Chapter 33: Street Hawking

“I saw Big Sister Er’ya.  A man about her father’s age was leading her. Her eyes were dull, and her whole body was so thin, she didn’t weigh two liang.”

Xie Jiu’er spoke, recalling the man pulling her like livestock: “Hurry up, watch your belly. If you don’t give birth to a son, I’ll beat you to death.”

Zhou shi paused: “Your uncle is really no good, treating his own daughter like that. Even if she’s getting married, she should find someone around her age. How can he sell her to someone who could be her father?”

Xie Jiu’er felt that things weren’t that simple.  Based on her understanding of Xie Laoda, if she had truly been married off, that would have been considered good.  The man being much older than Er’ya was one thing.

The key was that he didn’t treat Er’ya like a person. In ordinary families, no matter how low a wife’s status, she wouldn’t be led by a rope like a beast!

The bun filling was almost ready. Zhou shi mixed the dough, waiting for it to rise before making the buns. Xie Jiu’er showed Zhou shi how to make one and went to the Zhu residence to work.

The Spring Festival had passed, and the market was gradually becoming lively. There were more and more people doing business in the streets, and many young girls, with straws in their hair, stood on the roadside, looking bewildered, led by adults.

Looking at the unfamiliar faces in the streets, the young children clung to the adults behind them in complete dependence. However, she didn’t know that the people she relied on were going to sell her to buy food to feed the rest of the family.

Xie Jiu’er looked at those pitiful faces and shook her head. She was powerless. In this era, and under these circumstances, adults selling their children wasn’t unusual.  Moreover, she herself was struggling to survive, and didn’t have the ability to help others.

Xie Jiu’er finished cooking at the Zhu residence at noon. On her way back, she saw Zhou shi standing on the street selling buns from a basket: “Mother, how is it going? Are you selling any?”

Zhou shi shook her purse: “I’ve been out for almost an hour, and only sold four buns. Someone just asked, but they touched the buns and they were cold, so they didn’t buy them.”

“This won’t work. We need to make a stove so the buns stay warm.  It’s freezing cold, people who spend money to buy food want it to be hot, especially when there are other people selling buns and steamed buns.”

Xie Jiu’er said, preparing to take Zhou shi home.

Speaking of steamed buns, Zhou shi was a little dejected: “These days, steamed buns are more practical than buns. People sell steamed buns for eight copper coins, and our buns are also eight copper coins. Many people prefer steamed buns.”

Xie Jiu’er shook her head: “That’s not it. Most people probably think our buns are just worthless wild vegetables without any oil, so they choose steamed buns. But ours have wild boar oil and meat scraps, and they are more filling.  Over time, once our reputation spreads, it will be better.  Let’s first find a way to make a stove and sell them in a fixed location every day. That should be better.”

After inquiring, she found out that ironware was expensive, especially stoves. They needed a lot of iron, and a stove cost several taels of silver.  With their current situation, they couldn’t afford it.

Xie Jiu’er felt defeated.  It seemed that they were indeed too poor. They didn’t have the capital to do anything.  This time, Zhou shi didn’t think so.

“Mother thinks we can’t be out selling all day. People eat at mealtimes!  In the future, Mother will steam the buns before mealtimes, and we’ll make a small quilt for the basket, so the buns won’t get cold so quickly.”

Xie Jiu’er’s eyes lit up: “That’s right! Our business might be bad because of the timing.  In the future, we’ll make fewer buns each day and sell them for one or two hours.”

Zhou shi nodded: “That makes sense.”

That day, after Zhou shi returned home, she steamed the remaining buns before mealtimes and took them out to sell.  In the end, she had six left, which she took home. She and Wu Yang made porridge, each having three buns, eating their fill.  Xie Jiu’er ate better at the Zhu residence than at home. Of the three, she was the one with the best complexion.

When Xie Jiu’er returned home in the evening, Zhou shi was already sewing a small quilt: “Mother, how did the buns sell today?”

Zhou shi looked up: “Not bad. I made thirty today and sold twenty-four, for one hundred and forty-four copper coins. Forty wen has become this cotton.”

Xie Jiu’er hugged her neck: “You’re fast! My mother is amazing.”

Zhou shi chuckled: “You’re exaggerating.  I’m just an ordinary country woman.”

Xie Jiu’er teasingly clicked her tongue: “My mother never did business before. Today, she went out to earn money by herself.  She’s amazing!”

Zhou shi finished sewing the small quilt, placing it in the basket to check the fit: “Tomorrow, I plan to make both steamed buns and buns. Today, several people wanted to buy steamed buns. I told them the buns had a little minced meat and lard, and they didn’t want them, saying steamed buns were more substantial.”

Wu Yang, imitating Xiao Jinyu making bows and arrows, was making his own: “Buns are delicious! Are they stupid?”

Xie Jiu’er burst out laughing: “You’re the stupid one. Our buns aren’t all meat. It’s normal for some people to want steamed buns!”

Wu Yang quickly approached Zhou shi: “There’s only so much meat. If we put it all in, we won’t have any meat to eat! Mother, our buns are better than others. Eight copper coins each is already very cheap.”

Zhou shi patted his head good-naturedly: “You’re worried about not having meat, aren’t you? Don’t worry, Mother knows.  The wild boar your Brother Xiao hunted was huge. We have enough meat and oil to last us a year, even if we put some in every meal.”

Speaking of Xiao Jinyu, Wu Yang was a little downcast: “If Brother Xiao were still here, it would be great. Why did he leave?”

Xie Jiu’er lowered her head: “Brother Xiao is different from us. He wasn’t from our world. If we’re destined, maybe we’ll see him again, but he won’t come to our house again.”

Wu Yang looked up expectantly: “Will we really see him again? I haven’t learned how to hunt yet, and he left.”

Xie Jiu’er nodded vaguely: “Probably.”

That Golden Thigh, gone without a trace. Sigh.

The next morning, Zhou shi went out on time, hawking buns and steamed buns. She steamed two pots in the large iron pot. By evening, there were three steamed buns and two buns left.

That evening, after Xie Jiu’er finished work and returned home, the three of them calculated their day’s earnings. Zhou shi spread the copper coins on the table: “We didn’t use half the flour in the bag.  Adding yesterday’s one hundred and forty wen, we earned three hundred and sixty wen in two days.”