Chapter 29

Sang Luo didn’t rush to sell in the alleys but walked along the main street to familiarize herself with the layout and shops of the county town.

The small stalls and vendors of Qiyang County were concentrated in the East and West Markets. The shops along the main street were clearly more upscale, offering rouge and fragrances, ready-made clothes and fabric stores, gold, silver, and jade shops, pubs, eateries, and shops for wooden and bamboo wares – everything one could need.

Sang Luo, curious and interested, entered several shops to inquire about prices, though she knew she couldn’t afford much.

When she came across a pharmacy, her eyes lit up, and she walked in, carrying her basket.

The morning was still early; the pharmacy wasn’t crowded but had a steady flow of customers. The doctor was busy diagnosing patients, with a few others waiting their turn.

Sang Luo set her basket by the wall and approached the medicine counter. A young attendant noticed her and asked, “Miss, are you here for a consultation or to pick up medicine?”

Sang Luo inquired at a medicine shop, “Do you have gypsum?”

The shop assistant nodded, “Yes, do you have a prescription?”

Sang Luo shook her head, “No prescription, our village doctor only told me to buy gypsum.”

Village doctors often prescribed medicine based on hearsay or home remedies without examination. The assistant, accustomed to such requests for individual herbs, simply asked, “How much do you need?”

“Half a pound should do.”

The assistant was briefly surprised but proceeded efficiently, considering gypsum was inexpensive and might be needed in large quantities for continuous use. He wrapped half a pound of gypsum into two paper packages.

“That'll be five coins.”

The price matched Sang Luo's expectations. She paid and placed the gypsum into her basket, ready to leave.

Half a pound of gypsum would last quite a while.

Leaving the pharmacy, Sang Luo inquired about where to buy a stone mill, finding one at a stone shop in the western market for 265 coins – a substantial amount.

Sang Luo calculated the cost in her mind, realizing she'd need to save for a few more days.

Having gathered the information she needed and walked around the main street of the county, Sang Luo didn’t linger, entering a side alley to focus on her primary task.

By now, she was adept at selling 'Fairy Tofu.' As long as someone showed curiosity or struck up a conversation, she could skillfully encourage them to try a taste.

Residents of the county, far wealthier than those in the countryside, didn’t hesitate to spend two wen for a piece of food, especially something novel like Immortal Tofu, which they had never tasted before. Sang Luo, without much to carry, managed to sell all twenty-four pieces of tofu she had brought, along with some purslane and dried small fish, after wandering through six or seven alleys.

Along with these, she also sold the ten-odd bunches of purslane and dried small fish she brought.

Sang Luo counted her earnings: fifty-nine copper coins, adding to the twenty-two she had brought. After deducting seven wen for the gypsum, entry fee, and market tax, she had a total of seventy-four wen.

With her now empty basket, her first task was to head back to the main street and buy scrap cloth from a clothing store – she needed to make a purse.

Scrap cloth was a popular item in clothing stores, coveted by thrifty women both in the city and countryside.

Of course, these scraps were indeed small; any piece large enough to make a pouch would not be sold as scrap, so finding a good piece required aesthetic judgment and skill.

The female store owner sorted the scraps by quality and size. The lowest quality consisted of tiny, coarse cloth pieces, suitable only for patching shoes or mending, sold for one wen per two jin (about 1 kg).

The second quality was plain or dark blue coarse cloth, slightly larger in size. The biggest piece was only the size of a palm. Skillful cutting could yield material for two coarse cloth patchwork purses or be used for shoe soles, slightly better than the tiniest scraps, priced at one wen per jin.

The third quality, while still coarse cloth, was finer and had more color variety. Sang Luo chose this quality, paying two wen for one jin.

As for the finer silk and satin scraps, they were priced beyond her current means, so Sang Luo didn’t even consider them, focusing her spending where it was most needed.

Not far from the clothing store was a fabric store. Sang Luo thought about buying some filter cloth for making tofu but decided against it after calculating her budget.

Making tofu would have to wait until she could afford the necessary equipment; for now, her priority was buying wooden barrels to carry more Immortal Tofu to the market daily.

With this in mind, she stopped wandering aimlessly and headed straight for the East Market.

Without goods to sell, she didn’t have to pay the market tax at the East Market and was simply a buyer. It took her a while to locate Qin Fangniang amidst the bustling crowd.

