Chapter 10
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Shen Qiuhua took on such a pitiful job in town, washing clothes just to get by. She also used her connections to wash clothes for wealthy families. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, even if she only earned two copper coins.
Shen Qiuhua wasn’t willing to spend the money she earned. Instead, she gave it all to Su Binglan.
Since it was colder during autumn, Shen Qiuhua’s hands were almost frozen, revealing cracks on her palms and fingers. However, she didn’t seem to feel any pain. She only wanted to earn money so her daughter would be happy.
Su Binglan’s heart ached when she saw Shen Qiuhua with wet clothes in her hands. She held her mother’s hands and said, “I don’t want you to do this job anymore, Mother. I can take care of you after I’ve earned some money. Don’t bend over backward for me.”
Shen Qiuhua started to tear up. ‘My daughter is so sensible now.’
Shen Qiuhua wiped the corners of her eyes and said, “It’s not that hard, Binglan. I’m thrilled that you’re more sensible now. I will be happy as long as you can live a better life with Luo Jin’an.”
Despite Shen Qiuhua’s words, Su Binglan was a stubborn person. She insisted that her mother quit this pitiful job.
Of course, Shen Qiuhua remained obedient to her daughter. Although she wanted to earn money, she didn’t want her daughter to be unhappy.
After that, Su Binglan went to the bakery and bought some buns. One vegetable bun cost three copper coins, while one meat bun cost five copper coins.
Su Binglan bought two meat buns for her mother. “Here, eat these two buns, Mother.”
Shen Qiuhua looked at the two meat buns before her and was flattered. She thought that Su Binglan bought them for herself.
In the past, Su Binglan only cared about herself when she ate. She never cared for others. Still, the Su family felt that this was a regular thing, so Shen Qiuhua didn’t know what to do when her daughter was so well-behaved.
“I-I already had breakfast this morning. I’m not hungry, and I don’t like meat buns. Y-You can eat them instead.”
Meat buns were very expensive in this era. Whenever Shen Qiuhua would come to town and work, she could smell the fragrant buns but wasn’t willing to buy them.
Even if she were starving, she would always bring along some mixed grain pancakes from home and eat them.
Su Binglan insisted on giving her mother the buns. She said, “If you don’t eat, I will be disappointed, Mother. I had a good breakfast this morning, and I’m not hungry yet. Our family will live in better conditions in the future. I will buy you whatever you want to eat then.”
Shen Qiuhua smiled and sobbed. “All right, fine.”
Tears rolled down Shen Qiuhua’s cheeks as she ate the buns. She discreetly wiped the tears off her face.
Then Su Binglan and her mother returned the clothes they washed, while Su Binglan went to the grocery store to buy some seeds.
Su Binglan was amazed when she saw potato and sweet potato seeds in the grocery store. “Mother, we can eat some potatoes and sweet potatoes if I plant these seeds.”
The yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes was usually high, and if Su Binglan planted them in her pocket dimension, the yield would be unimaginable.
But Shen Qiuhua didn’t understand a word her daughter said. “What are potatoes and sweet potatoes?”
Su Binglan was stunned. ‘Is my mother the only one who doesn’t know what these are, or does everyone in this world not know about these?’
The grocery store owner said with a smile, “So you know about these, huh, little girl? I’ve put those there for a long time, yet no one knows what they are.”
Su Binglan pondered and replied, “I’ve read about these before in some notes I found.”
Shen Qiuhua was a little puzzled. ‘My daughter likes to read?’
However, Su Binglan could read when she was just a child. She had read some miscellaneous books, so Shen Qiuhua wasn’t surprised for long.
Su Binglan was indeed a treasured child in the eyes of the Su family. It was just that others didn’t know how excellent she was.