Chapter 28

Qin Fangniang was both nervous and excited, and her continuous talk about farming ceased.

For Sang Luo, it was also her first time seeing the ancient city walls and gates up close. As they approached, she realized they were nothing like the grand structures she had imagined, but rather simple and made of compacted earth, no more than five meters in height.

The characters “Qi Yang County” above the city gate were different from the simplified characters of Sang Luo's original time, resembling the traditional script of ancient times.

Fortunately, her original persona was literate. Although not as educated as her brothers, she learned needlework and household management from her mother, including the recognition of common characters, so she wasn't illiterate after time-traveling.

By now, it was broad daylight, and a long queue had formed at the city gate. Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang joined the line behind people pushing carts and carrying baskets and burdens.

Three guards with spears were at the gate, two managing entry and one managing exit.

"What's your business here? Show your pass and proof!"

Sang Luo quickly took out her pass from her sleeve and handed it over.

Perhaps for preservation or due to the high cost of paper, the pass used by local villagers to enter and leave the county town wasn't made of paper, but a rectangular wooden plank. It had Sang Luo's name, place of birth, and family information inscribed on it. The guard examined it, found everything in order, and handed it back to her.

Sang Luo, having observed how others entered the city, quickly took out two coins from her sleeve and handed them over, saying, “This is for the entry fee for myself and my auntie here.”

She gestured towards Qin Fangniang, who was standing behind her.

Qin Fangniang, somewhat flustered, handed her own pass to the guard. After being allowed through, she hurriedly gave Sang Luo a coin she had prepared in her sleeve, explaining, “My mother-in-law said you'd cover the entry fee only if we couldn't sell our goods. I believe we will be able to sell them, so we should pay our own way.”

Sang Luo, amused, accepted the money without protest.

She was confident in her ability to sell her products.

Seeing Sang Luo accept the coin, Qin Fangniang breathed a sigh of relief.

As soon as they entered the county town, Qin Fangniang's eyes were overwhelmed by the sights.

Many people were entering the city at that time, carrying various items. What caught Qin Fangniang's attention the most was the architecture of the town. She muttered, “The houses here are so impressive. Back home, only the Wang family has such brick and tile houses. Here, every house is like that. It's so grand.”

Sang Luo nodded in agreement, though for her, the town couldn't really be considered grand, especially compared to modern standards. But compared to their village, it certainly was.

Qin Fangniang took a few steps on the stone-paved road, feeling its smoothness and comfort under her rough cloth shoes.

“This road is so clean, all paved with stone slabs. How many slabs must that be?” she wondered.

She thought about how much easier and cleaner it would be to walk on these roads during rainy days, without getting her shoes soaked and muddy.

Wait—clean?

Stopping in her tracks and clutching the ropes of the carrying pole, Qin Fangniang gazed in amazement at the exceptionally clean streets before her.

Swallowing nervously, she instinctively looked to Sang Luo and asked, “Wife of Ah Lie, where shall we set up our stall?”

"This is different from the village market. There isn't a single stall set up along the roadside."

As Sang Luo looked around at the other villagers with their goods, she was about to suggest following them when she heard three drum beats from not far ahead, followed by someone shouting loudly, "The market is open!"

Upon hearing the drum, those who had just entered the city carrying burdens or pushing carts quickened their pace, all heading in one direction.

It turned out there was a designated market area. Sang Luo quickly called to Qin Fangniang, “Auntie, let’s follow them.”

The crowd was heading towards an open space surrounded by buildings, not far from the city gate. It was the designated market of Qiyang County. The drum that had just sounded was located on a high platform on the second floor of a building at the entrance of the market.

Inside the market, many stalls had already been set up, and a few local residents were already entering with empty baskets. It seemed that people like Sang Luo, who came from afar, were among the last to arrive.

Entering the market required queuing. Sang Luo craned her neck to see ahead. At the front of the line was an old man with a cart, who was resting his single-wheel cart at the market entrance and handing over a copper coin to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper scrutinized the contents of the old man’s cart and then accepted the coin, tossing it into a copper basin behind him. He handed the old man a rectangular wooden tag the size of a child’s palm. The old man tucked the tag into his sleeve and then continued pushing his cart inside.

Qin Fangniang watched anxiously and whispered to Sang Luo, “Do we have to pay here too?”

A middle-aged man in front of them turned around and said, “Haven’t been to the county to sell goods in a while, have you?”

His comment revealed his experience.

Sang Luo quickly asked for advice, “Sir, it's our first time here. We've already paid the city entry fee. Is there another fee for entering the market?”

The man looked at the gatekeeper and explained to them, “It’s a new rule from three months ago. To enter the market, you have to pay a market tax. The fee depends on what you’re selling. For ordinary items and foodstuff like grain and vegetables, it’s one coin per person.”

