Chapter 15: Buying Dolantin, Selling Seasonal Vegetables

Xiaomei carried two bags, and the chickens inside were still alive. By the time she hurried to the boxed meal shop, it was already past 10:30.

The shop was getting busy, frying, sautéing, cooking, steaming — several people bustling but orderly, full of energy.

Seeing Xiaomei panting from exhaustion, Zhou Huifang quickly took her bags, “Oh my, that’s heavy.”

Then she looked closer, “Ah! The chickens are still alive?!”

Who still buys live chickens nowadays? There aren’t any butchers in the market now. People their age still know how to kill chickens, but younger ones don’t even dare to catch live chickens, let alone slaughter them.

“Zhou Xing, call your sister to take the chickens,” Zhou Xing was the son of her uncle, two years older than her.

Zhou Xing’s sister had just had a grandson and was looking everywhere for farm chickens to nourish her daughter-in-law. Because Zhou Huifang was well-known, and rural elders often came to their neighborhood to sell vegetables, she asked Zhou Huifang to keep an eye out.

“I’ll call my dad; my sister probably doesn’t have time to come get them,” Zhou Xing made a call and arranged for someone to come pick them up soon.

They didn’t dare keep the chickens in the boxed meal shop for long, fearing health issues that might scare customers away.

Zhou Huifang gave Xiaomei 600 yuan. “Xiaomei, thank you so much for solving a big problem. Next time you have chickens, just bring them over — I’ll take as many as you have. There are many people asking, and eggs too — the more the better. This is payment for two chickens; keep it.”

Xiaomei waved her hand, “Auntie, my grandma said one chicken is a gift for you, and these vegetables are also for you. It’s still early in the season, so only a few kinds have grown at home — Malantou, goji tops, and Chinese toon. Grandma picked the tender ones; please don’t mind. The other chicken, grandma said to sell it for 250 yuan.”

Zhou Huifang loved these seasonal vegetables, especially Malantou mixed with dried tofu and Chinese toon scrambled with eggs. Hearing this, she was overjoyed. “Great! Tonight I’ll cook the Chinese toon with the eggs you brought — just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Xiao Mei, please thank your grandma for me. These seasonal veggies sell for more than ten yuan a jin — so expensive. And as for the chicken and eggs, just take the price I said. You know, these things have value but no market — even with money, they can’t be bought. I took the chicken grandma gave me; you keep the money for the other chicken.” She handed Xiaomei 300 yuan.

Xiaomei thought for a moment but shook her head, “Auntie, I still need your help. My grandma wrote a letter to you.” Then she took out a letter from Grandma Wang addressed to Zhou Huifang.

When Grandma Wang was young, she learned a few characters following her employer’s daughter, but they were traditional Chinese characters. Later she attended literacy classes and learned some simplified characters with her son. Although the letter still had many traditional characters, Zhou Huifang could mostly understand it. “It says you want to buy Dolantin? Your grandmother needs this injection now?”

Xiaomei’s face fell. “Grandma is in unbearable pain when she doesn’t get the injection. After the shot, she feels dizzy and dazed.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

Zhou Huifang comfortingly hugged Xiaomei. “Good child, don’t be sad. Your grandma knows you’re so devoted; she will surely get better.”

“Auntie,” Xiaomei timidly and hopefully asked, “Can the doctors here cure my grandma’s illness?”

“Hmm?” Zhou Huifang was surprised. “Weren’t you at the hospital with your parents the day before yesterday? Which hospital is your grandma in?” She always thought the grandma was admitted to the nearby Red Cross Hospital.

Oh no, is the truth about to come out?

Xiaomei nervously swallowed. “It’s called the First Hospital.”

“Oh, that’s quite far from here. You’re good at finding your way alone.” Zhou Huifang suddenly understood and patted Xiaomei’s shoulder to comfort her. “Your parents are right. When someone has cancer, family should care a lot, to keep her mood up. Also, work hard to extend life and ease pain. Listen more to your parents and grandma. That’s being a good granddaughter.”

“I will. Later, I’m going to buy some good rice to make porridge for grandma, and some noodles. I saw dry noodles in the market.” Xiaomei said.

“All right, you go do your things. I’ll be busy trying to get the Dolantin injection this afternoon. I won’t accompany you to buy rice and noodles. Can you manage alone? Here’s 100 yuan; I’ll keep 200 for now.”

“Auntie, I can do it. I have money; this should be enough for rice and noodles. After buying, I’ll go straight home.”

