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“Grandma, I understand now. Are you saying that we can take things from our side—like those vegetables, eggs, chickens—and sell them over there, then buy things we need from that side and bring them back to sell here? That way, we can earn money and pay off the hospital debt.”
Xiaomei was a smart child. The moment Grandma hinted at it, she immediately connected it to the idea of using the modern world to do some trading.
Granny Wang felt comforted—her little granddaughter was clever and sharp, quickly understanding her true intentions.
Thinking that both families’ hopes of rising out of poverty rested on such small shoulders made her heart ache. She gently patted Xiaomei’s cheek. “Good girl, but Grandma hasn’t finished explaining.”
“Trading for rice actually comes with a lot of risks. In Shanghai, there are patrols that crack down on illegal speculation. If they catch you during a strict period, they’ll confiscate your grain, and you might even be locked up. If you go to Changmen, the people from other regions are very united. They’ve done heavy labor for years and are incredibly strong. Several times, our rice didn’t make it back.”
“And then there’s the journey itself. Going there is fine—your boat is mostly empty. But on the return trip, it’s loaded with both trash and rice. If you overload and encounter strong winds, something big could happen.”
“Years ago, three strong men from Team Six went to collect trash and trade for rice. On their way back, a storm hit. The boat was overloaded, low in the water. When the wind blew, water rushed in. Unfortunately, that stretch of river was deep and wide, with no villages nearby.”
“What happened then?” Xiaomei asked nervously.
Grandma sighed. “Those three men were from Chunmei’s family, Baoying’s family, and Hanquan’s family.”
These were children about the same age as Xiaomei, kids she usually played with.
“Chunmei’s mother is raising three kids on her own now. Their father drowned in that incident—actually, he froze to death. Baoying’s current father is actually her uncle. Her real father died in that same accident.”
“Hanquan’s father was luckier. He clung to a wooden plank. The rescuers said he was completely frozen, like a shoe pad on a plank—stiff and numb. When they poked the board with a bamboo pole, it nearly tipped him into the water. Luckily, one of the rescuers had quick reflexes and saved him.”
“He survived, but he suffered. Every winter now, he coughs and can’t farm or leave the house. His family spent a fortune saving him. At the time, they borrowed money from nearly the whole village. I doubt they’ve finished repaying it.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma,” Xiaomei said sweetly. “I’ll be extra careful. If anything gets dangerous, I’ll drop everything and run to a crowded place. And you don’t know this, but over there, you’re allowed to do business as long as it’s in a designated area and prices are regulated.”
“I won’t get in trouble on the way either. When I count to three—whoosh—I’ll be there. If anything happens, I’ll find Auntie Zhou. She really seems to like me. Also, selling vegetables is easy as long as I pay the stall fee and listen to Grandpa Zhou. Everything should be fine.”
“That Auntie Zhou sounds like a kindhearted and generous person. You can count on her. Don’t worry, Grandma won’t let her suffer any loss,” Granny Wang advised.
From what Xiaomei said, Auntie Zhou seemed to be someone who burned incense and prayed. That kind of behavior was banned here as superstitious. But forty years into the future, the world had clearly changed. Granny Wang had seen a lot in her time—she could understand.
The two chatted for half the night, discussing every possibility and figuring out solutions before finally falling into a deep sleep.
—-
Granny Wang visited Hai Jun’s home. His mother, Yang Qiaozhen, was cooking porridge. She had delivered two hens to Granny Wang the day before, and they’d already settled the payment. Seeing Granny Wang so early, she was startled and asked, “Auntie, what’s wrong? Is something wrong with the chickens?”
“No, I just checked them—they’re fine. I’m actually here to talk business. My family needs more chickens. Do you have any hens you can sell? I’ll pay 2.5 yuan each. No roosters. Also, I’ll need some eggs at the same price as before—5 cents each.”
Yang Qiaozhen thought for a moment. “Auntie, those hens are laying eggs. Yesterday we agreed on 3 yuan each. 2.5 yuan is a bit low.”
“I’m buying a lot. If you’ve got them, I’ll take them all, so the price has to go down a bit,” Granny Wang replied, not easily swayed.
After bargaining, they settled at 2.8 yuan per hen. Eggs remained at 5 cents each.
“I also have a favor to ask. My goddaughter loves our farm produce. I remember there are a lot of wild greens near your family’s peach grove—things like Indian aster, wolfberry shoots, and Chinese toon. Could you have your daughter pick some for me? I’ll pay 1 cent per jin (500g), but only for tender shoots. Also, if you have any dried fish, I’ll take that too.”
“Auntie, do you want a softshell turtle?” Yang Qiaozhen whispered. “Hai Jun’s father caught one yesterday, over 3 jin. I’ll sell it to you for 8 yuan.”
“6 yuan!” Granny Wang said firmly. “And I’ll only pay you after I sell it.”
“Deal,” said Yang Qiaozhen. Her target price had been 5 yuan, so 6 was already a win.
Granny Wang continued, “Those greens won’t last long. In a few days, they’ll get tough. I’ll send my granddaughters Peiying, Er Ya, and San Ya to pick some too. For what your daughter picks, I’ll pay 1 cent per jin. For what my girls pick, I’ll give you 1 cent for 3 jin. Same rate for other vegetables—deal?”
Yang Qiaozhen calculated—1 cent per jin for the easy-to-pick greens was decent, especially since they were wild and free. If she gathered 50 jin a day, that was 50 cents—worth 10 eggs. She eagerly agreed.
“Sure thing! I’ll get the girls to pick today. Even Hai Jun’s dad will help.”
“Drop it off at my house around 2 p.m. I’ll weigh it in front of the girls. Don’t worry—I won’t cheat them.”
“Of course not, Auntie! Tonight I’ll go to the peach grove to get the turtle, chickens, and eggs, and bring them to you right away.”
“Great. I’ll wait at home tonight. Oh, by the way—it’s peach resin harvesting season, right? I want some. I’ll pay 5 cents per jin.”
Peach resin was a good product. Granny Wang had eaten it in Shanghai when she was young—her employers treated it like a health supplement.
To Yang Qiaozhen, this was a great deal. Peach resin was dense and heavy; even a little could earn decent money. 5 cents per jin was easy profit.
Both parties were satisfied and went on their way.
—-
Back at home, Xiaomei’s mother, Gu Hua’e, was cooking porridge. Some flatbread from yesterday remained. The household had two pots—one for porridge, one for reheating flatbread.
Flatbread was easy to reheat—just stick it to the wall of the pot over a low flame. Soon, the fragrant smell would fill the air.
“Mom, did you go out just now? I’ll head back soon—I have to work. Peigen is at my mom’s. You’ll have to watch him. Bring him some food later, okay?” Gu Hua’e greeted her mother-in-law.
“Got it. How’s your mom? Did she manage to eat anything?” Granny Wang was on duty today to watch the sick mother.
“Same as always—she was in pain all night. Only fell asleep after a shot. She drank a little porridge and ate a soft egg custard. She wouldn’t drink the milk—said it smelled too fishy.”
Xiaomei chimed in, “I heard if you boil milk with tea leaves and strain them out, it won’t taste fishy.”
“Xiaomei, finish washing up and eat breakfast. Then bring food to your dad. Grandma’s heading to your aunt’s place and will come relieve you later,” Granny Wang instructed.
“What about my little brother?” Xiaomei asked.
“Let him sleep. Your dad will be back soon to wash up—he can take him along.”
After a hurried breakfast, everyone scattered to start another busy day.