Transmigration: The Peasant Gourmet Chef (穿越之农妇食娘)

Chapter 20 - New Ideas (2)

Being restricted by the lack of money, Li Hehua only made two kinds of pastries at the beginning, red bean cake and bahulu (chicken cake), which are simple and delicious. Although both of them are quite popular with customers, if she sells only two kinds for so long, many people will get tired of it and the pastries will lose their freshness.* In addition, there are also many people who don't like to eat these two pastries. Because of this, the kinds of pastries that she sells need to be increased appropriately so that the customers will have more choices. Since the amount to be sold will increase, the money that will be earned will naturally also increase.

(TN: lose their freshness - what she meant is that the pastries will no longer be 'new' to the eye of the customers if you get what I mean hehe.)

Li Hehua think about it and decided to temporarily add two kinds of pastry, hawthorn cake (山楂糕) and lotus seed paste pastry (莲蓉酥). These two are easy to make and delicious. The raw materials are also easy to obtain which is very suitable for her to sell.

Aside from increasing the variety of pastries, Li Hehua also thought of letting others sell them for her. Her strength is limited and she can only sell in one place every day. The town is huge and not everyone will come to the place where she sells pastries. Many people have not seen her pastries. If one more person can help her, she will be able to sell the pastries in two places. The pastries' market penetration will greatly increase and she will naturally earn more than before.

As for who to ask, Li Hehua currently only knows Cao Simei, so she is the first one that comes to mind to ask for help. This can also be regarded as a repayment for her kindness.

In addition to working in the fields, the women in the village only usually do household chores and have no opportunity to make money. Some of them can embroider and sell their work in the town to subsidize their family. Such women are quite rare however because the requirements for embroidery are very high. Most farm women can sew and mend with needles, but they are not good at embroidery and so most of them cannot earn this money.

Cao Simei, like most peasant women, can only do housework at home aside from working in the fields. Except for occasionally going to town to sell some eggs, she has no income. Li Hehua thought about giving this opportunity to Cao Simei, so she could make some money. This would not only increase Cao Simei's income but will also bring convenience to herself. When she is needed for a banquet, her pastry-selling business will not stop.

After making up her mind, Li Hehua made two more baskets of pastries and mentioned this to Cao Simei at dinner.

Cao Simei was completely bewildered by this unexpected surprise. She knew how delicious the pastries made by Li Hehua were, and she had seen how good her business was. It was a sure-fire business. She even secretly envied Li Hehua in her heart, thinking how great it would be if she could do it and sell pastries herself. If so, their family won't have to be so tight*.

(TN: tight on money or lacking in money.)

Unexpectedly, Li Hehua actually asked her to help and sell pastries. Although she did not make as much money as Li Hehua, she was already satisfied. To be able to earn an income every day is something that a peasant woman can't even think about.

Cao Simei couldn't help but rejoice in her heart that she helped Li Hehua, no, this is a reward.

Seeing how excited the family was, Li Hehua also became happy and said to Cao Simei, "Da jie, help me sell it and I will give you one cent for every four pieces of pastry. If you can sell two baskets then you can get almost ten cents a day. If you can sell more then you will earn more. What do you think?"

Cao Simei has seen Li Hehua sell pastries and naturally knows that the two baskets of pastries are easy to sell, which means that she can earn at least ten cents every day. This is ten cents, how could she still be dissatisfied? One must know that when a farmer goes to the town to work hard in slack*, he can only get ten cents a day. As long as she sells cakes, she can easily make money. She is already satisfied.