Buying and Selling

Mǎn Bǎo let out a sigh of relief, then stepped on a large piece of soil, speaking loudly to everyone in line.

During the past few days, everyone had been queuing up to get their steamed buns. Consequently, they had become accustomed to the routine and automatically lined up, moving their bowls forward to receive some soup.

Not everyone's bowl had a piece of meat in it, as Zhou Wulang had said; it's all a matter of fate.

The soup also contained chopped green onions, and Zhōu Wǔláng had generously added salt. It was truly delicious. After taking a sip, although they regretted not getting a piece of meat, no one said anything.

After all, it was only two coins.

When Zhōu Sānláng arrived late, Mǎn Bǎo bounced over to lead him to the side of the donkey cart and even gave him a pancake that the Qián family had made early in the morning. "Third Brother, eat this, eat this."

Zhōu Sānláng had been doing physical labor since early in the morning. His own dry rations were cold, and the bowl of water he had stored was even colder, so he hadn't eaten much. Now, feeling very hungry, he didn't hesitate to set aside the cold, hard steamed bun and took a bite of the pancake.

As he sipped the soup, he felt a warmth spreading from his stomach, enveloping his heart, lungs, and body in cozy comfort. He exhaled happily and looked at Mǎn Bǎo with joy.

Seeing Third Brother enjoying the food so much, Mǎn Bǎo also swallowed a mouthful of saliva and squatted beside him, eagerly asking, "Third Brother, is it delicious?"

Zhōu Sānláng took another sip of soup and a bite of the pancake, nodding vigorously. "Delicious."

Mǎn Bǎo then swallowed two more mouthfuls of saliva.

Seeing Third Brother so happy, Mǎn Bǎo eagerly asked, "Is it delicious?"

Zhōu Sānláng laughed heartily and even fed her a mouthful of soup. He tore off a piece of pancake to soak in the soup for her to eat, asking with a smile, "Is it delicious?"

Mǎn Bǎo's mouth was full, and her eyes sparkled brightly.

Bái Shànbǎo didn't know when he had also come over and squatted beside Mǎn Bǎo to watch.

Zhōu Sānláng laughed heartily as he watched. He had always been honest, and his voice was softer than others. Among the six brothers, he was the least noticeable. At that moment, when Zhōu Sānláng saw the two adorable children waiting for him to feed them, he felt open-hearted.

Bái Shànbǎo also took a sip of the soup and found it very delicious. His little face turned red, feeling that the food was even more delicious than at home.

So he wasn't satisfied with just taking a sip from Third Brother; he pulled Mǎn Bǎo to run over to Zhōu Wǔláng. So he wasn't satisfied with just taking a sip from Third Brother; he pulled Mǎn Bǎo to run over to Zhōu Wǔláng. ###

Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng were very busy.

As soon as the first bowl of soup was sold, more and more people lined up. Due to the limited rest time, they were in a hurry.

Zhōu Liùláng collected the money, and Zhōu Wǔláng served the soup to everyone. Although the work wasn't physically demanding, at this moment, both of them were sweating, and Zhōu Wǔláng even felt a bit fatigued in his hands.

At first, the laborers who had come to smell the steamed buns on the side couldn't help but come over and buy some soup. They noticed that other people's bowls contained either slices of meat or pieces of radish. While they were drinking hot soup, their own bowls contained cold water.

After struggling to take a bite of the cold steamed bun, one of them said, "Let's also buy a bowl." "It's only two coins, not too expensive."

The laborers were the poorest, but they still carried a few coins with them. If they fell ill, did they have to ask the bailiff to inform their families to send a replacement? The bailiff wouldn't deliver messages for free, and sometimes a few coins could mean the difference between life and death.

In the end, all the laborers lined up, and Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang became even busier.

Upon seeing Mǎn Bǎo finally approaching, Zhōu Liùláng pulled her over to collect the money, while he went to assist Fifth Brother.

Collecting money was not difficult at all, as long as the money received was in intact copper coins, and two of them were enough.

Even the curious Bái Shànbǎo and Bái Èrláng ran over to experience it.

They found collecting money quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, they were using copper coins, so there was no need for them to provide change. Otherwise, it would have been even more fun.

All the laborers bought a bowl of soup, and the two bailiffs were the last ones. Upon seeing them, Zhōu Wǔláng immediately smiled, serving them two full bowls of soup and pushing back the money they had offered, saying, "How could we take your money?" The two of you have allowed us to look after my brother here, and we are already very grateful.

Zhōu Wǔláng had been quite frightened by Lǔ Dà earlier, and that feeling was quite mysterious, but he knew that if he had let Lǔ Dà serve the soup himself, it would have caused chaos.

At that moment, he realized that relying solely on his Third Brother to work as a laborer here, along with himself and his younger brother, was not sufficient. He needed to find more strength to protect them.

By being kind to others and seeking help, Mǎn Bǎo has been able to stay here and explore the area. Zhōu Wǔláng knew that these two bailiffs were easily influenced by such actions.

It was just two bowls of soup, and they were all the family's belongings.

Zhōu Wǔláng spoke very eloquently, and the two bailiffs were genuinely pleased. They did not hesitate to accept the soup, noticing not only meat slices but also radishes inside, and nodded in approval.

The remaining soup was the best part at the bottom.

Zhōu Wǔláng first served a bowl to Bái Èrláng and Bái Shànbǎo, and then to Dàjí, the servant of Bái Shànbǎo's family. After all, they had ridden in their donkey cart, so they should at least have a bowl of soup, right?

Only then did Zhou Wulang distribute the remaining soup to his brothers and sisters, and, naturally, Man Bao's bowl contained the best ingredients.

Mǎn Bǎo was overjoyed and drank the soup while huddling with Bái Shànbǎo and Bái Èrláng.

The Bái brothers had also brought some dry rations, which were much more delicate than the pancakes Mǎn Bǎo had brought.

They even had small white steamed buns.

They had already cooled down, but Zhōu Wǔláng toasted them over the fire, making them slightly brown. Despite their unappealing appearance, Bái Shànbǎo found them to be very delicious, even more so than eating at home.

Bái Èrláng also found them very delicious and ate them with relish, along with the meat soup. Then the three children shared each other's food.

Mǎn Bǎo divided her pancake into three pieces, and Bái Èrláng and Bái Shànbǎo also shared their slightly brown steamed buns with Mǎn Bǎo.

Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng did not join the fun with the three children. Instead, they squatted next to their Third Brother with a bowl of soup, occasionally glancing at him.

"Third Brother, there's still a little bit left in the pot." "You should finish it all later."

Zhōu Sānláng nodded, looked around, and seeing that everyone was quite far away, he asked in a low voice, "How much meat did you buy?" Selling for only two coins, can we break even?

Zhōu Wǔláng also lowered his voice and reported, "The bones don't have any meat on them, and we spent ten coins to buy a pound of fatty meat." The radishes and green onions were from home, and we bought the salt, but we didn't use much.

After Zhou Wulang finished the calculations, he promptly determined the potential earnings. He said, "We can make at least one hundred and fifty coins, Third Brother. This business can be done."

Zhōu Sānláng felt relieved and asked, "Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Of course," Zhou Wulang said without hesitation, "It's not easy to find a good business opportunity."

Despite Zhou Wulang having done quite a few things during this time, the only way he had earned money on his own was by selling flower baskets.

Now, he had finally found another source of income, and he certainly wouldn't give it up.

Zhōu Sānláng was also happy. He was serving in the military, while his own brothers could do business nearby. He could both receive care and provide care to others.