This was last year when my brother went out to carry timber for two months and earned money to buy her fabric without consulting her first.
After returning, Mom scolded brother a lot, but he didn’t get angry, just smiled sheepishly, "My sister has grown up, and hasn’t worn many new clothes from childhood to now. Girls should dress up."
Usually, what Lin Wan wore were mostly clothes leftover from others that had been patched up again and again, or clothes that mom altered smaller for her to wear.
At that ti, Lin Wan was just happy for herself and didn’t notice that at ho, when brother was saying those words, he was also wearing patched clothes.
...
Lin Wan stir-fried the potatoes and bean sprouts. She prepared four dishes and two cold dishes, cucumbers and carrots.
She didn’t have much money now to buy expensive bean curd and kelp, so she could only make do with lowering costs.
She put the coal into the stove and lit it. After lighting the stove, she placed an aluminum basin on top, half with bean sprouts, half with potatoes, she was reluctant to use oil, only brushing a layer in the pan when stir-frying.
It’s not that she was stingy, she truly didn’t have much money to buy oil now; she plans to use more oil once she makes money in the future.
After the dishes were ready, Lin Wan placed the risen dough on the wooden rack, leaving a small cutting board beside the pan and other places with so condints.
Seeing that there was nothing else missing, she tied an apron and sleeve covers, pushing the cart outside.
She placed the cart directly at the storefront entrance, using two long benches on both sides to level the cart.
At this ti, so vendors in the street had already started setting up stalls.
Lin Wan cleared her throat and called out sowhat shyly, "Delicious egg pancakes, bread stuffed with veggies."
After shouting a few tis and seeing no one coming over, Lin Wan didn’t want to keep calling.
With her head lowered, she spread out two egg pancakes in case soone cos to buy and couldn’t wait.
Around eight or nine o’clock, quite a few people started arriving at the market gradually.
So people were early risers who hadn’t eaten and found the egg pancakes on Lin Wan’s sign intriguing, so they ca up to inquire.
"Are there really eggs in the egg pancakes? What kind of food is this?"
"Yes, yes, this is a type of food from the North, it tastes really good, would you like to buy one to try, brother?"
"From the North, huh? I haven’t seen it before, how much is one?"
"Three dis per egg pancake, two dis per bread wrap with veggies, we also accept food tickets."
"It’s a bit expensive."
"Brother, a at bun costs three dis each, and I put a whole egg on an egg pancake without requiring tickets."
"Alright, alright, get an egg pancake."
"Sure thing." Lin Wan was extrely excited in her heart for her first successful transaction in life, a great start.
She quickly placed the spread egg pancake on the pan to heat it up a bit, spread bean paste, added pickles and greens, and wrapped it with oil paper to give to the man.
"Your change is two dis," the man handed Lin Wan a fifty-cent note.
Lin Wan glanced at the money and quickly took out two dis from her pocket to give to him.
As he was leaving, the man said the pancake was nice and tasty.
This made Lin Wan overjoyed, even more motivated.
After the first sale ca the second, and in one morning, Lin Wan sold seven bread wraps with veggies and ten egg pancakes.
She collected several dollars by noon and also took two food tickets. Luckily, the basic life necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt here were mostly cash transactions, not requiring tickets, or she really couldn’t do business.
Living alone these years, she learned a lot, making these kinds of foods was no problem for her.
Lin Wan’s stall stayed open until the evening. The local residents and vendors also needed to eat.
She sold out the ten bread wraps she prepared, only the egg pancake batter had so left.
She made two pancakes for herself for dinner without using eggs, making do with the leftover veggies and paste. (An eggless egg pancake, ahem... I’ve had it)
After the stove’s coal burned out, Lin Wan didn’t add more coal, letting it extinguish itself.
She planned to relight it early the next morning, even if it was a bit troubleso, this way she could save two coals overnight.
Sitting on the bed at night, Lin Wan counted the money she earned today, di by di.
A total of eight dollars and twenty cents, after deducting today’s costs, she earned six or seven dollars. If this continues, she could earn back her investnt in a few days. Just the thought made Lin Wan excited and unable to sleep.
The next day wasn’t a market day, but Lin Wan knew there was an elentary school not far ahead, where children from several nearby villages attended.
They all went ho for lunch.
With a hopeful attitude, Lin Wan pushed her cart to a spot not far from the school gate.
When school let out, only four or five kids bought her pancakes, the others just gazed enviously from the side.
Lin Wan realized she miscalculated, as most students now went ho for als, and there were even fewer doing business or working outside.
So, these children didn’t have the financial capability, but fortunately, so small workshops bought a few pancakes from her, so it seems she should sell at her own front door honestly in the future.
After the children went ho, Lin Wan pushed the cart back ho, set up the stall at her door, and stayed by the door. Anyway, it was sothing to earn if she could.
By the evening, she only earned a bit over two dollars for the day, but thankfully she didn’t prepare much today.
On a market day, Lin Wan made a few more than the last market day.
By the end of the day, before the night fell, they were all sold out.
Having gained experience, Lin Wan knew how much to prepare each ti, striving not to waste.
On the seventh day here, taking advantage of a non-market day, Lin Wan took the money she earned to visit ho.
It had been over a week, mom and brother must be really worried.
She rembered the day after she registered for college, she saw mom and brother at the school gate.
Back then, mom was disheveled, looking as if she’d been seriously ill, having lost a lot of weight, and her brother wasn’t any better off.
Mom only blad her a few tis upon seeing her, then all she had were concerned questions about her whereabouts that month, whether she faced any mistreatnt outside, and how living alone was.
Brother didn’t bla her either, instead encouraging her to study well, saying he would figure out the living expenses, not ntioning his own school matters at all.
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