Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 19: 19 go to the market

Su Yuanyuan was feeling very conflicted, so it showed on her face.

Hu Chunhua wanted to ask Su Yuanyuan something, and just then she noticed her expression and couldn’t help but chuckle.

”Girl, if you need any little things, just buy them. I’ll send them back for you later.”

”That would be great, Aunt. I feel like I’m lacking in everything.”

”Haha. Alright, then let’s buy them.”

”Aunt, do you think that flat board and cutting board are good?”

The little girl used to use an old, beat-up black board, which she had already burnt because she simply couldn’t muster the courage to use it anymore.

”Let’s go, ask how much it is. If it’s too expensive, we’ll have your uncle carve two for you.”

”Okay, my uncle takes care of everything for me.”

”It’s nothing, it’s just that what he makes isn’t so great. He used to fool me by saying he was a carpenter, but he can’t even smooth a board.”

Su Yuanyuan snickered a little, not expecting that usually serious Yang Minggang had done something like that.

”Local fellow, how much are these boards?”

”Two yuan each, take your pick.”

”Too expensive. You’re selling this piece of wood for two yuan?”

”Sister-in-law, it’s not fair to say that. This board was made from a tree I chopped down and painstakingly carved.”

”Forget it, I won’t buy it, it’s too expensive. We have a planer at home, I’ll carve one myself.”

”Sister-in-law, that takes a lot of effort too, right? If you sincerely want to buy it, I’ll give you one for 1.9 yuan.”

”Two for 2.5 yuan.”

”Sister-in-law, that’s too harsh. That means you’re getting the second one for just five jiao.”

”Brother, just say if you’re selling or not. After all, it’s not a necessity; if it’s suitable, I’ll buy two. Honestly, it’s just some effort on your part, and it’s not like anyone else is buying two at once like me.”

”Sister-in-law, really, it can’t be done. At that price, my wife would beat me at home.”

”Then forget it.” Hu Chunhua truly thought it was optional. If it doesn’t work out, she’d just make one herself, even if it wasn’t as smooth, it could still be used, couldn’t it?

”Sister-in-law, don’t be like that. How about this, three yuan for two pieces, can’t go any lower.”

Hu Chunhua shook her head, ”I’ll take it for 2.5 yuan, not a cent more.”

Su Yuanyuan looked at Hu Chunhua with admiration all over her face, truly amazed. Whether or not she ended up buying it, just the way she haggled was enough to admire.

”Wait, wait, I’ll sell it to you.”

Hu Chunhua turned around. ”Tsk, I don’t want it if you sell it to me.”

Then she squatted down and started picking, explaining to Su Yuanyuan about what kind of wood is good for a flat board, and which is good for a cutting board.

”Sister-in-law, you really know your stuff, don’t you?”

”Of course, otherwise how could I dare say I’ll carve it myself?”

After picking two, Su Yuanyuan noticed the rolling pins, in several models.

”Brother, how much for these rolling pins?”

”Sister-in-law, the biggest is five jiao, medium is three jiao, and the smallest is two jiao.”

”One big and one small. Here’s five jiao, a total of three yuan.”

”Alright, alright, sister-in-law, you’ve got me afraid of you now. But next time, you gotta introduce me to some business, okay?”

”Definitely, you seem like an honest guy. Don’t worry, when I see folks from our village, I’ll spread the word for you. But don’t sell them at a high price.”

”I definitely won’t, definitely won’t.”

Su Yuanyuan laughed as she handed over three yuan, and Hu Chunhua put the boards and rolling pins in the basket.

”Let’s go find your Uncle Pei Lin and leave these with him.”

”Aunt, you’re really amazing.”

”What’s amazing? I’m telling you, you must haggle when buying things.”

”I know, I’ll learn from you.”

They saw a stand selling bamboo covers.

”Aunt, I want to buy two bamboo covers and a big winnow basket.”

”Just buy one winnow basket; you don’t need to buy the bamboo covers. You’ll have time, I can teach you how to weave them, it’s simple.”

”Aunt, you’ll also have to teach me how to use the big basket, cause I don’t know how to winnow.”

”Alright, you’re a good girl, eager to learn everything.

But with your height, it’s better to buy a small one. You wouldn’t be able to handle a big one.”

”I’ll listen to you, Aunt.”

”Old fellow, how much for these baskets?”

”Five yuan for a big one, four yuan for a small one.”

”Old fellow, could you make it cheaper? Your baskets are expensive.”

”Miss, check the quality of these baskets, pick them up, they’re made with good wood.”

”They are good, but the price is too high.”

”If you honestly want to buy, I’ll give you ten jiao off.”

”Haha, then I’ll look around, the vendor I used to buy from should be here today too.”

”Miss, name your price. For the sake of making the first sale.”

”Bro, I’m not fooling around, I want a small basket, two yuan.”

”Really can’t do it. You can look elsewhere; it takes my wife and me a whole day to make one, not to mention the materials. Your price won’t cover it.”

”Bro, then tell me your lowest price. I’ll listen.”

”Lowest is three yuan, not a cent less.”

”Uncle, how about you give us both a big and a small one for six yuan?”

Hu Chunhua didn’t say anything; if this price worked, it was definitely worth it, she had bought them for 4.5 yuan before.

If you take care of a basket, it can last ten to twenty years.

”Really buying two?”

”Yes, if you’ll sell both to us for six yuan, we’ll take a big and a small one.”

”Alright, you’ve got me, I’ll sell them to you. I’m telling you, my baskets won’t last a lifetime, but they won’t break in ten years with normal use.”

Hu Chunhua still did the picking. Su Yuanyuan paid.

Although it only took a while to spend less than ten yuan, she bought a lot of essential stuff.

”Young lady, aren’t you buying the bamboo covers? See how sturdy they’re woven?”

”Bro, that’s not necessary. You’re an honest guy, let me tell you, you could try our village, I think at this price, you’d sell quite a few. As far as I know, several families have been talking about wanting to buy big winnow baskets.”

”Miss. Which village are you from?”

”We’re from Jue Mountain.”

”Thank you, young lady, I’ll go and try in the afternoon.”

”Aunt, you’re really so kind-hearted.”

”Haha, I’ve heard that helping others is helping yourself.”

”I’ll remember that.”

Su Yuanyuan spotted some sweeping brooms and big brooms.

”Have your uncle make them for you at home. It’s no trouble, we’ve got plenty of broomstick straw there.”

”Aunt. You’ve given my uncle a lot of work in this short time.”

”Or else he’d have nothing to do in winter; let him do these tasks instead of idling away doing nothing.”

There were quite a few vendors selling dried vegetables and grains. Su Yuanyuan didn’t want to buy any of those. But she noticed the vendors selling burlap sacks and hemp bags, and Hu Chunhua stopped.