"Elder, your…"
"Elder, your furs really are fine quality." Jiang Wan softened her tone, pointing at the bundle in the old woman's arms. "How about this—if you trust me and trust Zhou's, leave these two rabbit pelts with our shop on consignment. Tomorrow is the big market day in town, and there will be plenty of traveling merchants passing through. I reckon someone is bound to take a liking to such fine pelts. When they sell, I'll only take a ten percent cut for my trouble, and the rest goes to you. What do you say?"
The old woman's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up with brilliance, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"Yes! Why wouldn't I?! Wan girl, I trust you! Zhou's reputation—I, I trust it too!"
Shougen's Wife nodded along from the side. "Auntie's pelts would just be wasted in Chen's hands. Now it's fine—she's found someone who knows what they're worth…"
Jiang Wan smiled and said a few reassuring words to the old woman, then exchanged pleasantries with the group, promising that the old woman could come directly to Zhou's General Store during tomorrow's market day. Only then did she hoist the heavy basket onto her back and, amid the warm farewells of the village women, set off on the road back to Yongxing Town.
On the way there, the basket had been light and her steps quick.
On the way back, the basket was heavy, yet her stride felt all the more steady.
The sun climbed higher, steaming everything beneath it.
Jiang Wan had tried her best to walk in the shade, but she still couldn't escape the parched dryness in her throat.
She stopped at a house by the roadside and asked for a ladle of cold water, which finally made her feel a bit better.
"When I have money, I really need to buy a mule," she muttered to herself, rubbing her sore shoulders.
Fortunately, this was only her first attempt—she hadn't brought much, and the trades had gone quickly.
By tomorrow, she could attach the Pickup Point to other containers. Then she could find a quiet corner to complete the transactions and save herself some effort.
She silently tallied up the day's gains and planned tomorrow's schedule in her mind. Before she knew it, she had reached the entrance to Yongxing Town.
Beside the stone marker at the town entrance stood a small figure, occasionally standing on tiptoe to peer in her direction.
"Sister-in-law!" Xiao He's sharp eyes spotted Jiang Wan immediately, and she came running over, hastily trying to take the basket from her shoulders. "Sister-in-law, you're finally back… I've been waiting for you for so long. How did it go today? Are you tired?"
She pulled out an oil-paper bundle from her chest and a water skin from her waist. "Mother was afraid you'd be hungry, so she specially made you a flatbread and had me bring it."
The bread was still warm. Jiang Wan took it, unwrapped it, and bit into it right away.
While filling her stomach, she answered Xiao He's questions.
"It went fine, just a bit rushed in the preparation." Noticing the glances gathering around them, Jiang Wan swallowed the food in her mouth in a few quick bites and reminded her in a low voice, "Come on, let's talk about it at home."
Xiao He nodded obediently.
The basket shifted onto Xiao He's shoulder, and the two sisters-in-law walked home side by side.
Xiao He curiously asked about the village happenings, and Jiang Wan shared some of the more interesting tidbits with her. For a moment, the atmosphere between them eased considerably.
Back at Zhou's General Store, Jiang Wan first had Xiao He set the basket under the eaves, then fetched a winnowing basket and crouched down beside it to begin sorting.
Seeing this, Xiao He also crouched down to help without being asked.
The dried wood ear mushrooms with the best appearance, the largest size, and the purest color were picked out one by one.
These mushrooms had thick, fleshy bodies and intact caps—the finest grade among mountain goods.
There were also the intact, fragrant wild mushrooms, and the few precious rhubarb roots, all picked out by the sisters-in-law and set aside in a bamboo basket.
Every selected mountain product was of medium-to-high quality, best reflecting its own value.
When the sorting was done, only the eggs remained untouched.
"Sister-in-law, do we need to sort the eggs too?"
Xiao He held an egg, tilting her head curiously as she looked at her.
Eggs in town were sold by the piece, and only the larger ones were weighed by the catty.
But the eggs her sister-in-law had traded for weren't particularly big—there weren't enough to make up a full catty…
Jiang Wan waved her hand. "Take two… three of them to the kitchen and tell Mother to steam an egg custard for lunch to nourish herself."
