Chapter 7: Selling Meat and Buying Rice

Geng Feng arrived, just like the day before. He was pushing a handcart, with two clay basins on top.

Inside were strips of wild boar meat, each piece carefully cut. A large bamboo cover shielded them, topped with dry grass.

This helped block dust, sunlight, and also shielded the contents from prying eyes in the village. Next to the basins were two balance scales—clearly, one had been brought for Qin Nian.

Qin Nian carried out her basin, and Geng Feng quickly went to help her, placing it on the cart. He covered it with the bamboo lid, topped it again with hay.

Qin Nian smiled. “Let’s go.”

Once a glamorous doctor in her past life, she was now a spirited village girl off to sell wild boar meat.

“Let’s go,” Geng Feng echoed, and began to push the cart. He was strong—the load wasn’t difficult for him at all.

Dawa Village was eighteen li (about 9 km) from the county town. As they chatted along the way, neither of them felt tired. Before long, they arrived at the south gate of the town.

At the gate, a soldier shouted with his neck craned, “Line up to enter! Have your coins ready—three wen per person.

If you’ve got no money, don’t bother coming forward—it’s useless!”

Qin Nian froze. She didn’t have a single coin. She couldn’t even get into the county town.

Geng Feng immediately stepped up. “Xiao Nian, I’ve got money.”

As he spoke, he took six wen out from his chest pocket.

His family only had a bit of savings—this money had come from selling wild pheasants last time. Having been to the county town several times, Geng Feng knew there was an entrance fee.

So he brought money not only for himself, but also three wen for Qin Nian.

Qin Nian felt a little embarrassed. “Geng Feng, once we sell the meat, I’ll pay you back.”

Geng Feng gently shook his head. “No need to be so polite. Getting into town is more important. Let’s sell the meat, buy what we need, and head home early.”

With Geng Feng pushing the cart and Qin Nian following, they paid six wen at the gate and entered the town, heading straight for the largest marketplace.

As they approached, Qin Nian stopped Geng Feng. “How much do you plan to sell our wild boar meat for per jin?”

Geng Feng thought for a moment. “Regular pork used to be twenty wen per jin, but now that it’s a famine year, the price is likely higher.

It’s been a while since I last bought pork—let me go check.”

Qin Nian asked, “Is wild boar meat normally more expensive or cheaper than domestic pork?”

“Usually cheaper. Wild boar meat is tougher and not as flavorful—it’s harder to cook until tender.”

Qin Nian nodded. “Geng Feng, I’ll stay here and watch the cart. You go into the market and ask about pork prices.

Once we know, we can decide how much to sell our meat for.”

“Alright.”

Geng Feng agreed and took off with long strides, disappearing into the market. Before long, he came back at the same speed and told Qin Nian:

“Pork has gone up to thirty wen per jin. What if we price ours at twenty-five?”

Qin Nian nodded. “That works. But let’s not stand together when selling. I’ll pick a spot first, and you stay a little ways off.

When people ask me, I’ll say it’s thirty wen per jin. If they ask you, you say twenty-five. Got it?”

Geng Feng instantly understood her strategy. He looked at the girl in front of him with bright eyes and smiled. “Xiao Nian, you’re really clever.”

Qin Nian smiled too. “This way, your meat will sell quickly, and we won’t have to haggle.

Once you’re sold out, we can bring mine over to your stall and finish selling it fast too.”

After giving him a few more instructions, they entered the market.

Qin Nian picked a spot, unloaded her large clay basin of meat, grabbed the balance scale, and started calling out to attract buyers.

Geng Feng walked a short distance away, left his meat on the cart, and also began calling out.

Their cries quickly drew attention.

Qin Nian looked like a delicate young girl—easy to bully at first glance.

Before long, a flashy, well-dressed man in his fifties strolled over and looked Qin Nian up and down.

“Girl, how much for the wild boar meat per jin?” he asked with a sideways glance.

“Thirty wen per jin,” Qin Nian replied confidently.

“Oh really? Regular pork’s thirty wen, and wild boar’s tougher and less tasty—you’re charging the same?

Can’t you go cheaper? If you can, I’ll buy half a jin to try.”

