One evening, six pairs of straw sandals were sold.
They exchanged for eleven copper coins, five coarse porcelain bowls, and three eggs.
Da Lang said, one egg can sell for one cent, if we save some, we can take them to the town during market day to sell, which would be quite a few coins together.
Although the coarse porcelain bowls had chips, they were much more useful than the few broken earthen bowls at home.
Qin Yao counted out six copper coins and asked Da Lang which family in the village sold oil and salt.
Da Lang swallowed and said, "The Huolang family has some."
"Do you know how they sell it?" Qin Yao asked, picking up the remaining four pairs of straw sandals and the tattered mat.
If they could buy some oil and salt, they could eat some flavorful dishes tonight, and there was still half of yesterday's vegetables left.
Da Lang shook his head; he hardly ever had the chance to buy things from the Huolang family. When they used to pick some wild fruits on the mountain and wanted to sell them to the Huolang family, they were directly driven away.
When so many villagers gathered around today, the four siblings were somewhat flattered. In the past, the villagers would only drive them away or avoid them with disdain.
But today, everyone actually gathered around, not only did they not despise them but also bought their things.
Da Lang and Second Lang vaguely realized that perhaps it was because they had washed their faces clean, combed their hair neatly, and wore shoes. There was no smell on them anymore.
And all these changes were because of the stepmother. Since she came to their house, the house became brighter, the beds got softer, and even they became cleaner.
The days that used to have no light gradually became radiant.
Fortunately, Da Lang and Second Lang knew where the Huolang family was. While they could still see some outlines in the twilight, Qin Yao told the four siblings to wait there while she took the copper coins and the remaining four pairs of straw sandals and walked quickly to the Huolang's house.
This Huolang family also had the surname Liu, in his early twenties. He often went to shops in the town to buy daily necessities such as needles, thread, oil, and salt, then sold them at neighboring villages for a profit.
He also collected various mountain goods and embroidery items made by the village women to sell on their behalf, charging a commission.
With business on both sides, he could earn some silver coins, and his family's life was considered relatively good in the village.
Because he travelled around from village to village, people from neighboring villages called him Liu Huolang.
Liu Huolang's home was easy to find because he left a stall entrance specifically for selling goods at his doorstep, which was visible at a glance.
As she approached, she saw the neatly built high courtyard walls made of stones at his home, Qin Yao felt a deep sense of envy.
However, she firmly believed that soon her own family would have the same.
Knocking on the ajar wooden door, a puzzled young woman's voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
"A buyer, I want to buy some oil and salt!" Qin Yao replied.
The door creaked open, and Liu Huolang's wife looked suspiciously at the slender and pretty woman at the door, "Who are you?"
Although she was reluctant to speak, Qin Yao still had to introduce herself, "I am from the Liu Ji family at the far end of the village. My name is Qin Yao, I just arrived in the village, so you might not have seen me."
"Yun Niang, who is it?"
Liu Huolang also came over, recognizing Qin Yao as he had seen her once before.
"Is it from Third Brother Liu's family?"
Qin Yao nodded.
Liu Huolang quickly invited her in and told Yun Niang, "You should call her little sister-in-law, Third Brother is older than me."
"Sister-in-law, what do you want to buy? I went to the town to stock up on some goods the other day, and the stock is still pretty full now."
Liu Huolang led Qin Yao to a small room with a stall left on the left side of the door, lit an oil lamp, and let her choose.
Yun Niang followed curiously, observing Liu Ji's family's little sister-in-law.
Qin Yao inquired about the prices of the oil and salt.
Rapeseed oil was twelve coins per catty, lard was twenty-three coins per catty, fine salt was thirty coins per catty, and coarse salt was eighteen coins per catty.
Looking at the copper coins in her hand, Qin Yao felt a deep sense of heartache, too painful.
Thick-skinned, she lifted the four pairs of straw sandals in her hand, "Brother Liu, could you sell these straw sandals for me, or would you buy them? I'll give you a low price. I just sold six pairs at the village's well today, and everyone who bought them said they were good."
Actually, as soon as Qin Yao entered, the couple noticed the straw sandals in her hands. They weren't surprised to hear her say that.
The village girls and women often brought their homemade shoe insoles, handkerchiefs, and other items for him to sell. Straw sandals weren't out of the question.
"Sister-in-law, how much would you sell them to me for at a low price?" Liu Huolang asked politely.
The more Yun Niang looked at Qin Yao, the more she felt sorry for her. She seemed capable, able to weave straw sandals, yet she married into the ill-fated Liu Ji, truly a pitiful life.
Seeing Qin Yao looking so skinny, Yun Niang nudged her husband, "In town, straw sandals sell for five to six coins a pair. You can sell them for little sister-in-law, just give her the money, it won't take much effort."
The implication was that there was no need for a middleman fee.
"No, no, no." Qin Yao quickly said, "Business is business, everyone has a hard time. You also need to make money. I sold at the village well for three cents a pair. If you take them, I'll give you five coins for two pairs. How about that?"
From what Yun Niang just said, a pair of straw sandals could sell for five to six coins in town, so Liu Huolang could earn half by getting them from her.
Liu Huolang quietly pried open the hand his wife had pinched on his arm, "Alright, I'll sell them first and give you the money later. How about that?"
Qin Yao readily handed over the four pairs of straw sandals in her hand, "Then I'll leave it to you."
Finally, she added, "If they sell well, I have more stock. I can make sizes for men, women, and children."
"No problem, no problem." Liu Huolang collected the shoes and asked Qin Yao how much oil and salt she needed.
With a tight budget, Qin Yao could only buy two taels of vegetable oil and two taels of coarse salt, just six coins in total.
She didn't bring a container, so Yun Niang kindly lent her a bamboo tube for the oil, and the coarse salt was wrapped in banana leaves and handed over to Qin Yao.
"Then I'll have Da Lang return the bamboo tube to you tomorrow morning."
Holding the oil and salt, Qin Yao thought to herself that this Huolang couple were really nice people.
Arriving at the village well, the four Liu siblings immediately surrounded her, excitedly looking at the bamboo tube and banana leaves in her hands. When they caught a whiff of the vegetable oil, their hungry stomachs started growling.
Qin Yao lifted her chin, "Let's go, let's go home and cook."
The four siblings nodded in unison, their eyes sparkling, as they ran home eagerly, especially looking forward to tonight's dinner.
As soon as they got home, Da Lang took out the original earthen bowls and replaced them, taking out one and spreading straw in it, intending to use it to store the eggs.
Even though they salivated at the sight of the eggs, they never thought of eating them.
Such precious things should be saved up to sell for money, to buy more coarse rice and enjoy a few more meals.
So Da Lang happily took the straw-filled bowl to the kitchen to find Qin Yao.
Just as he was about to speak, his eyes widened instantly!
He saw Qin Yao deftly cracking the three eggs into the already boiling hot water, stirring with chopsticks, sprinkling a handful of salt, drizzling a drop of vegetable oil, and finally adding a handful of wild onions freshly picked by the riverside. Instantly, an extremely enticing aroma filled the air!
Liu Dalang, who couldn't remember the last time he had tasted meat, swallowed a hard gulp of saliva.
He immediately and resolutely dumped the straw out of the bowl.
The four siblings gathered around the stove, staring unblinkingly at the churning egg soup in the pot, flickering with a faint green glow.
Qin Yao clearly heard the sound of someone swallowing saliva behind her, and her own stomach couldn't help but emit a loud "gurgle" sound.