As for Fatty, although she was a native of ancient times, Qin San Niang did not think she was suitable to go to the government office to handle the procedures.
"Young lady, although mules can't compare to oxen, their stamina is quite good, making them very suitable for long journeys. Besides, mules are even stronger than donkeys. You won't regret buying this! And look at this carriage; it's made of solid wood, with the mortise and tenon joints fitting together perfectly. It's guaranteed to last a long time without loosening, and it'll only get tighter with use!"
The mule sellers kept promoting their mules. They never expected to be able to make a sale so early in the morning. Although everyone thought that cattle were more valuable and cost more, mules were actually more profitable, since they avoided the government's exploitation.
Judging from the appearance of Tan San Niang and her companions as refugees who had come to the city to shop, they might be servants of a wealthy family. Otherwise, how could they possibly spend ten taels of silver at once? With such a good start to the day, the merchants selling carriages and horses thought that business would be very good all day!
The streets of Luzhou City are wide, with dedicated lanes for vehicles, giving a glimpse of its prosperous past.
Fatty drove very steadily, which made Qin San Niang feel very safe.
However, she had no interest in appreciating the scenery along the way. Firstly, her pockets were empty; she had already spent quite a bit that day. Secondly, in ancient times, travel by carriage and horse was governed by rules, similar to modern traffic regulations. As a low-ranking member of the public security system, she had read the Tang Dynasty's regulations on etiquette, such as: "When traveling, the lowly should yield to the noble, the young to the old, the light to the heavy, and the departing to the arriving." None of these rules seemed to apply to her, so she had no choice but to urge Fatty to hurry to the East Market.
Qin San Niang took out the dried goods she planned to sell from the supermarket—rock ear fungus, also known as stone ear or stone mushroom. It is a black lichen that grows on sandstone cliffs. It is rich in nutrients, can be used in medicine, and was listed as a tribute in ancient times. It can improve eyesight, reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and prolong life.
Especially the rock ear stewed chicken soup and rock ear pig's trotter soup, they are so delicious that you can swallow your tongue.
Knowing all this, it's simply because her mother, Ms. Qi, is a true foodie, or you could call her a health enthusiast. Who would have thought she'd actually use it now? Truly, there's something to learn in every aspect of life! Also, thank you to the supermarket for having rock tripe that costs nearly a thousand yuan per kilogram.
Qin San Niang dug up two jin and put them in the burlap bag in her basket. After thinking for a moment, she also took out some ordinary dried mushrooms. If the rock tripe didn't fetch a good price, she didn't plan to sell it. She might as well keep it for herself.
The East Market was so much fresher than the South Market, which reeked of animal manure. There were even snack vendors along the roadside.
For example, vendors would loudly call out their wares to passersby, selling things like candied hawthorn berries, candied beans, candied winter melon, and maltose.
I chose a candy store and bought a pound of maltose and a pound of winter melon candy for my child. I also inquired about which dried goods store was honest and had good business.
Seeing that the woman had actually bought two catties of sugar, the sugar vendor was very happy and told Qin San Niang everything he knew until a new customer came and he stopped talking.
It seemed the young shop assistant hadn't lied to her; her uncle's Sihai General Store did indeed have a good reputation, and the manager, surnamed Liu, was known for his honesty. Qin San Niang decided to head directly to Sihai General Store.
"Fatty, wait for me at the door. I'll go in and check on the mule cart." She planned to go in to discuss business, and it wasn't appropriate to bring Fatty along. Besides, this stuff came out of nowhere. Although she didn't think Fatty had any bad intentions, it was better to avoid trouble.
The young shop assistant inside was sweeping the dust off the shelves. It was still early, and there weren't many people in the shop yet. When he saw the simply dressed woman come in, he didn't say anything that showed any disdain, but he wasn't particularly enthusiastic in his actions.
"I wonder what this lady is planning to buy? We have all kinds of mountain products from both the north and south here." Although he was saying this, the shopkeeper did not stop cleaning. He did not think that this woman could afford anything in the shop.
Qin San Niang carefully examined the dried goods on the shelf, and indeed, as the shop assistant had said, the variety was quite complete. However, they were all common and easily found items; there were no more expensive mountain products such as ginseng, bird's nest, or bamboo fungus.
Having figured things out, he calmly said, "Young man, I'm not here to buy mountain products, I'm here to sell them. I wonder if you buy them here?"
The shopkeeper wasn't surprised if they didn't buy mountain products, but he was genuinely shocked that they were selling them. After all, what mountain products were left at this time of year? The poor folks were barely able to feed themselves, so who would be willing to sell them?
You ask why we don't sell the mountain produce to buy grain? That's ridiculous! First of all, the price of grain isn't cheap. In addition, some expensive mountain produce grows deep in the mountains and forests, some even on cliffs, requiring years of experience to collect. Ordinary people would consider it lucky if they even saw it.
As for common mountain products like mushrooms, the price isn't high, and they require a lot of effort to dry, so they're not worth it in the current climate.
Therefore, it's becoming increasingly difficult for these dried goods stores to do business.
Manager Liu has always wanted to find some rare mountain products, which are still very desirable to some wealthy families. They are easy to sell and can be profitable!
"What does this lady intend to sell?" The shop assistant finally put down the feather duster in his hand, briskly walked over, and asked in a low voice. His eager eyes almost blinded Qin San Niang; it turned out the mountain goods shop was out of stock!
"I'm selling some really good stuff. I wonder if you buy it here?" Qin San Niang then put her basket on the table and took out a piece of rock fungus and placed it in her palm.
The waiter glanced at it, then rubbed his eyes, his face suddenly becoming serious. He hurriedly led Qin San Niang to a seat, cupping his hands and saying, "Sister, this item is far too precious. I'll go and ask my manager to come out and discuss it with you in detail. Please wait a moment."
If he wasn't mistaken, this was rock tripe, an extremely precious ingredient, and it was also within the shopkeeper's sourcing range. He wondered how many this woman had. In any case, this matter had to be reported to Shopkeeper Liu immediately, otherwise it would be troublesome if the general store across the street stole their business. Just a few days ago, a nobleman from the south of the city had come looking for this rock tripe…
Hearing that there were people selling rock tripe ahead, Manager Liu hurried over. He had just been inside doing the accounts, worrying that he wouldn't be able to finish his monthly quota again, when his clerk came to report that there were indeed people selling rock tripe.
Rock ear, also known as rock ear, grows in cliffs at moderate altitudes. Ordinary people cannot find it unless they are mountain enthusiasts who frequently search for mountain delicacies, and even then, it depends on luck.
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