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墨書 Inktalez
"Xiao Qian, hurry up! If we don't leave soon, the bus will be gone, and we won't make it!"
Aunt Tian stood outside the door, her arms crossed, calling for Wen Qian. She had a large basket strapped to her back, clearly ready for an adventure.
Wen Qian emerged with her own basket and glanced over, puzzled. "Auntie, isn't Wang Ge coming with you?"
"Oh, he can't. The kids are still small and need him at home. Si Si isn't well either, so I'm going alone."
"Then I won't let Lu Zheng come along either. We can go together!"
Just as they stepped out the door, Lu Zheng was left behind, abandoned without a second thought. He stood there in silence, watching their retreating figures with a resigned smile.
"Forget it; I might as well head to the team!"
Wen Qian and Aunt Tian hadn't had a chance to go out together in a long time. Ever since Lin Si gave birth, Wen Qian had been busy at school, especially with exams coming up soon; she barely had any time to rest. Now that both were free, they felt an indescribable sense of relief.
"Xiao Qian," Aunt Tian said with a conspiratorial tone, "I know of a place where there's a temple fair and a market. Don't worry; it's perfectly legitimate."
Aunt Tian's mysterious demeanor made Wen Qian laugh heartily. She found Aunt Tian particularly amusing and enjoyed her company immensely; it felt less like spending time with an elder and more like hanging out with a friend.
They often sat together chatting and sipping tea whenever they had the chance.
The two took a bumpy ride into the city. Once they arrived, Aunt Tian led Wen Qian through winding streets until they reached a bustling market in a secluded area.
The surroundings were alive with people, all engaged in lively chatter.
Curious, Wen Qian asked Aunt Tian, "Auntie, isn't it forbidden to hold markets now? Why is it allowed here?"
Aunt Tian pulled her along while explaining. "This place has been specially approved for trading. The folks from the mountains come down once a year with their goods to exchange for daily necessities!"
Life is tough in the deep mountains; it's not easy for them to come down. So they set this time for the market to make things more convenient.
"Oh, I see!"
It seemed that the local government truly cared about the people's needs; they were good leaders. This kind of life offered hope and prospects for the future.
As they walked through the market, Wen Qian noticed many people wearing clothes made from animal skins that looked warm and cozy. The air was filled with various sounds—vendors calling out and customers haggling over goods—alongside the clucking of chickens and other animals.
Children were arguing and crying amidst all the commotion. It was an uproarious scene.
At one stall, Wen Qian spotted some rabbit pelts and stopped to consider buying some for gloves or insoles. They would surely be very comfortable. She crouched down to pick out a few nice pieces with ample fur.
"How much is this?"
Rabbit fur isn't worth much; there are plenty in the mountains, and besides, there's no meat—just some skin.
"I'll give you sixty cents."
The man flashed a big grin, showing off his teeth as he smiled at Wen Qian. Seeing her silent, he quickly picked up the rabbit fur to showcase it.
"Miss, take a look at this rabbit fur; it's all good quality. I only picked the clean ones. Look closely, I've cleaned the skins well. You can take it without any further preparation; it's ready to go."
"Mm-hmm."
Wen Qian handed him the money and packed the rabbit skins into her bag.
As she walked along, she came across someone selling rabbits and stopped to buy two. It had been a while since she had eaten rabbit, and she felt a bit hungry for it.
These rabbits seemed to have been caught and raised for a few days; some were plump while others were lean.
"They must be wild and reluctant to eat!"
With that thought, she felt a bit more relaxed.
"Xiao Qian, come quickly! There’s someone selling pancakes! We’ve been walking for so long; we’re all hungry!"
Wen Qian walked over and saw Aunt Tian already buying two pancakes. She followed suit and ordered one for herself.
"Auntie, what did you buy?"
Earlier, when Wen Qian went to buy the rabbit skins, Aunt Tian had wandered off to buy other things.
"I got some seeds. When spring comes, I’ll plant them; if they grow well, we’ll have vegetables for a whole year! That’ll save us quite a bit of money!"
"That’s true."
As they continued walking, they encountered many mountain goods. Wen Qian bought some chestnuts and pine nuts. These items were relatively hard to find; aside from those brought down from the deep mountains, it was difficult to get others.
"Xiao Qian, there are big radishes for sale! Do you want to buy some? Every kind of radish is available; what a pity if you miss out! Just look at how well these big radishes are grown."
Wen Qian nodded, recalling how Meng Fang had taught her to make pickled vegetables.
"White radishes make for delicious pickles."
The radish leaves could also be used to make snow vegetables; they could be eaten too and later used for stir-frying or soup.
"You can use every part of a white radish; nothing goes to waste."
"Let’s buy some."
After Aunt Tian skillfully negotiated with the vendor, they managed to lower the price significantly. Both women placed their discounted radishes into their baskets.
"Auntie, your bargaining skills are impressive! You’re really amazing!"
Wen Qian gave her a thumbs up with admiration in her eyes as she smiled at Aunt Tian.
Aunt Tian tossed her arm back with pride and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I'm telling you, I'm not bragging—I've never lost in bargaining! If that vendor hadn’t been so stubborn just now about lowering the price further, I would have pushed it down even more."
"I'm telling you, when bargaining, you have to start high and then gradually lower your offer; back and forth is how business works. Otherwise, you won’t get anywhere."
Wen Qian obediently nodded, indicating that she understood. As they continued walking, they came across a chicken vendor. Aunt Tian thought of Lin Si and wanted to buy some to nourish her daughter-in-law.
She pulled Wen Qian over, eager for her to put her learning into practice. "Xiao Qian, hurry up! The opportunity has come; now it's your turn to try. Let me see how well you've learned."
Wen Qian was taken aback by this sudden chance to practice. Was she really expected to put her skills to the test so soon? Did it have to be so fast? Before she could ponder further, Aunt Tian had already dragged her to the stall.
Aunt Tian gave Wen Qian a knowing look, encouraging her to step up. Wen Qian had never bargained before; she usually bought things at department stores or supply cooperatives where haggling wasn't an option.
Feeling nervous, she approached the vendor and swallowed hard. "Excuse me, how much for this chicken?"
The vendor looked Wen Qian and Aunt Tian up and down, his face breaking into a wide smile. These two were dressed well; they must come from a good family. It seemed he could sell these chickens without a problem. He thought he could raise the price a bit without any issues.
With a beaming smile, the vendor replied, "Eight yuan each."
"What?" Wen Qian exclaimed in disbelief. "Five yuan?"
She knew that an apprentice's monthly wage was at most sixteen yuan. With just one month's salary, she could buy two chickens. This was far too much for her to bargain over.
Aunt Tian couldn't hold back her frustration any longer. She pointed at the vendor angrily and shouted, "How can you run a business like this? You want eight yuan for one chicken? Why don't you just go rob someone instead!"
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