kingnovel Chapter 669 Buying groceries
Chapter 669 Buying groceries
Although Jing Chunxi was wearing a light gray cotton suit that had been washed many times today, and her black hair was simply tied up with a peach wood hairpin, it could not hide her lively almond eyes and rosy cheeks, making her stand out in the crowd.
She had just agreed on the price of a few baskets of fresh leafy vegetables with a few peasant women carrying vegetable baskets. At this moment, she counted out copper coins from the small pouch on her waist and placed them one by one in their rough palms.
"Oh, young lady, you are so straightforward." A white-haired old woman took the copper coins, squinted her eyes, counted them, and nodded with satisfaction. "These vegetables were picked this morning and are very tender."
Jing Chunxi smiled, revealing two shallow dimples. She pointed to the stall across the street with the sign "Zhang's Butcher Shop" and said, "Could you please send the vegetables over there?"
Although the little girl was young, her every move revealed a sense of efficiency. A woman immediately picked up her two baskets of vegetables and said, "Since you don't seem to be very energetic, I'll give them to you."
There was a five or six foot square vacant lot next to the pork shop. A few women carrying heavy baskets of vegetables had just walked over there and put them down when they heard a sharp shout: "What are you doing? What are you doing? This is not the place for you to put your vegetables! Get out of here!"
A burly woman rushed out of the butcher's shop. She was wearing a greasy apron and waving a shiny boning knife in her hand. The blade flashed coldly in the sun.
The sudden scene frightened the peasant women so much that their faces turned pale. They didn't even bother to pick up their baskets and backed away, almost bumping into the crowd of onlookers behind them.
One of the women explained, "We are not selling vegetables."
"Why are you bringing the vegetables to me if you're not selling them? Who are you trying to fool? Take them away quickly." The lady owner of the butcher shop refused to give in and didn't believe them at all.
"Boss, how much do you want for this all-inclusive pork?"
At this tense moment, Jing Chunxi's clear voice rang out again. She walked slowly out from behind the women. Although she was short, she stood straight, not in the least bit afraid of the weapon in the hands of the proprietress.
The setting sun shone on her face, reflecting a pair of bright eyes, which looked straight at the proprietress without dodging.
The proprietress looked up and down at the yellow-haired girl in front of her who was only a little over ten years old, and snorted: "Don't make trouble, we don't have the time for this." She deliberately knocked the boning knife hard on the chopping board, making a "clang" sound.
At this moment, the fat butcher who had been chopping meat in the back came over. He was about forty years old, with a face full of flesh and a belly as round as a watermelon, but his eyes were surprisingly kind.
He slammed the butcher knife onto the chopping board, the tip of the knife piercing deeply into the wood, then looked at Jing Chunxi happily: "Little girl, if you have silver to buy, take half a pig for two taels of silver." After saying that, he squeezed his small eyes, which were only a slit to begin with, at her, as if he was teasing a child.
Jing Chunxi walked unhurriedly to the counter, his eyes wandering around the meat stall. Half a pig had just been sold, and the remaining half, still dripping with blood, looked incredibly fresh. Four pig trotters and a pile of meat and bones lay piled in the corner, weighing at least ten pounds.
She calculated quickly in her mind: a fat pig weighs about 200 pounds after being slaughtered. Based on the market price of 20 cents per pound, half a pig is indeed worth two taels of silver.
"Two taels of silver is your retail price," Jing Chunxi said in a low voice but every word was clear, "I'm buying half a pig, it's only fair to give me the pig's feet and the meat bones." She raised her chin slightly as she spoke, her eyes firm, and she didn't seem to be joking at all.
The people around who were setting up stalls and watching the fun suddenly became agitated.
A peddler carrying a load on his shoulder shouted, "That's enough, sell it to her!" The fishmonger next to him chimed in, "That's right, Fatty, you don't have to wait until dark for dozens of pounds of pork. You're making a profit."
The women selling vegetables came over and chimed in: "Little girl, you're here to buy some vegetables. Look how many vegetables you bought from us."
