Mom, It's So Sweet-Try Some

Two strings of copper coins!

Gu Zhengchen breathed a sigh of relief. Although this money could not yet resolve the Gu Family's crisis, with it as a foundation, life would surely get better.

As long as he could produce white sugar, the Gu Family's fortunes would turn around completely!

Making white sugar required cane sugar.

No one in Teng County grew sugarcane, so obtaining fresh cane sugar was not very practical. Fortunately, the sugar shop sold dark sugar.

When he entered the shop, Shopkeeper Yang greeted him.

Gu Zhengchen looked at the large, black lumps of dark sugar and listened as Shopkeeper Yang quoted "thirty copper coins per catty." He could not help wincing at the expense. A catty of fish cost nine copper coins these days, and a catty of pork only thirteen. This pitch-black sugar actually cost as much as more than two catties of pork.

There was no helping it. Sugar was truly a luxury for ordinary people in ancient times. If their children were desperately craving something sweet, they would at most get them some malt candy. Candied hawthorn skewers were usually more than they could bear to spend money on...

Looking at the expectant Shopkeeper Yang, Gu Zhengchen smiled. "Shopkeeper, I can buy this sugar, but only at twenty-five copper coins a catty."

"No."

Shopkeeper Yang refused outright.

Gu Zhengchen raised his right hand and held up one finger. "What if I buy this much?"

"One catty?"

"..."

"Ten catties?"

Shopkeeper Yang hesitated. If he could sell ten catties of dark sugar at once, the deal would still be profitable even at a slightly lower price.

Gu Zhengchen lowered his hand and said solemnly, "I want a hundred catties."

Shopkeeper Yang stared at Gu Zhengchen in surprise. Nothing about his clothes or appearance suggested wealth. A hundred catties? Was he joking, or was he opening a shop?

An ordinary family would not eat a hundred catties of sugar in ten years.

"Young master, please don't joke."

Shopkeeper Yang spoke gravely.

Gu Zhengchen took two hundred and fifty copper coins from inside his robe. "I'll buy ten catties first. Tomorrow, I'll come back for another ten, until I've bought the full hundred. Would that work?"

Looking at the copper coins in Gu Zhengchen's hand, Shopkeeper Yang cupped his hands. "It seems I misjudged you. May I ask your honored name, young master?"

What he meant was: don't just tell me how much you'll buy. Give me your name first, so I can find you if you don't come back.

Gu Zhengchen smiled. "My name is Gu Zhengchen."

"Candidate Gu?! Forgive my poor eyes, forgive my poor eyes. I'll wrap it up for you right away."

Shopkeeper Yang did business in town and was well informed. Once he learned that this was Gu Zhengchen, he dispensed with further courtesies, took the money, and began preparing the dark sugar.

Carrying ten catties of dark sugar, Gu Zhengchen also bought a large fish weighing five catties, then ambled out of the county seat of Teng County.

Halfway home, Gu Zhengchen was drenched in sweat. Looking at his hands, rubbed red by the weight of his purchases, he felt so frustrated he wanted to cough up blood. This body was simply too weak. Carrying even this little, he had to keep switching hands and stopping to rest. It seemed he would have to exercise. With such a frail scholar's physique, even a bout of chills could probably carry him off...

"Oh! Candidate Gu bought a fish!"

The moment he entered Dayan Village, Aunt Wang spotted him and cried out in surprise.

Gu Zhengchen greeted her with a smile. "Aunt Wang, would you like to come over for some fish...?"

Aunt Wang swallowed and waved a hand. "No, no. You've only just recovered from a serious illness. Keep it to build up your strength. Child, life may be hard, but you'll get through it..."

Gu Zhengchen was touched. Without their neighbors' help, the Gu Family would probably have run out of food long ago.

News that the Gu Family had bought a fish spread through Dayan Village as though it had sprouted legs. All thirty-odd households heard about it. Several older women huddled beneath a tree, murmuring among themselves, each guessing where Candidate Gu had gotten the money.

"Brother!"

Gu Qingqing had been keeping her mother company while she stitched shoe soles. Looking up to see Gu Zhengchen coming home laden with purchases, she exclaimed in surprise, "A fish! Mom, look! Brother brought home a big fish!"

