The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 28

Chapter 28: Selling Flatbreads in the City

Having decided to make charcoal, Jiang Huaizhen woke up early the next day and began to prepare her knives, axes, and saws.

While Lin Shuang was making breakfast, she was outside sharpening her blades.

Old Madam Jiang was now very sensitive to the sound of sharpening blades, because whenever she heard it, it meant that the child of the family was going to the execution grounds the next day to chop off heads.

Before, it was her son. Now, it was her granddaughter.

She couldn’t lie in bed any longer. Supporting herself against the wall, she came out of her bedroom and asked, “What are you doing now? It’s so early, and the sharpening is making my ears deaf.”

“I’m going to make charcoal.”

“Don’t we have a heated kang now? Why do you still need to make charcoal?”

The business hadn’t even started yet, so Jiang Huaizhen didn’t want to go into detail with her. She just said, “Grandma, I’m cold too.”

Old Madam Jiang was instantly speechless.

Jiang Huaizhen had finally found her weakness. As long as she openly stated what she wanted, that she was cold, hungry, or uncomfortable, the old woman would never object to anything she did.

“Lin Shuang said that when it gets cold, we can get a small stove to put on the table. With charcoal, we can have hot pot while we eat.”

Old Madam Jiang grumbled, “She has a lot of ideas.”

With that, she hobbled back to her room with her cane.

After breakfast, the two of them went to the back mountain. There were many trees halfway up the mountain, and there was also an old charcoal kiln there, which was close to home and convenient for transport.

Lin Shuang looked at the large and small trees around them, with their deep and shallow marks, and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you cut these?”

Jiang Huaizhen nodded. “I used to practice with my father.”

To become a qualified executioner, one needed strong arms and precise swordsmanship. No one was born with the ability to chop. It required years of accumulation and practice.

In this line of work, the best practice object was a winter melon. But where could they get so many winter melons to chop? After agreeing to let Jiang Huaizhen learn swordsmanship, Jiang Gui had told her that it didn’t matter where she trained her arm strength. If she could effortlessly chop down wood that was harder than bone, then in the future, beheading people would not be difficult.

Lin Shuang instantly understood what Jiang Huaizhen meant by “practice.” She bent down and touched the deep and shallow marks. “It looks like you’ve been practicing for many years.”

Jiang Huaizhen said, “It’s been exactly ten years.”

Listening to her faint words, Lin Shuang could almost see a seven-year-old girl, holding a large saber heavier than her arm, chopping at a small tree, one stroke after another.

It was a bit cute, but more than that, it was heartbreaking.

Although Jiang Gui’s original intention in letting Jiang Huaizhen learn swordsmanship was for self-protection, when he was training her, did he also think that his daughter would one day follow his old path?

In any case, Jiang Huaizhen had taken up the ghost-head saber he had passed down, earned silver, bought medicine, and saved the old woman’s life.

This could be considered a return to the original intention.

They had come early, and the mountain mist had not yet dispersed. With the crisp sound of the axe breaking through the air, the unknown birds in the forest were startled and flew up, chirping.

Before long, they had collected enough wood and piled it next to the charcoal kiln.

Jiang Huaizhen cleared the cobwebs from the kiln’s opening and began to clean the earthen kiln. Lin Shuang, following her instructions, cut the firewood into similar lengths.

The charcoal kiln had to be cleaned thoroughly, or the old ash would affect the quality of the new charcoal.

After cleaning the kiln, Jiang Huaizhen began to stack the wood.

Lin Shuang squatted beside her, carefully observing her movements and handing her the firewood. The two of them worked together in perfect harmony, and before long, a neat pile of firewood appeared in the charcoal kiln.

They lit the fire, sealed the kiln, and by the time they were done, it was noon.

The two of them were not in a hurry to go down. Lin Shuang habitually probed the surrounding area and dug up a few herbs until she came across a grave with a blank tombstone.

The mountain was overgrown with trees and wild grass, but this spot was clean, as if it were often tended to.

Looking at Jiang Huaizhen, who was sitting on a rock not far away, she asked, “Is this your father’s grave?”

Jiang Huaizhen turned her head at her voice.

“Father’s is at the foot of the mountain. This is my mother’s grave.”

Lin Shuang was stunned for a moment. Jiang Gui was a bachelor, and Jiang Huaizhen was his adopted child. This was something everyone in the village knew. So why was her biological mother’s grave here?