Arriving late, their stall location wasn't ideal, but there were still two women at the front, with Qin Fangniang handing out samples for them to taste.

Watching with amusement, Sang Luo didn't approach immediately, waiting until the women made their purchases and left. Seeing Qin Fangniang standing earnestly waiting for the next customer, Sang Luo was reminded of Chen Youtian on their first day at the market, awkwardly waiting behind a basket of eggs.

The couple really were quite similar.

Sang Luo chuckled and approached, cheerfully greeting, "Auntie!"

Qin Fangniang was delighted to see Sang Luo, "You're back already?"

Peering into Sang Luo's carrying basket, she exclaimed with joy and surprise, "You've sold everything?"

Sang Luo replied with a smile, "Yes, I only brought a little over twenty pieces today."

"That's impressive! I only managed to sell about twenty myself," Qin Fangniang confessed, glancing at other stalls, realizing her own shortcoming, "I'm just not very good at calling out to customers."

Laughing, Sang Luo responded, "I noticed, you're just like Uncle Chen. He was also quiet when selling eggs. Calling out isn’t hard, it's just the initial hesitation. Once you start, it'll become more natural."

Then, standing in front of the stall, Sang Luo began to call out energetically, "Fairy Tofu for sale, delicious Fairy Tofu! A fresh treat that cools and detoxifies, only two coins per piece!"

Whenever someone glanced her way, even if they only slowed their steps, Sang Luo would smile and ask, "Have you tried Fairy Tofu? It's the perfect delicacy for hot weather, suitable for both cold and hot dishes, sweet or savory. Only two coins per piece. Care to try something new?"

Her crisp, clear voice and appealing words quickly attracted several women with baskets.

Qin Fangniang, who had been staring in amazement, finally came to her senses, "We have small pieces mixed with sugar water for tasting. You can try it for free."

Perhaps influenced by Sang Luo, she tried to project her voice more, initially feeling uncomfortable. But after a few sentences, her voice became louder and no longer soft-spoken, gradually gaining volume.

That's more like it for calling out to customers.

Then Qin Fangniang discovered that once she started, it wasn't that difficult, and it actually felt quite good.

Moreover, she noticed that more people started coming over, and several women were willing to try the samples.

Like opening a floodgate, she handed out samples and, following Sang Luo's example, began to call out loudly. Initially, it wasn't smooth, only remembering "Immortal Tofu, two wen per piece," but after a few tries, she got the hang of it.

"Refreshing and heat-relieving, sweet and savory, suitable for cold or hot dressing."

They had eaten it several times at home, and Qin Fangniang knew it well.

Praise it – that's the key!

She chatted with the women who came to buy, explaining how delicious Immortal Tofu could be prepared.

Once she started talking, she couldn't stop. Qin Fangniang was surprised at her own eloquence. Importantly, this ability to sell was making her money – a delightful realization that made her feel almost weightless.

Seeing her transition from novice to adept, gradually taking control of the situation, Sang Luo quietly stepped back, letting Qin Fangniang take the lead, while she watched from the sidelines.

It proved that a novel food item, unknown to everyone, would sell well as long as one dared to speak up, making people aware and interested. Especially in the county market, which had a stronger purchasing power than rural markets.

The remaining eighteen pieces of Immortal Tofu were sold in less than half an hour by Sang Luo.

Qin Fangniang, looking at her empty buckets and feeling the money in her purse, was almost in disbelief.

It was incredibly fast.

There were some who came over, drawn by the activity, and expressed a desire to try the remaining samples.

Qin Fangniang, refocusing, called out to attract more people and distributed all the samples, effortlessly preparing for the next day's market.

After distributing all the samples, she checked the sundial at the center of the eastern market; it was not even midday yet.

Qin Fangniang looked at the still bustling Eastern Market with a hint of regret: "Sang Luo, can you make more for tomorrow? I'll bring a few more pottery basins and our home's cart to the market. There are a lot of people in the county town, and I think we could sell even more, which would also save you the trouble of carrying them on the road."

She had seen several carts in the market.

Sang Luo smiled: "Sure, but first, we need to buy another pair of wooden buckets."

The cart Qin Fangniang mentioned was similar to a flatbed cart of later times, but just having the cart wasn't enough; the pottery basins they could carry were also limited.

"Right, right, right." Qin Fangniang came back to her senses, remembering that she hadn't given Sang Luo the money yet, and hurriedly handed over her purse: "All the money from selling is here, please count it."