"Really?!" Xiao He's eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you, sister-in-law! I'll go tell Mother right away!"
She rummaged through the two catties of eggs, picked out the three smallest ones, and skipped off toward the kitchen.
Every now and then, she turned back, flashing Jiang Wan a pure, innocent smile.
Watching her leave, Jiang Wan was momentarily lost in thought.
Those three eggs were probably first-lay eggs.
Tiny, barely bigger than pigeon eggs.
Yet just three such small eggs could make this half-grown child this happy.
The Zhou family, after all, had once been one of only two grocery stores in Yongxing Town.
As the saying goes, "A starved camel is still bigger than a horse." The Zhou family's accumulated wealth over the years shouldn't have collapsed so completely in just one year's time…
Jiang Wan shook her head, casting aside those tangled thoughts. "Forget it, I won't worry about it. Once the debt is paid, I'll leave."
She picked up the sorted mountain goods, went inside, and locked the door.
The moment she opened her dowry chest, the Light Screen immediately popped up.
[Local goods detected: dried wood ear mushrooms (approx. 150g), dried assorted mushrooms (approx. 200g), dried rhubarb (approx. 220g)]
[Estimating price…]
The Light Screen flickered a few times before giving its final quote.
Wood ear mushrooms: 72 yuan. Dried assorted mushrooms: 18 yuan. Rhubarb: 30 yuan.
The Mall's prices deviated considerably from Jiang Wan's expectations.
She had assumed rhubarb would be priced higher than the wood ear and assorted mushrooms, but unexpectedly, the Mall's valuation wasn't as favorable as she'd hoped.
The price for dried assorted mushrooms was also lower than she'd anticipated.
But on second thought, perhaps it was because the mushrooms the village women picked were mostly common varieties, so the Mall's valuation didn't go higher.
[Sell?]
Confirm sale.
Account balance: 121.2 yuan.
Looking at the three-digit balance, Jiang Wan let out a heavy breath.
She decisively purchased the amoxicillin she'd had her eye on earlier.
Balance remaining: 102.4.
She received 20 capsules.
No packaging, just a single sheet of drug information.
After she finished reading it, the instructions also disappeared…
"Not bad."
She remarked on the Mall's caution, carefully stowed away the capsules, and planned to find an opportunity to mix them into Zhou Xianggui's food.
Directly sprinkling the amoxicillin into the herbal medicine Zhou Xianggui drank daily—that, Jiang Wan still didn't dare.
She feared the drug interactions might cancel each other out, and the man would simply be gone.
He took his herbal medicine twice a day, morning and evening. At noon today, she could just mix the Western medicine in.
As for the remaining money, Jiang Wan planned to repurchase the supplies she'd already sold.
After all, the shop needed goods to fill its shelves.
Using the Mall to prop up the shop would not only ensure the flow of goods and keep up appearances.
It would also let her profit from the price difference between the two eras.
The Mall's wood ear mushrooms, rhubarb, and assorted dried mushrooms were mostly artificially cultivated—cheap and plentiful.
A pound of the Mall's wood ear mushrooms sold for 13.5 yuan, and rhubarb for 6.8 yuan.
The Mall's wood ear mushrooms and rhubarb looked considerably better than what she had traded for in Li Family Hollow. Mixed together, they could even elevate the local goods to a higher tier.
As for the assorted dried mushrooms, the prices on both sides of the eras weren't much different, so she didn't bother stocking up on those.
Just as she finished balancing the accounts, Xiao He came calling.
"Sister-in-law, the steamed egg is about to go on the stove—Mother says come take a look!" Xiao He's cheerful voice came from outside the door.
Jiang Wan acknowledged with a sound and walked into the kitchen.
The fire in the stove was blazing, and the water in the pot was bubbling away.
Seeing Jiang Wan approach, Madam Yu held up the beaten egg mixture and presented it to her like a treasured offering.
"Xiao Wan, this egg—take a look, is it alright?" Her brows were relaxed, and the look she gave Jiang Wan held far less of its usual bitterness.
Jiang Wan glanced at it.
