After dinner, Shen Mianmian and Lu Siyuan went to Lu Dagang’s home and bought eight winter melons, weighing two hundred and sixty catties, and also seven catties of dried bamboo shoots, purchasing them at sixty cents per catty, and bean paste at ten cents per catty, taking a total of ten catties.

The total cost was six yuan and fifty cents. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

This time, Shen Mianmian paid one yuan and fifty cents, with the remaining five yuan to be delivered tomorrow.

Lu Dagang and Zhang Changchun didn’t hesitate at all, they agreed immediately, and were overjoyed to sell for over six yuan, their mouths couldn’t close with delight.

The bean paste was made with their own beans, so there was no cost for materials, and the winter melons didn’t cost anything to grow; the seeds were from the year before last, and the dried bamboo shoots were made from wild shoots. The cost of these items didn’t even amount to fifty cents, yet they sold for six yuan and fifty cents—it was like a pie falling from the sky.

Initially, Lu Siyuan’s words had been somewhat doubted by Zhang Changchun, but now that the second batch of winter melons had been taken away, she had no choice but to believe.

Looking at the situation, this seemed like a long-term business. Next year, she would have to plant more, so that by the New Year, she would be able to make quite a bit of money, even more than from selling grains.

With just over three yuan left, Shen Mianmian and Lu Siyuan discussed and then bought another winter melon for one yuan and fifty cents and some more dried bamboo shoots for slightly more than a yuan from their neighbors.

With the few cents remaining, she planned to use them for change tomorrow.

Seeing that it was already past three in the afternoon, Shen Mianmian didn’t dare to stay at the Lu Family’s any longer and quickly went back home.

Shen Jianhua came back from watching TV at Zhang Changfa’s house and found that Shen Mianmian was not home yet, which made him somewhat worried, regretting that he hadn’t asked clearly which classmate’s house she had gone to. Just as he was about to go out and look for her, he ran into Shen Mianmian returning from outside.

"Dad, are you going out?" Shen Mianmian asked.

"Not anymore." Seeing Shen Mianmian return, Shen Jianhua finally felt at ease, "I saw you were out all day and hadn’t come back, so I was going out to pick you up."

Having made money and found the right approach, Shen Mianmian was in a good mood. Hearing Shen Jianhua’s concern warmed her heart, "My classmate lives in Shu Tun, it’s very close."

Shen Jianhua felt relieved, but he couldn’t help but advise her.

"It’s fine to go to a classmate’s house to play, but don’t come back too late."

Mianmian’s mind raced and she casually said, "Dad, I have some good news to tell you."

"What good news?"

"Didn’t I tell you today that my classmate’s family makes bamboo baskets?"

"Yes!" Shen Jianhua nodded, "What about it?"

Without a blush, Shen Mianmian lied, "When I was helping out today, their grandpa said I worked very efficiently. Since they’re quite busy at the moment, he asked me to come over and help every day until school starts, offering lunch and fifty cents a day."

"Really?" Shen Jianhua seemed surprised.

Fifty cents a day, with lunch included, that’s fifteen yuan a month, which was nearly as much as the salary of city workers.

For a child, why would anyone offer such a high wage?

"Mm-hmm." Shen Mianmian nodded earnestly, then with a hint of worry said, "Dad, I was so happy at the time, I just agreed on the spot. You don’t mind, do you?"

Originally, she had intended to say twenty cents, but feared that was too little and Shen Jianhua wouldn’t be interested.

If she said fifty cents, that would be fifteen yuan a month, and even if Shen Jianhua didn’t agree immediately, he wouldn’t be too staunchly opposed. Once he agreed, she would have a legitimate excuse to go out.

In fact, Shen Mianmian was not wrong in her thinking. If the amount had been smaller, Shen Jianhua indeed wouldn’t have agreed, as his daughter was only fifteen years old, and if word got out, people would talk.