Chapter 16 Early Autumn: Selling Melons, Buying Pottery Jars, The Goblin's Little Wooden House...
The freshly caught fish, along with the dozen or so small fish kept in the basin, were cleaned and fried by Lai that very evening. The small fish, about five centimeters long, turned golden and crispy after cooking, even the bones were fried until crispy, and each bite was incredibly crunchy.
He kept the snails and big fish in a large basin, saving them to eat tomorrow or the day after.
The next day at noon, Lai arrived at the construction site on time with his modified trailer. On the trailer were two large pots of mung bean soup and a small basket of melons.
The melon was given to Lao Guge by someone who heard that Lai was selling mung bean soup cheaply at the construction site.
The first time I sold Laiyi, I didn't dare take too many; I only bought fifty. I bought them for three copper coins for two melons, and sold them for three copper coins each, making a small profit from the trip.
Although he arrived not late, the large tree where he used to sell mung bean soup had already been taken. Lai wasn't annoyed; he simply found a shady spot and set up his trailer there.
Seeing that it was him, Kerry bought another bowl.
Why didn't you come yesterday?
"I went to town to buy mung beans."
“You didn’t come yesterday, so you wouldn’t know, but the stalls over there are selling mung bean soup now.”
Carey gestured for him to look at the stall to his left, where an older woman was hawking her wares.
"She sells it for one copper coin cheaper than you, but I still think yours tastes better. It's sweet, and they're generous with the ingredients."
"It's okay, it's normal."
Lai had long anticipated that someone would eventually follow his example and sell mung bean soup. He didn't see it as a long-term business; he just wanted to make a little money in his spare time.
"You're so calm."
Lai cut open a melon and gave Kelly a piece to try.
The old Guge melons were of excellent quality, crisp and sweet, and unsurprisingly won Kaili's favor, who bought seven to take home. After his promotion, dozens of melons were sold out in no time, with each person buying several to take home for their families.
Lai had prepared a lot of mung bean soup today, and even after the soup cooled down, it wasn't all sold, leaving a little bit. Lai decided to take it home to drink that evening, or at least give it to an acquaintance.
As the weather gets hotter, more and more people are coming to sell their wares. Today someone is trying to sell mung bean soup, and who knows, a new one might pop up tomorrow.
Lai decided to set up a stall every two days from now on, selling whatever amount he could.
After packing up, it was already dinnertime, but it was still bright outside when we finished eating.
If I count carefully, it's been three days since the trap I set last time. If I check any later, even if I catch any prey, it will probably be eaten by wild animals in the mountains.
Without delay, Lai grabbed his bow and arrows and dagger and went into the woods.
The first trap caught a long-toothed beast. It was quite heavy, but its breasts were very full, indicating it had given birth. Ray released it immediately.
The second trap also caught prey, but only some bloodstains and broken bones remained; unsurprisingly, it had already been eaten by the wild beast. The bait used to set the trap was completely wasted.
The forest is full of treasures, and there's no reason to come out empty-handed, so Lai started searching the forest again.
The plants here are lush, but most of them are wild grasses that people can't eat. Wild vegetables are long past their season; their leaves have become rough and thick, and they taste bitter. No one picks them anymore; everyone eats the wild vegetables they grow in their own gardens.
There were also some wild fruit trees, struggling to survive in the forest, their branches laden with unripe fruit. Lai silently noted their locations, planning to return in the fall to harvest them.
After wandering around for a while, Lai found a large patch of wild ginger in an open area.
At first, he wasn't quite sure, but he confirmed it after digging up the rhizomes of wild ginger. However, it wasn't the season yet, so the plants weren't very big, and Lai only dug up a few to take back.
Days passed by as people bought mung bean soup and melons, and before they knew it, more than a month had gone by, and the small mountain village had entered early autumn.
By selling mung bean soup and caramel, Lai had saved up forty-nine silver coins during this time, and his finances were finally a little better.
The tunnel excavation project is one-third complete, and a large number of trees have been felled to make tunnel supports, which are then laid out to dry in open spaces in various villages.
In a while, the grain will be ready for harvest, and then there won't be enough people available to help here.
Let's get the pillars and such built first, which will save time later. Anyway, the villages lack everything except trees, so we won't feel bad about cutting them down.
No branches are wasted; the thicker ones can be collected and used to make fences, while the thinner branches can be used to weave baskets or for firewood.
The village's vegetable gardens have yielded a bumper harvest, with vegetables overflowing. Any vegetables that can't be eaten are dried by each household. As soon as you enter the village, you can see rows of dried vegetables in every house.
"This year is a good year!"
"That's right."
Hagrid remarked with emotion, and Linda echoed his sentiment.
Hagrid sent Linda to stay with relatives for a few days, while Ray and Neil rode in Hagrid's oxcart to a neighboring village to buy some things.
There was a family there who made excellent earthenware jars—sturdy and practical. Lai planned to buy some to pickle some vegetables for winter.
"Lay, don't rush when you're harvesting wheat. After you finish your chores around the house, I'll have your cousin help you."
"Why."
Lei agreed outwardly, but he had already made a plan in his mind.
It's better to do the wheat harvesting ourselves; we can't keep bothering Hagrid's family with everything. Even the best of relatives won't last if you keep giving without expecting anything in return.
You still have to live your life one step at a time.
"Little Neil seems to have gained weight."
Linda pinched Neil's cheek and then flicked his short hair. Ever since Neil got his haircut, the elders would touch it whenever they saw him, which bothered Neil a lot.
"I want to touch it too!"
Luna saw Linda's actions and started making a fuss.
"You can only touch it once!"
Neil lowered his head and gave Luna a pat, and the little girl smiled contentedly.
