Early the next morning, Li Xingyue woke up as usual.
There was no choice—rural life in ancient times had no entertainment, so the only option was to go to bed early and rise early.
After washing up, she pushed a cart full of vegetables, bringing along her child and her dog, and headed to the market.
Today, she only planned to check the market conditions.
There weren’t many vendors at the market.
Seasonal vegetables were scarce at this time, and several neighboring counties hadn’t seen rain for nearly half a year, making crops hard to grow.
Li Xingyue found a reasonably noticeable spot and neatly arranged the baskets from her cart on the ground.
One full basket of cabbage, one of carrots, half a basket of potatoes, and half a basket of tomatoes.
Potatoes and tomatoes weren’t native to this dynasty, so it would take time for people to accept them.
But Li Xingyue didn’t mind. If someone wanted to buy, she’d sell. If not, she didn’t care.
Her vegetables were undeniably the most eye-catching at the market.
Many townsfolk stopped to look. After asking prices, most shook their heads and left.
For ordinary people, the vegetables were indeed expensive.
Li Xingyue wasn’t in a hurry. She bought two bowls of wontons from a nearby stall and sat on her cart with her daughter, eating slowly.
While they were eating, a horse-drawn carriage stopped not far away.
A well-dressed, middle-aged woman alighted—dressed like a household manager—with an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old servant boy following behind.
The lady stopped in front of the vegetable stall, examining the baskets with interest.
“These vegetables are fresh,” she remarked.
Then she pointed at the potatoes and tomatoes, curious, “What are these? I’ve never seen them before.”
Li Xingyue put down her bowl and explained,“Madam, these potatoes and tomatoes were obtained from merchants from the Western Regions. They are exotic vegetables—delicious in taste and rich in nutrition.”
She patiently explained various ways to cook and eat potatoes and tomatoes.
The woman’s interest was piqued. “How much per jin?” she asked.
“Cabbage and carrots are three wen per jin, potatoes five wen per jin, and tomatoes fifteen wen per jin,” Li Xingyue smiled, quoting each price.
The woman didn’t even frown—a true householder used to managing accounts.
“Take it all!” she said immediately.
At once, the servant stepped forward.
He checked the baskets and said, “Madam Wu, there’s about a hundred jin of cabbage and the same for carrots,”
Then he pointed at the potatoes and tomatoes, “about thirty jin each.”
Madam Wu looked at Li Xingyue, seeking confirmation.
Li Xingyue nodded slightly—the weights were correct.
She calculated silently in her mind and smiled, “The total comes to twelve hundred wen.”
Madam Wu promptly handed over a money pouch, giving Li Xingyue a silver ingot of one liang and two strings of copper coins.
With a look of approval, Madam Wu noted that this village girl selling vegetables could count as well as she could.
Li Xingyue accepted the money and thanked her politely, “Thank you, Madam, for supporting my business.”
Madam Wu waved her hand modestly, smiling, “Your vegetables are fresh and of good quality.”
After seeing Madam Wu off, Li Xingyue noticed her wontons had cooled. She didn’t care and finished them in a few bites.
Food was precious in this era, especially meat-filled wontons.
After breakfast, she packed the bamboo baskets and began to head home with her cart.
Just as she was leaving, someone called out, “Miss, don’t go!”
Li Xingyue turned and saw a young girl dressed as a maid running toward her.
“Miss, were those tomatoes just bought from you by Madam Wu?” the girl asked.
Li Xingyue nodded.
“How many do you have left? I want them all.”
The young maid was probably buying for her mistress and seemed rather extravagant.
Li Xingyue smiled, “I’m sorry, Madam Wu bought all the vegetables today. If you want some, come back tomorrow.”
Xiao Cui looked disappointed. Her mistress was pregnant and had lost her appetite recently. This morning she had seen Madam Wu buy the red fruit called tomatoes and had craved them.
When she heard it was from a vegetable seller in town, her mistress immediately asked her to fetch some.
But she was too late.
“Miss, where do you live? I can come buy them from your home—I’ll take a carriage with you,” Xiao Cui quickly suggested.
If she didn’t bring the tomatoes back, her mistress might be unhappy. Since becoming pregnant, her mistress’s mood had been fragile.
Li Xingyue had never seen someone so eager to buy before.
But a business that comes to your doorstep is not to be refused.
She smiled, “No need for a carriage. Walk with us, my house isn’t far.”
Xiao Cui’s face lit up, and she followed Li Xingyue and her daughter home.
At home, Li Xingyue had the girl wait in the main room while she fetched a basket of tomatoes from her space.
“Miss, here are about twenty jin. I wonder if it’s enough?” Li Xingyue asked, smiling.
“That’s enough, that’s enough,” Xiao Cui said, delighted by the full basket of red tomatoes.
“How much per jin?” she suddenly remembered to ask.
“Fifteen wen per jin,” Li Xingyue replied.
As expected, rarity made it valuable. Xiao Cui didn’t hesitate and handed over a small silver piece.
“This is half a liang of silver. Keep the basket; you don’t need to give me change.”
Li Xingyue inwardly thought: so the daughters of wealthy households are really this generous.
She didn’t refuse, smiling as she took the silver and sent Xiao Cui off.
After the girl left, Li Xingyue felt very pleased. She hadn’t expected tomatoes to be so popular.
Indeed, in this dynasty and this season, fruits were rare, and tomatoes could serve as a substitute.
For several consecutive days, Li Xingyue went to the market every morning to sell vegetables.
At first, they sold well. After all, they were new and attractive, and her vegetables not only looked good but tasted better.
Three days later, Gu Wan’er came from the Gu family village to see her.
Standing in front of her stall, Gu Wan’er looked aggrieved. “Sister-in-law, why did you come to town without saying a word?”
She added with concern, “Where have you been staying all these days?”
Li Xingyue only smiled and asked, “Wan’er, have you had breakfast?”
Gu Wan’er shook her head slightly.
Li Xingyue gave her some copper coins and told her to buy buns with little Yan’er.
Gu Wan’er bought only three plain buns, returned the remaining coins to Li Xingyue, and gave each of them one bun.
Li Xingyue looked at her and couldn’t help laughing, “Why only three?”
Gu Wan’er just lowered her head and didn’t answer.
Li Xingyue quickly sold the rest of her vegetables, then took Gu Wan’er and little Yan’er to buy meat.
She bought a jin each of pork belly and lean meat, and also a set of pig liver.
Gu Wan’er quietly said, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to buy meat for me. We have vegetables at home; that’s enough.”
The girl seemed to have had a rough few days at home.
Li Xingyue only smiled and poked her gently on the head.