The proprietress was a little embarrassed by this situation. She curled her lips and deliberately provoked: "If you want to buy it, pay for it immediately, otherwise don't hinder my business. If you can't sell it all by dark, I will never forgive you." She put her hands on her hips, looking like she was waiting to see a joke.
Unexpectedly, Jing Chunxi took out two silver coins from the small purse on his waist without saying a word, and slapped them on the table with a "bang": "Deal!" The silver bounced twice on the wooden board, making a crisp sound.
This caused a huge uproar. The crowd of onlookers exclaimed in surprise and started to talk:
"The girl really has money!"
"Don't let anyone provoke you into buying so much meat or get scolded by the adults at home!"
"Don't you see that they bought so many vegetables? Do you think they bought them just for fun?"
"That's right, there must be a wedding at home, and the adults are too busy to ask me to come. Look at this clever little girl."
The fat butcher raised his eyebrows in surprise, picked up the silver and weighed it, then took out a small copper scale and weighed it carefully. Finally, he counted out eighty copper coins and handed them to Jing Chunxi: "You look a little unfamiliar, little girl. How did you get the meat back? If you don't live in town, I can't help you deliver the meat." His tone was much kinder, and there was some concern in his eyes.
Normally, when neighbors buy five or six pounds of meat, they will help deliver it to their homes. Since the little girl bought so much, it is natural to have it delivered to her door. But if it is too far, there is no way.
Jing Chunxi took the copper coin, smiled sweetly, and revealed two dimples: "No, no, my brother will drive to pick me up later." She waved her hands as she spoke, "Even if he hasn't arrived yet, the meat has to be left with you first. I'll buy some more vegetables and take up the empty space left by uncle and aunt, okay?" She pointed to the vegetable baskets, looking at the proprietress with sparkling eyes, looking very well-behaved.
When the proprietress saw that such a big deal was done, her attitude immediately changed 180 degrees, and the fat on her face was squeezed into a smile: "Okay, okay, why not? Just go and buy whatever else you want. Don't worry, I'll help you with the dishes." She patted her chest to make the promise, and did not forget to glare at the gangster who was ready to make a move next to her.
"I told you! This girl is so young, how could her family let her go out to buy groceries by herself when her elder brother is right behind her!" Someone in the crowd said as if he suddenly realized something.
As the deal was finalized, the vendors at the market seemed to smell a business opportunity. Seeing that Jing Chunxi still had money in his pocket, they all gathered around him.
"Come on, little girl. Do you want some fish or shrimp? Take some home and fry or deep-fry them, it's best to serve them to your guests. If you can finish them all, I'll sell them to you at a lower price." An old fisherman with wrinkles on his face squeezed to the front and pointed to a stall not far away.
"Crabs and snails are the most delicious meats for the banquet. There are only about ten pounds left. I'll give them to you along with the basket for two hundred coins." Another woman was not to be outdone. She pointed to a large bamboo basket across the street and opened the wet cloth covering the basket to reveal fresh crabs.
"Miss, do you want some lotus roots? They were just dug this morning and are perfect for stewing in bone soup." A tall and thin farmer had already brought half a load of lotus roots, still covered in mud, to the front.
"I have a few chickens here..." The chickens in the chicken coop clucked, their feathers shiny and smooth.
......
Jing Chunxi was surrounded in the middle, like an experienced comprador, asking prices and looking at the goods. The boss lady was in a good mood and even helped weigh them.
She didn't have to bargain like other buyers. As long as the goods were fresh and the price was fair, she would pay without hesitation. Soon, she was surrounded by a pile of various ingredients.
When Xu Zize drove his carriage to find Jing Chunxi, the sun had already set and most of the people in the market had left.
The scene in front of the fat butcher's stall was spectacular: three and a half sides of pork, more than a dozen baskets of seafood, bundles of vegetables, lively chickens and ducks, and all kinds of dried goods, filling the six-foot square space and the pork stall.