Chapter 71 A Small Price War
The adults in each family taught their children not to talk nonsense outside, saying that Manbao was originally a child of the Zhou family. As for why such rumors appeared, it was of course because Goudan's grandmother and Manbao's mother were not on good terms, so she made up a lie to deceive Goudan.
The children all believed it because adults often said things without evidence. For example, if the vegetables of the aunt from the east family were pulled out and she didn't see it, she would definitely scold the aunt from the west family and believe that the aunt from the west family stole them.
The atmosphere in Zhou Dayuan's home was very depressing. The family ate dinner in silence. After finishing, Zhang shook her face and said to her grandson with a look of disapproval: "From now on, you are not allowed to spread anything about our family. Do you understand?"
Zhou Dayuan put down his bowl and chopsticks and snapped, "Why are you yelling at the child? If you hadn't said something nonsense at home, would the child have spread it outside?"
Then what I said is also true. Zhang opened her mouth to speak, but Zhou Dayuan glared at her with wide eyes and said in a low voice: "If you want to die, don't bring trouble to the whole village."
Zhang couldn't help but grumble, "The government doesn't believe in collective punishment..."
Zhou Dayuan slapped her across the face. The donkey stood up in shock and couldn't help but let out a cry.
"father!"
Zhou Dayuan turned around and glared at him, saying, "Don't forget who gave us the food that kept us alive. The elders said that people should never forget their gratitude!"
The big donkey lowered its head.
Zhang covered her face, feeling embarrassed and annoyed. She pushed the table aside and went back to the house.
Zhou Dayuan also took out his pipe to smoke, feeling equally irritated.
The Zhou family was also in unrest. Everyone was particularly silent tonight, except Manbao, who knew nothing. As usual, she settled today's accounts, handing over what should be handed over to the public and keeping what should be kept by her.
Zhou Wulang sat cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought.
Manbao looked at him for a long time, then turned and asked Sixth Brother in a low voice, "What happened to Fifth Brother?"
Zhou Liulang also sighed and whispered, "Today when we went to the county town, many people were selling flower baskets. The more expensive ones were three cents each, and the cheaper ones were two cents each. In the end, we lowered the price to three cents before we could sell them."
Zhou Liulang said, "Fifth Brother said that we will not be selling flower baskets tomorrow, but candy instead. Daya doesn't have to go with us."
Manbao savored the chicken he had eaten tonight, swallowed his saliva, and said, "No, we have to find a business that cannot be replaced by others, or that is not easy for others to replace."
Wu Lang said: "Sell candy!"
Manbao said, "Our candy is unique on the market, so Manbao, let's sell more candy."
Manbao disagreed, "I bought that candy from someone else."
Zhou Wulang thought so too. What if their business becomes good in the future and people stop selling sugar to them and they have to take over?
It would be better to sell 100 pills a day now. Although the business is smaller, it is unique and can last for a long time.
Zhou Wulang sighed and asked, "So what do you mean by good business?"
Manbao said honestly: "I don't know."
She was very optimistic. "Anyway, I can earn at least a hundred coins a day. A hundred coins can buy two small chickens."
That is, not only can they eat a chicken every day, but they can also throw one out.
Thinking of this, Manbao became cheerful again and said, "Fifth brother, since we can't sell the flower baskets, let's go pick some Centella asiatica. We'll save up some candy for two days and then go to the county town. You also have to work hard to learn to read. Right now, you don't even know as many words as Datou."
Zhou Wulang felt that learning to read was too difficult. He would rather follow his fourth brother to open up wasteland than learn to read.
He was unwilling to give in, so he didn't listen to Manbao and still took the flower baskets to the county town the next day. This time he really couldn't sell any of them. Except for two children who bought two candies in the baskets because they liked them, he couldn't sell the other twenty or so flower baskets.
Seeing that the time was almost up and it would be dark if he didn't go back, Zhou Wulang simply stopped selling the flowers with candy and just gave them out in baskets for one penny each.
Zhou Wulang thought, since bamboo strips don’t cost money anyway, if you are trying to steal my business, then I will steal it too.
He simply lowered the price to one cent, and other vendors immediately couldn't sell their flower baskets.
After Zhou Wulang finished selling the things, he patted his butt and left. When he got home, he boasted about it to Manbao and the others.
Manbao shook his little head and said, "Fifth brother, you are harming others and not benefiting yourself by doing this."
Zhou Silang also said: "If you offend someone like this, you will probably be targeted next time you go to the county to do business."
Zhou Wulang said, "I'm not afraid. They were the ones who targeted me first. Humph, if they're just copying us and selling flower baskets, I'll accept it if the price is the same as mine, or even a penny less. Why would they charge just three or two pennies?"
Zhou Liulang supported his fifth brother, "Those people are so annoying. They know we are an old business, and many kids have spotted us. They just walk around us and hawk their wares. Wherever we go, they follow us."
Manbao also said: "That's too bad!"
Zhou Silang stopped talking at this point. They were brothers and they were not made of clay. Since they had been bullied to this extent, they certainly would not allow themselves to be bullied.
But everyone knows that the flower basket business can no longer be done, at least not during this period of time, otherwise Wulang and his friends will probably be beaten if they go to the county town.
However, Zhou Silang and Manbao were quite happy. One of them said, "Then stay at home and help me open up the wasteland."
One said, "It's a good opportunity to pick Centella asiatica."
Zhou Wulang and the others sighed for a while and then agreed.
With the addition of Wulang and Liulang, not only did Zhou Silang's speed of clearing the land increase a lot, but the amount of Centella asiatica in the house also increased.
The dried Centella asiatica was rolled into balls and placed in a sack. Zhou Silang lifted it and said, "There's so much of it, but it's only this heavy. Can I sell it for a good price?"
Manbao was eating candy and doing homework. Hearing this, he looked up and asked, "Hey, didn't Fifth Brother go to the pharmacy to ask the price?"
Everyone looked at each other, "Could it be that the pharmacy won't accept it?"
Everyone is worried. Wouldn’t all the work these days have been in vain?
Manbao said confidently: "No, the master said that the pharmacy will accept it, and in the summer they will make medicine for passers-by to drink."
"But it's almost winter now. Will the pharmacy still accept it?"
Zhou Dalang, who was passing by, heard this and said, "I'll take a bag to the county town tomorrow to take a look. Don't worry."
Zhou Wulang immediately perked up, "Brother, are you going to the county town?"
Zhou Dalang smiled and said, "Yes, we have dried all the Ligustrum lucidum fruits at home. Mother asked me to take them to the medicine shop tomorrow. If they like them, we will pick the ones from the forest and dry them in the sun."
Zhou Wulang immediately said, "Let's go too!"
They hadn't been to the county town for several days and were planning to find an excuse to go out and sell the candy. Manbao had been craving for meat these past two days.
(End of this chapter)
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