Er Liang got the fire going, and then Muniang brought in some washed hawthorns to the kitchen, skewering them one by one onto the wooden sticks she had just whittled. She rinsed the pot with clear water twice to completely wash away the greasy smell before pouring sugar cane into it. After stirring evenly with a spatula a few times, the sugar began to melt gradually. There was no rock sugar here, only cane sugar, and Muniang figured it would have to do—it should not make too much of a difference.
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the sweet scent of the melting sugar permeated the entire kitchen. Most of the sugar in the pot had melted into syrup, and Muniang dipped a skewer of hawthorns into it, coating them with the scalding sugary glaze. The tender hawthorn flesh impressed with the thick sugar coat, emitting a unique aroma.
Er Liang watched Muniang handling the "tanghulu" and swallowed his saliva, "Wife, why does it smell so nice?"
Muniang set the skewer of tanghulu aside to "dry", "Want to try? You can eat it when it's not too hot."
Er Liang hesitated, "Won't it be very sour?"
Muniang smiled, "Not at all. The thick layer of sugar coating suppresses a lot of the sourness, creating a sweet and sour taste that's really delicious. Kids love it."
Er Liang grumbled, "I'm not a kid, I definitely won't like it!" But as he spoke, his hand had already reached for the tanghulu. He tested its temperature before confidently taking a bite, "Delicious! Really delicious!"
Muniang chuckled softly and continued to coat the hawthorns in sugar.
After making about a dozen tanghulus, Muniang looked at the large pile still outside and started to worry. She had thought she could make some money selling tanghulus but had not realized how labour-intensive the process would be. With so many to do, she figured she wouldn't get any sleep if she had to finish them all tonight. Suddenly, an idea struck her like a bolt of lightning: Making tanghulus was hard work, so why not just sell the idea instead?!
And speaking of ideas, there were plenty to choose from. Just by using syrup, she could create several "new products", like candied sweet potatoes, candied yams, candied eggs, candied apples... all of these could become a whole series of candied dishes!
Muniang made up her mind to go to town tomorrow and make some silver!
The next morning, Muniang went to Mrs. Du's house to borrow their ox cart and loaded it with two sacks of hawthorns. She also carried a small basket with ten skewers of tanghulu that she had made the day before, planning to let shopkeepers have a taste.
Muniang and Er Liang sat side by side, holding the reins and driving the ox cart. The bumpy ride was too much for Muniang, so they traveled slowly, leisurely. The morning sunlight was warm and comfortable, and she stretched languidly, looking up at the pure blue sky and musing that such a blue sky would definitely be a protected area in modern times.
As they were driving along, they saw Mrs. Ji from the Qiao family just happening to pass by, her eyes fixed on the two big sacks on the cart, curious to know what was inside.
"Hey, hey, what's in those big sacks on your cart?" Mrs. Ji blocked their path and reached out to open the sack even as she spoke.
Muniang had never seen someone so shameless. Were they close? Did she think it was okay to touch someone else's belongings without permission?
Muniang swiftly slapped away Mrs. Ji's hand and glared at her, "None of your business."
Mrs. Ji immediately started to make a scene, "Oh, what's the big deal if I just look? What precious thing is in there that can't even be touched!" Mrs. Ji was well aware of the dire situation at Muniang's home, but that didn't mean she could rule out unexpected windfalls. Those two big sacks clearly contained something meant to be sold in town. If not rice, what could it be? Thinking of this only made Mrs. Ji itch with curiosity. If she could get her hands on some from Muniang, that would surely be a profit. Besides, she was Muniang's elder aunt by marriage—it was only right and proper for her to show some filial respect!
Muniang saw through Mrs. Ji's intentions and couldn't be bothered with her, simply stating coldly, "I treasure my belongings, and while everyone else may touch them, you cannot."
"Ha! Listen to that tone, as if it's something really precious. Could it be stolen goods you're ashamed to show?" Mrs. Ji's sharp voice seemed to want to pierce through your eardrums.
Erliang felt annoyed by this woman spouting nonsense. If not for Muniang holding him back, he really would have wanted to pounce on her and tear her mouth apart.
Mrs. Ji noticed Erliang's unfriendly gaze and started shouting at the top of her lungs, "Come and see, folks! This couple has stolen something and they're trying to transport it to town to sell! All sneaky and secretive, they don't even dare let anyone get a glimpse."
As Mrs. Ji shouted, naturally, it attracted a crowd of onlookers. Muniang's face grew even colder. "Which eye of yours saw us stealing anything?"
With a sneer, Mrs. Ji retorted, "All your belongings put together couldn't make up for the contents of these two sacks. And since you don't even want anyone to take a look, who knows if it's stolen or not?"
Mrs. Liang from the Zhu family chimed in, "Well, if it isn't stolen, why not open it up and let's see? If there's nothing to hide, why not show it? The way you're concealing it only makes you look guilty of theft."
Muniang, furious to the point of laughter, responded to Mrs. Ji, "If I prove it wasn't stolen, does that prove you're just a gossiping shrew scattering filth from your mouth?"
"You!" Mrs. Ji's face turned white, then, as if enraged, she said, "Then open it up!"
Muniang quickly untied the rope on the sack, revealing the bright, shiny hawthorns to everyone's sight. "Spewing filth? I think it's rather stinky!" Without giving a damn about Mrs. Ji's expression, she flicked the oxwhip in her hand and drove the oxcart straight away.
Mrs. Ji was choking with rage, unable to erupt as Muniang already walked away. She had no choice but to curse their retreating figures. "Pah! And here I thought it was something valuable. It's just two sacks of rubbish you treat like treasure, hiding and hoarding it. Are you not embarrassed to be laughed at? You've really gone mad with poverty to the point of collecting such things to sell in town..."
Mrs. Ji's piercing cursing still echoed behind them, but Muniang was unaffected. What use were harsh words to her? In the future, when she had made her fortune, Mrs. Ji would still be just another poor village girl, wouldn't she?
Chatu Town might be small, but it was lively. The hawkers' cries along the streets were incessant. Muniang and Erliang drove the oxcart slowly through the streets, with Erliang in a great mood. "Wife, this place is so lively, much more prosperous than our village."
Muniang smiled, "This is the market. There aren't actually that many families in the town. Most people here have come from their villages to sell their produce."
"So we're going to sell too. Do we need to find a stall?"
"No need, we're here to make big money."
As Muniang and Erliang were talking, suddenly there was unrest in the crowd. The bustling throng abruptly descended into chaos.
"Move aside, move aside, everyone get out of the way!"
Before Muniang could react, she saw a carriage storming through, overturning the vegetable stalls and scattering eggs everywhere. The horse was running too fast, clearly exhausting its strength, and, as luck would have it, the spilled eggs were right in its path. The horse's forelegs slipped in the egg whites, causing it to stumble knees-first and lurch forward. The carriage, having been at such great speed, couldn't stop in time and with a jolt, it crashed into Muniang's oxcart.