Gu Shi put the shoe pattern in her basket and raised a hand to smooth her hair. Watching Gu Zhengchen approach, she asked in puzzlement, "Zhengchen, what's all this?"

Gu Qingqing took the big fish. Finding it still moving, she let out another cry and hurriedly dropped it on the ground.

"Put the fish in a basin."

Gu Zhengchen called to Gu Qingqing, set the packets of sugar on the ground, and told his mother, "Mom, I wrote a few pieces and exchanged them for some money in town. Today, we'll have a proper meal."

"Oh, this is sugar! Mom, Brother bought sugar too!"

After putting the fish in a basin, Gu Qingqing ran back to unwrap the sugar, shouting excitedly.

Gu Shi looked down at the packets of dark sugar. There had to be ten catties of it. She could not help frowning. "Why did you buy so much sugar?"

Gu Zhengchen glanced around the courtyard. Seeing that his mother had already borrowed an earthenware bowl with a funnel-shaped bottom, he nodded slightly. "Mom, you'll know tomorrow. We'll boil the sugar this afternoon. Let's clean the fish first."

Seeing how tired Gu Zhengchen looked, Gu Shi asked no more questions. She tapped Gu Qingqing, who was sucking on a finger. "Go get the palm-leaf fan and fan your brother."

Gu Qingqing narrowed her eyes in delight and looked up at her mother. "Mom, it's so sweet. Try some."

Gu Shi's eyes reddened. It had been so long since this child had eaten anything sweet.

Gu Zhengchen lay on the bed, recovering his strength. When Gu Qingqing came over with the palm-leaf fan, he settled comfortably into her care.

"Brother, why did we buy so much sugar?"

"To sell."

"Huh...?"

Gu Qingqing had never imagined that they had bought sugar in order to sell it. Then why buy it in the first place? Their family did not have a shop. Where would they sell it?

Gu Zhengchen folded his hands behind his head, enjoying the cool breeze from the fan, and asked, "Have any officials come to our house?"

Gu Qingqing shook her head.

Gu Zhengchen was puzzled.

The Zhao Family had spread news of his breaking off the engagement until the whole town was swept up in the storm. The people at the county magistrate's office could not possibly have missed it. What had kept them from coming to find him?

Never mind. He should concentrate on making white sugar.

The five-catty fish, together with wild greens, filled an entire pot. Gu Shi ladled out a bowl and took it to Aunt Zhang's family across the way, then returned with the bowl, filled it again, and delivered it to another neighbor. Only after sending out seven or eight bowls in succession did she return and call Qingqing and Zhengchen to eat.

Watching Gu Qingqing wolf down her food, Gu Zhengchen felt an ache in his heart.

"Zhengchen, have some more."

Gu Shi picked up a piece of fish for him.

Seeing how little his mother was eating, Gu Zhengchen set down his chopsticks and took the remaining copper coins from inside his robe. "Mom, there's one string, seven hundred, and five copper coins here. I'll keep the seven hundred for now, and give the five to my little sister as spending money. Once we've made the white sugar, we'll have enough to pay off our debts."

"This... what exactly is going on?"

Gu Shi stared in astonishment at the copper coins on the table. Gu Qingqing had already started reaching for them.

Gu Zhengchen smiled. "Mom, didn't I tell you? I wrote a few pieces, and the old gentleman of the Liang Family took a liking to them. He bought them for two strings of copper coins."

"What sort of writing could be worth two strings?"

Gu Shi still could not believe it.

Gu Zhengchen slapped Gu Qingqing's greedy little hand and told his mother, "You don't need to ask, Mom. All our money is honestly earned, so spend it without worry. Come on, we still have sugar to boil after we eat."

Gu Shi put away the money and held out her hand to Gu Qingqing. Gu Qingqing looked pitifully at Gu Zhengchen, but he pretended not to see. With no other choice, she surrendered the extra copper coins she had hidden away...

After the meal.

Gu Zhengchen had his sister light the fire. Once the wood caught, he added a little water to the pot and poured in three catties of dark sugar, stirring continuously. After the sugar melted, he added another two catties...

Looking at the pitch-black syrup in the pot, Gu Qingqing asked worriedly, "Brother, this is dark sugar. Can we really boil it into white sugar?"