Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 86: More Work for Father

Chapter 80

More Work for Father

Chubby Xiaolin was having a great time collecting duck eggs, sometimes running through the water and splashing it everywhere, soaking the Zhou brothers in the process. However, they weren’t angry; they even looked at her with fondness, which frustrated her efforts to annoy them.

"If only they didn’t look at my cheeks like that, they wouldn’t be so bad, hmph," she muttered to herself, puffing out her cheeks as she walked over to the twins.

"Are you planning to collect a lot of eggs, Xiaolin? There are plenty here," Ching Long asked Xiaolin, who peered into her basket before answering.

"Half a basket should be enough. Uncle, is there much left to do?" Xiaolin called out to Wen Shui, who was busy gathering lotus roots. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Almost done. You can head back first, Xiaolin. I’ll catch up once I finish," Wen Shui replied.

"Alright, I’ll head back now."

Seeing the large basket filled with eggs, Zhou Minglu offered to carry it himself. Xiaolin didn’t object, letting him carry the basket back to the house. Once there, they washed the eggs again, soaked them in vinegar, and then, after the appropriate time, rinsed and salted them before storing them in jars.

"My goodness, why are the young masters so wet?" Hui Ning exclaimed, carrying her youngest son out for a walk in the backyard. She was surprised to see the Zhou brothers soaking wet.

"The young masters wanted to play in the water," Xiaolin said innocently, glancing at the brothers who were now busy salting the eggs.

"Yes, that’s right," the brothers agreed with a smile. Hui Ning narrowed her eyes at her mischievous daughter before nodding and walking away.

Xiaolin watched her mother leave, then sighed. Reflecting on her behavior, she realized she had been acting quite childishly and irrationally at times. It seemed she had been enjoying her childhood a bit too much.

The chubby girl observed the four boys working diligently, especially the Zhou brothers, who were still dripping wet. She went to Tianchen’s room and rummaged through his clothes, then handed them to the Zhou brothers, instructing them to change. They accepted the clothes and changed, then returned to continue working. Having never done such tasks before, they found the experience surprisingly enjoyable.

Xiaolin stood watching the boys for a moment before excusing herself to the kitchen. She decided to cook for the boys as a thank you for helping her with the chores. Today, she planned to make a seafood salad because it wasn’t yet lunchtime, so she wanted to prepare something for them to snack on.

First, she cleaned and cut the squid and shrimp, then blanched them along with some glass noodles. She gathered cilantro and tomatoes from the vegetable garden, cleaned, and sliced them, along with some onions. Once everything was ready, she mixed the ingredients into a spicy salad with a single chili pepper. She plated the dish and brought it outside.

"Finished already?" Xiaolin asked as she saw the boys sitting and looking at each other, the strange atmosphere back again.

"Yes, we’re done. What did you make?" Ching Lang got up and took the large plate from her.

"Seafood salad, but it’s only got squid and shrimp," Xiaolin replied. With Ching Lang holding the plate, she went back to the kitchen to fetch five small bowls and chopsticks for everyone.

As she watched them eat enthusiastically, Xiaolin felt proud of her culinary skills. However, just as she was about to take a bite of squid, someone grabbed her chubby form and ran towards the front of the house. Before she could even protest, she found herself placed in a carriage, which sped away from the Tang house, kicking up dust.

Xiaolin quickly poked her head out of a small window, trying to see who had dared to kidnap her right from her own home.

"Hey!" She shouted, recognizing the face of her captor and yelling directly into their ear, causing them to momentarily go deaf.

"What? Can you shout a little quieter?" Huan Tan said, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"Who told you to kidnap me?! Couldn’t you have just asked nicely? I was just about to eat my salad!" she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting so hard her lips nearly touched her nose. Huan Tan laughed heartily.

"So, you’re just worried about your food."

"Not true! You scared me! What’s the rush anyway? Is there a problem at the shop?" She asked, gripping the edge of the window.

"No, I just wanted to tease you."

"Arghhh!" Xiaolin growled, grabbing Huan Tan’s shoulders and shaking him until his head wobbled.

Huan Tan laughed all the way to the shop, while Xiaolin sulked with a scowl on her face. When they arrived, she discovered that the customers had been clamoring for her to conduct a giant shrimp auction. Since they hadn’t seen much of her lately, Tianrong had planned to fetch her, but Huan Tan volunteered, telling Tianrong to stay and manage the shop.

