amaotonovel Chapter 23 Look at how worthless that is!
Chapter 23 Look at how worthless that is!
Dandelion, shepherd's purse, garland chrysanthemum, and amaranth—it seems like a lot of random wild vegetables and weeds can be used as fillings for steamed buns.
Whether it tastes good or not is another matter, but the requirement of large portions and plenty of food is definitely met.
More importantly, these things don't cost any money; you can just pick them from the ground. And during the Ming Dynasty, there was no need to worry about fertilizer and pesticide residues, so you could eat them with complete peace of mind.
"How many buns can one pound of flour make? I've never made buns before."
"If the wild vegetables are out of season, we'll have to find a way to switch to other businesses to make steamed buns."
"If only we had a refrigerator, we could freeze them first and then take them out when they're conscripted for labor after the autumn harvest. The neighbor's kids would be so envious they'd cry."
"If only there were a big pig farmer, meat buns would taste better than vegetarian ones."
As Yang Shaofeng recalled the taste of the meat buns, he slowly walked to the edge of the western part of the city.
As soon as the villagers who were busy in the fields saw Yang Shaofeng, they surrounded him again, as if watching Yang Shaofeng was a very happy thing.
Yang Shaofeng coughed and shouted, "What are you all doing crowding around me? Do you think I can cut grass or till the land for you? Go away, all of you, get to work!"
Then, the onlookers were even happier. Despite being scolded, they all had a smile on their faces and began to walk towards the fields in twos and threes.
In fact, Yang Shaofeng understood that the people's behavior of gathering around was not because they wanted to see anything strange, but rather to express their closeness and respect for him, a seventh-rank county magistrate, in a very simple way.
Just like how they spontaneously cut grass after learning they were going to raise chickens and pigs, it's a way of expressing emotions.
Yang Shaofeng smiled as he watched the busy figures of the young and strong women, then pricked up his ears to listen to the old people chatting while sorting weeds.
The old men mostly talked about how nice the weather was today, what they ate for breakfast, and praised Magistrate Yang Shaofeng as a rare and excellent official. The old women, on the other hand, gossiped about whose daughter-in-law was diligent and whose was lazy, and whose daughter-in-law was arguing with her mother-in-law. They also chatted about which girl was worthy of Magistrate Yang Shaofeng.
After listening to the gossip for a while with a smirk, Yang Shaofeng walked over, lifted his official robe, and sat on the haystack like the old men and women. He smiled and looked at a kind-faced old lady, saying, "Auntie, I came to see you today because there's something I can't figure out, so I came here specifically to ask you."
The old lady exclaimed, "Oh dear! How could the master be a celestial being who has descended to earth to be a literary star? How could there be anything he doesn't know?"
Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "Auntie, you're wrong. I have some education, but that doesn't mean I know everything. For example, I don't know how many buns can be made from one pound of flour."
The old lady laughed and said, "How many buns can one pound of flour make? It depends on how big the buns are. If they're the size of a fist, one pound of flour can only make twelve or thirteen. But if they're smaller, one pound of flour can make more than twenty."
Yang Shaofeng said "Oh," feigning sudden realization, but secretly began to ponder the matter.
How much does a pound of flour cost again?
It seems to cost around five to seven coins.
If one pound of flour can make thirteen buns, and each bun sells for one coin, the profit is six to eight coins. Even if other miscellaneous expenses are included, it is still about half the profit. If the buns sell well, and flour is purchased in bulk, the price of flour can be reduced further, and the cost of buns will also decrease accordingly.
If we look at it that way, having the young widows in the widow village research how to make steamed buns and then using vegetarian steamed buns as a selling point for breakfast seems like a pretty good idea.
After pondering for a while, Yang Shaofeng turned his attention to the weeds that the old men and women had sorted out.
Dandelions, purslane, shepherd's purse, and a whole bunch of wild vegetables that Yang Shaofeng had never seen before were sorted out by the old men and women and set aside.
Yang Shaofeng pointed to the wild vegetables and asked, "Auntie, are you going to take these wild vegetables home to eat?"
The old lady smiled and nodded, saying, "That's for sure. Every extra bite of vegetables means one less bite of grain. When there are no vegetables left in winter, we'll have to rely on the little grain we save now."
Yang Shaofeng said "Oh," and then asked, "What if the county government or someone else were to pay for these wild vegetables?"
The old lady looked at Yang Shaofeng suspiciously and tentatively asked, "What are you planning to raise now, sir?"
What does "I need to raise something else" mean?
Do I look like the kind of person who really likes keeping small animals?
After silently complaining to himself, Yang Shaofeng shook his head slightly and said, "It's not about raising anything, but rather figuring out how to use wild vegetables as filling for steamed buns, and then opening a shop that specializes in selling steamed buns."
The old lady looked at Yang Shaofeng, then at the pile of wild vegetables beside him, and asked, "Using these wild vegetables as filling? Are you going to open a shop?"
Seeing Yang Shaofeng nod, the old lady laughed: "Oh my dear husband, what wife doesn't know how to make a steamed bun? Why should people necessarily buy your steamed buns? Not to mention that the filling of your steamed buns is made with wild vegetables. Who can't come up to the field to dig them up?"
Yang Shaofeng laughed and agreed, "Yes, Auntie, you're right. These wild vegetables don't belong to anyone. Anyone can come and dig them up. I was just thinking about Brother Limpy Fifth and those unmarried men in the county. They don't have wives to make dumplings for them."
"Also, you know about that village in Heshan, right? That village is full of women, and there aren't any men in the families. They can't be relied on for farming, so letting them open a steamed bun shop is a way for them to make a living."
The old woman immediately stopped laughing, instead letting out a heavy sigh and cursing, "These damned Tartars, they really won't stop until they drive people to their deaths!"
Yang Shaofeng also sighed and was about to say something when he suddenly heard a loud laugh coming from the west. He turned his head and saw that Limpy Wu was leading more than a dozen yamen runners pushing more than a dozen carts toward the county town.
Seeing the dozen or so bailiffs, including Lame Five, looking as if they'd been injected with chicken blood, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but curl his lip and curse, "Look at that worthless bunch! They're usually all lazy as can be, but now they've pushed these young ladies for over twenty miles and they're still laughing like this!"
The old lady followed Yang Shaofeng's gaze. Although she could only see vaguely, she smiled and turned to look at a hunched old man not far away.
When we got married, it seems he carried me for several miles without ever complaining of being tired.