"Second Sister, what else do we need to buy?" Xiao Qi asked as she saw Lian Manman walking into the town.

"I’m not sure yet, let’s look around first."

Lian Manman then led Xiao Qi into the vegetable market of Qingyang Town, where vendors set up stalls on both market days and off days, offering a wide variety of goods.

"Second Sister, that’s the pickled cabbage from our house," Xiao Qi pointed out a vendor.

Lian Manman smiled and nodded. Ever since her family had started the Pickled Vegetable Workshop, many peddlers had come to her house to wholesale pickled cabbage for retail. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"How much for a jin of bean sprouts?" Lian Manman stopped at a stall selling sprouts and asked.

"Miss, are you buying bean sprouts? Look how fresh and clean mine are," said a middle-aged woman selling the sprouts, who became very enthusiastic when she saw a customer. She widened the opening of the bag holding the sprouts and even grabbed a handful for Lian Manman to see. "Grown from our own soybeans, and cheaper than other places, only Three Wen Money per jin."

Most of what the middle-aged woman said was true, but the part about being cheaper than other places was merely a line for children. Lian Manman had walked around the entire small market but had not bought anything.

"Second Sister, what are you planning to do?" Xiao Qi felt a bit strange and asked Lian Manman.

"Xiao Qi, let me test you," Lian Manman whispered to Xiao Qi, "in this market, how many vendors are selling bean sprouts?"

"I know, there are three," Xiao Qi thought briefly and then held up three chubby fingers.

Lian Manman nodded with satisfaction. Xiao Qi was very smart and observant.

"Did you notice how many bean sprouts they had sold just now?" Lian Manman probed with a slightly more difficult question.

"Hmm..." Xiao Qi thought for a moment, "It seems like two people bought sprouts. When we went by the second one earlier, an old man bought three jin from that stall."

Lian Manman nodded again. Without any prior hints, Xiao Qi was able to remember this much, which was quite commendable. She had paid attention earlier; in the marketplace, there were three vendors selling bean sprouts, all at Three Wen Money per jin. In just a short while, likely no more than a quarter of an hour, they had made two transactions, selling around five jin of sprouts.

"Good answer, there’s a reward," Lian Manman said with a smile.

"What reward?" Xiao Qi, still a child, immediately beamed with a grin from ear to ear upon hearing about a reward.

"What do you want?" Lian Manman asked.

Xiao Qi seemed a little shy, her right toe shyly scuffing the ground.

Lian Manman chuckled inwardly; the little one had something she wanted but was too embarrassed to say it.

"Go on, today is your birthday, it only comes around once a year. If the money I brought isn’t enough, we’ll note it down for later," Lian Manman encouraged Xiao Qi with a look that clearly meant no matter how much Xiao Qi’s desired item cost, she would buy it.

"Second Sister, it doesn’t cost that much," Xiao Qi stretched out her plump little hand, pointing at a nearby peddler’s carrying pole, "I want that whistle."

Lian Manman followed Xiao Qi’s finger and saw a row of bamboo whistles hung up on the peddler’s carrying pole, intricately carved into various shapes, each with a red velvet string tied at one end.

"So Xiao Qi wants this one." Lian Manman smiled and pulled Xiao Qi over.

"Big sis, I just want that carp one." Xiao Qi pointed and said, his demeanor suggesting he had longed for it for a while.

"Little brother wants to buy a whistle, eight Wen Money each," Huo Lang immediately said with a smile upon hearing Xiao Qi’s words.

However, Xiao Qi didn’t dare to ask for eight Wen Money. Lian Manman felt a twinge of sorrow as she remembered that neither she nor Xiao Qi had any toys, not a single one. Though the whistles were not expensive, they were still considered a luxury in the eyes of children from impoverished rural families.

"That’s too expensive," Xiao Qi spoke up before Lian Manman could, "Last time at the market, an identical one cost only, only five Copper Coins."

As Xiao Qi spoke, he surreptitiously winked at Lian Manman. Huo Lang hadn’t lied to them; bamboo whistles were indeed eight Wen Money apiece, but saving a few Wen Money where possible mattered. Bargaining was a lesson Lian Manman had taught him.

"Exactly, you can’t cheat us just because we’re young and overcharge us," Lian Manman immediately chimed in, "Five Wen Money is a lot, if you don’t sell it to us we won’t buy it."

"Uncle, we don’t have that much money," Xiao Qi said, looking somewhat pitiable.

Huo Lang’s eyes widened as he looked at the siblings, then he said with a resigned smile, "You kids, you’re better at shopping than adults. Little brother, you must have seen whistles at the market; they never sell for five Wen Money. I see that you really like it, so how about this, I’ll take a loss and sell it to you for seven Wen Money."

"Five Wen Money, not a half Wen more," Lian Manman said sternly, pretending to leave.

"Sis." Xiao Qi tugged on Lian Manman’s hand, then turned back to Huo Lang, "Uncle, just sell me one, please."

"Little girl, don’t make it hard for me, I really can’t sell it at that price. I need to at least cover my cost, six Wen Money, I can’t go any lower... I’ve never sold it for that price," Huo Lang said with a pained expression.

"Big sis, buy it for me, I really want it," Xiao Qi said to Lian Manman, winking behind Huo Lang’s back. In this era, the merchants were fairly honest, and prices were set quite reasonably.

Only then did Lian Manman reluctantly start to take out the money.

"You’re impossible; if Mom beats or scolds us when we get back, I won’t help you. You know how hard it is to come by One Wen Money."

Huo Lang had already handed over the carp-shaped whistle that Xiao Qi wanted. Xiao Qi wiped it on his sleeve and put it in his mouth, cheerfully producing a melody.

Lian Manman carefully counted out six Copper Coins and handed them to Huo Lang with a smile.

"Uncle, please throw in two pieces of candy.

...

With candy in her mouth, Lian Manman went to Cai’s next door and bought half a roast chicken. Buying roast chicken was not as cost-effective as buying a live one and stewing it at home; this was Lian Manman’s first time purchasing roast chicken.

Xiao Qi found it very strange.

"Something good happened, I’ll tell you when we get home," Lian Manman said with a hint of mystery. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)