He glanced at their goods and advised in a lower voice, “If you have a lot of goods, paying one coin is okay. The market is busy, and you’ll sell quickly. If you have less, walk the streets and alleys to sell. You can save a coin that way. Just be careful not to set up a stall on the main street. If the patrolling officers catch you, the fine is five coins, maybe more.”

Sang Luo understood that this was another tax imposed by the authorities.

Qin Fangniang felt anxious. They hadn’t even started selling and had already spent two coins on entry fees. Now, entering the market would cost another two coins. Four coins were a significant amount for farmers. Spending money before earning anything felt like throwing it into water.

"Sister-in-law of Ah Lie, let's split up and sell our goods by carrying them on shoulder poles."

"No hurry," Sang Luo reassured, then asked the middle-aged man, "Sir, is the market entry fee charged per person, regardless of the amount of goods?"

The man nodded, "Yes, per person."

"Are there several such markets in the county? And do all of them charge a market tax?"

Seeing that Sang Luo was more interested in the number of markets than the cost, the man smiled, "There are two. This one is the East Market. Farther inside, on the other side of the county, there's the West Market. The market tax is the same in both."

"If we sell by carrying our goods, as long as we don’t set up a stall on the paved main streets, we won't be caught by the patrol officers, right?"

"That’s right. If you want to be extra careful, you can sell by calling out in the alleys where residents gather."

Sang Luo made up her mind and said to Qin Fangniang, "The county folks aren't familiar with Fairy Tofu yet, so it’s better to sell in a crowded place like the market. As it's our first time doing business, we aim for a good start. I suggest you go into the market, Auntie. I’ll cover the cost for today."

Selling by carrying goods outside isn’t impossible, but it challenges one's salesmanship. Qin Fangniang, being shy and reserved, might find it hard to even open her mouth if she were to sell outside, making it difficult to sell the two buckets of Fairy Tofu.

Qin Fangniang opened her mouth hesitantly, "How can I let you pay?"

The middle-aged man, overhearing their conversation about "Fairy Tofu," grew curious and glanced into their buckets and baskets. However, with one covered by a wooden lid and the other by lotus leaves, he couldn't see anything.

Hearing Qin Fangniang's concerns about the one-coin market tax, he advised, "If you don't have money, it's not a problem. Just tell them you'll pay later when entering. If you haven’t paid the tax, the gatekeeper will give you a green card. Later, officials will check inside, and you can pay the tax after selling your goods and get a red card."

Understanding that the market tax could be paid after selling their goods, Qin Fangniang sighed in relief, though she still felt reluctant to spend the money.

Sang Luo had already handed a copper coin to Qin Fangniang, smiling, "Auntie, it's your first time doing business, so aim for a bustling start. You take these two buckets of Fairy Tofu into the market to sell. I’ll cover the market tax. My load is lighter, and since we’re selling the same thing, I’ll sell outside in the streets. This way, I can also get to know the county better."

Qin Fangniang was stunned, "Both buckets for me to sell?"

She felt bewildered, wondering if Sang Luo was bad at calculations. Giving her the larger portion meant losing half a coin per sale.

With one coin already spent on the entry fee and now another for the market tax, plus taking on the responsibility of selling the larger portion, Qin Fangniang couldn’t understand Sang Luo’s logic.

Being honest her whole life and never taking advantage of others, Qin Fangniang felt uneasy with such an obvious benefit being offered.

"Otherwise, let me take your basket to sell, and you go into the market."

Her discomfort was evident on her face.

Sang Luo smiled, "Auntie, you stay here and sell. You carried all this way for ten miles, I can’t take advantage of you. Besides, this is just a one-time partnership. We'll handle our own expenses next time. I want to walk around and get to know the place, including the West Market."

Sang Luo patted Qin Fangniang’s back, "Let's settle it then. You go ahead and join the line. I’ve packed these two buckets full today, with forty pieces inside. It’s hard to say who will sell out first, but let’s meet back here at the East Market entrance once we’re done."

Not waiting for Qin Fangniang to hesitate, she divided most of the lotus leaves and other tasting necessities between them, leaving only one bamboo knife. With fewer items to sell on her end, she cut the tasting samples in advance and placed them in another bowl, giving the bamboo knife to Qin Fangniang. After thanking the middle-aged man who had been helpful with information, Sang Luo picked up her basket and left the queue, heading into the town.

Caught in a moment of hesitation, Qin Fangniang found herself clutching the coin in her hand.

Once Sang Luo had left, Qin Fangniang regretted her hesitation, almost biting her tongue in frustration. Why fret over a mere coin or two? With no money, she could have just used a green card. Feeling like she had unfairly taken advantage, she lightly slapped her own face, berating herself internally: “Why so slow to react and so foolish!”

In the brief time, the few people ahead had already entered the East Market, and soon it was Qin Fangniang’s turn. She paid with the coin Sang Luo had given her, received a red card with two unfamiliar characters, and when she looked up again, Sang Luo was nowhere in sight.