Chapter 59: Better Each Time
When others sell goods, they often exaggerate just like ¹Wang Po sells melons. They self-promotion to the heavens, praising only the benefits and concealing any downsides, all to ensure they sell their wares.
However, Su Mulan was refreshingly honest. She admitted that while the popcorn was tasty, being greedy on it could lead to internal heat, not hiding any facts. This straightforwardness made people regard her as very genuine.
As more people learned about what popcorn was from Su Mulan, their initial impressions of her improved. This, in turn, increased their desire to purchase the popcorn.
Thus, ladle after ladle, the area around Su Mulan’s stall became lively and bustling.
The customers who came to buy popcorn couldn’t resist purchasing some of the soft and sweet dried sweet potatoes. Those who had previously bought Su Mulan’s sweet potatoes were also tempted to return, seeing that she now had fresh popcorn available, so they also bought a scoop for a penny.
Both the dried sweet potatoes and popcorn sold well, and soon, most of them were gone.
“Your business here is really thriving more and more,” remarked a customer.
Su Mulan looked up and saw that it was not just anyone but the tofu-selling uncle. She smiled and replied, “Thanks to Uncle’s blessings, it’s going well. I’ve been busy just now and couldn’t find time to send you the sweet potatoes. I was planning to deliver them when things calmed down, but since you’re here, why not take them now?”
As she spoke, Su Mulan took out the sweet potatoes from the bottom of the bamboo basket and handed them to him.
The dried sweet potatoes were wrapped in bamboo cloth and neatly tied, clearly prepared in advance as Su Mulan had mentioned. It was evident she had genuinely remembered about it, not just saying it as a formality.
The uncle grinned broadly, “You really remembered about this.”
The dried sweet potatoes weighed one pound, while the tofu he had given Su Mulan earlier weighed one and a half pound. The uncle handed over two coins.
“I’ve taken a deposit. If I didn’t remember, wouldn’t that be breaking my word?” Su Mulan chuckled as she took the money, then grabbed two handfuls of popcorn and handed them to him. “Try the freshly made popcorn, Uncle, see if it suits your taste.”
“I’ll gladly accept that then.” The uncle didn’t hesitate, placing the dried sweet potatoes into his small bamboo basket alongside. He turned to Su Mulan, saying, “I see you’re planning to come to the market often to do business. My surname is Wu, Wu Tianfu. I’ve been selling tofu at the market in town for over ten years. We’re familiar faces around here. If you ever need a hand or have any issues while setting up your stall, don’t hesitate to ask me. We’re all in the business of selling, so let’s help each other out.”
“Thank you, Uncle Wu. I’m from the Baijia village. My husband’s name is Bai Shitang, and my maternal surname is Su,” Su Mulan replied, introducing herself briefly.
“Alright then, Bai family, you take care. I’ll go back to tend to my tofu stall,” Wu Tianfu chuckled and headed back to his tofu stall.
Su Mulan then continued to manage the sale of her dried sweet potatoes and popcorn.
When both bamboo baskets were completely sold out, Su Mulan’s money pouch became bulging.
The dried sweet potatoes, totaling around thirty catties, sold for eighty-six cents in total, while the popcorn sold for thirty-nine cents this time. Altogether, it amounted to more than one hundred and twenty cents, which could be considered a fruitful harvest.
It was the first time she had earned a three-digit income from the market, a small but significant step forward in her small business. Su Mulan felt a sense of accomplishment, her lips couldn’t help but curl up.
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¹”Wang Po sells melons” (王婆卖瓜) is a Chinese idiom that refers to someone who praises their own goods or abilities. It’s based on the idea that Wang Po, an old woman selling melons, would naturally say her melons are the best to attract buyers.