Today, she had only brought money for the entry fee, not a penny more. This empty purse was specifically given by her mother-in-law last night for collecting today's sales.

Sang Luo, without any hesitation, took the purse and stepped aside to count the money.

Eighty copper coins, not one more, not one less.

Sang Luo then took out twenty coins and handed them back to Qin Fangniang along with the purse, smiling: "Auntie, this is your share, twenty coins for forty pieces of Immortal Tofu. Please count them as well."

Qin Fangniang, who usually didn't handle financial matters at home, was touching so much money for the first time and couldn't help but grin, showing all her teeth.

After counting twenty coins, she handed one coin back to Sang Luo, "Wife of A'Lie, I'll pay the market tax myself. I wasn't planning to accept it initially and before I realized, you had already left. If I used your money, my mother would scold me."

Excluding the city entry fee and market tax, she made a profit of eighteen coins. Even her husband working odd jobs in the city during winter wouldn't make much more than this.

Qin Fangniang was overjoyed and satisfied. After giving the tax money back to Sang Luo, she put the remaining nineteen coins into her purse and tucked it away contentedly.

Thinking of Old Lady Chen's straightforward and exacting nature, Sang Luo smiled and accepted the money without refusal, adding sixty-one coins to another pocket, now carrying a total of one hundred thirty-three coins.

Carrying her load, Sang Luo called Qin Fangniang to join her in purchasing wooden barrels.

At this moment, a clerk from the east market arrived, looking at Qin Fangniang and said, "Have you sold all your goods? Please return the tax badge."

Monitoring and collecting tax badges from stall owners at the market is one of the tasks of the clerks. As vendors sell most of their goods, they must hand back the tax badges. Otherwise, vendors could blend with the next batch of buyers, possibly reusing the tax badge for evasion.

Qin Fangniang, new to this, was unaware of these regulations. However, like most commoners at the time, she respected and complied with official orders without question.

Without any hesitation, she pulled out the tax badge from her sleeve and respectfully handed it to the clerk.

……

Wooden barrels were available for sale in the east market.

The barrels were crafted by an experienced artisan. Tested with water on-site, they were reliable and leak-proof. A barrel cost fifty coins, and buying a pair came with a free carrying pole. This was a few coins cheaper than those in the woodcraft shops, and the quality was nearly the same.

Sang Luo decisively purchased a pair, and her one hundred thirty-three coins quickly dwindled to just thirty-three.

Carrying the newly acquired pair of barrels, she stacked her carrying basket on top of the barrels. The extra carrying pole was also tucked inside. Sang Luo then went to an old man selling millet from a single-wheel cart and spent twenty-one coins on three liters of millet. Naturally, buying from a small stall, the old man threw in a little extra.

Qin Fangniang watched in awe, realizing the true expense of setting up a household without land or fields. Just buying a bit of grain was costly. In a short time, one hundred twenty-one coins had been spent.

Qin Fangniang didn't know exactly how much money Sang Luo had, but she had a good idea of how much they had brought to sell that day.

That must have been all of it, right?

Surely it was all spent?

If not all, then there couldn't be much left.

Qin Fangniang touched her own purse, already elated from earning nineteen coins that day. Now she felt even more blissful, not having to spend a single coin herself.

Only the money that could be saved was truly money.

If Sang Luo knew what Qin Fangniang was thinking, she would reply that although it wasn't all spent, there wasn't much left.

She now had only twelve copper coins left in her hand.

Sang Luo didn’t mind the expense, as the items she bought were necessities. With the addition of two new barrels, if Qin Fangniang could bring a cart tomorrow, they could sell more Fairy Tofu, potentially earning an additional eighty coins in a day, quickly offsetting the cost of the barrels.

After spending most of her money, Qin Fangniang asked, "Shall we head back now?"

Sang Luo shook her head, "Auntie, it's our first time here. Let's see what else is sold in the east market. I'm a bit hungry too. Let's also find something to bring back for A'Ning and Xiao An."

The children couldn’t join them today, surely curious about the county city. While they couldn't visit the city yet, bringing back some local snacks would be a nice treat.

Hearing that Sang Luo wanted to buy food in the city, Qin Fangniang initially thought it extravagant but then remembered Sang Luo's skill in making Fairy Tofu and checked her impulse to comment.

