Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang were older and felt somewhat embarrassed, but Datou was very bold and would stop any child he thought might buy candy, asking, "Do you want to buy some candy?"
Manbao immediately went forward with the wax paper, opened it to show the candy, and pridefully said, "Our candy is especially delicious, do you want to buy some?"
The child gulped and looked towards their parents.
The parents were not fools and asked, "This candy doesn't look like the usual kind we buy, are you sure it's candy?"
"Of course it is, I've tried it myself," Manbao said puffing out her chest: "It's much tastier than what they sell at the market."
The parents were somewhat amused and said, "You've tried it, but we haven't, how do we know you're not lying?"
Manbao was taken aback, then grabbed a piece of candy and offered it generously, "Then why don't you try it?"
The child reached out to take it, but was immediately stopped by their parents, who asked, "You're not trying to make us buy it by offering a taste, are you?"
"Of course not," Manbao replied righteously, "I wouldn't do such a bad thing. Try it, if it isn't real, it's free."
Zhou Wulang thought Manbao was being particularly foolish and couldn't help himself, rushing over to take the candy, crushing it in his hand, and then picking out a small piece for them, "Here, give it a try."
Zhou Wulang thought about it and felt that the parents shouldn't be the only ones to try it, and so picked out a small piece for the child as well.
Everyone didn't mind that the candy was crushed by his hand and after tasting it, their eyes lit up slightly.
This candy was much sweeter than the candy sold at the market.
The child's mother immediately asked, "How much are you selling this candy for?"
Manbao had already discussed this with the system and so confidently answered, "Five pieces for one wen."
The child's mother's eyes flickered and said, "That's too expensive, we can't afford it. Could you make it a little cheaper?"
Manbao was somewhat disappointed, seeing how well they were dressed, she had thought they were wealthier.
She shook her head and said, "Then never mind, we'll find someone else."
After saying this, she pulled Datou to look for another customer, leaving the stunned parents behind. They had been negotiating, not saying they wouldn't buy; this act of pretending to leave and waiting to be coaxed should have been their role, right?
Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang saw this and silently praised their sister's backbone in their hearts. They had tasted the candy themselves and believed it was worth far more than what was being asked.
After all, the candy at the market was also priced this way.
Manbao left decisively, leaving the customers feeling unwilling, and they quickly chased after her, stopping the child to ask, "Can't you make it any cheaper?"
This price was set after Keke helped Manbao analyze it. Initially, it was three pieces for one wen because Keke believed their candy had a much higher sugar content than the current candy.
High value meant a higher price.
However, after hearing from Keke that the market price for candy was five for one wen, Manbao thought she wouldn't be able to sell it if it was more expensive. Since she had points and wasn't lacking in candy, she generously agreed that pricing it the same as at the market would be fine.
So, Manbao knew what she was doing, she knew this was the lowest price. She was a child of principles and it was not possible for her to lower the price.
She also didn't think these parents were negotiating, but genuinely believed they couldn't afford it, so she looked at the little boy regretfully and shook her head in refusal.
This glance made the child so heartbroken, and he immediately burst into tears, hugging his mother's leg and howling, "I want to buy candy, I want to buy candy."
The parents felt the child was a bit ungrateful; what was wrong with lowering the price a bit?
Seeing their displeased faces, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang stepped forward, standing behind Manbao together.
The parents hesitated, then forced a smile and said, "Forget it, we'll take however much you have."
Manbao was startled; were they so wealthy?
She immediately opened her wax paper and said cheerfully, "There are twenty pieces in total, four wen."
The couple frowned slightly and said, "Didn't you just crush a piece earlier?"
Zhou Wulang promptly offered the sugar in his palm, "We haven't eaten it."
The couple replied, "Then we don't want it either, decrease one wen; we're buying quite a lot."
Zhou Wulang was very upset, but Manbao somehow pulled out another piece of candy and put it on the wax paper, looking happily at the couple, "There, isn't that better? You can count them."
The couple: ...
After counting the candy, they asked, "Is it possible to trade for something else?"
Finally sensing their unfriendliness, Manbao covered the wax paper and declined, "No, it isn't."
Zhou Wulang thought it was possible, so he nudged Manbao's back, but she twisted around and shot him a glare, saying, "The pharmacy requires money for medicine, not eggs, nor grain."
Only then did the couple realize they were meant to buy medicine, and after a moment's thought, they decided not to negotiate further and counted out four wen for them.
Manbao never lacked money in her hands; the red envelopes her parents and brothers gave her during the New Year—and even those from her nephews and nieces—were all handed over, except hers which she could keep for herself.
But earning money herself was a first, so she carefully inspected the four wen and after finding it no different from before, she carefully stored it in her handkerchief, clutching it tightly.
After they had left, Zhou Wulang said to Manbao, "That was too cheap, our candy is the good stuff."
"That's what they sell it for at the market," Manbao insisted.
"There are lower, middle, and upper grades of rice, and different grades mean different prices. Our candy should be top grade, so it should be a bit more expensive," Zhou Wulang said. "If they don't believe our candy is good, we can do like we did this time and crush it to let them try a little bit."
Manbao thought it over carefully, and after asking Keke, who also agreed, nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll do it this way next time."
Having earned money, everyone turned their gaze to the crushed candy in Zhou Wulang's hand, and they all swallowed their saliva in unison.
Having earned money with candy, Manbao finally experienced the joy of sweets and thus found them tasty as well. She divided up the small pieces among everyone, each getting a little piece, and the last bit she put in her mouth.
It was a very small piece that barely touched her tongue before it began to spread a thread of sweetness, then the sugar dissolved, and with a swallow, it was gone.
Manbao blinked, feeling that this little bit of candy was tastier than any she had eaten before.
She found it strange and asked Keke, "I've never found the candy tasty before, Keke, did you change the brand or something?"
The system said, "No, it's the same brand, from the same manufacturer. The difference is probably because the host has finally realized the rarity and the benefits of sugar, right?"
Manbao didn't quite understand but had her own interpretation, "Is it because once candy is sold it tastes better? Great, from now on I'll have to sell the candy and then keep one piece for myself to eat, then it will be delicious."
The system fell silent and didn't stop her.
Sell on, for if one sells, one must buy and once the points are spent, it's time to earn them again, right?