Chapter 10: The Temple Fair

When Cao Xi and Qin Zhao woke up in the morning, they noticed that Li Feng hadn’t gone out to beg for alms.

“Why isn’t Li Ge (Brother Li) going out today?” Cao Xi asked.

Li Feng replied, “I heard you say something about going to the temple fair to sell things, and I also wanted to make a few items to sell there.”

Cao Xi responded, “That sounds good! Let’s go together to the temple fair. You’re so good at making things, you’ll have no trouble selling them.”

Li Feng pointed to a pile of hawthorn beside him and asked, “What wild fruits are you making today?”

Cao Xi replied, “Yes, we’re making candied hawthorn today. We’ll get up early tomorrow to sell them.”

“Candied hawthorn, did you come up with that name yourself?” Li Feng asked.

“Do you think it sounds good?”

“It sounds good.”

Li Feng went down to the foot of the mountain to gather wild grass for weaving.

Meanwhile, Cao Xi and Qin Zhao were threading the hawthorn at the temple. Qin Zhao was very focused, her small hands gripping the bamboo skewers, carefully piercing the hawthorn one by one. It seemed a little difficult, and her little face was scrunched up tightly.

Cao Xi placed a bowl on the stove and began to melt the sugar. Slowly, the sugar dissolved, and a fragrant smell filled the air.

Qin Zhao tilted her head and said, “It smells so good.”

When Cao Xi saw the sugar was nearly ready, she casually took the hawthorn from Qin Zhao’s hand, threaded it onto a small wooden stick, and dipped it in the sugar. The dull, matte hawthorn transformed into something crystal-clear and shiny.

“Try it,” she said, offering the candied hawthorn to Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao took it, licked a little, then bit half of it, her eyes sparkling. “It’s delicious!”

When Li Feng returned, Cao Xi had already dipped most of the hawthorn. The straw mat was covered with bright red hawthorns.

Li Feng asked, “Is this the candied hawthorn you mentioned?”

“Yes, Cao Xi makes them really delicious,” Qin Zhao said, loving sweet treats. She popped a whole hawthorn into her mouth and started spinning it around.

Cao Xi warned, “If you keep eating like that, the sugar will soon be gone, and eating just the hawthorn will make your teeth ache from the sourness.”

Cao Xi turned to Li Feng, “What do you plan to weave?”

“Maybe some grasshoppers, butterflies, or other things? I’ll try to weave everything I can. But with your stuff being so heavy, carrying it to the temple fair will be quite a chore.”

Cao Xi sighed, “I got carried away and decided to sell candied hawthorn, but after making them, I realized it’s such a hassle.”

Li Feng asked, “So how much do you plan to sell them for?”

“Five wen per skewer, I guess. We have to make some money somehow,” Cao Xi replied.

“That expensive?” Li Feng asked.

Qin Zhao defended, “It’s not too expensive, we used a lot of sugar, you know.”

Cao Xi nodded, “That’s true, sugar isn’t cheap. How much are you planning to sell your woven items for?”

Li Feng answered, “Simple ones for one wen, and more complicated ones for two wen. After all, it’s not hard, just time-consuming.”

Cao Xi felt a pang of envy. If it weren’t for her impulsive purchase of so much sugar, she could’ve woven a basket to sell too. After all, the sugar wasn’t cheap. She thought to herself that in the future, she would make better use of her spare time.

Though Cao Xi had never woven baskets before, she had once made a flower basket for her little niece out of newspaper, which was similar.

Cao Xi placed the skewered candied hawthorns on the grass mat and put them in the corner. When the Li Feng and the others returned in the evening, they gathered around the grass mat, their mouths watering.

Qin Zhao stood protectively in front of the mat, her eyes darting around as she opened her arms to block anyone from getting close, acting like a city guard.

The Li Feng swallowed nervously and scratched his head, saying, “We won’t eat them, we’re just looking.”

Qin Zhao remained silent, her guard up as she watched the Li Feng.

“These are for exchanging money, not for eating. But after the temple fair, I’ll teach everyone how to weave baskets, and when you start making money, I’ll make some for you,” Cao Xi said gently.

Li Feng was somewhat surprised. Over time, he had come to understand that Cao Xi was the type of person who usually kept a distance from others, especially when it didn’t concern her own interests. She was an observer, not someone to intervene. So, if she was willing to teach these little beggars, it could give them a chance at a better life.

At the temple fair, Cao Xi and Qin Zhao were dressed neatly and cleanly, their faces flushed with a healthy, rosy glow from their wash.

Cao Xi pressed the candied hawthorns firmly onto the grass mat, then picked it up and, with her little companions, headed toward the temple fair.

The fair was crowded. Cao Xi repeatedly warned Qin Zhao not to wander off, telling her she might be kidnapped. Qin Zhao, frightened, held onto Cao Xi’s clothes tightly and wouldn’t let go.

They had arrived early, but by the time they reached the fair, they found that all the good spots for selling things had already been taken.

Luckily, Cao Xi didn’t need a lot of space. She found a tree and leaned her grass mat against it.

Li Feng, learning from them, had also made a small grass mat, with woven animals placed on it. The little creatures moved along with the mat, making them come to life in a charming and vivid way.

The others dispersed to different corners of the fair to continue begging, agreeing to meet up and head back once the fair was over.

The fair wasn’t at its peak yet, and the street wasn’t crowded.

Cao Xi hoped to finish selling quickly and let Qin Zhao enjoy the fair. Since arriving in this world, Cao Xi had been busy struggling to make a living, leaving her little time to observe her surroundings.

Cao Xi handed Qin Zhao a skewer of candied hawthorn, but Qin Zhao looked at her with confusion as she took it.

Qin Zhao asked, “Are we not selling them anymore?”

