Chapter 107: Roasted Chestnuts

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Roasted Chestnuts

"Brother Wu, rest assured, I’ll definitely have the portrait you want for you first thing tomorrow morning," Su Wan promised.

"No, no, I’m not in a hurry. You take your time with the drawing. I’ll just come see it tomorrow morning." Though Uncle Wu said he wasn’t in a hurry, his actions showed he was quite eager.

Su Wan naturally nodded, promising it would be ready.

Satisfied, Uncle Wu pushed his empty three-wheeled cart and left.

Before heading inside to draw and read, Su Wan went to discuss something with Aunt Zhao.

"Aunt Zhao, I was thinking of making some flaky buns. Do you know how?"

"Flaky buns? Are those the ones where the dough feels like it has many layers when you eat them?" Aunt Zhao asked.

"Yes, that’s right. They’re a specialty from the Southwest. I learned how to make them when I was there."

"I’ve had them before. Back when I was young, I went out to work with my husband, and we had some buns made by a chef at the state-owned restaurant in the county town. At the time, I thought it was strange how different they were from the buns others made. I only learned later that it was a specialty from the chef’s hometown, and that chef was from the Southwest."

"Even after all these years, I still remember the taste."

"Aromatic, flaky... The dough had so many layers, and it was so fragrant."

"Right. I was thinking that if I just give them regular buns, it might not seem like enough, and people might not think much of it. It’s better to give them a specialty item so everyone can try something new. It’s more about the novelty," Su Wan explained.

Aunt Zhao understood her good intentions, but she looked conflicted and seemed to be hesitating, wanting to speak but holding back.

Su Wan noticed and, knowing Aunt Zhao wasn’t one to meddle, said, "Aunt Zhao, if you have something on your mind, just say it. We’ve known each other for a while now; there’s no need to be so formal."

"Wanwan, since you trust me, I’ll be frank. A lot of neighbors brought books this time. If you were to give them buns in return, you’d have to make hundreds of them to have enough. That would take tens of pounds of flour, at the very least."

"Tens of pounds of flour is enough to feed our household for two or three months."

"Honestly, that’s too expensive to just give away as gifts."

"If you’re really going to make those flaky buns, you’d be better off selling them. I recently saw someone selling soy milk and herbal tea at the mouth of the alley. We could sell the buns right here at our courtyard gate and make some extra money. Once your baby is born, there will be plenty more things you need to spend money on."

"Besides, you have a hospital check-up coming up soon, and that’s another big expense."

Aunt Zhao didn’t say that Su Wan was impractical. She knew the girl was a talented student; it was normal for her not to understand these everyday matters. ’After all, no one can be an expert in everything.’

"...You’re right, Aunt Zhao." Su Wan was a bit embarrassed. Ever since she was born, her parents had never let her go wanting when it came to food.

Once she started her own studies, she began finding ways to earn money herself. With that, plus the support of her third brother who could always think of ways to make a profit, Su Wan had never had to be frugal with food.

As she got older and earned more and more, she never lacked for spending money, so the idea of scrimping and saving rarely crossed her mind.

She preferred increasing her income over cutting her expenses.

This was why she had developed a taste for a more comfortable lifestyle. Having grown accustomed to the good life, and not being poor enough to need to skimp on food and clothing, she had developed a habit of generosity.

She knew Aunt Zhao meant well, so she asked humbly for her advice, "Aunt Zhao, in your opinion, what would be the most appropriate way to return our neighbors’ kindness?"

"There are a lot of wild chestnuts in the mountains near our village. When they’re ripe, the brigade organizes everyone to go up and harvest them. They’re all weighed together and then distributed among the villagers as an annual bonus."

"What each family does with their share is their own business."

"Wanwan, I think you could go to the village to get some chestnuts. The villagers mostly barter with them. You could trade for two hundred pounds of chestnuts with just twenty pounds of flour, which is a much better deal than making buns."

Su Wan knew that villagers did indeed like to barter with people from the city.

"You have a good point, Aunt Zhao. Chestnuts are scarce in the city. The last time I saw them at the supply co-op, they were selling for fifty cents to a yuan per pound. The price is really high, so ordinary people can’t bear to buy them. Even if they could, they’re often out of stock. Compared to buns, chestnuts are a much more substantial gift."

"The only thing is, I’ll have to trouble you to help me contact the villagers. I don’t know them, so they probably wouldn’t feel comfortable trading with a stranger like me."

Aunt Zhao smiled warmly. "It’s nothing! Besides, if it weren’t for me, Old Wu wouldn’t have come asking you to draw a portrait, Wanwan. I’m the one who caused you this trouble, so of course I should be the one to help solve it."

’It’s not like I’m losing out on the deal,’ Su Wan thought.

But Aunt Zhao clearly had her own ideas about favors and reciprocity.

"I’ll go back tomorrow and ask around."

"In that case, Aunt Zhao, I’ll go rent a three-wheeled cart for you to take back. Two hundred pounds is a heavy load." Su Wan considered that the village wasn’t close to the city. It was at least a day’s walk, and there was no way Aunt Zhao could manage such a heavy load by herself.

"Alright." This time, Aunt Zhao didn’t refuse, accepting Su Wan’s kind offer.

"Aunt Zhao, see what things the villagers want in exchange. If we don’t have enough at home, we can go to the supply co-op and buy it now."

"I’ll take fifty pounds of high-grade flour, fifty pounds of white rice, and a few bags of white and brown sugar. Someone is bound to trade for these items. I’ll go find some of the women I used to know and trade with them."

Aunt Zhao already had a plan in mind; she knew exactly which families to approach for a trade.

"Sounds good."

Su Wan agreed to the plan. They were low on rock sugar and white sugar at home, so she and Aunt Zhao went out to buy more.

When Su Jue returned that evening, Aunt Zhao called him for dinner.

Su Jue quickly took a cold shower before sitting down in the courtyard to eat.

The only fan in the house was a small one in Su Wan’s room, but since the electricity supply was unreliable, everyone preferred to eat in the courtyard, where it was cooler with the summer breeze.

Hearing the sounds, Su Wan came out of her bedroom and sat down across from Su Jue.

Su Jue quickly shoveled down a few bites of food, eating with gusto.

"Third Brother, are you going to the movie theater again tonight?"

"Of course. Business over at the movie theater is booming. Right now, with Shunzi and Ah Hong, the three of us are making at least ten to twenty yuan a day. We each take home five or six yuan, which adds up to over a hundred a month."

"If I don’t use this chance to build up some capital, I won’t be able to get a foot in the door with the more profitable ventures."

Su Wan knew he still wanted to get into the transportation business, hauling and selling goods himself. A single trip could net him several hundred yuan, maybe even more.

’Her third brother was building his capital.’

Knowing her brother’s life was on the right track, Su Wan felt reassured.

"Wanwan, did you need something?"

"I need to borrow the three-wheeled cart." Su Wan then told Su Jue about her discussion with Aunt Zhao.

Su Jue’s ears perked up when he heard this. "Chestnuts?"

"Can Aunt Zhao get her hands on even more chestnuts?"

"Third Brother, are you thinking of getting into the chestnut business, too?" Having grown up with Su Jue, Su Wan could read his intentions from his expression alone.

Su Jue nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Wanwan, you wouldn’t know, but right now we sell sunflower seeds, peanuts, and soda. Those are our biggest moneymakers. The people who go to the movies are mostly young couples on dates, and they’re always willing to spend money on snacks for their significant other."

"If we had chestnuts, we could roast them ourselves. The profit margin would be even higher."