CHAPTER 198: CHAPTER 198: HERBAL TEA

It wasn’t tiring at first when there were no people around. In the meantime, Shi Lemeng came by, and she chatted with them for a while. After nine o’clock, when there were not many people, she took a break. Usually, her hands were so busy that they almost smoked.

This twenty-two yuan is what she rightfully earned!

"Girl, we made twenty-two yuan today. What’s the net profit?"

In the summer, there are many kinds of vegetables. Most of the vegetables used for skewers were brought over by Lin Xiang from the Li Hua Team.

For example, the most profitable potatoes, many people’s cellars were piled with hundreds of pounds of last year’s old potatoes. As long as they haven’t sprouted, they can be eaten.

Lin Xiang went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy White Rabbit Creamy Candy and used the money to buy eggs from the village. She traded the candy or eggs with the villagers for potatoes.

Anyway, this year’s new potatoes were almost ready, and the stored potatoes couldn’t all be eaten. Plus, there was the bun workshop, so the villagers had a favorable impression of Lin Xiang. A single White Rabbit candy could exchange for more than ten large potatoes, the same for eggs.

And six slices of potato could be skewered onto one stick. One potato could be cut into about twenty such slices, which means one potato could be sold for over four cents.

Calculated this way, the cost of potatoes could be almost ignored.

As for the other vegetables, they weren’t that different, with the costs being negligible.

The most expensive was the barbecue grill, which took Fifth Uncle’s effort, and with the cost of materials and making it, the grill cost about thirty yuan. Plus some bits and bobs that were essential, the cost was about forty-five yuan.

However, the grill was of good quality and could be used for one or two years without any problems. So even if she was doing this for just a month during the summer vacation, the daily cost was only a few dimes.

The most expensive part was the barbecue ingredients. Just buying the seasonings cost Lin Xiang about twenty yuan, making several adjustments before finally achieving the current barbecue flavor.

However, the seasoning she made could last for at least ten days, bringing the daily cost down to about two yuan.

So, even if calculated on the high side, the cost could be at most thirty-five cents.

Twenty-two yuan, with a net profit as high as eighteen and a half yuan!

However, what Lin Xiang told Mrs. Lin was just a small part of it.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Mrs. Lin, but rather to be prepared for any situation.

"Eight and a half yuan. If our business can keep up this well every day, we’ll make more than two hundred yuan a month, which would be enough for anything!"

For these two hundred odd yuan, she was willing to sacrifice her afternoon rest time!

"Mom, can I go to sleep now?"

"Sleep, sleep. You worked hard today. Sleep in tomorrow morning and have breakfast whenever you wake up naturally. I won’t wake you."

Lin Xiang slept until after nine in the morning the next day.

When she woke up, Aunt Ge and Ge Yuanyi were helping Mrs. Lin with the skewers.

Even though the stall didn’t go out until the afternoon, the preparations needed to be done in advance. Even though it wasn’t tiring, they had to keep repeating a simple task.

"Awake? Breakfast is in the pot. Help yourself."

Lin Xiang wasn’t very hungry, so she ate a little and told Mrs. Lin before heading out.

Mrs. Lin didn’t mind; she and Lin Xiang had a clear division of labor.

She was in charge of logistics, while Lin Xiang handled the barbecue.

Lin Xiang came back shortly after she went out, and quickly went into the kitchen.

By the time Mrs. Lin and Aunt Ge, taking advantage of the cool morning weather, had cleaned all the vegetables, Lin Xiang came out of the kitchen, carrying three bowls.

"You’ve been busy all morning, must be thirsty. Come have a drink."

On the table were three bowls, each containing something different.

Two bowls looked pitch black, and one bowl was green.

"Girl, what are these? They don’t look very appetizing," Mrs. Lin said with a pout, full of disdain.

"Mung bean soup, herbal tea, and sour plum soup."

Although mung bean soup wasn’t often drunk, its name was familiar, but herbal tea and sour plum soup, they hadn’t heard of before.

Moreover, the dark color looked quite intimidating.

"Why don’t you try them?"

Trusting her daughter, Mrs. Lin gritted her teeth, and picked up a bowl first. "To be honest, drinking a bowl of mung bean soup on a hot day is refreshing."

Aunt Ge and Ge Yuanyi each picked up the herbal tea and sour plum soup.

"What’s this I’m drinking? It’s sour and sweet, and quite delicious!"

"This flavor I’m getting is interesting. It starts sweet, with an astringent aftertaste, but it’s not bitter, and the taste is rich."

Lin Xiang explained, "Yuanyi, what you’re drinking is herbal tea. People from Ram City usually love it because it’s hot there all year round, so herbal tea is used to dispel heat. However, the traditional authentic herbal tea, while effective for dispelling heat, is very bitter and astringent, hard for most people to accept."

"This herbal tea of mine is a modified version. I added sugar and replaced a few ingredients, so it can neutralize the bitterness and astringency of traditional herbal tea while still maintaining some of its effects."

Although Ji Province has four distinct seasons, it’s still very hot in summer, so herbal tea is very necessary.

As for sour plum soup, it’s even simpler.

There’s no need to say more about mung bean soup.

Having spent so much time with Lin Xiang, Mrs. Lin didn’t even need Lin Xiang to suggest it before saying, "Girl, shouldn’t we also sell this?"

"Yesterday, quite a few people mentioned that while the barbecue was delicious, it made them thirsty. If we sell these, business should do well too."

Barbecue and drinks, such a delightful combination.

"We should sell them, but it won’t be us selling them. It’ll be Aunt Ge."

Lost in the aftertaste of the sour plum soup, Aunt Ge reflexively pointed at her own nose, "Me sell?"

"Yes. As the weather gets hotter, fewer people are willing to visit the market. Even if you diligently set up your stall every day, you probably won’t sell much and might even risk heatstroke."

"Selling these drinks might not bring more profit than pancakes, but they mainly sell in the afternoon and evening, avoiding the intense heat and being a lot easier on you."

Aunt Ge was intrigued, "But... I don’t know how."

"Don’t worry if you don’t know how. Isn’t the girl here to teach you?" Mrs. Lin said. "She wouldn’t suggest it if she wasn’t going to help you."

Aunt Ge still felt a bit embarrassed.

It was Lin Xiang’s idea, so wouldn’t she be taking advantage of Lin Xiang if she used it?

"If you don’t want to sell them, that’s fine, but I’ll have to start paying rent."

Lin Xiang’s idea for Aunt Ge to sell the drinks was her way of giving back.

She had lived with the Ge Family for over half a year, and during that time, apart from her daily meals, they hadn’t spent a single penny.

Aunt Ge didn’t charge rent, and the water and coal bills were all covered by her.

Lin Xiang had tried several times to pay, but Aunt Ge always refused.

Earlier, she was too busy with her college entrance exams to do anything. But now, with more free time, she wanted to do something to repay Aunt Ge.