She hadn't fully explored the county city herself, not even completing a full round of the east market. After all, they had paid an entry fee to come here.

Her perspective shifted, and Qin Fangniang felt it would be foolish not to explore more: "Okay, let’s have a look around."

Each carrying their loads, the two women wandered through the east market.

The east market was bustling with food stalls, particularly abundant in pastries like steamed buns, fried pancakes, ring cakes, and Hupi cakes, each uniquely shaped and crafted.

Sang Luo paused at a Hupi cake stall.

The rich aroma was irresistible, stirring up cravings in her stomach.

She asked the stall owner, "Old sir, how much are these Hupi cakes?"

Qin Fangniang tugged at her sleeve cautiously, whispering, "These cakes contain mutton and are expensive."

Before she could finish, the elderly man making the cakes cheerfully replied, "Three coins each."

Indeed pricey, as an additional half coin could buy half a liter of grain, enough for a meal with the children.

Yet, the Hupi cakes were freshly made. Sang Luo watched as the vendor spread finely chopped mutton, added an appetizing sauce, and used crisp oil before baking them in the oven.

The cakes in the oven, about half-cooked, emitted a blend of meaty, wheat, and sauce aromas. Despite the cost, her craving won over.

The children likely had never tasted such a delicacy.

She rationalized the expense as equivalent to one and a half pieces of Fairy Tofu – a worthwhile indulgence for a new culinary experience.

Money should be spent wisely, but one must not neglect their own well-being. Given the original body's poor health and the effort of carrying heavy loads for miles and working tirelessly, the meager Fairy Tofu eaten earlier was insufficient.

Sang Luo handed over three coins, "Please, one Hupi cake for me."

"The old man at the bakery happily accepted the money and swiftly wrapped up a freshly baked cake in oiled paper for her. As Sang Luo took it, the warmth permeated through the paper into her hands. She tore off a piece and handed it to Qin Fangniang."

"Qin Fangniang took it, bewildered: 'Why are you giving this to me?'"

"Sang Luo tore off a piece for herself, wrapping the remaining two-thirds in oiled paper and putting it in the bucket. 'Aren’t you hungry? We've been busy all morning. We should eat something oily and meaty to fill up.'"

"After biting into the piece of Hu Bing (pancake), Sang Luo gave a thumbs up to the baker: 'Uncle, your cakes are delicious! When I have more money, I'll buy several more.'"

"Just two bites weren’t enough to satisfy her craving; she’d need at least one or two cakes to quell her hunger."

"The cheerful baker responded: 'Then, little mistress, please come again next time.'"

"'Absolutely, I’ll come again!'"

"Qin Fangniang, holding the small piece of cake, hesitated to eat it, watching Sang Luo enjoy hers and involuntarily swallowing her saliva."

"After a moment’s hesitation, she tore off a tiny piece, barely larger than a fingernail, and put it in her mouth."

"Delicious, truly delicious!"

"Savoring the taste, she couldn't bring herself to eat more, turning to Sang Luo: 'This cake is so good. Ah Lie’s wife, may I take this little piece back for my mother and children to try?'"

"She felt somewhat embarrassed. Sang Luo had given it to her as a snack."

"But it was just too good, rich with oil, flour, and mutton – her family had never eaten anything like it. She couldn’t bring herself to spend three wen to buy one, considering the twenty li round trip to town and the costs of city entry and market taxes, from which she barely made twenty wen, leaving only eighteen after expenses."

"There were just too many expenses at home."

Sang Luo was not at all bothered by it. She had shared a bit of her food out of politeness, while Qin Fangniang's intention to save it for the elderly and children reflected her filial and kind heart. Sang Luo smiled, "Auntie, please do as you wish."

Upon hearing Sang Luo's words, Qin Fangniang's face lit up with a smile. She bent down, took out a clean lotus leaf from her bucket, and carefully wrapped the small piece of Hu cake, placing it back in the bucket.

Thinking of her in-laws' and children's delighted expressions upon tasting the Hu cake, Qin Fangniang's face unwittingly broke into a broad smile.

After finishing her small piece of Hu cake, Sang Luo decided not to buy anything else. With the remaining nine coins in her sleeve, she contentedly set off on the return journey with Qin Fangniang.

Unbeknownst to Sang Luo,

In Shili Village, outside their straw house, a standoff was occurring over a piece of food, involving five children.