Zheng Changhe chuckled. "They’re all delicious. All of them."

He hadn’t expected his daughter to ask for a detailed analysis of the food. Suddenly, the dishes didn’t seem as tasty as usual. Seeing that she had moved on, he breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly snatched a piece of sausage, shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice, and began eating with gusto.

Mrs. Yang shot him a look but was secretly relieved herself. ’I couldn’t have explained it either.’

Zhang Huai, however, tasted all three kinds of sausage before setting down his chopsticks. He said to Juhua, "Making the meat into sausage gets rid of the greasiness, and it gives it a unique, chewy texture. Your brother is right—the wealthy will definitely like this. They’ve eaten all sorts of delicacies and are looking for something with more robust flavor. The three varieties also give people options. As long as they aren’t too picky, they’re sure to find one they like. But we can’t sell these sausages too cheaply, or it won’t be worth our while."

Juhua nodded. "That’s what I was thinking, too. Let’s try selling some and see how it goes. How much do you all think we should sell the sausage for per pound?"

Qingmu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Pork averages out to twenty cents a pound. If we sell the sausage for a bit more, thirty cents should be about right."

Zhang Huai quickly waved his hands. "That won’t work at all. We have to add spices, spend time stuffing the casings, and then dry them. A pound of pork will probably only yield a few taels of sausage after drying. I figure we have to sell it for at least fifty cents to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, it’d be easier to just sell the pork. Why go through all this trouble?"

Juhua nodded repeatedly. ’Zhang Huai has much better business sense than my brother,’ she realized.

She smiled. "Huai Zi is right. But fifty cents is still too low. A pound of pork only yields about six or seven taels of sausage, so we need to sell it for sixty cents to make any profit. Otherwise, we’d be better off just selling fresh pork—it’s less trouble. For now, tell the Chen Family the price is sixty cents a pound. We can adjust it later based on how things go."

Mrs. Yang and Zheng Changhe were stunned. ’After all that effort, the price is triple that of raw pork? Who would buy that?’

When Zhang Huai saw Juhua looking at him with admiration, the corners of his mouth curled up.

Qingmu smiled at Zhang Huai. "Dragging you along to talk business was the right call. I think you’re a better salesman than I am. From now on, you should be the one to sell all the stuff we come up with."

Mrs. Yang laughed. "Huai Zi is quicker on the uptake than you."

Juhua laughed. "Everyone has their own strengths. Selling things just isn’t my brother’s."

Next, they tried the spicy cabbage and all agreed it tasted better than the previous batch.

Once the taste-testing was over, everyone finally relaxed and ate their meal properly.

After the meal, Qingmu and Zhang Huai packed up some sausage, cured meat, and spicy cabbage to take to the Chen Family at Xiatang Market to discuss business.

Before they left, Juhua told the two of them, "Let’s call it ’Qingshan Sausage.’ That way, if it gets famous, people who eat it will think of our Little Qing Mountain—these pigs were fattened on acorns from there, after all."

Qingmu and Zhang Huai looked at each other and smiled. They both thought it was a good name, with a rustic feel to it.

Zhang Huai took two steps, then turned back and came to stand before Juhua. He looked down at her and said softly, "We’ll go to the market first and look around. See if that person has left yet."

Juhua froze for a second, then realized he was talking about the young girl from before. She nodded quickly. "It’s a good idea to look. But I’m afraid she’s long gone."

Seeing the somewhat disappointed look in her eyes, Zhang Huai felt an indescribable sense of regret. ’If I’d just tried a little harder back then, maybe I could have pulled that damn girl off her horse. Then Juhua wouldn’t be so anxious now.’

He could only look at her silently for a moment before turning and striding away.

Watching Zhang Huai’s retreating figure, Juhua felt very hesitant.

’This country boy’s feelings for me are becoming more and more obvious. When I face him, I can barely withstand the tenderness and love in his eyes. It’s a pure, intense affection, almost completely free of ulterior motives, and it often softens my heart.’

’If I don’t choose him in the end, will he be able to bear it?’

She couldn’t help but look down on herself. ’I’m an old soul, after all, always trying to find the safest path, terrified of getting into trouble.’

’If Zhang Huai keeps treating me like this, why not choose him? If I don’t choose him, am I supposed to marry some old widower?’

’And if he doesn’t persevere with these feelings, then whether he can bear it or not won’t even be an issue.’

Thinking this, she finally felt at ease.

**********

Qingmu and Zhang Huai first went to the schoolhouse to ask Mr. Zhou for a leave of absence before rushing to Xiatang Market. Once they arrived, they first hurried to Erli Village. They asked the villagers working at the docks if a girl on horseback had taken a boat from there around noon.

A swarthy, thin old man stopped his handcart, lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, and smiled at them. "Aye, there was. Goodness, I don’t know what was wrong with that child, but she was crying something fierce. Her eyes were swollen up like peaches."