Chapter 29 Going Out to Buy Groceries
After his eldest brother left, Xiao Wuer went into the study through the door again.
"Second Master, now I finally understand everything. You are truly born to be a businessman. You are like the God of Wealth descended to earth!"
Xie Yuduo was reading the account book on the kang couch. When he heard Xiao Wuer's flattery, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
Xiao Wuer continued, "I'm not saying anything, but I don't think you could have figured out this situation! Manager Tang might have figured it out, but he only wants to make more money for himself. He doesn't have the courage of you, Second Master."
Xie Yuduo chuckled and casually put his long legs on the table.
"You're not stupid. If you're willing to follow me for a few years, you'll learn it slowly."
"I still don't understand. If you already know everything, why did you let me go out to have dinner and talk with someone? Wouldn't it be better if you went yourself?"
"Because it's boring. It's more interesting to go home and have dinner with my wife."
Having said that, he suddenly thought of something and put down the account book.
"By the way, isn't it almost time for lunch?"
Xiaowuer went out quickly, looked up at the sun, and ran back.
"Lunch will take another incense stick of time, please wait a little longer, Second Master."
In order to prepare this lunch, Shen Qike got up early.
Before daybreak, she packed up and left the east wing. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yujing had gotten up even earlier and was already waiting for her in the yard.
The first thing to do today is to go to the back street to buy vegetables.
The day before, Second Aunt had brought Chen Qi the silver and account book she would need for the day. The account book recorded the prices, quantities and total expenses of previous vegetable purchases, and Chen Qi had already looked through them.
Early this morning, he had to buy enough food for Xie's family's three meals a day, as well as meat and vegetables for lunch at the shop in front.
Chen Qi did not go out directly, but went to the kitchen first with the small jade mirror.
There are two cooks in the kitchen, Aunt Zhou, Aunt Li, and Aunt Yun, a total of three people.
Aunt Zhou and Aunt Li had just arrived and hadn't even put on their aprons yet. Aunt Yun came earlier, still wearing her faded old clothes, and was already drawing water from the vat.
When Chen Qi arrived in the kitchen, the two cooks came over in a hurry to greet the new grandmother.
After meeting everyone one by one, Chen Qi smiled and explained the purpose of his visit - after all, it was his first day on the job, so he had to bring someone with experience to accompany him to buy vegetables through the back door.
She had already made up her mind that it would be best if Aunt Yun could go with her. After all, she was the elder and she thought she would not cheat on the household expenses.
After hearing what Chen Qi said, Aunt Yun still lowered her head and did her own thing, without looking at her, but just muttered something in a low voice.
Chen Qi couldn't hear what she said clearly. When she was about to move closer to ask again, Aunt Zhou quietly pulled the corner of her clothes and gave her a look.
Chen Qi understood what she meant and walked out of the kitchen, wanting to hear what Aunt Zhou had to say.
Aunt Zhou is plump and with the apron tied around her waist, she looks plump and very strong.
"This aunt is very strange! In the past few years since she came here, she has always done everything but never said anything. She only talks to her son, Young Master Shuo'er, behind his back. If someone comes over, she stops talking. If they ask urgently, she only whispers a few words. Sometimes you can hear her, but most of the time you can't."
Aunt Li, who was thin, also came over and interjected.
"You could say she's a fool. She does whatever you tell her to do, and she does it all well. She looks like a good maid, but she doesn't look like a concubine at all."
After hearing this, Chen Qi also felt a little strange.
Seeing that the Second Mistress wanted to ask someone to accompany her to buy groceries, Aunt Zhou quickly added water to the stove, lit a fire, and then slowly started the fire. She then accompanied Chen Qi and Yu Jing to buy groceries.
Several people opened the back door together and came to the back street.
The back street is a small alley, not as wide as the Silver Lion Street in front, but it is also very lively.
The morning market is filled with various stalls, some selling fresh vegetables, some selling pancakes and buns, and some displaying baskets of sweet fruits. The stall owners are shouting, and the sounds of hawking are endless.
"Selling cheap, selling cheap, don't miss it if you pass by! My pears are sweet and crisp, if they don't taste good, I won't charge you!"
"Hot steamed buns, fragrant steamed buns, come and buy them!"
"Walk along East Street, walk along West Street, see if there's anything at home, little lady, take a look and see if the family wants it. If they do, don't leave!"
Chen Qi had just bought a few vegetables when she was attracted by the hawking sounds and stopped.
She looked at the juicy oranges on the stall, which were yellow and crowded together, like a bunch of small lanterns, so cute.
“How do you sell these oranges?”
"Madam, these are tangerines that have just been shipped in from the south. They're only 20 wen a pound. There's no other price like this in the whole city. You won't be cheated or fooled!"
When Aunt Zhou heard the price, she curled her lips and whispered a reminder.
"Second Madam, the yellow pears on the stall out front are only five cents a pound, and they're in season!"
Chen Qi ignored him and squatted down.
"Can I try one first?"
"Yes, yes, yes, try before you buy, you will know what is good and what is bad!"
The vendor picked out a tangerine with a slightly broken skin and handed it to Chen Qi.
Chen Qi took it, peeled it, and tasted a petal herself. It was indeed as sweet as honey.
She broke the tangerine in half, handed most of it to Yu Jing, and left the remaining small half for Aunt Zhou to taste.
"Sister-in-law, so sweet!"
"Oh my, these oranges are so expensive, they're almost as expensive as pork. If they're not sweet, they're just robbing people!"
Aunt Zhou still thought it was too expensive. In the past, when she went out with the second wife, she always bought only the cheapest fruits.
Of course, the second wife will buy extra food for her family if she wants to eat it.
When preparing food for outsiders, the more economical the better.
Chen Qi picked out twenty or thirty of them, and the vendor weighed them. "Three pounds and four ounces!"
Chen Qi did not bargain, but asked him to give her an extra orange and two rare good fruits, and gave them all to Yu Jing to eat.
Yu Jing smiled happily. It was rare for her to be openly favored like this at home.
Aunt Zhou watched as dozens of copper coins went out of her pocket. She opened her mouth several times but said nothing.
This newly married second wife is young after all, and unlike the second wife, she is always frugal.
Chen Qi walked along the way, buying fruits and vegetables from east to west. After just one round, she had bought a lot of things.
A large, fat, slaughtered chicken, a live fish, a long strip of pork belly, thirty or forty eggs, a handful of juicy, tender celery, a handful of yellow chives, a basket of edamame, two or three sections of fresh lotus root, and twenty or thirty oranges...
After buying all these things one by one, the three of them could hardly hold them all. It was definitely more than Second Aunt usually bought.
Aunt Zhou was holding a big fat chicken in one hand and a big live fish jumping around in the other, and she couldn't help but give a reminder.
"Second Madam, you have to buy something and keep a record of it! If you buy it without thinking, your account book won't be clear in the future."
Chen Qi smiled and said, "That's right, we have to keep a good record of this!"
But until he returned to the backyard, he never took out the account book to look at it once, and didn't make a single entry in it.
Aunt Zhou kept muttering to herself, this Second Madam is still young...
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