After taking a moment to prepare herself, Xiaolin started the auction for the giant shrimp. The customers, thrilled to see her, bid fiercely. Because the water levels hadn’t dropped much recently, giant shrimp were scarce, and the bidding prices soared to no less than eight silver taels per shrimp. Xiaolin beamed widely, her eyes crinkling with delight as she saw the total amount rise.

"Xiaolin made so much money!" Huan Luwen exclaimed, running to the table where the chubby girl was happily counting her earnings.

"Oh! Brother Wen, you’re at the shop? No wonder I didn’t see you at home," Xiaolin said, turning to look at Huan Luwen, whose eyes widened at the sight of the money pile.

"I want to be a merchant like Uncle Tian. When I heard Uncle Rong was coming to the shop, I asked to come along. If I wanted to sell seafood in Jingnan City, do you think it would be possible?" Huan Lu Wen’s eyes sparkled with hope, making Xiaolin blink in surprise.

"Why are you asking me?" She asked, a bit taken aback.

"Uncle Rong said that you were the one who initiated and planned everything for this shop, the dried goods store, and the spice shop. You’re amazing, Xiaolin!"

"Well, it’s not that big of a deal," she said modestly, twisting her body shyly. She wasn’t used to receiving such praise and adoration.

"Do you want to open a seafood restaurant, Brother Wen?" Xiaolin asked.

"Yes, but the distance from Jiangnan City to Jingnan City isn’t short. I’m afraid the seafood will spoil before it gets there," he replied, looking serious.

Seeing his determination, Xiaolin thought about the best ways to preserve seafood for a long journey.

"Fresh food stays fresh in ice, but where can we get ice except in the winter? And it’s hard to go to sea in winter. How about selling dried seafood instead? Soak it in water to soften it before cooking," she suggested.

"I’d prefer fresh, but it’s tough," he sighed, looking dejected.

"Or you could hire a fast carriage service to deliver the goods. If they can shorten the travel time by an hour or more, it should help. Also, choose only the live seafood to keep them fresh longer."

"Great idea! I’ll go discuss it with Uncle right away. Thanks, Xiaolin," Huan Luwen said excitedly, running off to Tianrong’s office, which had been newly expanded.

Xiaolin watched the figures disappear, blinking rapidly before returning to counting her money. Today, she managed to make a full gold tael and sixty-five silver taels from selling twenty giant prawns.

"Hehe, I’m going to be a millionaire! Actually, I haven’t used the flat-bottomed pan much lately. Maybe I should open another barbecue restaurant? Can I handle it all?" The chubby child stroked her chin thoughtfully.

Suddenly, her round eyes caught sight of her foreign friends with light-colored hair and striking features. Quickly forming a plan, she jumped off her chair and ran to intercept the two westerners.

"Master Noel, Master Carlson!" Xiaolin greeted the two with a wide smile, pleased to see them after a long time.

"Oh hey Xiaolin! It’s been a while. How have you been?" Noel squatted down to speak to the child who was now slightly taller.

"I’m doing well, thank you. And you two?"

"We’re fine too. We came to eat at your restaurant today, but it looks like we missed the auction for the giant prawns," Noel said, glancing at a nearby table where people were eating the prawns.

"The auction has ended, but please come sit down. I have some business to discuss with you, if it’s convenient," Xiaolin said sweetly. The two young men exchanged confused looks but nodded and followed her to an empty table.

Most regular customers were used to seeing the two foreigners, but newcomers often glanced curiously at them. Even though Jiangnan city was bustling with people from different regions, they were usually found at the port market rather than in restaurants. However, the restaurant owner’s daughter seemed very familiar with these two.

The two men ordered food with great hunger as the past week, a big cargo ship from their home country had just docked.

They used to be store managers in Jiangnan city so their duties were sorting out goods and thoroughly checking them. In this case, their food was only simple and did not take long to make due to their overwhelming workload.

After they had finished their work, they thought of a seafood place by the city’s southern gate so they quickly walked to the restaurant, ordering a table full of food.

Xiaolin let her guests eat in peace, returning to her task of counting money. She placed the money in a small box, then took it to her father’s room, where he was discussing matters with Huan Tan and Huan Luwen.

"How much did you make, Xiaolin?" Tianrong took the money box from his daughter before lifting her round frame onto a chair.

"A gold tael and sixty-five silver taels,"

"You’re so small, but you earn a lot," Huan Tan remarked, crossing his arms as he looked at the chubby-cheeked girl. Xiaolin turned sharply, noticing a slight upward curve at the corner of his mouth, and she lifted her chin.

"Probably not as much as selling charcoal, I suppose,"

"Heh heh."

"That’s right, father, I have something to discuss with you,"

"What is it?" Tianrong asked, stroking her now chubbier cheeks, which had grown rounder from snacking more while helping her mother care for the baby so she had more time to snack. Plus, she didn’t really exercise so she got quite chubbier.

"Remember the flat-bottomed pan I ordered along with the stove, soup pot, and grill? I figured out what to use them for,"

"Are you planning to give me more work?" Tianrong raised an eyebrow. Xiaolin pouted.

"I’m trying to help you make money, Father."

"Alright, alright, I’ll listen."

"I want to open a barbecue restaurant," Xiaolin announced. Immediately, Huan Tan, who had been laughing at the chubby child earlier, perked up.

"Do it. I support this plan," Huan Tan said, more excited than both father and daughter. He coughed lightly when all three of them looked at him.

"And who will take care of this restaurant?"

"My uncle, and I’ll sell the Lao restaurant to Uncle Hao," Xiaolin said confidently.

"Is that so?" Tianrong asked again, seeking confirmation.

"Yes! I’m sure it will sell well. But I need to discuss it with my friends first because there are things I want to buy from them," Xiaolin said, smiling broadly.

"Which friends?"

Xiaolin led him out of the room, followed by Huan Tan and Huan Luwen. She walked over to the table where the blond man was sitting. Huan Tan frowned, surprised that Xiaolin was doing business with Westerners.

"Master Noel, Master Carlson! It’s been a long time,"

Tianrong greeted the two men warmly. They frequented the restaurant so often that everyone had become quite familiar with each other. Now, the two could speak the local language better, though with a slight accent, making communication much easier.

"Hello, Tianrong. Our ship from home docked recently, so we’ve been busy checking the goods," Noel replied with a smile.

Xiaolin’s ears perked up at this. She was eager to discuss the goods they brought and see if they had what she needed, but she didn’t want to interrupt the adults.

She had to compose herself, as the childishness of her current form was beginning to overshadow her memories of being a woman in her twenties.

"Do you want to order anything else? Just let me know, and I’ll take care of it,"

"No, we’re full. We ate quite a few dishes, so we’re very satisfied," Carlson replied with a small laugh, his demeanor much warmer than the reserved man he used to be, though he still reverted to his stoic self with unfamiliar people.

"Are Master Noel and Master Carlson the friends you mentioned?" Tianrong turned to ask his daughter, and upon seeing her nodding eagerly, he frowned.

The chubby child pulled out a chair and climbed onto it neatly, while Tianrong also took a seat. Huan Tan excused himself to take his grandson for a walk in the market, not wanting to interrupt the conversation of the four.

"What is this business you’re talking about, Xiaolin?" Noel asked the round-cheeked child.

"I am thinking of starting a small restaurant, but there are two ingredients I would like to get from you. I wonder if you have them,"

"What are they?"

"Cheese and butter," Xiaolin said, looking expectantly at the two men.

"We have cheese, but butter is hard to store, so we don’t keep much of it," Carlson answered, observing the fidgety child.

"In that case, could you make some butter for me? I know it’s difficult, but I’d like to try using it first. If it works out well, I want to sell the dish. If you can’t make much in one day, I’ll limit the sales of that dish,"

The two men discussed in their native language. Normally, the food they brought wasn’t in high demand and often spoiled or had to be eaten by themselves. The items that sold well were dishes, jewelry, fabric, and a few other things.

"In that case, I’ll try making some butter for you first. We have five cows at the estate near the dock that can produce butter, but not in large quantities. As for cheese, we have several wheels, each weighing about ten jin,"

"Sounds good. When would it be convenient for you? I’ll come to the shop, and I’d like to invite both of you to stay and taste the food I’ll make," Xiaolin said, smiling broadly.

"How about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sure. I’ll need to prepare some things as well,"

There was still the dipping sauce she needed to make. Fortunately, she had pickled a lot of garlic in small jars during her free time. However, if she planned to sell it, she’d need to pickle a large quantity of garlic and make chili sauce and ketchup for the dipping sauce for grilled pork. Sigh, it was complicated, but for delicious food, she wouldn’t give up. Hmph!

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