After a condemned prisoner’s body was exposed, if no one claimed it, its final resting place was a mass grave.

Could it be that Jiang Gui had specially collected her body?

But before she could ask, Jiang Huaizhen said, “Let’s go down the mountain.”

She could only suppress the doubts in her heart and follow her down the mountain.

…

The next day, the two of them went up the mountain to gather herbs as usual. They only checked the charcoal kiln after returning at noon. The charcoal had burned well, and they had collected over two hundred catties, which took them several trips to carry back.

The frying pan was ready soon. Jiang Huaizhen went to pick it up the next day. After Lin Shuang seasoned the new pot, she kneaded some dough and made flatbreads.

The pot had a handle, which made the whole operation much more convenient.

There were two lids, which could be used alternately.

One lid was placed on top of the flatbread, while the other was preheated on the adjacent stove. When it was hot, it was flipped over and used to cover the flatbread with its clean side, so that it could be heated from both sides.

Because it was heated from both top and bottom, it greatly sped up the cooking time of the flatbread. In less than half a cup of tea, a fragrant and fluffy flatbread was ready. It was not only delicious but also beautiful.

It saved more than half the time compared to using a regular large iron pot for stir-frying.

More importantly, the flatbread was golden brown on both sides and was crispier and more delicious than before.

The pot was large, so the flatbreads were also large. One flatbread was a full two catties of dough. Even Jiang Huaizhen, with her good appetite, was full after eating half.

Seeing this result, the two of them decided to go to the city to sell flatbreads the next day.

Old Madam Jiang disagreed. “It’s delicious, but which family is so rich that they would be willing to spend forty copper coins on a flatbread? Forty copper coins can buy three catties of meat. Isn’t eating meat more fragrant?”

Lin Shuang said, “One person can’t finish a large flatbread. I plan to divide one flatbread into eight pieces and sell each piece for five copper coins. It’s delicious and filling. Most families would be willing to spend that money.”

In fact, the old woman was worried about Jiang Huaizhen’s identity. If people knew she was an executioner, they would find it unlucky. How many people would dare to come to their stall to eat flatbreads? But she looked at her granddaughter’s eyes, which were clearly filled with anticipation, and in the end, she swallowed her words.

What a sin. This child had been quiet and withdrawn since she was little. She wouldn’t even cry out when she was cold or hungry. Now that she was grown up, she knew how to make her old grandmother’s heart ache.

“Don’t make too much dough. If you can’t sell it, we can still eat the white flour at home.”

Lin Shuang had also considered this and nodded in agreement.

The next morning, Lin Shuang woke up early to knead the dough.

Jiang Huaizhen went to the vegetable garden to pick some large-leaved vegetables, washed them, and brought them to wrap the flatbreads.

The oil pastry, sauce, charcoal, and pot had already been packed the night before. The old dough starter was also prepared the night before. After the dough was kneaded, it was wrapped in a damp linen cloth and placed in a bamboo basket.

After settling the old woman, the two of them left with a wheelbarrow.

There were many things, and carrying them on their shoulders and backs was not only tiring, but the baskets and containers were not enough.

If they called for an ox-cart, they would have to walk to the main road first and then come back with the cart, which would waste time. And if someone minded Jiang Huaizhen’s identity, they might not be willing to enter the valley. Even after entering the city, they might not be willing to take them to the market alone. They would have to carry everything themselves, which was troublesome.

The wheelbarrow had been made by Jiang Gui when he was still alive, to move earth when they were building the house. It hadn’t been used for many years. Yesterday afternoon, Jiang Huaizhen had taken it out and repaired it. It was working fine now, at least better than carrying everything herself, and it could hold more.

The liveliest market in Qingping County was the West City Market, but since Jiang Huaizhen had beheaded someone there before, the two of them subconsciously avoided it and went to the second liveliest, the South City Market.

There was a fee for a stall. After finding a spot and putting down their things, they went to pay the fee and get a token. Jiang Huaizhen spent twenty copper coins at a nearby pottery shop to buy two ceramic stoves, one large and one small.

After returning to the stall, the two of them began to get busy. Lin Shuang was in charge of rolling out the dough and spreading the oil pastry, while Jiang Huaizhen started a fire to heat the pot.

