Chapter 166 City Streets 66

Chapter 166: City Markets 66

"How much are the free-range chickens today?"

At the market, farmers from outside town had brought chickens for sale, their legs bound and stuffed into cages, clucking and squawking. The roosters boasted vibrant feathers and bright red combs, while the brown-speckled hens were large and plump, looking quite meaty.

An elderly woman with a basket on her arm asked the farmer selling the chickens, squatting to inspect the live birds in the cage as she began selecting one.

The farmer gestured with a number and said, "Forty coppers per *catty*, depending on the size you pick."

The old woman abruptly withdrew her hand from choosing a chicken, jumped up in surprise, and stared at the farmer with wide eyes.

"How much? Forty coppers?!"

"Last time I bought one, it was only twenty coppers! Where are you from, coming to our prefecture city to fleece people?!"

The farmer was immediately displeased, yanking the cage back so the old woman could no longer look, and said, his face darkening, "Last time? How long ago was that? Go ask at other stalls—which chicken or duck meat hasn’t gone up in price? Forty coppers is what you pay now! Before long, you won’t even get it for forty coppers!"

He was already irritated!

The farmer was from White Bamboo Village outside the city, a place abundant with bamboo. His family’s back hill also had a large bamboo grove.

It was a good spot, so he had fenced in an area to raise chickens. Originally, he had about a hundred chickens, but this year there had been so much rain, raining day in and day out. The village’s streams had all swollen, and the bamboo grove was constantly wet.

With all the rain, the weather had turned cold, and many of the chickens in the back hill's bamboo grove had gotten sick and died.

It wasn’t just his family; other chicken farmers were no better off, and as a result, the price of chicken had doubled.

The old woman was rendered speechless. Thinking about the last time she bought chicken… well, it was during the New Year, which was indeed quite a while ago.

But she was annoyed by the retort and muttered angrily, "I’ll ask elsewhere then. There are plenty of places to buy!"

With that, she stomped off, basket in hand.

Cui Lanfang was standing nearby and heard the whole exchange.

She sighed to herself. The last time she bought chicken, the price had already risen to thirty-three coppers. In just over twenty days, it had gone up to forty coppers.

And it wasn’t just chicken; other meats had risen in price too, even fruits and vegetables.

With all the rain, the vegetables in the fields weren’t growing well—they looked wilted and were still expensive.

"Hey, ma'am, do you want to buy? Better buy it now and head home! This awful weather—no telling when it’ll start raining again? I’ve only got these few chickens left in the cage, and I’m looking to sell out quickly and go back!"

The chicken farmer glanced at Cui Lanfang, tilting his head as he asked.

Prices had risen, but people still had to buy what they needed.

Cui Lanfang squatted down and picked out an old hen weighing over two *catties*, thinking to herself that she still had some wild mushrooms Lin Xingniang had given her during the New Year. They were gathered from Little Stream Mountain, dried and preserved, and would be perfect for stewing with chicken.

Thinking of Lin Xingniang made her wonder about Shanghe Village—was the rainfall just as heavy there this year?

Ah, it was such a worry.

She sighed and finally pointed at the chicken:

"This one. Weigh this one, please."

The farmer weighed it, gave her the price, trussed up the chicken, and handed it over.

He also sighed and complained, "It’s not just me raising prices—it’s happening all over the city. Dozens of chickens from my bamboo grove have died. If I don’t raise the price, I'd be ruined! Oh, ma'am, you have no idea—our village has pig farmers too. A heavy storm flooded the pigpens, and many pigs died. Now that’s a real loss! That family cries every day in the village! It’s truly pitiful!"

Cui Lanfang didn’t know how to comfort him, so she could only sigh along. She paid, picked up the chicken, and made a quick exit.

The farmer was right about one thing—with this unpredictable weather, who knew when it might start raining again? Better to head back early.

