The elderly couple didn't have much money to begin with. The house repair cost them a hundred yuan, and afterwards, they bought grain, meat, and vegetables by exchanging items from Xiaojiu. Sometimes it was gold and silver, sometimes copper coins, silver dollars, jade, and agate. There were many kinds, and she let the couple estimate the value of everything. They were all roughly the same, and she didn't care.
Over time, the elderly couple got used to it and started asking directly, "Can I exchange this for something else?"
Xiao Jiu has been giving them all raw grains from the caves lately, so she feels like she's getting a good deal no matter what they give her.
If it were meat and eggs, she might think about it seriously for a while; as long as it was raw food, it was entirely up to her mood.
She didn't know how much stuff the elderly couple still had, but it wasn't just them exchanging things; old friends would also bring their things to exchange, which saved her the trouble of going out again.
She hadn't estimated how much money she had now. After all, she had so much gold and silver jewelry, antiques and paintings, as well as stamps, Moutai liquor, and other lesser-known liquors that she bought every year. As long as they were made from pure grains and she had the coupons, she would buy them and hoard them whenever she came across them.
After returning home for winter break, considering that most of the family members were still at work, only Tao An, Cui Lan, and Cui Feng were left at home.
The task of preparing for the New Year was assigned to the four of them.
Every year around this time, the black market becomes unusually active, which also means increased risk.
Considering that her sisters knew a little about the inside story, and she hadn't revealed anything to the Tao family, she simply let Tao An stay at home to take care of her grandparents.
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the three sisters pulled a cart to a New Year's market that hadn't been held for several years. It was held in their town of Donghua, and people from at least four surrounding production teams came to set up stalls and sell their wares. It was a one-day event, and they couldn't exchange money; they could only trade.
It seems like things are more relaxed, but money can't be mentioned. Negotiations are based on the value of the items being exchanged, which is very troublesome.
For example, if we're talking about the price of a rattan basket woven by an artisan, it's only a few cents. How can you exchange it?
Eggs, duck eggs, and agricultural products became common forms of exchange.
After the cabbages, radishes, pumpkins, and winter melons planted in winter were harvested, they were stored in their own cellars, and some were pickled into salted vegetables.
This year, no one in their family made pickled vegetables, so they didn't make soybean paste, or even spicy cabbage, pickled cabbage, or spicy radish.
All the vegetables harvested in the summer were destroyed by the flood, and there are no dried vegetables left. In terms of barrenness, it is no less severe than last year.
The floods caused a reduction in vegetable production for every household, and the cabbages that were replanted later did not form good heads. If Sister Cuihong and she hadn't harvested all the vegetables in their yard before leaving, the losses would have been even greater.
Even so, the radishes and cabbages in the field were growing very poorly before the first frost.
The spinach and garlic planted later on looked like they were never meant to be eaten.
"What can we exchange this for?"
The three sisters looked inside and out several times, but couldn't find anything they could redeem.
The things that are readily available are not worth much money.
If you ask Xiao Jiu to take out the supplies from her space to sell or trade, she's not stupid; she still wants to keep those things for herself.
She doesn't lack money.
She became reluctant to leave once she saw some Chinese herbal medicines collected by mountain farmers.
"I heard from my fourth sister that she bought a bunch of stuff on the black market before for one dollar. But that was the black market. We don't talk about money here. Ask him what you want in exchange."
There are many kinds of medicinal herbs, which are common Chinese herbal medicines found along rural roadsides and in the mountains. Those who know how to prepare them will sort and process them at home, while those who don't will just see them as a pile of useless weeds.
With a quick glance, Xiao Jiu spotted common medicinal herbs or wild vegetables such as datura, oleander, nettle, black nightshade, wild mint, and selfheal. Each one was neatly categorized and individually packaged in a cloth bag, each plant clean and exuding a rich medicinal aroma.
Xiao Jiu was pleased with the man's knowledge, so he squatted down and asked in a low voice, "Sir, how would you like to exchange all of these?"
The old man, with a pipe dangling from his lips, slowly and deliberately sized her up before exhaling a smoke ring and speaking unhurriedly.
Do you know what all of these are?
"That's natural. For example, this plant called cocklebur has the function of dispelling wind and dampness and clearing the nasal passages. It is used for wind-cold headache, nasal congestion and runny nose, wind rash and itching, and dampness-induced pain and cramps."
There's also this herb called plantain, which clears heat from the bladder, benefits kidney qi, and prevents kidney stones.
Honeysuckle is used to treat respiratory infections, headaches, sore throats, and other ailments…
To prove he wasn't buying them to cause harm, Xiao Jiu casually named a few medicinal herbs and accurately stated their main effects. After listening, the old man nodded thoughtfully, then casually pointed at the foxtail grass with his pipe: "Is this also a medicine?"
Xiao Jiu laughed and said, "Of course, it removes heat, eliminates dampness, and reduces swelling. It treats boils, sores, and red eyes. It also dispels wind, improves eyesight, clears heat, and promotes urination."
It is used for wind-heat type common cold, trachoma, red and painful eyes, jaundice, hepatitis, and difficulty urinating; externally, it is used to treat cervical lymph node tuberculosis.
The old man, surprised and disbelieving, pointed to the most common plant in their rural area: "What about this?"
"This is called Erigeron breviscapus, and it is paired with Solanum nigrum. Its function is to induce sweating and relieve exterior syndromes. It is mainly used for febrile diseases."
When Xiao Jiu pointed to the morning glory, she quickly said it.
"It has the effects of purging, diuresis, reducing swelling, and expelling parasites. It is mainly used to treat edema of the limbs, edema of nephritis, ascites due to cirrhosis, constipation, abdominal pain due to intestinal parasites, etc."
“Not bad, you’re not old, but you can remember the medicinal effects and indications of each medicine. That’s not easy. Give me ten eggs. These thirty-odd kinds of medicinal herbs weigh about twenty pounds in total, including these bags. I’ll give them all to you.”
Xiao Jiu was shocked by the weight and variety of these medicinal herbs. Ten eggs, though, were not overpriced; he was a genuine person.
These days, it's hard to buy an egg for even a penny; on average, it costs three or four cents, or even five cents.
Xiao Jiu readily agreed to the price and brought it over shortly after. The old man opened the cloth bag and counted the eggs carefully. When he saw the two largest goose eggs, his expression did not change, but he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
"This is a remedy I know for treating rhinitis; I'm giving it to you."
As the old man spoke, he stood up, carefully placed the eggs into the basket on his back, and then, with his load on his back, waved goodbye to her.
Cui Lan and Cui Feng looked at Xiao Jiu with some confusion: "We can also get these medicinal herbs that you bought. I feel like I'm losing out."
Xiao Jiu, however, dismissed the matter and carried the medicinal herbs onto the cart.
"Some medicinal herbs are readily available, but who has the time to classify and prepare them?"
I think this old man is quite something; he seems like a wise and sage recluse.
Look, he's still wearing a worn-out cotton coat with a slanted front, and there are hiking sticks in his basket; I guess he came down from the mountain.”
Transforming something of low value into a valuable medicinal herb is something only experts can do. Xiao Jiu may not have the time, but if she didn't have a cheat code, she might try it too. Exchanging medicinal herbs for daily necessities is not a bad way out.
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