Chapter 27: Pea Shoots and Longevity Greens

The three brothers responded one by one.

Old Man Xu, watching from behind, nodded repeatedly. Da Ya truly lived up to her great fortune.

Zheng Shi was also delighted. She had completely forgotten about discussing clothing with Da Ya, but unexpectedly, Da Ya had already considered everything. She was even more meticulous than her own mother.

Wang Shi also stepped forward to remind Xu Yaozu of a few things before the Xu family finally watched the donkey cart leave their home.

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A week had passed since the three brothers had started school, and even little Liuzi had begun his education three days ago.

“Big Sister, the vegetables in our house have grown so tall. When can we eat them?”

Xu Ling had barely finished her question when her mother gave her a light slap on the back.

“All you ever think about is your big sister’s things. Those are meant to be sold for money! Go back inside and study your characters.”

Xu Ling pouted. Finally, with her brothers away at school, she thought she’d have some freedom, but now her mother was stricter than even her brothers. She wasn’t aiming to be a top scholar—why did she have to study so hard?

Seeing her fifth sister sulking, Xu Nian gently intervened.

“Second Aunt, if we can’t even eat what we grow ourselves, then what’s the point of growing it? The pea shoots look great—I’ll cook a dish with them tonight.”

“Big Sister, you’re the best!”

Zheng Shi watched the girl run off and huffed, “That little ingrate.”

Xiao Wang Shi chuckled, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t feel bad. When it comes to Da Ya, even I can’t compare in Liuzi’s heart.”

Xu Nian shook her head, then got to the main point.

“Second Aunt, Third Aunt, tomorrow I plan to go to the county to sell the pea shoots and longevity greens. Can one of you come with me?”

Xu Nian had named the sprouts Longevity Greens.

“I’ll go. Your Third Aunt is too shy to bargain.”

Xiao Wang Shi smiled sheepishly.

Xu Nian didn’t mind either way. She mainly needed someone to drive the donkey cart. The men in the family were all busy clearing new farmland, so she avoided troubling them when possible.

“Alright, then Second Aunt will go with me tomorrow.”

Just as they finalized their plans, Wang Shi returned from outside.

“Grandmother, you’re back.”

“Mother.”

“Mother.”

“In three days, it’s the Zhu family’s wedding day. You two should remember to go and help out.”

Zheng Shi and Xiao Wang Shi both acknowledged the reminder.

“Mother, is there a tradition of giving a dowry gift for weddings here? Should we prepare one?”

Wang Shi and her third daughter-in-law had thought of the same question.

“I wasn’t sure, so I went to ask Aunt Zhao.

In Northern Xinjiang, close relatives often give dowry gifts, but not every family is strict about it.”

“Grandmother, since Second Aunt and I are going to the county tomorrow to sell vegetables, why don’t I also buy three feet of cloth for the dowry gift?”

Wang Shi thought this was a good idea. After all, since they had arrived, the neighbors had helped them a lot. When it came to etiquette, it was better to have too much than too little.

“Alright, handle it as you see fit tomorrow.”

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Zheng Shi bundled herself up like a bear and drove the donkey cart, while Xu Nian, sitting on the cart, was just as wrapped up.

Two days ago, it had snowed again, making the temperature even lower. Before leaving the house, Xu Nian insisted on wearing an extra layer inside her new coat.

But cold weather also had its advantages—her vegetables would be even more appealing in such conditions.

When they arrived in the county, they set up at the same street as last time. However, instead of being across from the fabric shop, they positioned themselves across from a restaurant.

Zheng Shi tied up the donkey and helped Xu Nian unload the vegetables wrapped in an old quilt.

Xu Nian didn’t display everything at once—she only set out a plate of Longevity Greens and a small bunch of pea shoots.

Standing in front of the cart, Zheng Shi held the plate in both hands, while Xu Nian, holding some vegetables, jumped onto the cart and used her old sales tactic.

“Come take a look! Come take a look!”

Her sudden loud cry nearly made Zheng Shi drop the plate in shock. So this is how you sell things?!

“Beyond these mountains, beyond these towers, you won’t find vegetables like ours!

No greens at home? Take some home! Buy now, and you won’t regret it!

Opportunities like this don’t come every day—if you’re going to buy, buy now…”

Before Xu Nian could even finish her sales pitch, a crowd had already gathered in front of the donkey cart. Many of them were the same customers who had bought cotton-padded clothing from her last time.

“Isn’t this the girl who was selling winter clothes last time? What are you selling today?”

Xu Nian smiled sweetly and said, “Auntie, these are pea shoots and Longevity Greens, grown with great effort by my whole family. Would you like to take a look?”

The woman finally noticed the fresh green vegetables in Xu Nian’s hands and gasped in shock.

“How is this possible? You really grew these?”

Xu Nian lifted the quilt on the cart, revealing neatly stacked baskets of fresh vegetables. Their vibrant green color made it clear they had been freshly harvested.

“It’s absolutely true—we just picked them before coming here. We don’t have much, and as always, first come, first served!”

“How much are you selling them for?”

Xu Nian lifted the vegetables in her hand and announced, “Pea shoots—40 wen for this bundle, or 100 wen for three bundles. Longevity Greens—10 wen per jin. Buy quickly before they’re gone!”

Though the vegetables looked amazing, the prices were indeed high, so most people opted to buy Longevity Greens instead.

If it were summer, Longevity Greens priced at 10 wen per jin would surely be ignored. But in this bitterly cold winter, they were much more desirable.

Of course, there were always those who were passionate about good food and those who had money to spare.

Sure enough, a servant boy from the restaurant across the street rushed over. Without even asking about the price, he grabbed half a basket of Longevity Greens and pea shoots and carried them away.

Seeing the once-full baskets nearly empty in an instant, those who had been hesitating started to panic.

Before long, people were grabbing handfuls of vegetables left and right, and soon, all the stock for the day was completely sold out.

Standing beside the cart collecting money, Zheng Shi couldn’t stop smiling. The more she looked at Xu Nian, the more she thought she was like a wealth-bringing child—even if this “child” was a bit older than usual.

Noticing the crowd still pushing forward, Xu Nian became concerned. With so many people pressing in, an accident could easily happen.

“Don’t push! No need to push forward! The vegetables are all sold out!”

Upon hearing Xu Nian’s words, several servants at the back of the crowd looked dismayed. They had rushed over the moment they heard about the fresh greens, yet they had still missed out.

“Little Boss, will you have more vegetables for sale tomorrow?” one quick-witted servant asked.

“Yes, but not much. If you need some, come early.”

Fearing that he might not get any the next day and would fail to complete his errand, the servant quickly offered,

“Little Boss, I’ll reserve this spot for you early in the morning!”

Xu Nian turned to him with a bright smile. “Then I’ll have to thank you, kind sir.”

Xu Nian’s complexion was naturally fairer than most women in the borderlands, possibly due to drinking water from her spatial dimension. Her skin was not only pale but also exceptionally smooth.

As she smiled, her clear, glistening eyes seemed to reflect the starlight, sparkling and captivating. The servant instantly flushed red.

The people of the borderlands were bold and straightforward, and many of the women around them began teasing the young servant. Xu Nian heard their remarks but simply laughed them off, unbothered.

Her easygoing nature only made the women like her more, and soon, they began asking about her age.

Seeing these enthusiastic women before her, Xu Nian suddenly recalled the matchmaking corners in parks from her past life. A shiver ran down her spine. Without hesitation, she grabbed Zheng Shi, who had just finished securing the donkey cart, and made a swift getaway.