Cao Xi said, “Hold it in your hand. When you see a child approach, you can slowly take a bite.”

Qin Zhao suddenly understood. So it was to attract customers! She happily twirled the candied hawthorn in her hand.

Cao Xi called out, “Candied hawthorn! Delicious candied hawthorn!”

Li Feng, startled by her sudden shout, belatedly followed with his own call, “Handwoven grasshoppers, handwoven butterflies!”

The people on the street were drawn in by the voices. Two little children selling things—though dressed in rags, they were clean—quickly caught the attention of passersby.

Not far away, a well-dressed boy looked up at his mother and said something to her.

The lady smiled and gently ruffled the boy’s head. The boy, seeing that his mother hadn’t moved, tugged on her sleeve and pulled her toward Qin Zhao.

“Mother, I want to eat this too,” the boy said.

The lady followed the boy’s gaze, first looking at the candied hawthorn, then at Qin Zhao, frowning slightly.

“Qin Zhao, don’t eat things from outside. They’re not clean,” she said.

When Qin Zhao heard the lady say that the candied hawthorn wasn’t clean, she felt a bit upset. She opened her mouth wide and bit into the hawthorn, savoring the sweet and sour taste with squinted eyes, clearly enjoying it.

Seeing Qin Zhao enjoy the treat so much, the boy was even more determined. He tugged harder on his mother’s sleeve.

“I want to eat it too!”

Qin Zhao, still savoring the candy, took another crunchy bite, her mouth full of the sweet and sour flavors as she grinned happily.

The lady shot an angry look at Qin Zhao, then at her own silly son, feeling a rush of frustration.

With no other choice, she sighed, “How much for a skewer?”

“Five wen per skewer,” Cao Xi quickly answered.

“Give me one,” the lady said as she handed over the money and chose a bright, round one to place in her son’s hand.

The boy, holding the candied hawthorn, imitated Qin Zhao and took a bite.

His eyes lit up, and he kept saying how delicious it was, then offered the candied hawthorn to his mother.

Though the boy was a little simple, he was dutiful, and his actions gave his mother some comfort. She looked down, took a bite, and indeed, it was delicious—sweet and sour, perfect for stimulating the appetite.

After this, she firmly decided that no matter what, she wouldn’t buy such food outside again. If they wanted to eat it, they’d have to make it themselves at home.

After their first customer, there was soon another, and Qin Zhao’s performance never faltered. Her delighted expressions as she enjoyed the treat were perfectly conveyed, and one skewer of candied hawthorn was enough to keep the whole stall lively.

Li Feng’s business also picked up as the crowd grew larger. By the time Cao Xi finished selling, he had only two left and would need to stay a bit longer to finish them.

Cao Xi said, “Take Qin Zhao and go look around the fair. We’ll all meet back here later.”

Qin Zhao couldn’t wait any longer, and without listening to Li Feng’s response, she grabbed Cao Xi’s hand and pulled her deeper into the fair. Now that the candied hawthorn had all been sold, Cao Xi felt much lighter, no longer worried about whether they’d make any money.

They weaved through the various stalls, and although they were only looking and not buying, it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for strolling through the street.

As they passed by a bun stall, Qin Zhao subconsciously swallowed, her eyes unable to resist sneaking a glance at the steamed buns.

“Do you want to eat some buns?” Cao Xi asked. Now that they had earned some money, a little indulgence was fine.

“I wonder if they’re expensive?” Qin Zhao replied, his mouth watering. He really wanted to try the buns but didn’t want Cao Xi to think he was being greedy.

“Let’s go ask, then we’ll know,” Cao Xi said, taking Qin Zhao’s hand and leading him to the bun stall.

“Excuse me, how much are the buns?” Qin Zhao asked, his beautiful, lively eyes blinking as he looked up at the young woman selling the buns.

“Two wen each. Would you like to buy two?” The bun seller said with a professional smile.

Qin Zhao instinctively looked up at Cao Xi. Cao Xi gave him an encouraging nod, signaling him to speak for himself.

“Can I buy two for four wen?” Qin Zhao asked, blinking his big eyes and putting on his most adorable expression.

The young woman burst into laughter. “I’m not that much older than you! I could practically be your aunt!”

“You’re not that much older than me. It’s only right for you to call me ‘sister,’” Cao Xi added, picking up the conversation where they left off.

The young woman looked at the two children before her. Although their clothes were clean, they were patched up in many places, clearly children from a poor family. She decided to sell them two buns for just four wen.

Qin Zhao and Cao Xi each held a bun in their hands, taking small bites. The buns were vegetarian, while the meat-filled ones cost two wen each. They didn’t want to spend too much, as there were many other things for sale at the temple fair, including snacks, lanterns, toys, and red ribbons for blessings.

Cao Xi also carefully observed the prices for baskets. They were five wen each.

As soon as she saw the price, Cao Xi was tempted. She decided that when they returned later, she would ask the others if they were willing to help weave baskets and sell them.

While walking through the fair, they also saw Shui Niu and the others begging for alms. Everyone was chasing after their customers, not willing to give up.

By the evening, everyone gathered under the big tree and headed back to the land temple.

Li Feng had sold all his grass-weaving animals, and it was clear he was very excited. This was the first time he had earned money through his own efforts and the first time he had felt respected by others.

He decided that from now on, he would never beg again. He wanted to start his own business.

Late that night, when no one was around, Qin Zhao and Cao Xi secretly counted their assets. After adding the money they had earned from begging over the past few months, they had accumulated a total of five hundred wen.

The biggest contributor to this fortune was Qin Zhao. Since he had joined Cao Xi in begging, their earnings had doubled.

They carefully hid the money in separate places and planned to exchange it for silver in the town when the time came. This would be easier to store and keep safe.