After finishing the meal and cleaning up, Hou Yong went out to check on the basins of jelly. The second basin from the left had the best texture, already setting into a gelatinous, jelly-like consistency. The one on the end looked a bit dark in color and was far too firm, likely because he had used too much lime powder.
Having gauged the right dosage in his mind, Hou Yong stood up to retrieve bowls and the syrup he had prepared. He cut the most successful batch of jelly into cubes, placed them in bowls, and brought one over to Gu Panpan and another to Dong'er.
"Brother, what is this? It tastes so good!"
Hou Dongdong’s eyes lit up with joy after just one bite. For the little girl, being able to eat something sweet was equivalent to celebrating the New Year. Hou Yong just smiled and turned to look at Gu Panpan. "Pan'er, what do you think?"
"I can't quite put my finger on the texture, but it's really delicious. Brother Yong, is this the small business you were talking about?"
"That’s right. I plan to go to the city to sell this jelly. I'll make it in different flavors. What do you think?"
"It should work, I suppose. How much are you planning to sell it for?"
Hou Yong held up five fingers and waved them in front of Gu Panpan. "Fifty cents."
"Fifty cents?"
Gu Panpan was taken aback. Hou Yong immediately explained, "It feels a bit expensive, but it also seems like something people might accept, right?"
Gu Panpan nodded. Hou Yong smiled, tapped the rim of the bowl, and added, "But the actual cost of this stuff is very low. I plan to add raisins or dried hawthorn later, as well as brown sugar flavors. I can keep the cost per bowl to about fifteen cents. As long as I can open up the market, making money won't be a problem."
Gu Panpan did the math in her head and felt that Hou Yong’s plan was feasible. "But will it be easy to find customers for this? I mean, will the average person accept it?"
Hou Yong smiled slightly. "We'll see once we try."
...
Counting the bowls not usually in use, they had twelve in the house—these were the extra ones bought for the banquet Hou Yong had held the day before yesterday.
He portioned the set jelly into bowls, placed them in a carrying basket, and decided to test the waters with the villagers first.
The sun was already high in the sky, and many people were already out working in the fields. The village didn't have automatic irrigation or waterwheels, so watering the crops meant hauling well water to the fields.
As Hou Yong walked by with his basket, many people greeted him. Perhaps due to the stir caused by Wang Xue calling off their engagement on the spot, some looked at him with sympathy, while others seemed to take some pleasure in his misfortune.
"Monkey, why didn't you go to the factory today? Where are your parents?"
Wang, a neighbor, saw Hou Yong coming and shouted in her booming voice.
"My dad went to the county seat yesterday to see a doctor, and my mom went with him. They haven't come back yet. I took the day off from the factory."
Hou Yong replied, then set down his basket, took out a bowl of jelly, and handed it over. "Auntie Wang, try this and see if you like it."
Seeing the milky white jelly in the bowl, Auntie Wang was stunned for a moment, but the rich, sweet scent of the syrup made her reach out and take it. Without bothering with a spoon, she took a lick and then downed the whole bowl in a few quick gulps.
"Monkey, what is this? It's ice-cold and really delicious."
Auntie Wang looked at Hou Yong’s basket, still wanting more. He smiled and said, "It's a specialty snack from Pan'er's hometown. I made a few to let everyone have a taste. Do you think it’s good, Auntie?"
"It's good. It’s better than a popsicle for cooling off. What is it made of?"
Hou Yong just smiled and said nothing. Auntie Wang was the village gossip; you couldn't call her a bad person, but since he intended to turn this into a business, he didn't want too many people knowing his trade secrets just yet.
After making a round of the fields, he had given away all the jelly in his basket. Fortunately, everyone who tasted it had nothing but praise.
The Old Village Chief was sitting on the edge of a field, carefully drinking the last bit of syrup from the bottom of his bowl, looking at the crops and sighing.
"Old Gu, what's wrong?"
"Tsk, this drought feels a bit ominous. I’m afraid the harvest this year is going to be poor."
Farmers lived by the grace of heaven, which made these elders extra sensitive to the weather. Hou Yong found it hard to respond; in his past life, he had already left for the city with Wang Xue by this point, so he had no memory of the weather conditions.
"It’ll be fine, Old Gu. Our village has three wells; surely that will keep the crops from drying out."
Hou Yong offered a few words of comfort, then asked for the Old Village Chief's opinion on the jelly.
Old Gu looked at Hou Yong’s empty basket and said, "I’ve lived nearly sixty years, and this is the first time I've seen such a thing. At first glance, it didn't look like food, but it tastes pretty good."
"Then do you think there's a market for selling this?"
Hou Yong thought for a moment and gestured. "I’m not selling it in the village. I’m going to the county seat."
"The county seat might be tough. This fancy stuff is quite unique; if you really want to sell it, you'll have to see how it goes in the city."
Old Gu gave his advice after some reflection. Although the older generation didn't have much business acumen, their experience allowed them to provide sound suggestions, which aligned perfectly with what Hou Yong was thinking.
"Right. Having your word is enough for me. I'll go to the city tomorrow to give it a try."
Hou Yong put the bowls back into his basket and said this with a smile; in reality, he was laying the groundwork for his future actions. He didn't plan to keep working at the factory; his family's predicament couldn't be solved by a regular paycheck. But he needed a legitimate excuse, and with Old Gu being the most respected person in the village, he could use the Old Village Chief as his shield if his parents started asking questions later.
"Two dimes, you could buy a meat bun for two dimes. This little brat just knows how to stir up trouble."
Old Gu watched Hou Yong’s departing back and muttered to himself, but remembering how the whole village had chipped in money for Hou Yong’s wedding—coupled with the mess Wang Xue had caused—he couldn't bring himself to scold him.
After returning home, Hou Yong gave a brief summary of the feedback to Gu Panpan. She didn't say anything more; as long as it was something Hou Yong wanted to do, she would offer her unconditional support.
He would take the three-wheeled tractor to the county seat. To save money, Gu Panpan and Hou Dongdong stayed behind to help process the rest of the stone flower seeds.
Upon reaching the county seat, Hou Yong first went to the hospital to check on his parents. Whether it was the rest or the medical treatment, his father’s complexion looked much better than the day before.
After offering a flimsy excuse about taking leave from the factory, Hou Yong left the hospital and headed to a grocery store. He bought a catty of brown sugar, three ounces of raisins, and half a catty of dried hawthorn. Since he had no ration coupons, he had to pay in cash.
These items cost five yuan and sixty cents in total—the equivalent of a week’s wages at the factory.