The egg custard had been beaten evenly by Madam Yu—a tender yellow, with a faint hint of raw egg smell.
She didn't hold back her praise, giving a thumbs up. "Mother, your skill is wonderful!"
Madam Yu flushed slightly. "You silly girl, what skill is there to speak of? It's just beating some eggs…" Though she said that, the curve lifting at the corners of her mouth couldn't be faked.
She carefully placed the egg custard into the pot and covered it with the lid.
She let out a sigh. "It's been a long time since this family has had eggs…"
Jiang Wan didn't care for her overly somber disposition, so she teased, "What's there to that? Mother, if you want to eat them, I'll just trade for more eggs in the future."
In town, eggs cost two wen apiece; going to the village to collect them was one wen apiece.
On the Pinduoduo Interface, eggs were only a few mao each.
Wanting to eat eggs—how hard could that be?
Xiao He lifted her head from the stove opening and swallowed her saliva. "Sister-in-law, Father said your trading trips aren't easy, and we shouldn't be asking you for treats."
Madam Yu chimed in as well. "If it weren't for my blurry eyes that can't read the scale, why would this hard work fall on you all…"
Jiang Wan smiled again.
The stove fire blazed, and steam billowed.
Before long, a rich aroma of eggs filled the entire kitchen.
Madam Yu lifted the lid.
There in the bowl, the egg custard had set—its surface smooth as a mirror, a tempting tender yellow.
She drizzled two drops of sesame oil on top and gently scooped up a piece with a spoon. The egg custard quivered softly, a delight to behold.
"Come, Xiao Wan, have a taste!" She brought the first bite of egg custard to Jiang Wan's lips.
Jiang Wan leaned into her hand, blew on it lightly, and gave a gentle slurp.
The silky egg custard slid down her throat.
The rich egg fragrance, accented by the sesame oil, was truly a rare delicacy in these times.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled. "So tender! So fragrant!"
Xiao He couldn't wait to have a bite herself, but when she met Madam Yu's reproachful gaze, she sat back down.
Jiang Wan felt the capsule in her pocket and suggested, "Mother, scoop some out—I'll bring some to Father."
"Alright, let your father get some nourishment too." Madam Yu nodded, took out an empty bowl, and divided a small portion of the egg custard into it.
Jiang Wan took it and turned to leave the kitchen.
Rounding the corner, she quickly opened a capsule and mixed the white powder inside into the tender yellow egg custard.
After confirming that no powder floated on the surface of the custard, she raised her hand and knocked on the door of the main house.
"Father, I've brought you something to eat."
"Cough… come in…"
Zhou Xianggui's voice was as hoarse as ever.
Jiang Wan pushed the door open and handed over the egg custard she was carrying.
Zhou Xianggui took it and stared at the bowl for a long time, long enough to make Jiang Wan feel a twinge of guilt.
She quickly spoke up, interrupting Zhou Xianggui's attention.
"Father, it's so hot out—we should keep the door open more often. Shutting it up makes the smell linger."
As she said this, she took the liberty of propping the window half-open.
The Zhou family all believed Zhou Xianggui had a weak constitution and couldn't withstand drafts, afraid that he might catch a chill again if they weren't careful.
But this was the height of summer heat—how uncomfortable it must be to stay all cooped up…
Zhou Xianggui simply assumed Jiang Wan was disgusted by him, and awkwardly picked up his spoon, shoveling the egg custard into his mouth.
When he finished, he asked, "How was… everything today…"
"Not bad." Jiang Wan pulled over a stool and sat down.
Watching Zhou Xianggui drink the egg custard from the bowl until not a drop remained, Jiang Wan let out a sigh of relief. "Father, how did it taste?"
"Good." Zhou Xianggui nodded.
He didn't dare tell Jiang Wan that his mouth was bitter and he couldn't taste anything at all, afraid of dampening her filial devotion.
"That's good, then." Jiang Wan dragged her stool closer to Zhou Xianggui and asked seriously, "Father, you have plenty of experience with trade caravans. There are a few things I'd like to ask you."
Zhou Xianggui dabbed the corner of his mouth. "Go ahead."