Shopkeeper He took out his writing brush and paper, swiftly wrote the contract in traditional characters, which Qiao Xiaomai was able to read.
As Shopkeeper He handed the finished document to Tong Sanlang, she immediately looked up to him, her always teary peach blossom eyes filled with anticipation.
Tong Sanlang glanced at the contract, read it aloud once, and said, "There is no mistake, you can stamp your seal."
Qiao Xiaomai's face lit up with joy and she quickly expressed her gratitude.
After the contract was stamped, Shopkeeper He asked, "Young lady, how are you planning to carry these fifty taels of silver back home?"
"Give me forty-five taels of silver and five strings of copper coins will do."
A string of copper coins weighs about six catties and five strings weigh about thirty catties.
A tael of silver is approximately thirty-seven grams. Forty-five taels would be over three catties. Adding those altogether would be just over thirty catties, which is lighter than a bucket of purified water, she could totally handle it.
"Okay," Shopkeeper He agreed readily. But he changed the subject and asked, "Lady, when are you going to teach us how to make starch jelly noodles?"
"Right now is fine," Qiao Xiaomai replied.
"Then you two continue, Miss Qiao, once you're done, you can find me at Tong's Vinegar Shop in the town. I came here by ox-cart and I can take you home then," Tong Sanlang offered.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to burden you, Brother Tong," Qiao Xiaomai immediately shook her head.
This Tong Sanlang was too enthusiastic.
"It's not a trouble at all. The load is heavy, it will be hard for you to carry, besides, it's not safe," Tong Sanlang stared at Qiao Xiaomai with his black eyes, his handsome face resolute.
Qiao Xiaomai was left speechless...
She could not only carry it, but she also had room to spare!
"Then I have to trouble Brother Tong," she said with a light smile. As she spoke, two adorable dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Forget it, she did have something to ask him, so they might as well go together.
Tong Sanlang nodded at her and, after bidding Shopkeeper He a farewell, he left.
Once he was gone, Qiao Xiaomai started teaching Shopkeeper He the process. "Bring some large sweet potatoes and a grindstone," she instructed.
Shopkeeper He ordered his men to fetch these items and Xiaomai began demonstrating the procedures. The process of making starch was easy, as was making jelly.
The jelly noodles were a bit more complicated. She used to make them at home with a noodle machine. But since there wasn't one here, she used a rolling pin to flatten the heated, paste-like brown starch into a sheet and then cut it into fine strips with a knife.
"You can use a ladle for this. Punch many small holes at the bottom of the ladle and then pour the paste into it. The paste will flow out from the bottom of the ladle, like thin threads one after the other. The taste of the noodles made in this way is much better," Qiao Xiaomai explained.
She had learned this technique from the internet. Rural handmade sweet potato vermicelli noodles were made in this way.
"I'll have someone punch holes in a ladle right away," Shopkeeper He said.
Since Qiao Xiaomai had given suggestions, of course, she had to demonstrate it once. After all, the fifty taels of silver she had got should not be wasted.
By the time Qiao Xiaomai finished everything and left the Extreme Flavor House, it was already mid-afternoon.
The starch had not yet fully precipitated. Shopkeeper He therefore withheld five taels of silver, asking her to come again the next day to confirm that the starch was perfect. Only then would he give her the remaining five taels of silver.
Carrying over thirty catties of silver and copper currency, Qiao Xiaomai rushed to the pastry shop. Since she was going home by Tong Sanlang's ox-cart, she felt obligated to give him something in return.
She bought three catties of green bean cake and three catties of cloud cake. Cloud cake is made of glutinous rice. Since local production of glutinous rice was scarce, the price was nearly the same as pork. These cakes would be absolutely appropriate as a thank-you gift.
While asking directions along the way, she hurried over to Tong's Vinegar Shop. Passing by a grain store, she bought five catties of soybeans. Now, her basket was forty catties heavy. She stopped buying more things and went straight to Tong's Vinegar Shop.