Chapter 197 Big Bazaar
"Mr. Li, are you home? I need to ask you for a favor."
The person entered the courtyard as he spoke.
Meng Qingyin followed Li the blacksmith to the front yard and found that the person who came was actually Aunt Wang—the one who raised chickens.
Aunt Wang, carrying two large, plump, cleaned chickens, said to Li the blacksmith, "Master Li, I'd like to order a batch of sickles from you. Could you perhaps find some time to have them made for me?"
“You know I don’t easily make farm tools for villagers,” Li the blacksmith said with a troubled look. “But our two families have a good relationship, and since you’ve come all this way, I can’t refuse. So I’ll make an exception and make you a batch of sickles. But you absolutely mustn’t tell anyone about this.”
Aunt Wang quickly assured him, "Brother Li, don't worry. I'm very grateful that you made an exception to help me. How could I let anyone know and make things difficult for you? Don't worry, I'll just tell everyone that I bought it at the market!"
She shoved the chicken into Li the blacksmith's hand, smiling like a flower, "Then thank you for your trouble, Brother Li. This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."
After she left, Meng Qingyin asked in confusion, "Master, why didn't you help the village make farm tools?"
Li the blacksmith said helplessly, "I'm so busy taking orders for weapons from other people, how can I have time to make farm tools for them? If they need farm tools, they can just buy them directly. Besides, we're all from the same village, so it's hard to set a price. If I charge too much, the villagers will think I'm making a fortune off them; if I charge too little, I'll be losing out on my craft. So I've simply stopped making farm tools for the villagers."
Meng Qingyin nodded, "We're all from the same village, so charging fees is indeed a problem."
Li the blacksmith suddenly said, "By the way, your forging concepts and techniques are now perfect. You can practice by forging farm tools. Once you're skilled, you'll be ready to graduate."
Meng Qingyin hesitated, "But I don't know how to make farm tools... and besides, would anyone buy the farm tools I make?"
“Making farm tools is very simple. With your aptitude, you’ll learn it in no time. I taught you personally, so the farm tools you make will definitely be in high demand. How could no one buy them? If you set up a stall at the market, you’ll definitely sell out quickly,” Li the blacksmith paused, “However, if you want to set up a stall at the market, you need to get a stall permit first. If you don’t have a stall permit, it will be very troublesome if you are caught.”
"You need a stall permit?" Meng Qingyin suddenly became very curious about Li the blacksmith and his family's lives. "So you usually go to the market to buy daily necessities and food?"
Li the blacksmith: "Well, some people raise chickens and ducks at home, but they have to go to the market to buy daily necessities and agricultural equipment."
Meng Qingyin: "Where is the market? How often is it held? Master, could you take me there?"
Li the blacksmith readily agreed: "Sure, I'll take you to the next market. The new market starts in two days. Speaking of markets, they vary in size. Some are smaller and open more frequently, while others are larger and open more frequently. Of course, larger markets have more goods."
Meng Qingyin: "Will the market two days from now be small-scale or large-scale?"
Li the blacksmith chuckled: "It's a big market, held only once a month. All sorts of traders come to trade, it's very lively. If you're lucky, you can even buy some very rare items at the market, of course, provided you have enough money or something that interests them."
Meng Qingyin pressed further, "What are the traders interested in?"
Li the blacksmith: "I don't know about that. Every trader is interested in different things."
Meng Qingyin returned to the initial topic: "What about the stall permit?"
Li the blacksmith: "I'll try to find some connections and see if I can get it done for you."
Meng Qingyin smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."
She became increasingly interested in the "big market" her master had mentioned.
“Master, would you please take me to see it in a couple of days?”
Li the blacksmith readily agreed and then went to the kitchen to get busy.
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