With all her other groceries purchased, she carried the chicken to a nearby butcher stall, handed over ten copper coins, and had the butcher slaughter it for her. That saved her the trouble of boiling water and getting her hands dirty at home.

Cui Lanfang was becoming more free with her money these days. In the past, she would have thought ten coins could buy quite a few things.

With all her shopping done, she made her way straight home.

Back home, she first followed Banban’s instructions, burning medicinal herbs and lime powder to fumigate the entire house and courtyard, inside and out, before starting on the day’s chores.

It wasn’t raining today, and there was even a faint glimmer of sunshine. She simmered chicken soup, whipped up a few side dishes, packed them into a tiffin carrier, and headed out to deliver the meal to Liu's Eatery.

Although it wasn’t raining, only a scattering of customers were seated inside the eatery—business was still slow.

Even with business quiet, Liu Guyu wasn’t sitting idle. He was in the kitchen teaching Zhang Pingan how to make snacks.

"Hey! Madam Cui is here with food again!"

Some regular customers at the eatery already recognized Cui Lanfang and greeted her with smiles when they saw her. Zhang Yun and Tao Yu also stood up to welcome her, taking the tiffin carrier from her hands.

Cui Lanfang first greeted the customers, then said to Tao Yu, "I made chicken soup today and stir-fried a couple of dishes. Go ahead and eat! It’s soup from an old hen, simmered for over two hours—very fortifying. Pingan is frail, so make sure he has more."

Tao Yu was touched and nodded repeatedly.

The few scattered customers in the shop chimed in, "No need to attend to us here—go ahead and eat first! If we need anything, we’ll call out. If new customers come, we’ll let you know!"

They were all familiar regulars, familiar faces who would stop and chat even if they ran into each other outside the eatery.

Zhang Yun and Tao Yu thanked them, then carried the tiffin carrier into the kitchen to eat.

"Mom, you’re here! What delicious food did you bring today?"

Liu Guyu saw her and paused his work, coming over to ask.

Cui Lanfang and Tao Yu laid out the dishes, while the others stepped forward to serve rice and grab chopsticks. Soon, everyone was eating.

"This chicken soup is fragrant!"

Liu Guyu took a sip of the soup and praised it.

Cui Lanfang laughed. "It’s a chicken that cost over a hundred coppers! How could it not be fragrant?"

Tao Yu was shocked. "Over a hundred coppers? Good heavens, has it gotten that expensive?"

Cui Lanfang sighed and recounted what had happened at the market earlier. As she spoke, she sighed, and those listening sighed along.

Liu Guyu frowned deeply, pondering for a moment before turning to Zhang Yun and Tao Yu. "Was there always this much rain in the prefecture city in previous years?"

He had actually asked this question before, and the answer was no.

Sure enough, the couple both shook their heads.

Zhang Yun said, "It rained in previous years too—spring drizzles—but not like now, raining day in and day out."

Tao Yu added, "Around this time last year, we were already wearing light clothing. Nothing like now, where we still have to bundle up in thick jackets. The weather really is strange."

Liu Guyu's brow remained tightly furrowed as he sighed and said, "I'm worried we might have a flood."

"Ah?"

Everyone was startled, but upon reflection, it did seem possible.

Liu Guyu, lost in thought, sighed again and said, "We should close up the shop after today and take a break for a while. It rains every day, and even if we open, there are hardly any customers. We'll reopen when the weather improves."

Moreover, their regular supplies for the diner had risen in price, but they couldn't just raise their food prices. Staying open would just lose them money, so it was better to close for a while.

He then turned to Tao Yu and Zhang Yun and continued, "You two don't need to worry. I'll still pay you as usual. Try not to go out too much. Also, when Banban returns this afternoon, tell her to go see Doctor Fang and buy more face coverings. If you must go out, wear these."

These "face coverings" were the medical masks Fang Liuyin had come up with.