Hagrid drove the oxcart, with Linda, Luna, Ray, and Neil riding in it. After a long journey, they finally arrived at their destination.
As soon as the two brothers entered the gate, they saw that the courtyard was filled with pottery jars neatly arranged under the courtyard wall, some of which had already been made and others were still drying.
The old man selling the earthenware jars, upon hearing that Ray was a relative of Hagrid, gave him a discount of ten copper coins on each jar. The earthenware jars here were all wide-mouthed and large-bellied, but Ray wanted the modern style of pickle jars.
After several rounds of communication, Lai drew a sketch for him and ordered several pieces, agreeing to pick them up in half a month. He also bought a small jar one meter deep and two ordinary earthenware pots, spending nearly four silver coins in total.
After having lunch at Linda's relatives' house, Hagrid took Rye and Neil back home. On the way, Hagrid taught Rye how to catch a train, while Neil listened attentively.
Lai learned quickly; he mastered the skill in just over ten minutes, and he was basically the one driving the bus for the rest of the journey.
"Uncle Hagrid, as you know, I've been selling mung bean soup on the other side of the mountain for a while now. I've saved up a little money and want to buy some livestock for transportation. I'd like to ask for your opinion first."
“We have an oxcart at home, so we can just hitch it when we need to use it. Why spend money to buy another one? They are not easy to take care of, and we have to spend a lot of money on food for them every year.”
Hagrid listened to Ray's words and didn't rush to introduce it to him. He first explained the drawbacks, fearing that Ray might not be able to afford them.
"The main reason is that I want to do some business in the city in the future. I feel a little bad about troubling you every day by going back and forth."
"Oh well."
Hagrid pondered for a moment and then asked.
"Are you looking to buy cattle or something else?"
"Anything is fine, as long as it can be used for hauling goods and transportation."
“Bulls are strong, but they eat a lot and walk slowly, and they are more expensive. You could buy a Delraston. It’s fast, and although it’s not as strong, it can still pull several hundred pounds of stuff, and it doesn’t eat much.”
The Delraston is the local species that looks like a mule; the ones the village brought with them when Ray went hunting last time.
"I'll keep an eye out for any Delraston pups that have been born this year and they're looking to sell. Just wait for news."
"Oh, thank you for your trouble, Uncle Hagrid."
"It's nothing, don't be so polite. You're all grown up now, you know how to make money. If Victor were still here..."
Hagrid's voice grew softer and softer until Rayleigh couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. Hagrid stared blankly at the roadside weeds, reminiscing about the past.
While passing through a tunnel construction site, Ray encountered Simon, a regular customer.
He adored the mung bean paste that Lai made, and sometimes he would ask Lai to make extra for him. And he was very generous with his money. After long hours of outdoor work, his face and arms had become even darker.
Hagrid and he greeted each other familiarly; it turned out they were acquaintances.
"It's hot, and there are lots of mosquitoes. Everyone's a bit tired, so it's likely that the repairs will be delayed for a while."
Simon said with some worry.
"Why don't you ask the clan elders for more manpower?"
Hagrid asked, and Simon sighed.
"The budget is insufficient."
Hagrid shook his head helplessly.
Simon invited Hagrid into the shed to chat, while Ray observed the changes in the mountain with utter boredom.
The section of the tunnel that has already been repaired is over two meters high and over three meters wide. To ensure the safety of the tunnel, it is supported by carbonized wooden pillars, with a layer of metal several millimeters thick wrapped around each side.
The pillars, which are several tens of centimeters thick, are fixed with metal nails that are several centimeters thick. At the corners, thick wooden strips are nailed together to form a traditional triangular support structure, which looks very sturdy.
These things must cost a lot of gold coins. Lai heard that the elders of the three villages were planning to form several teams to hunt monsters after the autumn harvest in order to make up for the cost of the tunnel.
The barren mountain where the goblins live is not far from the tunnel, and you can see several brand-new wooden cabins in the distance.
They have adapted to the environment and have begun building their own houses.
What are you looking at?
Kerry asked, explaining that he really liked the melons grown by Old Guge and would always buy a few fresh melons from Lai's stall. Over time, the two became quite familiar with each other.
"Looking at the goblins' houses."
"Looks good, doesn't it? These are the blueprints Simon drew for them."
"I heard it was given away for free."
Kerry said mysteriously, and Lai hadn't expected there to be such a connection in the middle.
How are they?
"You mean goblins?"
"Um."
“They are working diligently. Every day when I come to work, I can see that the tunnel has been dug several meters further, and the rocks and other materials are neatly piled up on the side of the road.”
“Some of them would even trade their prey for seeds from us.”
"That's pretty good."
"Yes, but there are also people who don't want to associate with them and always talk badly about them behind their backs."
"It's normal for things like this to happen."
Ray still remembers the goblin named Iru and his family.
"Kerry!"
"The foreman is calling, I'm leaving!"
"good."
Kerry pushed the handcart and hurriedly entered the tunnel that was still under construction.
A note from the author:
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Legend has it that every mountain has a "heart crystal" guarded by a kind little dwarf.
The dwarves live in the very center of the mountain. Although they are only fifty centimeters tall, they possess powerful magic that makes the mountains tremble.
The little dwarfs patrol the mountain every day, sometimes rescuing animals abandoned by their mothers, sometimes catching insects for the old tree.
He sang unique songs to pray for the dead, helping them return to the embrace of the Earth Goddess. How much he loved his mountains.
However, mountains do die; it's an irreversible process. When a mountain dies, the dwarves take its "heart" and move to another living mountain to continue their lives.
Therefore, whenever people wanted to modify a mountain, they would go into the mountain on the day of the full moon to find the first round stone they encountered, and bring it down to another mountain for worship.
—Selected from "A Collection of Mainland Fairy Tales: Land Chapter"
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