Chapter 21: The Mountain Fair

The scale of the mountain fair was unmatched by any market.

Smaller villages didn’t have mountain fairs. Only larger villages in a town would host such a large-scale event.

Generally, there were only two fairs a year, one in the first half and one in the second half.

Some were held in spring and at the end of the year, others in February and October; the timing was not fixed.

Mountain fairs all had a long history, stretching back so far that their origins were untraceable.

The goods at the mountain fair were incredibly comprehensive. Almost anything villagers needed could be bought there: various snacks, sweets, candies, vegetables, seasonal fruits, clothing, shoes, hats, farm tools, furniture, chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep—everything imaginable.

At the spring mountain fair, farmers would prepare for the year’s labor.

Along the way, they encountered many acquaintances, and Hua Youcai kept greeting people.

“Going to the mountain fair?”

“Oh, you’re up pretty early.”

“Our ox cart is slow; it’s not as fast as your bicycles.”

…

They parked their cart in a designated area with attendants for safekeeping. It was secure; nothing would get lost. They just needed to show their numbered tag when they returned.

The three parked their cart and slowly wandered into the crowd, buying what they needed.

Almost every stall was surrounded by a crowd; everywhere, there were sounds of asking prices and haggling.

There were the deep voices of peasant farmers and the high-pitched voices of older women.

“How much is this?”

“Can you lower the price?”

“What’s the lowest price? Give me a fair price.”

“I really want to buy it…”

The crowd was immense; people jostled shoulder to shoulder.

Hua Youcai went around all the farm tool stalls, asking prices and comparing before choosing the most suitable one.

Hua Yuanyuan and Hua Fangfang followed their father, avoiding getting separated in the large crowd.

After careful selection, Hua Youcai bought a hoe, a shovel, and a small trowel. Carrying these made it difficult to navigate the crowd, and he had to be careful not to bump into anyone.

Not far ahead, a stall selling woven goods caught Hua Yuanyuan’s attention.

“Dad, how about that vegetable basket?”

“Dad, what about that basket? Should we buy a large one or a small one?”

“Dad, how many should we buy?”

“Dad, do they sell these at the regular market?”

…

They did sell them at the regular market; these vendors also sold their goods at the regular markets.

Her daughter’s vegetable patch hadn’t even been seen yet, and they’d already spent a considerable amount on preparations.

In the end, they bought everything her daughter pointed out.

Hua Yuanyuan wanted to buy many baskets and containers, but her father refused, saying he could weave them himself and they shouldn’t waste money.

Most families wove their own baskets for everyday use; there was no need to waste money.

Besides the common acacia baskets, this vendor also had many bamboo products.

They only had finished bamboo products, not bamboo strips.

Hua Yuanyuan knew that the simplest type of support for building a greenhouse was made of bamboo strips.

She assigned this task to her father. “Dad, ask if they sell bamboo strips; we need them for the greenhouse.”

Hua Youcai had bought so many things that the vendor, a couple around his age, trusted him.

“Brother, do you sell bamboo?”

The vendor had never encountered anyone buying bamboo before, but they did have some at home.

They could sell it; the price just had to be right.

A successful transaction requires mutual benefit.

One wanted to buy, the other wanted to make money.

They quickly reached an agreement: they would go to their house tomorrow afternoon to inspect the goods and buy them if they were suitable.

The vendor’s house was in another town, about an hour’s bicycle ride away.

They first put their things at Uncle Wang’s stall before continuing to browse.

Uncle Wang and his wife, Aunt Wang, also had a stall at the mountain fair.

Their business was surprisingly good.

Villagers coming to the fair would leave their purchases behind the stall if they had a lot of items.

At a cloth stall, Hua Yuanyuan bought a lot of cloth for making duvet covers.

It wasn’t good quality cloth; it was defective.

She also bought undershirts, underpants, and socks…

At a stall specializing in pickles, she saw dried shrimp and kelp shreds and bought a large bag of each.

The kelp shreds were processed and ready to eat; they were thin with a layer of salt and other seasonings on the outside.

…

That day, Hua Yuanyuan’s money disappeared rapidly.

Their family of three didn’t attract much attention; everyone was buying things.

They put their purchases at Uncle Wang’s stall after buying a few things, so they didn’t carry many items at once.

Hua Youcai curiously asked his daughter how much money she had left, as they needed to buy bamboo the next day.

His daughter said she didn’t know and would have to count it at home.

However, after he asked, she stopped buying things.

Hua Yuanyuan didn’t really know how much she had spent or how much she had left.

She was financially independent and didn’t like luxury goods; her daily expenses didn’t require budgeting; she just bought whatever she wanted.

Here, she felt like a little rich woman.

More than two thousand yuan—her monthly salary was only a few tens of yuan. With the current prices, she was considered financially independent.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon, and there were still many people; the mountain fair wouldn’t end until the afternoon.

Hua Yuanyuan bought some baked buns and fried dough sticks, planning to eat them at home.

Hua Youcai and his son went to fetch the cart while Hua Yuanyuan waited at Uncle Wang’s stall.

She saw Uncle Wang and his wife eating while still attending to customers.

Since she had nothing to do, she helped out.

“Uncle, Aunt, sit down and eat; I’ll help with the goods.”

“Alright, thank you, Aunt. We’re old; our arms and legs can’t keep up with the young people.”

Aunt Wang moved her stool back to make some space.

With so many people, there was a lot of buying and even more asking, with constant chatter.

“Two number 1 batteries.”

“Coming right up.”

Hua Yuanyuan quickly found them. There were many items, but they weren’t randomly placed; they were neatly categorized.

Without even asking, Aunt Wang stated the price.

Uncle Wang was eating and couldn’t speak.

When Hua Youcai returned, he saw his daughter busily selling goods; she was quite capable.

She was sweet-tongued and quick-handed.

“Aunt, your prices are clearly marked; fair and honest.”

“Sister, you look so young; your child is already in school.”

…

The timing was perfect; Uncle Wang and his wife had finished eating and helped load the things onto the cart.

The two vegetable baskets were crammed onto the cart seat, the farm tools were placed upright and tied with rope.

Hua Yuanyuan rode with her brother; she had a large cloth bag on each shoulder and another slung over her arm.

She didn’t dare put anything on the front handlebars; her brother’s cycling skills needed improvement.

The three of them went home to eat and organize their purchases.

Everything was put in its place; unused items were stored in Hua Yuanyuan’s locked room.

In the afternoon, Hua Youcai and his son went out to get wood, while Hua Yuanyuan stayed home to count the money.

She didn’t need to calculate precisely; she just lightly counted all the money in her hand.

By seeing how much was left, she could estimate how much she had spent.