After saying goodbye to Zhou Huifang, Xiaomei went to the market, spent 6 yuan on a jin of Northeast fragrant rice, then 3 yuan on wet noodles, which she could dry at home. She only had a bit more than 4 yuan left in her pocket.

After buying the supplies, Xiao Mei went straight home. She planned to come sell vegetables in the evening.

She needed to make money here, then buy things to bring home for grandma and the family — food and clothes and necessities.

In the afternoon, Zhou Huifang saw Xiaomei setting up a stall in front of the garage in their community.

Next to her was a straw bag filled with chives, Malantou, Chinese toon, goji tops, and a bunch of “chicken feather” vegetables.

This time Xiaomei came well-prepared, even bringing a small stool and a scale, selling in a professional manner.

Everything was uniformly priced at 10 yuan per jin, much cheaper than the old folks nearby, so many people bought from her.

Though she attracted many jealous looks, the little girl didn’t notice and kept busy weighing and collecting money.

She didn’t have plastic bags, so after weighing, she tied the vegetables with straw and handed them directly to customers — one hand gave money, the other received goods.

Despite the neighborhood being a relocated urban-rural fringe community, the residents were actually of a decent social class. Many wouldn’t want to move because it was convenient.

Many people appreciated Xiaomei’s straw-wrapped vegetables, thinking it environmentally friendly and silently praising her.

Zhou Huifang noticed her store had many plastic bags, so she brought some over and gave them to Xiao Mei, then stood by to watch her sell, feeling a bit emotional — poor kids grow up fast.

Among the vegetables, Malantou was the most, though big ones were fewer; all were very clean without dirt.

What Zhou Huifang didn’t know was that Grandma Wang had spent an entire morning picking Malantou. Poor thing was guarding a few rose bushes, almost plucking all the Malantou bare.

Soon, all the vegetables Xiaomei brought were sold out.

Zhou Huifang took the small stool, scale, and straw bag, then pulled Xiaomei’s hand over to an old man. “Xiaomei, call him Grandpa Zhou,” she instructed.

Though confused, Xiaomei obediently greeted, “Hello Grandpa Zhou.”

“Uncle, this is my relative. Her vegetables are all natural. From now on, she’ll sell vegetables here. Please look after her. Xiaomei, for prices, ask Grandpa Zhou. He’s my cousin, worthy of your respect.”

Xiaomei was clever; she knew her prices were a bit low, taking business from others, so she embarrassedly bowed to Grandpa Zhou, “Sorry Grandpa Zhou, I don’t know the rules. Please forgive me. I’ll listen to you when selling from now on. Please explain to the others so I won’t make the same mistake again.”

The little pink-faced girl looked so earnest that everyone felt a little shy. Thinking about their own kids, who were either eating, playing, or going to do those things, they admired this little girl who already knew to earn money to help the family at such a young age.

Grandpa Zhou waved his big hand, “No big deal. From now on, you set up your stall next to me. You all move over a bit. Anything edible from your home can be sold here — like pumpkins, potatoes, tea leaves, snails, small fish, dried fish, dried shrimp, eggs of chicken, duck, goose, etc. You just need to pay a small management fee, 50 cents a day. You can sell twice a day, morning and afternoon. You can pay the auntie over there; she keeps the accounts. Since it’s your first day, don’t pay today. Remember to pay next time.”

“Okay, I’ll prepare change for her. Uncle, aunts, uncles, please take care of Xiaomei from now on. We’re leaving.” Zhou Huifang said, pulling Xiaomei to the boxed meal shop.

Inside, Zhou Huifang poured a glass of water for Xiaomei and asked, “Why did you decide to sell vegetables?”

“Our family really lacks money. Grandma’s medical bills are so high. Grandma said we’ll repay it with my uncle’s family, and if anything happens to grandma, there will be many expenses.”

“Don’t you go to school? Why would your family let you do something so harmful? Why aren’t the adults selling vegetables?”

Isn’t this what adults should worry about?

“Grandma has housework, takes care of my little brother, and stays with grandma. Mom can’t take leave from work. Dad can’t leave and has to care for grandma. I know how to read; Dad teaches me whenever he’s free.” The market is next to a kindergarten where kids go to school very young. Xiaomei dared not say that kids in her place only start school at eight years old, or she’d be exposed.

Hearing this, Zhou Huifang thought: It’s one family. The elderly are at home; the son and daughter-in-law work and can’t take leave, so the granddaughter skips school to sell vegetables.

There’s a patient at home — understandable, but she still felt sorry for the little girl.

At six years old, starting elementary school, Xiaomei should be in second grade.