Chapter 26: Circulating in the Mothers’ Circle

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Circulating in the Mothers’ Circle

Two suns had fully appeared in the sky, one following the other, both incredibly dazzling. The ground was so hot you could feel your feet burn just by stepping on the wooden planks.

On the lawn in front, a clean white cloth was spread out. On top of the cloth was a layer of green pine needles, and on them, the Green Potato was turning a honey color.

Feng Si’s eyes lit up at the sight.

’This is all coins!’

Wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, she walked out from the cool shade of the attic. As she squatted down to turn the Green Potato, she mentally calculated her income.

Today’s large cloth bag had already cleared out the first batch of Green Potato, turning it into nearly six thousand coins.

A single green potato was like a plump white radish and could be cut into about thirty strips. The cost was 2 coins each, but after being made into Green Potato, it could be sold for 84 coins.

The two thousand coins in costs that Mao Qiu had agonized over would turn into eighty-four thousand coins.

Feng Si planned to do this lucrative business every single harvest day!

...

After delivering the green potatoes to Feng Si, Mao Qiu returned home to find her aunt’s family had come to visit.

As soon as she entered, Mao Qiu’s parents were cooking in the kitchen, while his aunt, Mao Ping, was holding her own cub and trying to feed it minced meat. The little kitten uncooperatively shook its head, refusing to eat.

She looked up and saw Mao Ge in Mao Qiu’s arms. "I haven’t seen you in a few days. Mao Ge has gotten quite sturdy."

His aunt’s family lived on the second mountain in the East District, near the Sacrificial Hall and the Lord Mansion. That was the affluent area of Nantong City. She was quite close to her younger brother, bringing meat every time she visited.

Mao Qiu was fond of his aunt. Seeing his little cousin refusing to eat his meat, he put Mao Ge on the floor, went over, and pried open the cub’s mouth to look. "His teeth are growing in. Besides minced meat, you should feed him some other foods."

The cub pushed away the hand prying at its mouth with its two furry paws, bared its teeth with a hiss, and with a twist of its bottom, jumped out of its mother’s arms and bounded off to play with Mao Ge.

Mao Ping was a little worried. The cub was only three months old, and its teeth were at a stage where meat strips were too hard and would hurt them. She could only mince the meat, steam it, and feed the cub the resulting clumps of ground meat.

"Who feeds meat chunks to a cub this age?" Mao Ping had lived for over ninety years and had never heard of such a thing. Looking at the two little cubs hopping and running on the floor, she said, "Beastman are easy to raise. All cubs grow up like this."

"There is! Mao Ge has gotten much stronger recently." Mao Qiu recommended enthusiastically, "It’s because I found a food that cubs under five months can chew, and it’s greatly increased his appetite. Now Mao Ge loves his meals."

Mao Ping’s ears twitched. If a Beastman cub ate a lot and became strong in its youth, its beast form would also be more powerful when it grew up.

Since it concerned her cub, Mao Ping immediately asked, "What food?"

Mao Qiu took out a piece of Green Potato from his waist pouch, his eyes twinkling. "Auntie, this Green Potato is the most popular food for cubs around here. It’s sweet, chewy, doesn’t hurt their teeth, and it’s even tastier than wild berries. Do you want to buy some?"

’Why does that sound so much like a sales pitch...’ Mao Ping thought Mao Qiu was acting a bit strange. But then she caught a faint sweet scent wafting through the air. Mao Ge also came pattering over, hugging Mao Qiu’s leg and stretching out his furry paws, trying to reach up.

But Mao Qiu didn’t give it to him. Instead, he offered it to the little cub trailing behind Mao Ge—the same cub who had just been refusing to eat meat at all costs. Its eyes were fixated on the snack, and it suddenly pounced, snatching the Green Potato away.

Mao Ge’s little body stiffened. He immediately spun around and pounced fiercely to get it back. The two little cubs instantly started fighting over a single piece of Green Potato.

And after they were separated, the two little brothers who had been playing a friendly game of pounce-and-bite just moments before were now ignoring each other, turning their backs to one another in a huff.

Mao Ping’s eyes widened. "...Even male beasts this small like to fight over food."

「The next day.」

Feng Si officially added Green Potato to her stall. She bundled them in groups of ten with cotton thread, bringing eight hundred bundles in a large, full bag.

She went back to bringing thirty catties of the sliced white meat. After all, it was very expensive, and even her regulars wouldn’t buy it every day.

When Mao Qiu came to pick her up, he said happily, "Feng Si, you can make as much Green Potato as you want! My aunt is rich, and she said she wants to buy it."

Feng Si paused.

’Huh?’

’Is he asking his relatives to help boost my sales?’

She turned to look at Mao Qiu’s refreshed and cheerful face. For some reason, it reminded her of a pyramid scheme, roping in relatives after being brainwashed.

’But I’m no con artist.’

Mao Ping was indeed wealthy. As soon as Feng Si arrived, she immediately bought fifty bundles, and also a portion of the sliced white meat.

Feng Si took the coins and had Mao Qiu give the Green Potato to Mao Ping. She then cut a plate of sliced white meat and set it out. While the cub in Mao Ping’s arms gnawed on a piece of Green Potato, Mao Ping herself sat before a leaf bowl, digging in with such gusto that her mouth shone with grease.

"Usually, he won’t eat this and he won’t eat that. I have to feed him every single bite of meat. Today, he’s finally eating on his own." Mao Ping was so moved she wiped her greasy lips, clutching the newly bought Green Potato to her chest.

She said to Feng Si earnestly, "You truly have skilled hands. Your cooking is so delicious! Any cubs you raise in the future will surely be very strong."

This was exactly the kind of thing the ever-bold Feng Si loved to hear. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Your cub will also grow up to be a powerful Beastman."

Feng Si was chatting with Mao Ping about cubs when a sub-female holding a small black dog approached. She looked at the Green Potato in Mao Ping’s arms and said urgently, "Give me thirty portions! This stuff is so good, I have to bring some back for my sub-female sisters."

"That’s right, why didn’t I think of that? I can bring some home for his brothers and sisters today! Mao Qiu, pack another hundred portions for me." Mao Ping added to her order.

Who doesn’t have siblings, or cubs? A rare and functional cub food like this was bound to be extremely popular.

The sliced white meat was too expensive to give as gifts, but the Green Potato was an excellent choice.

Feng Si and Mao Qiu got to work, preparing the food the two customers wanted from the cloth bag. She accepted the coins and saw the two customers off with a smile.

Their arrival kicked off the business at Feng Si’s little stall. Beastman began to appear one after another, buying the food they needed:

"Black-spotted sub-female, give me two portions of sliced white meat and five portions of Green Potato. I’ll take them home to eat with other meat."

"Little Sub-female, did you bring Green Potato today? My cub has been clamoring for it. Give me ten portions."

Feng Si took down the customers’ orders.

Taking money, making change, scooping out meat, slicing it, adding sauce, and counting out the Green Potato.

Her movements were busy but orderly, flawlessly packing each customer’s order and handing it over.

Mao Qiu craned his neck to watch from the side, realizing she didn’t need his help at all. So, just like usual, he sat to the side holding Mao Ge, waiting for Feng Si to close up her stall.

Thanks to the aunt Mao Qiu had brought, the food she’d brought in the morning sold out quickly. By late morning, both items were gone.

Seeing the empty cloth bag and iron pot, Mao Qiu rolled up his sleeves and deftly placed the cookware they had brought into a back-basket. He wiped the table and stools clean and moved them into the shop behind the stall.

During this time, Feng Si mentally calculated her total income for the day.

Today, from the two food items, her total income was 49,310 coins.