There were all sorts of people coming and going in the market every day, and new faces would appear among the stall owners from time to time. People were used to it. But seeing the two of them, who were not bad-looking, the surrounding stall owners still looked at them with some novelty.

Before they had even started making the flatbreads, a few women had gathered around and asked what they were selling.

Lin Shuang smiled. “We’re making large sauce flatbreads.”

Of course, there were also people making flatbreads in the market, but each had their own flavor. But the pot these two were using was different from others. It was large and flat, and even the lid was heated. It was the first time they had seen such a thing.

“Your pot looks novel. I’ve seen others just use their regular woks to make them. What’s the difference?”

Lin Shuang smiled. “You’ll know when you try it later.”

With that, she scooped two large spoonfuls of oil into the already hot pot.

“Oh my heavens, you use so much oil to make a flatbread. It must be so fragrant. How much do you have to sell one for to make back the cost?”

“You have to use a lot of oil at the bottom to make the flatbread fragrant,” Lin Shuang said. “We’re going for small profits and quick turnover.”

“That’s true.”

With a “sizzle,” the dough sheet was placed in the flat-bottomed pot.

The iron lid on the side was also heated. Lin Shuang picked up the handle of the lid and pressed it onto the dough sheet, covering it.

Seeing her fluid movements, the women who had been about to leave stopped in their tracks.

Before long, the lid was lifted, and the dough sheet in the pot was flipped over, revealing the golden brown and crispy other side.

The people around them began to swallow.

“This skin looks so crispy. It looks so delicious…”

“It’s mainly because of the oil. I haven’t eaten meat in so long, and my stomach is growling. If I could have a piece, tsk, tsk…” someone said, swallowing.

“It cooks so fast. Look, a flatbread is ready in no time. The stall in front takes forever to make one, and it’s hard and tasteless.”

“Didn’t you see that they’re using good charcoal under the stove, and even the lid is heated? How can it not be fast?”

“A hot flatbread like this on a cold day, just thinking about it is beautiful.”

The flatbread was ready soon. Lin Shuang opened the jar of pre-made secret sauce and quickly spread it on.

The secret sauce was originally cold, but when spread on the hot, oily flatbread, the aroma was instantly released, immediately grabbing the noses of the early morning market-goers.

People gathered around, forming a large circle.

Lin Shuang finally sprinkled a handful of scallions and her clear voice rang out, “Large sauce flatbreads—five copper coins a piece, delicious and guaranteed to be good.”

The people who had already been captivated by the fragrance squeezed forward.

“Give me one.”

“I want one too—”

“It’s only five copper coins. It’s not like I can’t afford it. I want two.”

The cooked flatbread was placed on the cutting board. Jiang Huaizhen was in charge of cutting the flatbread and collecting the money, while Lin Shuang next to her had already started to roll out the dough for the second one.

The first customer to get a flatbread looked at the crispy flatbread wrapped in a green leaf in his hand. The transparent oil had soaked through the green. He didn’t care that it was hot and took a large bite. The crisp sound of breaking the crispy shell made the surrounding people swallow.

The salty and savory sauce, mixed with the rich oil, exploded on his tongue, so hot that he stomped his feet. “Damn! This is so good!”

This sentence was like a drop of water in a pot of hot oil. The crowd surged.

“I was here first, give it to me first—”

“I’m in a hurry, just let me go first—”

They had originally planned to bring a scale yesterday, but Jiang Huaizhen’s knife skills were good. She said that if she cut a flatbread into eight pieces, she could cut them neatly, and each piece would be almost the same weight. So, they didn’t buy a scale and let her do the cutting.

And by cutting it into pieces and clearly marking the price, at only five copper coins a piece, it was easy to sell.

If they sold it by the catty, and customers heard that a flatbread cost dozens of copper coins per catty, they would be scared away.

As they had expected, the first flatbread was sold out in the blink of an eye.

With forty copper coins in hand, Jiang Huaizhen felt a little excited.

The people who had eaten were satisfied and unwilling to leave, gathering around to watch the fun. Those who hadn’t gotten any were very disappointed and quickly lined up for the next one.

The effect of the crowd attracted more people, and the vendors from other stalls couldn’t help but look over.

“Delicious, so delicious.”

“I’m telling you, they’re really willing to use oil. The flatbreads from other places are dry and have no oil at all. It’s hard to swallow—”

“It’s so crispy and fragrant. It wouldn’t be too much to sell it for ten copper coins a piece.”

