Chapter 8: Sugar-Fried Chestnuts

Lin Ruanruan indeed had nowhere to go, but it was also true that she couldn't takeout the jade pendant.

Pursing her lips, she spread her five fingers.

"F... f... five... days, I'll... give it... back to you."

In five days, she would earn the money and redeem the jade pendant to return it to him.

"You need to stay for five days?" Bai Chengan asked, furrowing his brow.

Lin Ruanruan nodded, indicating that was what she meant.

"Alright, then stay for five days. You can give me the jade pendant now, and I'll leave."

Bai Chengan didn't want to stay with a woman full of lies. What were five days anyway? He could find a place to stay anywhere.

But Lin Ruanruan shook her head again: "F... f... five... days... I'll... give it... back to you."

She didn't actually want to stay there; she just couldn't produce the jade pendant.

Five days, that's what it would take to repay him? Bai Chengan took a deep breath and asked loudly.

"Yes." Lin Ruanruan nodded decisively.

She had two taels of silver as capital; earning another two taels shouldn't be too difficult.

"If you find another excuse in five days, don't blame me for being harsh," Bai Chengan said coldly, releasing her hand.

Lin Ruanruan pressed her lips together, feeling a bit relieved.

If she had known how important this jade pendant was to this man, she wouldn't have dealt with that unscrupulous pawnshop.

Looking back at Bai Chengan, who was slurping porridge loudly, Lin Ruanruan quickly walked back to where she had come from the day before.

For her first money-making endeavor, she already had a plan. Near the place where she was hit by chestnuts yesterday, there were many chestnut trees.

She decided to go there and pick some chestnuts. That unscrupulous pawnshop sold kits for making sugar-fried chestnuts. She could get an iron pot, make some sugar-fried chestnuts, and also take the opportunity to scout the market.

Putting her plan into action, she walked in the direction she remembered. There were about a dozen chestnut trees, and for some reason, no one seemed to manage them. In less than an hour, she had picked more than half a basket of chestnuts.

Having never carried such a load before, she gritted her teeth and carried the half basket of chestnuts. After walking for about half an hour, she arrived at the nearest town.

She found a corner to set up her stall, pulling out the stove, iron pot, honey, white sugar, and quartz sand she needed. She also got half a bag of charcoal and started looking for a spot to set up her stall.

It seemed to be a special day; the town was bustling with people coming and going.

There were many stalls on both sides of the street, selling sugar figurines, candied haws, rouge, and jewelry.

All the good spots were taken, and since her setup required quite a bit of space, she had to find a corner to set up.

Quietly, she set up her stall and pot, slowly heating the quartz sand while preparing the chestnuts.

As the chestnuts in the pot started to release their aroma, people on the street began to notice someone cooking in the open.

"Girl, what are you making? Selling chestnuts?" An older woman holding a candied haw asked, speaking indistinctly.

Lin Ruanruan smiled sweetly and nodded.

"These chestnuts are hard and not filling, what's so good about them? Why did you think of selling these?" the woman asked.

"Exactly, this girl must be crazy for money, selling something nobody wants," another woman joined in, looking at the black, oily quartz sand in Lin Ruanruan's pot with disdain.

Lin Ruanruan smiled sweetly again but didn't respond. She wasn't good with words, so she didn't bother to argue.

Only those who had tasted sugar-fried chestnuts could appreciate their deliciousness.

Today, she spent one tael of silver as capital, curious to see how much she could earn by the end of the day.

Not only the two women who had spoken, but others gathered around, pointing and whispering that Lin Ruanruan must be out of her mind.

After a while of frying, the aroma of the chestnuts filled the air. Maybe not the entire street, but at least the corner she was in was covered with the smell of sugar-fried chestnuts.

She poured the chestnuts onto a sieve to cool.

Below the sieve, a small wooden bucket was placed, which she had just taken out from the portable supermarket when no one was paying attention.

The oil- and sugar-coated quartz sand filtered through the sieve into the wooden bucket, leaving only the perfectly caramelized sugar-fried chestnuts.

Casually picking two chestnuts, she handed them to the woman in front for a taste, her sweet smile irresistible.

The two women eyed her suspiciously but decided to try the chestnuts, taking them gingerly.

Freshly cooked sugar-fried chestnuts were very hot. They tossed the chestnuts between their hands until they cooled a bit, then gently peeled them open along the slit.

The sweet aroma of the chestnuts wafted up as soon as the shells were opened.

Though the outside appeared blackened, the inside was a golden yellow. One woman was so surprised by how tender it looked that she broke the chestnut in half.

Realizing these chestnuts were different from what they were used to, the women glanced at Lin Ruanruan again, who was nonchalantly eating a chestnut herself. Only then did they cautiously put the chestnuts in their mouths and chew slowly.

The sweet and soft chestnut crumbled in their mouths, with a hint of sweetness.

Lin Ruanruan's eyes twinkled as she watched the women's expressions turn to pleasant surprise.

"These chestnuts are different from the ones we usually eat."

"Exactly, the mountains are full of chestnuts, but I never bother to pick them when I pass by. How come these are so tasty and sweet?"

As the two women chatted in front of her stall, one of them reached out for another chestnut.

"Te... te... ten coins," Lin Ruanruan stammered, stopping her hand and announcing the price.

The woman's hand froze, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh my, the girl is a stutterer," she said loudly, and everyone around heard her.

Lin Ruanruan pressed her lips together, looking steadily at the woman.

"Girl, your speech..." The other woman leaned in, smiling.

"Te... ten... coins for... a bag." Lin Ruanruan filled a bag with sugar-fried chestnuts and handed it over, stammering.

People laughed, amused by the idea of a stuttering vendor.

But the laughter didn't bother Lin Ruanruan. As long as they bought her chestnuts, they could laugh all they wanted.

Laughing wouldn't hurt her, and if those who laughed also bought a bag of chestnuts, it would even be a unique selling point for her business.

"Such a pity she's a stutterer, but she's so pretty," one woman remarked regretfully.

Lin Ruanruan smiled, thinking that being pretty was a plus. Despite the swelling on her forehead, she would look even better once it healed.

Holding the paper bag of chestnuts, she smiled sweetly, though her clothes were shabby.

Not getting upset at being called a stutterer, she offered the chestnuts sincerely.

Feeling a bit guilty after trying the chestnuts, the woman counted out ten copper coins and handed them to Lin Ruanruan with a smile.

Her first sale was made.

As a token of appreciation for her first customer, Lin Ruanruan scooped an extra handful of chestnuts from the sieve and handed them to the woman.

"Oh my, so many! How generous!" The woman accepted them with a broad smile, quickly peeling another one.

"Though she stutters, her chestnuts are truly delicious. I've never had such tasty chestnuts before."