“Little Flower, take a look. Your father is such a fool; he doesn’t know how to separate the family. If he did, you might be able to enjoy some pancakes too. I heard they sell for three cents each!”
“Sister-in-law, I’m just trying to give you some friendly advice. Kids need to learn from a young age. When my husband brings back pancakes tonight, I’ll let you all try them. How come those people are so clever? They add a fruit inside the pancake, and it sells for three coins!”
“Now that your family has fewer resources, things are probably tight. You all should learn to cook well. Even if your pancakes aren’t as good as those from the city, you could still make some money to support your family!”
After saying this, she didn’t wait for Sister Ye’s reaction. Pleased with herself like a victorious rooster, she took Ye Chengcai back into the house.
After dinner, Ye Qiu and several others prepared for the pancakes they were going to sell the next day. The first batch of fried fruit had already run out, so they had to fry a whole new pot. They packed the pickles and peppers into jars, leaving the other preparations for the morning rush.
The next day, Ye Qiu got up early. When he arrived at the kitchen, Ye’s Mother was already busy with Sister Ye. As soon as Ye’s Mother saw Ye Qiu, she lovingly wrapped a warm pancake for him. “Why are you up so early? You’re weak; you should take care of yourself.”
Ye Qiu finished eating quickly and stood behind Ye Mother, massaging her shoulders. “Mom, of course, I’m thinking about this. I want to make money to build you a big house and buy you new clothes!”
“You really know how to care for your mother. I know you’re filial!”
Actually, Ye Qiu only got up early to mix some sauce; he didn’t do any other work, yet no one felt anything was amiss.
The only one who understood the situation was Sister Ye, who believed Ye Qiu was a good and filial child. Before, he was lazy and didn’t work because he had not matured; now he understood and not only helped out but also figured out ways to make money by selling food.
She realized her previous prejudices against Ye Qiu were unfounded. Ye Qiu was truly thoughtful and dutiful!
As soon as Ye Laoda finished breakfast, Ye Mother hurriedly pulled him out the door, heading straight for the spot from yesterday. The sister selling vegetables nearby waved at them from a distance when she saw Ye Mother.
“I’ve been saving a spot for you for ages!”
“I was just looking for you. We ran out of vegetables and need to get more. I trust your produce!”
While Ye Mother chatted with the vegetable seller, Ye Oldest had already finished setting everything up.
At first, Ye Mother shouted to attract the crowd, and soon people gathered around. “I heard there’s a pancake stall on the walking street that’s delicious, so I came early today, but it seems you weren’t here yet.”
The people behind must have bought pancakes yesterday, and seeing the others still waiting, one of them jumped in, “I’ll take two, with spicy sauce!”
“Sure!” Ye Mother replied happily, receiving six cents, while Ye Oldest quickly wrapped the pancakes.
Ye Laoda lifted the dust cover and, wearing gloves and a mask, prepared the pancake with an egg and crispy fried fruit inside. Wrapped up, it was about the size of an adult’s hand, sufficient to fill one up. With so many fillings, three cents really wasn’t too expensive. Compared to other breakfast stalls, it was clean and sanitary, which reassured customers.
The man who received his pancake couldn’t wait to start eating as he walked away.
“How does it taste?”
“Delicious! The flavour is perfect, and the pickles inside are particularly refreshing. The spicy sauce is also fragrant!”
“When I came yesterday, they were sold out. I’m so glad I got one today!”
Everyone who arrived today seemed to be those who missed out yesterday. Although they had heard from others how good it was, seeing it in person made them more confident. The first buyer encouraged the others.
“I’ll take two, one with spicy sauce and one without, packed separately like the last one!”
Most people bought two to bring back to their children.
Ye’s Mother carefully placed the money she had collected flat in her small bag. “This money was originally meant to save for your brother’s wedding, but he insisted on sending Little Flower to school, so you must remember his kindness.”
Ye Oldest, with an honest grin, patted his head. “Mom, I will definitely remember!”
Ye Second had to head to work. He was lazy, and while trying to leave as a crowd gathered outside, he spotted Li Da pushing his way forward.
“Li Da, what a coincidence to see you up front! Could you please buy one for me?”
Li Da, hearing someone call his name, turned and saw the unhappy faces of the people behind him. He quickly refused, “Ye Xia, since you’re here, just buy it yourself. I only have enough for one; I can’t help you!”
“We’re all friends; just do me a favour. It’s just three cents!” Ye Xia laughed, shoving the coins into Li Da’s hands while ignoring the jeers from the crowd, walking away with a smug look. “Sometimes you stumble upon good fortune; no need to find excuses!”
Ye Xia didn’t realize that if he had taken his time to line up, he would have seen that the ones selling pancakes were his biased mother and his silly elder brother. However, there were too many people blocking his view.
That night, after a meal, they realized they had been so caught up in the excitement yesterday that they forgot to count the money.
“Eldest brother, go get your wife; we need to count the money.”
As soon as counting was mentioned, everyone gathered around. Ye Mother cautiously checked to ensure no one was passing by, closed the door, and seriously took out all the money from her bag, placing it on the table.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the money on the table. Since the family had not separated yet, Ye’s Mother had always controlled the finances; this was their first time participating.
With everyone watching eagerly, Ye Mother counted the money carefully, then looked up with an expression of disbelief and counted again.
“Ye Father, am I dreaming? I’ve never seen so much money in my life!”
“This… this is just from two days of work!”
Ye Mother hesitated to announce the amount, and the sons and their wives were too anxious to rush her, while Ye Father urged, “Wife, how much did we make?”
Ye Qiu took all the money from Ye Mother, counting it bit by bit. He was the only one brave enough to do it besides Ye Father.
“In total, we made thirty yuan!” After counting, Ye Qiu felt somewhat dissatisfied. It seemed too little, but then he reminded himself that in this era, a wedding usually cost around thirty or forty yuan, so it wasn’t unreasonable. This was just the beginning; they shouldn’t demand too much too soon.