Upon hearing about the chickens, ducks, and pigs dying off in large numbers in the village, Liu Guyu wasn't as worried about the rising prices as he was about the potential for an epidemic caused by the dead animals.

They say that big disasters are always followed by epidemics. Given the medical standards of ancient times, an outbreak would be a real problem.

He added, "Rice and oil prices have also gone up. If there really is a flood, they'll likely rise even more. Mom, we should stock up on food at home, just in case."

Cui Lanfang quickly replied, "You don't have to tell me! I bought plenty when the prices of rice, flour, and oil first started rising. We have a lot stored at home—enough to last us until the New Year, and then some!"

Liu Guyu felt slightly reassured. Zhang Yun and Tao Yu also discussed going to the grain shop tomorrow to buy more food. Their employer was generous, and they had saved quite a bit of money, so even if a minor disaster struck, they could get through it safely.

They all ate worriedly, then went out to serve the customers. Cui Lanfang, with nothing else to do, stayed behind to help.

By the end of the *Shen* hour (5 p.m.), the shop closed. Liu Guyu had Zhang Yun post a "Temporarily Closed" notice outside and replace the sign with a red one indicating closure.

After closing the eatery, Liu Guyu and Cui Lanfang swung by Xinglin Street to pick up Banban and bring her home.

Since the incident where Banban was followed, the family no longer dared to let her go out alone. She either returned home with Fang Liuyin or someone specifically went to pick her up.

On their way back, it began to rain again—not heavily, but annoyingly, a dreary, drizzling rain.

"Mom, there's some leftover chicken soup from lunch. I'll make some tossed noodles to go with it," Liu Guyu said, shaking the water off his umbrella as he spoke to Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban.

Both agreed.

He went into the kitchen and lit the fire. He rolled out the dough and boiled the noodles, then cooled them off in cold water. He tossed them with minced garlic, shredded vegetables, and cucumber strips, topped them with a layer of glossy meat sauce, and sprinkled them with scallions and coriander. It smelled delicious.

Just as he finished serving the noodles, Qin Rongshi returned. Without turning around, Liu Guyu said, "We've all been busy all day. We were planning to eat first, and you could cook your own noodles when you got back! But you're just in time!"

Then he turned and saw Qin Rongshi carrying a large book box with a bag slung over his shoulder—it looked like he'd brought all his stuff home from the academy.

Liu Guyu: "?"

"What's going on? Did you get kicked out?" Liu Guyu asked, half puzzled, half joking.

Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban also stared curiously.

Qin Rongshi replied, "With all the recent rain and the busy farming season approaching in May, the academy let out early for the farming break."

Talk of the rain made the whole family frown with worry. Cui Lanfang, recalling Liu Guyu's mention of a potential flood disaster at noon, began speaking anxiously about it.

Liu Guyu had only made three portions of tossed noodles, but he had prepared the noodles, toppings, and meat sauce for Qin Rongshi's portion. All that was left was to boil the noodles when he returned.

Qin Rongshi spoke while cooking the noodles.

"A flood is unlikely. Jiangning Prefecture has heavy rainfall every year, with many rivers and abundant water, so its drainage systems are better than those of other towns. Not long ago, I checked the *Annals of Jiangzhou* in the library. The rainfall in the seventh year of the Yonghe era was even heavier than this year, yet it didn’t lead to a disaster. I also asked the academy head earlier and heard that work on the Meijiang River embankments outside the city began early this year."

Jiangning Prefecture has always been rainy, but this year has been exceptionally so. In previous years, embankments were reinforced after the New Year to prevent flooding.

Clearly, Qin Rongshi had also considered the risk of flooding and had already looked into it.

"Still, the weather is truly unbearable. Better to stock up on more supplies."

What worried Liu Guyu most wasn’t the flooding, but the possibility of an epidemic.

He stirred the noodles in his bowl with his chopsticks, his appetite completely gone, and said with a worried expression, "Flooding is one thing, but I’m afraid an epidemic might break out."