Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 27: Buy 27 sweet potatoes

The two items she carried with her were both old. They were things she used as a child.

This time, it took her an hour longer than last time to reach the county, but there’s no help for it—the snow was too thick, and with her short legs, she couldn’t go any faster.

She pushed her cart to the entrance of Old Wu’s house.

Old Wu was momentarily stunned to see her, surprised that the child had come in such heavy snow.

”Uncle, I’m leaving the small cart here with you. I’ll be back in a while.”

”Go ahead.”

Su Yuanyuan headed straight to the train station, carrying a basket filled with sweet potatoes in a clean burlap bag. Once she opened it in the waiting hall, the aroma and steam wafted out.

”Selling sweet potatoes, freshly steamed sweet potatoes. Five cents for one piece, ten cents for two pieces.”

This attracted many people. Sweet potatoes weren’t unusual, but the freshly steamed ones were. The sweet fragrance slowly spread.

There was no heating in the train station hall at this time, so people were waiting in the cold.

Once the first person came to buy, a second followed. This basket of sweet potatoes quickly sold out.

”All gone? How did it sell so fast?”

”There are more, I’ll go get them, I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

The sweet potatoes from Meng Xiangtian’s home were well-maintained, dry after steaming yet still sweet.

In the cold weather, everyone was willing to eat something warm like sweet potatoes.

Su Yuanyuan hurried out, having already scoped out a suitable spot along the way.

So she headed straight for the tidier entrance.

This time, Su Yuanyuan was carrying two bags of sweet potatoes, weighing sixty-seven pounds—equivalent to twice her own weight.

Sometimes, people’s strength is limitless; she managed to carry them for five or six minutes.

Those waiting to buy sweet potatoes at the train station watched the small girl struggle with the basket, and someone stepped in to help her unload it.

”Thank you, uncle.”

In this biting cold, the little girl’s nose was sweaty. Those with children felt a pang of sympathy and compared her to their own kids.

These two bags of sweet potatoes also sold very quickly, mainly because they were cheap.

Finally, after selling all the sweet potatoes, Su Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief. She still had some raw sweet potatoes in her space, which she planned to roast slowly for herself.

No time to waste, she headed back, thinking she could get something to eat with the money she made, like some pastries.

First, she went to the Wu Family’s house.

They had already placed the harness on the small cart for her.

”Thank you, uncle.”

”What’s the trouble? Have you eaten? Come in for some food.”

”Uncle, I won’t eat. I need to hurry back.”

Old Wu nodded, ”Take care on the road.” Watching this small girl pushing a cart looked quite awkward, as her arms were nearly level with the cart’s handles. This girl was truly tough, managing to push it all the way here from so far.

At the blacksmith’s, seeing the bright metal edge, Su Yuanyuan felt it would work very well.

”Girl, I’ve also added steel to the knife edge here. The sheep won’t need much strength; if the edge is sharp, it’ll be easier.”

”Thank you so much, uncle.”

”Off you go, won’t keep you, otherwise it’ll be dark before you get home.”

Su Yuanyuan pushed her cart to where they sold pastries, where people were still eating.

The hot tofu pudding was garnished with a bit of minced garlic, very delicious. After filling up, she bought ten dough sticks.

Once she left the county and reached the fields, she finally put away the small cart. She was exhausted; her arms dangled. If she didn’t grow taller by the next spring, she probably couldn’t manage the cart for work.

Stepping one foot deep, the other shallow, she got home just before dark.

Just as she started to light a fire, Hu Chunhua came over.

”Yuanyuan, where did you go?”

”Aunt, sit here, it’s warm, I’ll tell you.”

”Look, this is the harness and iron I had custom-made in the county.

I can’t use large animals, just by myself, how can I cultivate this two-acre plot? So I thought, let the sheep pull the iron, it might be quicker.”

Hu Chunhua pulled the metal edge on the small cart’s trough and sighed. Their land was too much for their family’s mule alone. They couldn’t help her either.

”You’re resourceful.”

”It’s alright. Aunt, I heard you can even open up wasteland? Can I do it too?”

”If you finish planting your two-acre plot, go to the village chief. Otherwise, you won’t manage either.”

”It’s two mu per person?”

”Yeah, actually, you can open some land near your home.

Very few people come over here, so just open it for growing vegetables, it’ll be enough for you to eat.”

”Got it. Aunt, I went to the train station in the county today, lots of people.”

Hu Chunhua patted Su Yuanyuan’s head, ”Don’t go to places like that often. If you come across human traffickers, wouldn’t a small girl like you get taken away?”

”I understand now. I fetched the harness and iron; I won’t need anything else. Aunt, I’m thinking of planting some sweet potatoes next year, which is why I want the vegetable plot.”

”Alright, I’ll give you sweet potato vines. It’s good for a child to be ambitious.”

”Aunt, what did you need me for?”

”It’s not me, Aunt Guiying is looking for you. She’s asking if you still want more sweet potatoes.”

”Oh, her sweet potatoes are really delicious. Yes, today at the train station, I sold steamed sweet potatoes, and lots of people bought them.”

”How do you have such courage, child?”

”Aunt, five cents for one, ten cents for two, a lot of people bought them. If it wasn’t so far away, you could really sell food at the train station, many would buy.”

Hu Chunhua shook her head, ”It’s not as easy as you think. The train station’s occupied by people; it’s just that you went that one time, no one bothered you.”

Su Yuanyuan was shocked, having only heard of such things in her past life but never expected it here too.

Looks like there’s no way to make money that way. For now, she had to focus on taking care of her small self.

”Okay, just stay at home obediently now. It’s almost the end of the lunar year, don’t keep going out.”

”Alright, I got it.” She originally intended to give Hu Chunhua a few dough sticks, but they were still warm in her space; how could she present them? Never mind, she’ll find a chance next time.

She mixed cornmeal with hot water for the sheep and sneakily gave it half a cabbage.

”Let me tell you, I brought the iron back today, just waiting for spring to see how you perform.”

The sheep, eating, lifted its head and bleated toward Su Yuanyuan, as if saying ”no big deal.” Anyway, she had made the effort, and as for what happens, that wasn’t solely hers to decide.