Chapter 41: Chapter 39: Blind Da Hei

She placed the rolling pin under the damp cloth and used it to roll the paste from the far end toward the center.

After rolling one half, she rolled the other, making sure both sides were the same size.

She rolled it tightly into a cylinder, then gently pinched and pressed it through the cloth to firm it up.

The snow-white, soft, and tender kidney bean rolls were now ready.

She took a knife and trimmed off the uneven ends, then sliced the log into sections. Lin Lan counted them—one log of bean paste had yielded seven neat rolls.

’One jin of red beans makes two jin of red bean paste. After adding sugar and lard, the ingredients alone cost about two yuan, not even counting my labor.’

’The white kidney beans and red beans themselves aren’t expensive, but preparing them is a hassle and uses a lot of fuel. Including labor, I’d have to sell them for at least 0.15 to 0.20 yuan each to make it worthwhile.’

’With how good these look, if I took them to the state-run food company in the city, they could probably sell for 0.30 yuan each, and people would still buy them.’

Lin Lan finished making the rest of the bean rolls. She lined a basket with a white cloth, set aside a full plate of the rolls, then counted the rest—over fifty of them—and packed them all into the basket.

She also placed the leftover red bean paste in a separate basket. She tied both baskets to a wooden pole and lowered them into the well to keep them cool.p>Sitting on a bamboo chair, she picked up one of the trimmed ends to try. It was fragrant and sweet, with a silky texture that melted in her mouth.

’It tastes even better than I remember. It must be these natural, untainted ingredients that make the food so good.’

Lin Lan thought for a moment. She decided that once she’d saved enough money, she would return to Shilian, lease a plot of mountain land, and grow her own all-natural ingredients to make the purest food possible.

Dahuang sat nearby, staring at Lin Lan with pleading eyes, and let out two soft barks.

“You little glutton. Here, you can have a taste.”

Lin Lan placed two of the trimmed ends into Dahuang’s bowl. She went back inside, grabbed the plate of rolls, closed her door, and headed for the old lady’s house.

Dahuang tried to follow her to the old lady’s house to meet his little master, but after a sharp word or two from Lin Lan, he trudged back dejectedly and flopped down by the courtyard gate.p>After crossing Shiqiao, she glanced back. Seeing that Dahuang hadn’t wandered off, she turned and continued on her way. She reached the back door and saw it was open. ’Little Douzi and the others must be back from the movie,’ she thought.

“Grand-aunt! Grand-aunt!”

Lin Lan called out twice. A black dog, Dahei, suddenly rushed out of the house and began barking at her.

The old lady came out and gave the dog a light kick. “Dahei, are you blind? You don’t even recognize Lin Lan anymore!”

“WOOF~” Dahei whined, giving the old lady a reproachful look as she dragged him into the yard and tied him up.

Lin Lan carried the plate into the kitchen and found the room spotless. There wasn’t so much as a speck of straw in front of the stove pit.

After tying up Dahei, the old lady came back in, smiling. “That dog has been so strange lately. He never used to bark at you, but now he growls the moment he sees you.” Her eyes fell on the rolls on the table. “Now what treat is this? It’s so lovely and white!”

“They’re called kidney bean rolls, made from large white kidney beans,” Lin Lan said proudly. “I heard they were a favorite snack of the Empress Dowager. Have a taste, see what you think!”

The old lady gave her a sidelong glance and winked playfully. “So if I eat one, does that make me an empress dowager, too?”

“That’s right! You’re our very own grand matriarch!” Lin Lan said with a grin. “They’re good for older folks. If you like them, I can make them for you every day!”

“Let me wash my hands so I can savor it properly.” The old lady’s face broke into a deeply wrinkled smile. She shuffled over to ladle some water and wash her hands.

Lin Lan gazed at the blooming gardenias outside the back door, suddenly realizing two weeks had flown by…

“Lovely scent, isn’t it?” The old lady interrupted Lin Lan’s reverie, her gaze also on the gardenias. “I took a cutting from it last year. If you like them, you should take a branch to plant in your own yard. It’ll make the place smell wonderful.”

