Gu Yi got up in the afternoon and tidied up the peanuts.
He called Ye Qian over and asked if she'd like to learn to cook. Ye Qian was a bit pleasantly surprised.
"Sure, sure, I've been wanting to learn but was too shy to ask you. I don't want to make money from this, just want to cook it for someone I like in the future."
"You have no shame, you just say whatever comes to mind."
Ye's mother heard this and was both amused and annoyed, giving her a heavy pat.
"Skills are never a burden. Since your sister-in-law is willing to teach you, you should learn earnestly, got it?"
"Mom, I know, I was just saying. I will learn properly from my sister-in-law."
Ye's mother went to the stove to make a fire for them. Since there were quite a lot of peanuts, Gu Yi thought frying them all at once would not only waste oil but also risk ruining them, so he decided to do it in batches.
He poured oil into the pot and then put in the peanuts.
"You have to start with cold oil for the peanuts, so they don't get burnt outside while undercooked inside. Make sure to stir them regularly so they heat evenly. Fry them until the skin is slightly golden brown, then you can scoop them out."
Gu Yi took out the first batch and also ladled out the oil to let it cool.
"You try frying a batch."
Gu Yi pushed Ye Qian to the stove. Ye Qian carefully followed his instructions, frying a batch herself.
Gu Yi then took the oil out of the pot and poured back the cooled oil for another batch.
Since Gu Yi intended for Brother Gu to take some back and also to leave some at home, they made a bit more this time, frying six batches to finish all the peanuts.
Once the dried chilies were fried, they mixed them with the peanuts, added seasoning, and it was ready to serve.
"You need to fry the chilies longer to bring out the spice, and you can eat the chilies too. This isn't hard to do; you just need to be a bit meticulous. Try tasting what you made; it's really good."
Gu Yi teaching Ye Qian was not only to please her but also to please the Ye Family's parents.
After all, it was something simple, easy enough to pick up by watching, so he thought it better to openly teach it.
"Yiyi is really quite admirable. I used to worry that once Hao Hao got married, she'd complain if he left the next day. But look at what she's been doing lately—working hard to earn money, sharing it with us, and today even teaching Qianqian to make peanuts. She's clear about the big and small things, I like her more and more now."
Ye's mother sat on the bed folding clothes, talking to Ye Fu who was lying down.
"Yiyi is indeed good. She's so sincere to us, we should treat her even better. Since Hao Hao isn't home, she hasn't complained once, yet she's still so devoted. It's truly not easy."
Gu Yi didn't know that this small deed today would earn her steadfast supporters in the Ye Family.
In future conflicts with Ye Hao, all three Ye Family members would stand by her unconditionally, making Ye Hao question if he had married into the wrong family—but that's a story for later.
For now, Gu Yi was still focused on her weight loss plan.
The next morning, Wang Dong left with 10 pounds of boiled peanuts and 10 pounds of spicy peanuts.
Gu Yi asked him to relay a message to Boss Wang, saying that if spicy peanuts are needed, they must be ordered two days in advance, as she needs time to shell them, and the process is complicated.
From the eleven yuan Wang Dong paid, Gu Yi took out four yuan and handed it to Ye's mother. Holding the money, Ye's mother felt like these days were a dream, but she was a bit puzzled.
"Yiyi, even if he orders a day in advance, we could make it. Why say two days? If he runs out of stock, won't that affect business?"
"Mom, don't worry. Boss Wang will know from this batch approximately how much can be sold in a day. By asking for two days' notice, we have ample preparation time, and it pushes him to stock more. That way, we're not tied to this every day. Also, running out of stock is a good thing—it tells people that it sells well and tastes great. When it's not available, it makes them want it more, so when there is stock, it sells even more."
Gu Yi patiently explained to Ye's mother, and Ye Fu, listening nearby, agreed with the reasoning, feeling that his daughter-in-law had a solid plan.
"Alright, that's how business works. Stop fretting over it and use the time to shell peanuts instead."
Ye Fu pulled Ye's mother away.
"Gu Yi, I'm starting to admire you more. How do you know so much? I have to learn from you. You're even younger than I am, yet it feels like you know more than Mom and Dad do. In my heart, you're on the same level as my brother now. I used to look up to him the most—he knew everything."
Ye Qian was someone who spoke her mind. For those who didn't understand her, her bluntness could be off-putting and hard to get along with, but to those who did, she was as endearing as a child.
Growing up protected by her brother and doted on by her parents, she developed a bit of a tomboyish personality.
Though in her previous life her marriage wasn't good, no matter what in this life, Gu Yi would never let her marry the same person.
Soon after, Brother Gu brought over the dry peanuts, 50 pounds as it was difficult to carry more on a bicycle.
"These are 50 pounds. If it's not enough, I'll bring more tomorrow. I have to help another family in the village today, so I'll head back now, okay?"
Just as he was about to leave, Gu Yi hooked the prepared peanuts onto Brother Gu's bicycle handlebar.
"This should be enough for the next couple of days, no need to come tomorrow. If I need more, I'll find someone to pass the message. Brother, take these back for Dad, he should like them."
Gu Yi knew he was in a hurry to leave and didn't keep him longer.
While the three Ye Family members were shelling peanuts, she didn't help but went into the house to find a notebook left by Ye Hao to record all the money made these past few days.
She was meticulous, listing out the time, quantity, amount, cost, and shares clearly.
On a new page, she recorded the quantity and amount of peanuts bought from the Gu Family, noting that the 50 pounds delivered by Brother Gu today cost 7.5 yuan and hadn't been paid yet.
She calculated the business over the past few days: 60 pounds of boiled peanuts cost 18 yuan, with a 6-yuan cost and a 12-yuan profit.
10 pounds of spicy peanuts cost 8 yuan, with a higher cost of 4.5 yuan, making 3.5 yuan of profit. In total, they earned 15.5 yuan.
After giving Ye's mother 8 yuan, there was 7.5 yuan left.
Though it's quite good for now, Gu Yi still felt it was a bit slow.
She actually knew how to make many snacks, but with the town's limited purchasing power, making them without sales would be a waste of money.
Gu Yi thought she should take some time to visit the county or the city, where there are more people than in the small town, including many wage earners, whose purchasing power should be much stronger than those on the small town.
Gu Yi wasn't familiar with the county or city, since in her past life she either passed through on a bus or waited at the station, never having actually explored them.
She thought if she's going, she should take Ye Qian along, as she should know the county quite well.
Although she might not know much about the city either, having a companion would boost her courage. It would be better than going alone, and who knows if there are bandits or bullies in these times.
Gu Yi pondered the security concerns of the present times and concluded that she definitely needed to take Ye Qian with her.