The steamed buns of this era were all handmade, very dense, and infused with the aroma of wheat. Even without any side dishes, she could easily eat two if she had a big appetite! The steamed buns came in two types: filled and unfilled, and they were about the size of an adult's fist!
Qin San Niang bought six steamers of flat-bottomed steamed buns in one go: three without filling and three with filling, forty buns in each steamer.
The vendor quickly wrapped them up for her. "Sister, how are you going to carry so many steamed buns? Why don't I deliver them to your place?"
Deliver it to the consulate? Wouldn't that give us away? That won't do! Seeing the vendor's cart, his eyes lit up, and he said...
“Young man, I see you don’t need this cart for the time being. How about you rent it to me first? I still need to buy a lot of things. It’s inconvenient to deliver them all over the place. Wouldn’t everything be a mess? I can’t even tell how much I bought. I can’t count them one by one.”
The peddler was clever; he knew he didn't need the cart, but it cost him money, and he relied on it every day to transport his tools.
Seeing that the vendor was clearly interested, Qin San Niang pressed on.
"I'll rent your cart for half a day. I'll give you twenty coins for the rental fee. How about I pay you one tael of silver first?"
Knowing the vendor's concerns, Qin San Niang suggested paying a deposit. The steamed buns were worth no more than 600 coins in total, and the cart was old and probably worth no more than 400 coins.
After hearing what she said, how could I possibly disagree!
“Alright, sister, you’re a straightforward person. You can use this cart. And take the rope too, you can use it to tie things up so they don’t fall off. I’ll be setting up my stall here until early 9 PM.”
"Oh, thank you then. Don't worry, I'll definitely bring it back to you before 9 PM."
"Okay, okay, I have no worries about you handling things."
The peddler figured that even if Qin San Niang didn't return the cart, he wouldn't lose money; the remaining four hundred coins would be enough to buy a new one. Besides, this cart was already old and worn; it was originally made by his own father, costing only a few dollars for the wood!
To make it easier to store her items, Qin San Niang went to the stall next door and bought two large baskets. These baskets were probably woven from willow branches or something similar, and they looked very delicate and sturdy.
The woman selling willow baskets was an elderly woman. She was very welcoming when she saw her coming. She had seen the woman buy six large steamers of steamed buns at the steamed bun stall. She was a big customer!
Seeing that Qin San Niang was looking through her basket, he hurriedly greeted her warmly.
“Girl, I’ve been selling these baskets for over twenty years. My craftsmanship is impeccable. I guarantee they’ll last you for over a decade.”
"Grandma, how much is this basket?"
The basket is quite sturdy, and Qin San Niang is satisfied. She can put it in her spatial storage to store items, or she can put it in the carriage.
"These baskets cost eighteen coins each. If you buy two, I'll charge you thirty coins!"
The old woman looked at her with hopeful eyes; this business was difficult, so she didn't ask for a high price.
Surprisingly, these baskets were less expensive than a pound of fine white flour, which made Qin San Niang feel it was a bargain. She bought four willow baskets, spending a total of sixty coins, which delighted the old woman selling the baskets.
However, Qin San Niang only had loose silver coins on her; she had no copper coins left, and the change was given to her by the vendor selling steamed buns at the next stall.
Looks like I need to exchange some copper coins for easier spending.
The basket was just a pretext. In the time that followed, Qin San Niang planned to put all the items she had bought into the large willow basket, but in reality, she was taking the opportunity to put them into her spatial storage. It was all just to deceive people.
As I walked, I saw vendors selling donkey meat pancakes by the roadside. They wrapped marinated donkey meat filling in white flour, shaped it into round pancakes about the size of an adult's palm, and then placed them in a charcoal fire at the bottom. With a flick of the tongs, sparks flew out, adding a touch of warmth to the chilly season.
The aroma of donkey meat pancakes soon wafted from the jar; they were hot and fragrant, and eating one would be so satisfying.
"Boss, how much is this donkey meat pancake?" Qin San Niang sniffed and asked loudly.
In this era, killing cattle was not allowed at will, and the variety of meats was extremely limited. Pork and donkey meat pancakes were not cheap.
Sure enough, the owner said that each donkey meat sandwich cost six coins.
Qin San Niang thought to herself, "So expensive! Should I buy it or not?" Of course I had to buy it! The supermarket didn't even have donkey meat buns or sesame cakes yet!
The weather is getting colder and colder. Just thinking about having a bite of this while fleeing is quite pleasant.
"Boss, how many sesame seed cakes are in this batch? If I buy them all, can you give me a discount?"
Hearing that she wanted to buy a stove, the shopkeeper's gaze, which had been fixed on Weng, finally shifted to Qin San Niang.
This woman just looks neatly dressed and has bright eyes; she doesn't seem like someone who is rich or noble. However, she could be a purchasing manager for a wealthy family.
Who cares who she is, as long as we can make a deal!
"Madam, I have a full hundred sesame seed cakes in this batch!" The sesame seed cake vendor was still a little uneasy and felt it necessary to tell her the exact number. If he made them all and then the woman didn't buy them, he would lose a lot of money! These sesame seed cakes are made to order, otherwise they wouldn't be crispy!
"Of course I'll take them all. How about this, you round it up for me, a sesame seed cake worth one tael of silver!"
Only a little over a hundred! She's supporting a family of over ten people right now; how many meals can a hundred sesame cakes feed her? But there's not much donkey meat left on the stall; she'll probably close up shop once she sells this much!
Hearing her say that, the pancake seller was completely relieved. "Alright, please wait a moment, this batch will be ready soon."
Then, they picked out twenty-five large sesame cakes from the basket outside, wrapped them in oil paper, and put them in the basket on the cart for Qin San Niang.
The man's face beamed with joy. After finishing this deal, he could go home, where his wife, children, and a warm bed were the life he wanted!
The weather is getting colder and colder; I need to buy some cotton to make a padded jacket for his little one. Although it's a time of war, thankfully their area is relatively peaceful; I hope it stays that way.
Afterwards, Qin San Niang did the same thing again, buying pan-fried shredded pancakes, a large piece of cooked mutton, all kinds of pastries, and even some candied hawthorns, which she liked to eat herself and could also use to coax the child. She put all the things she bought on the shelves in the space.
Before long, the shelf was filled with a pile of things. Looking at the messy room, she felt a headache coming on; she was going to be busy tonight. But then she remembered she hadn't bought any grain yet, so she hurried back to the grain store to buy some.
So, to the shopkeeper's astonishment, he bought two hundred catties of wheat flour, two hundred catties of rice, and two hundred catties of millet, as well as one hundred catties of black beans for the livestock.
Of course, all these things were bought from a different grain store. Qin San Niang was well aware of the principle of not flaunting wealth.
These things have already filled up her space! Qin San Niang was very satisfied and felt much safer!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com