“Hunting a wild boar is no easy feat. I can’t go lower.”

The man sneered, sizing her up. “You? Hunt a wild boar? Don’t tell such bold lies with your eyes wide open.”

The man shook his head slightly and walked a few steps farther. Then he heard Geng Feng also shouting about selling wild boar meat and casually asked:

“Young man, how much is your wild boar meat per jin?”

“Twenty-five wen. The wild boar was hunted just yesterday. Spring is the best time to eat this—it’s very nourishing.

If not for the ongoing famine and how tough life is at home, I wouldn’t sell a single jin. I’d keep it all for myself.”

That last part was something Qin Nian had just taught Geng Feng to say.

“Nourishing, huh?”

The man blinked a few times, curiosity piqued. He stopped and leaned over to look into the clay basin.

“Yup. Spring wild boar—men who eat it get stronger.”

That line was Geng Feng’s own addition, not something Qin Nian had taught him.

A lewd smile crept over the man’s face. “Young man, you’re saying men get stronger from eating this? Strong at what?

Have you tried it yourself?”

Geng Feng’s face flushed a bit. Worried Qin Nian might hear from not far off, he lowered his voice and mumbled:

“Strong at everything. I haven’t tried it, but someone in our village did.”

“Good! Very good!”

The man was delighted. “I’ll take two jin to try. If it really works, I’ll buy wild boar meat every day.

I’ve got one wife and two concubines at home—not lacking anything except strength. Hurry and pick me two good pieces.”

“Alright.”

Geng Feng selected two nice cuts, tied them up with a straw rope, and the man left beaming with joy.

Two jin sold—fifty wen earned.

Geng Feng glanced toward Qin Nian not far away and chuckled happily to himself.

He’d sold things before, but never this quickly.

As he set up the scale, more people came to inquire, and gradually more bought. In just over an hour, all his wild boar meat was sold out.

He quickly went over and took some of Qin Nian’s meat to his stall and started calling out again.

At the same time, Qin Nian began shouting:

“Price drop! Wild boar meat price drop!

Now only twenty-five wen per jin! Come quick before it’s all gone!”

Hearing the price had dropped, bargain-seeking customers came swarming in, and before long, Qin Nian’s meat was sold out too.

Leaving the market, the two of them ducked into a quiet alley to count their earnings.

Geng Feng’s wild boar meat weighed about 150 jin. At 25 wen per jin, that made 3,750 wen—just over three and a half taels of silver.

Qin Nian had slightly more meat than he did and earned around four taels of silver.

She paid Geng Feng back the 3 wen he had lent her. He refused, but Qin Nian insisted, and he finally accepted and tucked it away.

Both of them were overjoyed.

They first went to the pharmacy and bought salve for Geng Zhenhai to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote healing. Two jars cost them two taels of silver.

Next, they went to the grain shop.

Cornmeal was twenty wen per jin—almost the same as pork. It was ridiculously expensive, but that’s what famine years were like.

Each of them bought fifty jin of cornmeal, spending a tael of silver.

Then they bought some salt, which used up the rest of Geng Feng’s silver.

Qin Nian still had over two taels left, which she kept tucked close to her body. The two of them happily made their way home.

Granny Li had already prepared dinner.

She had used the leftover wild greens and small mushrooms from yesterday and stewed them into two bowls of soup with some wild boar meat.

With no grains left at home, soup was the only option.

Seeing that Qin Nian had brought back fifty jin of cornmeal, Granny Li was overjoyed. Her eyes curved into little crescents from smiling.

“Tomorrow morning will be good—we’ll finally have cornmeal porridge.”

Having cornmeal porridge… was considered a good life. Qin Nian felt both heartache and bitterness hearing that.

After dinner, Granny Li picked up the water buckets and headed for the well.

Qin Nian stood up. “Grandma, you can’t carry them. Let’s do it together like before—we’ll carry the water together.”

Granny Li straightened her back proudly. “I’ve had meat for several meals. My strength’s come back just fine. Carrying two buckets is nothing!”

Qin Nian chuckled. She knew her grandmother still wasn’t strong enough but didn’t argue. She simply insisted on helping her carry the water.