Chapter 57: 57. Great-aunt buys groceries_1
Hurry as she might, Song Tan still arrived at the vegetable market a bit late.
By the end of March, the weather was getting warmer, and the variety of vegetables at the market was increasingly splendid.
No sooner had Song Tan arranged her baskets than she saw the vendor next to her staring eagerly at her.
Ever since that neighboring vendor had awkwardly purchased a bunch of milk vetch, they had been eyeing her produce each day with that same conflicted look, which she had now grown accustomed to.
Truth be told, it was a tough situation for the vegetable vendor.
Having tasted Song Tan’s produce once, they couldn’t stop thinking about it. But as a fellow vendor, buying from a competitor was like feeding the enemy—a sight their customers shouldn’t witness, right?
So, they grappled internally every day, beset by this dilemma. By the time they had finally made up their mind to buy…
Alas, she had already packed up for the day.
Today, he was still caught in this vicious cycle of indecision, oblivious to the dewy, tender bok choy in front of him.
When Song Tan caught sight of this, she felt a hint of craving herself.
After all, to her, milk vetch charged with spiritual energy was still milk vetch, and after eating so much of it, she really started to grow tired.
Bok choy, however, was different.
Crunchy and fresh, free from any bitterness, with a short growing cycle—the fastest could be harvested in just a dozen or so days, not to mention leaf mustard, which grew in bushels…
If she spurred them with spiritual energy, perhaps they would be ready in about two weeks.
Considering this, milk vetch would be finishing in about a week. After a brief interval to let customers cool off and save up some money, she would then—
Strike with real veggies!
Song Tan made up her mind on the spot:
She would supervise Qiaoqiao in the afternoon to diligently dig the garden and plant the seeds tonight!
The two hundred pounds of milk vetch she brought today were as popular as ever.
As no weighing was needed and payments were made in whole numbers, customers were quickly completing transactions through mobile payments; Qiaoqiao had been handling less cash than before.
His actions had become adept; unless he spoke, no one could tell there was anything amiss. Auntie Mao Li browsed the vegetable market for quite a while and, upon seeing a crowded group ahead, couldn’t help but join in.
“Hey, what’s going on there?” she asked a vendor in front of her while nonchalantly breaking off a leaf from the bok choy in her hand.
The vendor was also watching the commotion and absentmindedly replied:
“That’s the milk vetch seller, twenty bucks a pound…”
The words came out tinged with both sourness and envy.
However, turning his head to see the older woman’s actions, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes: “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing breaking my bok choy? If you’re going to buy, then buy.”
Mao Li continued to break leaves off with a sense of entitlement: “I am buying vegetables here, and I obviously can’t take these old leaves. I’ll break them off first—I assure you, I’ll buy what I’ve handled.”
The vendor caught her hand: “Look here, big sister, this season’s bok choy has hardly grown, there aren’t any old leaves. You should buy it if you want it, but don’t waste it otherwise.”
Mao Li then got annoyed: “Who says I’m not buying—I am right here, am I not? How much per pound?”
“Tsk,” Mao Li sighed, “You vegetable sellers are getting more and more ruthless. Back in the countryside, this would be given away for free.”
The marketplace had plenty of such folks—bedecked in chunky gold chains and little bracelets, haggling over vegetables endlessly.
The vegetable vendor also raised his voice, “Aren’t we from the countryside as well? Besides, this is the price of vegetables this season, look around the entire market if you don’t believe me.”
Mao Li failed in her haggling and with a huff, she stuffed the six or seven small turnips she’d broken off into her bag, “Weigh these for me.”
Then she grabbed another bag and put the leaves she had picked off into it, “No one wants these old leaves anyway, I’ll just take them all away together.”
They had already been broken off, and it was too late to stop her. Now if she suddenly decides she doesn’t want them, what can the vendor do in a society ruled by law – beat her up?
The vegetable vendor had no choice but to weigh them with a sullen face, “Seven yuan and fifty cents.”
Mao Li, knowing her way around, rummaged through the little purse around her waist and pulled out some change:
“What age is this, you still ask for fifty cents? Just seven yuan.”
The vegetable vendor slapped the QR code in front of him, “Scan the code.”
His face dark with anger, Mao Li didn’t dare to go too far; she reluctantly scanned the code with a mutter and mumbled that she would never come back again.
The vendor was so irritated that when he turned his head, he saw others rushing to the stall that was about to close and selling Milk Vetch, squeezing their way through!
Mao Li only noticed her niece after the crowd had dispersed — that’s right, that Milk Vetch wasn’t anything special, probably the only stall in the whole market that sold it.
But seeing everyone walking away with their bags full made her feel sour inside.
“Tantan dear, you’re a college graduate. I thought you were just playing around. Never expected you to really start selling vegetables. My my, look at this crowd! You’ve built a reputation for yourself!”
Qiaoqiao’s face crumpled instantly: “Great-aunt, Qiaoqiao sells vegetables too!”
Mao Li glanced at her and ignored her, continuing to praise Song Tan instead:
“You’re beautiful and also so diligent. Wait for your great-aunt to find you a good match. Then you can stay in town and won’t have to struggle.”
She lowered her voice, “Don’t worry, with your beauty and education, when the time comes, I’ll ask for a big dowry for your family, then Qiaoqiao won’t have to worry about money when she gets married.”
Song Tan raised an eyebrow: What does she mean by this?
Looking for trouble here?
She also mustered a fake smile, “Great-aunt, came to buy vegetables? There are still three pounds left, sixty yuan in total.”
At that price, Mao Li’s actions of sifting through the three bundles of vegetables on the ground suddenly froze.
“Twenty yuan a pound?”
Incredulously she said, “My child, even if you want to make money, you shouldn’t do it this way! Milk Vetch is so worthless even cows would disdain it, and you’re charging your own relative twenty yuan a pound?”
She stood up, her expression serious: “Tantan dear, as your elder, I must say something about this.”
“Selling vegetables is fine; our family doesn’t look down on you for losing face, we’re all working people.”
“I wasn’t planning to buy anything, the market is too far and things are expensive. It was your sister-in-law, kind-hearted as she is, who said we should support family business no matter what — and here I am, but you, kid, not only are you dishonest in selling vegetables, but you also don’t respect family ties?”
Song Tan’s expression remained calm: “Great-aunt, the vegetables at twenty yuan a pound, I last gave you five pounds for free, isn’t that enough family affection?”
“My vegetables are known to be this price throughout the whole market. If you want to eat them, then buy them, but drop the talk about support; I don’t lack customers.”
“As for whether it’s dishonest or not… if my goods are good, they’re worth the price. If you’re reluctant to spend, there’s a lady waiting behind you.”
Indeed, behind her stood a lady in a silk jacket with a delicate jade bracelet on her wrist, her hair done impeccably, looking far more respectable than the great-aunt.
She was enjoying the spectacle — not just her, but all the surrounding vegetable vendors were watching the excitement.
Caught off guard to be mentioned, she was polite enough to respond: “Indeed, the girl’s vegetables are good, we buy from her every day at home — she came a bit late this morning, my daughter couldn’t wait and had to leave for work. She told me to come back especially.”
As she spoke, she deftly scanned Qiaoqiao’s code to pay, “My dear, pack the remaining three bundles for auntie.”