Xu Mo was unable to move, and Zheng Ruqian did not want to get off the carriage, so Fang Heng had no choice but to stay with the two of them.
The task of buying meat and vegetables was left to Wen Zhiyun and Jiang Sheng, the brother and sister.
Fortunately, Xiao Jiangsheng was adept at this kind of thing. She jumped off the donkey cart, grabbed the basket on her back, pulled Wen Zhiyun along, and used her short stature to weave through the crowd.
They quickly stopped in front of a meat stall. "Uncle, give me two pounds of pork, the fatty kind."
"Alright." The stall owner was a strong man who dared to go shirtless even in the dead of winter. He quickly cut off a piece of pork belly and threw it on the scale. "Two catties, twenty coins."
Jiang Sheng was startled.
In town, a pound of meat costs only eight coins, but in the county it costs ten coins.
But since it had already been cut off, she couldn't return it, so she had no choice but to pay.
Buying vegetables was quite frightening; vegetables that cost one coin for two pounds in town cost two coins for one pound in the county.
Jiang Sheng dared not buy any more. Carrying two catties of pork, she wandered from one end of the market to the other, finally confirming that everything in the county was more expensive than in the town.
Some were two or three cents more expensive, while others were twice as expensive, especially vegetables that couldn't be stored for long, which were four times more expensive.
Just because it takes an hour to travel by donkey cart?
Jiang Sheng frowned and returned to the donkey cart.
Xu Mo had regained his composure and asked, "Little Jiang Sheng, why did you only buy this much?"
Jiang Sheng pouted, "Everything is too expensive. Everything is more expensive than in town. It's better to buy in town than here."
Xu Mo seemed to be deep in thought.
Zheng Ruqian, who was standing nearby, snapped out of his daze and asked, "Is it very cheap in town? If it's cheap, can it be transported to the county to be sold?"
Selling mushrooms gave him a taste of the profits from reselling, and the second brother's ambition was gradually growing.
Jiang Sheng's face also showed anticipation.
However, before they could discuss it, Xu Mo said calmly, "Want to know why? You can compare the differences between the town market and the county market."
Jiang Sheng was taken aback.
The market in the town, though called a market, is really just a marketplace where villagers from various villages sell vegetables they've picked from their own fields, still covered in dew and mud.
The county market was well-organized, with each household occupying the same size plot of land. I overheard the butcher chatting with someone that the location was fixed and that they had to pay several tens of coins in rent each month.
Jiang Sheng's eyes widened; she had found the reason why prices were higher in the county than in the town.
Zheng Ruqian was very disappointed, "I thought that besides mushrooms, I could also harvest some meat and vegetables to sell in the county."
The brother and sister's dream of making money seems to have been shattered.
Xu Mo shook his head. "That's not necessarily true."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian both raised their heads and stared intently at their elder brother.
“Selling things in the market requires rent, but delivering vegetables doesn’t necessarily.” Xu Mo lowered his eyelashes. “Why don’t you inquire about the price of wild mushrooms in the county?”
Jiang Sheng immediately jumped off the donkey cart.
Zheng Ruqian had no time to be sentimental and dashed into the market.
Not long after, the brother and sister returned dejectedly.
“Five coins a pound.” Jiang Sheng held up her finger. “I knew the shopkeeper was willing to buy in large quantities; we only sell it for four coins.”
Zheng Ruqian reacted even faster, "So, as long as we have other dishes, and the price is right enough, the shopkeeper will want them too."
What seems like a misfortune may actually be a blessing in disguise.
The brother and sister exchanged a glance, and a small flame ignited in their pupils.
"Buying this land was definitely the right decision," Zheng Ruqian said, clenching his fist. "We'll have to come to the county more often from now on."
“Yes, I’ll come often.” Jiang Sheng then clenched her fist.
Xu Mo watched quietly, then couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Wen Zhiyun rested her chin on her hand, quiet and well-behaved.
Fang Heng held the leather whip, reviewing his donkey-riding skills.
Because vegetables were too expensive in the county, Jiang Sheng decided to go back to the town to buy them.
Zheng Ruqian reminded her, "We still need to buy cotton-padded coats."
Jiang Sheng waved her hand, "The vegetables in the county are so expensive, the cotton-padded clothes must be even more expensive. Why don't we go back to town to buy them?"
Xu Mo smiled again, patted his sister's head, and said softly, "Jiang Sheng, your big brother is going to teach you the first lesson: seeing is believing."
"The knowledge a person can acquire in a lifetime is limited, and many things will exceed one's personal understanding. One should not deny everything just because one does not understand it."
"Jiang Sheng, go and see if the cotton-padded clothes in the county are really more expensive than those in the town."
Fang Heng stopped the carriage in front of the clothing store at just the right moment.
Jiang Sheng pursed her lips as she entered the store, and after touching and asking about the prices of a few items, she froze on the spot.
As the elder brother said, the clothes in the county are not much more expensive than those in the town. On the contrary, there are more styles and they are better looking. If Jiang Sheng had to choose, she would definitely prefer to buy cotton-padded clothes in the county.
Xu Mo's words echoed at the right time, and Jiang Sheng pursed her lips, feeling that she had grown up a lot in an instant.
She is very quick-witted; once she realized what was happening, her mind started working again.
If nice clothes in the county cost about the same as ugly clothes in the town, then conversely, would ugly clothes in the county be cheaper?
Jiang Sheng reached into a corner and picked out a few dusty coats. When she asked about the price, she found that they were indeed five or six coins cheaper than the ones in town.
She was overjoyed and bought twenty cotton-padded coats, then begged the shopkeeper to give her a discount of two or three coins on each coat.
In total, a cotton-padded jacket that costs twenty coins in the town can be bought for only twelve coins in the county.
On the donkey cart.
The four brothers were bored and discussing whether they should go in to look for their little sister, in case she had lost her child.
Suddenly turning around, I saw Jiang Sheng walking out carrying four or five large bundles.
Xu Mo's eyes widened, Wen Zhiyun opened her mouth, and Zheng Ruqian and Fang Heng simply ran over to catch her.
"Jiang Sheng, are you crazy?" Zheng Ruqian asked. "Why are you buying so many cotton-padded coats?"
"Sell it for money." Jiang Sheng stuffed bundles into the car while patting his chest to assure them, "This is what my older brother taught me, don't worry, we'll definitely make money."
Xu Mo rubbed his forehead, seemingly speechless.
The donkey cart had limited space, usually seating a maximum of seven or eight people. Now, with five large bundles loaded onto it, Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun could only sit on the bundles.
Fang Heng, gripping the donkey's bit, let out a long breath.
He had finally managed to get his donkey-driving skills a bit more stable when his younger sister gave him a new challenge, and he couldn't afford to fail.
If this goes wrong, two children will definitely be missing from the car.
Fortunately, the old donkey was very obedient until it reached the city gate.
The donkey cart moved forward at a steady pace. After leaving the city gate and passing through Shili Town, Jiang Sheng bought some vegetables.
Another fifteen minutes passed before they finally returned to the dilapidated temple at the village entrance.
Jiang Sheng happily jumped down, ready to tally today's expenses and income.
But as soon as they pushed open the door, they saw a messy, dilapidated temple, overturned bedding, and pots and pans that were clearly missing.
Someone came in while they were leaving.
Jiang Sheng felt a sudden chill run through her body.
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