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. “I’d love that! It would be perfect for my backyard.”

The old lady picked up a kidney bean roll and ate it slowly. When she finished, she nodded again and again, a smile on her face. “It’s fragrant, sweet, and so soft. No wonder the Empress Dowager was fond of them.”

“Grand-aunt, the ingredients aren’t expensive, but they’re a hassle to make. I was thinking of selling them for 0.15 to 0.20 yuan each. What do you think?” Lin Lan asked.

The old lady thought for a moment, then looked at her with a knowing smile. “Let me tell you, those workers at the vehicle factory have money to burn. These days, you need coupons for everything. Even if people have cash, there’s nothing good to buy. I bet they’ll sell.”

“That’s a relief.” Lin Lan paused. “Grand-aunt, there’s something else I haven’t told you yet.”

The old lady looked at her. “What’s happened?”

Lin Lan said, “Yesterday… I wanted to ask Sister Zhou to sell them for me, and I’d give her a commission!”

The old lady sighed. “Ai! How did you let Zhang Yazhen see? That woman has a malicious streak, always sucking up to her superiors and stomping on everyone else. If she and Sun Xiuhua know about this, they won’t leave you alone!”

She paused for a moment. “And this plan to have Sister Zhou sell for you… I don’t think that’s wise, either. She has her own things to sell, and she’ll naturally focus on what makes her the most money. Besides, when she gets busy, she won’t have time for your products. It’ll just create bad feelings in the end.”

Lin Lan considered her words. ’She has a point.’ “You’re right to remind me. I’ll go look for a new spot this afternoon.”

“Other spots aren’t ideal, either. A single woman coming home late at night is asking for trouble. Let me think a moment.”

The old lady looked at Lin Lan. “Old Li’s family isn’t usually busy at their meat stall. You could leave your things with him, ask him to look after the sales for a couple of days. That Liu Guozhi will probably show up a few times, but when he can’t find you, he’ll give up.”

Lin Lan shook her head. “It’s his son running the stall now. We’re not related or anything; it wouldn’t be right to ask him for a favor.” ’If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just set up my stall near the clothing factory,’ she thought.

The old lady laughed. “So pay him! What’s the problem? I’ll go have a word with him later.”

Lin Lan looked at her, full of gratitude. “But then you’ll owe him a favor.”

The old lady gave her a look. “You silver-tongued girl! Just focus on your work and don’t get any ideas about slacking off.” She was worried that if Lin Lan stopped working, her lazy habits would return. She was determined to keep her busy; by the time the New Year came and went, diligence would be second nature to her.

Lin Lan grinned. “I already finished all my work for the day this morning. Do you have any chores for me?”

The old lady shook her head. “Enough of that. Before your mother left, she asked me to make sure you cut plenty of paper mulberry leaves to dry for pig feed. And another thing—my chicks will be ready to go soon. Do you still want them?”

“Yes. If I’m raising one, I might as well raise a whole flock.”

“You should get a couple of goslings to raise with them, too. They’ll make good watchdogs.”

“Whatever you say. I’ll go cut those paper mulberry leaves now,” Lin Lan said, smiling as she stood up.

The old lady got up as well. “Let me clear this plate for you to take back. And that gardenia cutting will take root more easily if you plant it this afternoon.”

“Okay!”

Lin Lan waited for the old lady to transfer the rolls off the plate, then took it and headed home.

She found two bamboo strips, each a little over a foot long. She scraped them free of splinters, then ground them smooth on a whetstone. After heating the middle of each strip over a fire, she bent them in half and tied them with string, fashioning two pairs of simple bamboo tongs.

Finally, she slung a basket on her back, grabbed a sickle, and went out to cut the paper mulberry leaves. She had only taken a few steps when she remembered that there were plenty of the trees near the Eucalyptus Forest, so she headed that way.

When she reached the Eucalyptus Forest, Lin Lan saw that the trees were in bloom. A gust of wind sent the white, thread-like blossoms showering down, blanketing the ground.

The paper mulberry trees at the edge of the forest had been pruned before and had sprouted many new branches. In no time, she had cut enough to fill her basket.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep