Chapter 678: Canned Food
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Shen Qiuhua had long let go of how poorly Madam Ma treated her in the past. Furthermore, Madam Ma was her sister-in-law who birthed Shen Zhishan, a member of the Shen family.
Shen Qiuhua seemed relaxed and gentle. However, Madam Ma felt ashamed when she looked at Shen Qiuhua. The former choked, saying, “T-Thank you for forgiving me, Qiuhua.”
Madam Ma did not know what else to say and thought there were no words to express her feelings.
After Madam Ma collected her emotions and ate, Shen Qiuhua asked, “Did
Zhishan tell you that you’ll sell beans soon? You and your family can earn plenty of money by relying on mung beans.
“There are plenty more at the mountain, so we’ll go there to gather more in the afternoon.’
Madam Ma became excited. “Yes, Zhishan told me your daughter discovered those mung beans. She even taught Zhishan and the rest what to do, right?” She never expected Shen Qiuhua to help her family.
Meanwhile, Su Binglan watered the mung beans for them to grow well. The family could fry and sell them in town in a few days. She looked at Madam Ma and said, “Aunt Ma, come look at the mung beans that have sprouted.”
Su Binglan did not bother about Madam Ma and Shen Qiuhua’s bitter past as long as Madam Ma treated Lin Qin and Shen Gang well from now on.
Madam Ma felt slightly overwhelmed when Su Binglan addressed her as “Aunt
Ma.” Then, she hurried to look at the sprouting mung beans with wide eyes. She wanted to say something but did not know how.
After gathering her thoughts, she finally asked, “That’s what they look like when they sprout?”
Lin Qin said, “Binglan prepared those last night, and they sprouted this morning. We should be able to sell and cook these any time now.”
Everyone thought the mung beans were magical. After all, they never knew they could grow vegetables in their home. Moreover, they had grown accustomed to eating cabbages and radishes during winter.
While Madam Ma worked for the wealthy family, she learned that the family had always wanted to eat fresh vegetables during winter but could not. They typically ate carrots and cabbage, so they wanted something new.
However, most vegetables were seasonal. Madam Ma could imagine how popular mung beans would be if she sold them. She grew excited just thinking about it, asking, “Binglan, what can I do for you?”
Madam Ma’s heart pounded, and her eyes were bright. She wanted to do anything to help her family. She could not bear to be lazy and wanted to do some work not to feel guilty.
She was good at farming and would wake up to farm and harvest before dawn. She worked diligently and would only return home when the sky was almost dark.
Su Binglan explained, “You must first clean and soak the mung beans after picking them. You should soak the beans for two to three hours and then…” She explained the steps in detail to Madam Ma, who listened attentively. There were still some green beans at home, so Madam Ma helped to spray water on them. Su Binglan had soaked some last night, so they would only start to sprout in the afternoon.
Madam Ma worked neatly and did whatever her niece said. Su Binglan watched her actions and noticed her efficiency. She could tell her aunt was impatient, but an impatient person would work faster if they were diligent.
‘Someone like that shouldn’t have bad intentions. Perhaps Aunt Machose her words poorly in the past and spoke directly instead,’ Su Binglan thought.
Su Binglan took the roasted sweet potatoes to the stove and handed one to
Madam Ma. “Try this roasted sweet potato, Aunt Ma.”
Madam Ma remembered her son talking about sweet potatoes and their yield on her way home.
‘So this is a sweet potato. We should plant more during spring since the yield is so high. Such a delicious thing should sell well,’ Madam Ma thought.
“Careful, Aunt Ma. It’s hot.”
Madam Ma looked at her niece and nodded. Then, she blew on it and peeled the skin before eating. After taking the bite, she was so shocked that she almost dropped it.
“It’s so delicious! I’ve never had something so tasty before, Binglan. Did you roast it?”
Su Binglan nodded and smiled. “Yes, I roasted it. Eating these during winter will help keep you warm. If you grow them here, you can harvest and roast them for extra money.”
She knew her aunt and uncle wanted to earn as much as possible to give her grandparents a better life. Su Binglan even considered moving her maternal grandparents to Su Teng Village.
However, the people of Blossom Village typically lived with their sons, not daughters. If Lin Qin and Shen Gang ignored their son’s feelings and went to Su Teng Village with Shen Qiuhua, the villagers would think Shen Qiuchuan was unfilial.
Thus, Su Binglan thought it was best to let her grandparents continue to live with her uncle. However, she would give them the skills to earn money for themselves.
She knew relying solely on crops was insufficient because the family would only benefit from it until the autumn harvest. Furthermore, the weather was unpredictable.
If the family could run a small business, they would have a steady income. It would be enough for daily expenses, and the family could save some for a rainy day.
Madam Ma spoke excitedly, “Thank you so much, Binglan. These are excellent. If we sell these in town, everyone will like them.”
She knew how famous the roasted sweet potatoes would be without even thinking about it. That was because no one else in Flower County sold such a thing. Moreover, the family could yield much with just one acre of land.
Su Binglan added, “When the weather warms up, and the apricots grow, I’ll teach you how to make canned food. Canned apricots are delicious.” Niadam Ma’s heart raced when she heard that. She wished she could start doing that now. “When the apricots ripen, I’ll bring you lots of them like I used to do last time.’
Madam Ma knew her niece liked eating apricots.
Su Binglan smiled, remembering when her uncle would always send her apricots to eat. She thought Madam Ma must have told him to do that..