lin Wan, "Give us two then."
Lin Wan took out two and peeled them, placing them in the bowl. Then she took out a bottle and poured so homade syrup over the zongzi.
Just upon arriving in the village, sold ten cents worth — not bad, not bad.
After a while, the sa sister brought back the bowl and asked for one.
Lin Wan sold seven or eight in the village. Then she headed to a farther village.
In the morning, she visited three to four villages, and half of the fifty zongzi were left.
At noon, Lin Wan sat by the roadside and ate two zongzi. She turned to other villages.
At the end of the day, she sold over forty. The situation was relatively optimistic. The only problem was that walking was just too tiring.
"Why are you back so late? You must be exhausted, have so food first," Liang Hongi thought Lin Wan would co back at noon. Who would have thought she spent the day outside, feeling distressed for her.
Usually, even with hardship and fatigue, she has never let Lin Wan go to the fields. At most, she would ask her to cook or wash clothes at ho.
Since her daughter got into college, things changed. She beca more sensible and started sharing responsibilities. Although it comforted her, she felt distressed too, mostly guilty, because despite her daughter’s excellent academic performance, she couldn’t support her.
"Mom, I’ve been walking and stopping along the way; I’m not tired. The snacks sell cheaply, not as profitable as running a restaurant." Claiming not to be tired was actually a lie; she walked through so many villages, dozens of miles, her feet hardly daring to touch the ground.
"Tomorrow Mom will go with you, we’ll sell separately," Liang Hongi prepared the al for her daughter, quickly boiling hot water, urging her to soak her feet.
"Mom, no need, I can do it alone. It’s not worth it for two people to earn such little money. You can rest at ho. Our pig is due too, should we sell it?" Lin Wan didn’t want her mom to dwell too much on this matter, quickly changing the subject.
"Let’s wait a bit, your aunt said her family’s sow is about to have piglets, we’ll take one, then sell this one."
"There are seven or eight left in the basket, take them to Little Grandmother’s place; let Second Brother and Third Brother taste them too."
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