Everyone who had tried it praised it endlessly.

Some also couldn’t help but sneak glances at the two young women making the flatbreads, especially Jiang Huaizhen. She was cutting the flatbreads and collecting the money, but she looked so quiet and cold, which was particularly eye-catching in the bustling market.

Before the flatbreads were even ready, people were lining up in front of her. Some were secretly sizing her up, while others were openly staring.

Although Jiang Huaizhen didn’t like to interact with people, this was not the first time she had been looked at like this. In the past few days of beheading people, who knows how many times she had been stared at. It was just that she was dressed as a woman now. She wasn’t annoyed. She would cut the flatbreads when they were ready and collect the money when it was given. When the flatbreads weren’t ready, she would watch the fire and help Lin Shuang get things.

Some talkative customers couldn’t help but inquire about them. Jiang Huaizhen remained silent as usual, while Lin Shuang answered selectively as she worked.

She had a smile in her eyes, and a gentleness that didn’t match her age. The more you looked at her, the more you liked her. So, someone boldly asked if they were married.

Lin Shuang smiled. “If you’re eating a flatbread, just talk about the flatbread. If you ask about anything else, I won’t answer.”

After that, when they asked about her private life, she indeed didn’t answer.

Seeing her smiling and not looking angry, the customers smiled and didn’t press further.

Some also wanted to pester them.

But they saw that after Jiang Huaizhen had finished cutting the sauce flatbread, she had flipped the kitchen knife in her hand with a flick of her wrist, making a beautiful circle. As she turned to get something, the kitchen knife flew over her shoulder.

It stuck firmly in the cutting board.

It was clear that she was a trained martial artist.

The surroundings fell silent, and the talkative person quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Although Jiang Huaizhen was cold, she didn’t provoke others, and the flatbreads were indeed delicious. The customers were there to eat, not for other purposes. Seeing that a new flatbread was ready, the customers quickly rushed over, afraid that they wouldn’t get any.

In the blink of an eye, five flatbreads had been made, and they were all snatched up as soon as they were ready. The most amazing thing was that a steward passed by, took a bite of the flatbread, and asked Lin Shuang to make three whole ones for him.

The surroundings were instantly filled with complaints. “We’ve been waiting for so long, and you want three at once. Will there be any left for us behind you?”

Lin Shuang looked at the bamboo basket. Because they were worried about not being able to sell them, they had only made thirty dough balls today, each weighing two catties, for a total of sixty catties.

So she smiled. “There’s still more. Everyone, please be patient. One by one. The fire is strong now, and a flatbread won’t take long.”

They had come early, and it was just past noon. Of the sixty catties of dough they had brought, only one was left.

Lin Shuang rolled out the last dough ball and placed it in the pot. The customers who had heard the news saw that there were still several people in front of them and knew that they wouldn’t be able to eat today. They asked, “Will you be here tomorrow, miss?”

Lin Shuang said, “We’ll enter the city as soon as the gates open tomorrow. We’ll be in the same spot. If you like our sauce flatbreads, you can just wait here.”

“Alright, then I’ll come back tomorrow. You should bring more dough tomorrow, or it’ll be all gone by the time I get here, just like today.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “Alright. Even if it’s not enough, I’ll definitely save a portion for you.”

The customer left happily.

After the last flatbread was divided, Lin Shuang stood up straight and stretched her back. She turned to look at Jiang Huaizhen and asked, “Are you tired?”

Jiang Huaizhen’s eyes swept over the fist that was still covered in flour, which was rubbing her lower back. She shook her head and brought the small stool she had brought behind her. “You sit and rest for a while. I’ll clean up. When I’m done, we’ll go back.”

Lin Shuang sat down as she was told and watched her push the wheelbarrow over. “We’ll have to buy another bag of white flour later.”

Today, the sixty catties of dough had used about forty catties of white flour. Seeing the situation today, the business would definitely be good tomorrow. They would have to buy at least a hundred catties of white flour to have in reserve at home.

While Jiang Huaizhen was loading the pot, table, chairs, and stoves onto the cart, she said, “I’ll go and buy it after I’m done cleaning up. Is there anything else? I’ll buy it all at once.”

“The market is just on the side. I’ll go and buy the rest of the sauce after I’ve rested for a bit.”

“Alright.”