Chapter 39 The Capital City

Pushing the cart in front of the ornate gateway, he placed the bamboo baskets on the ground.

Chen Ling took out his pocket watch to check the time. It was just past eleven, right during the peak hours of the market. Staying here for an hour would be ideal if he could sell some.

If they didn't sell, so be it. Whatever couldn't be finished back home could just be given to the families of Wang Lixian and Wang Jusheng.

Selling the Paradise vegetables at a cheap price was far less rewarding than trading favors.

"Cucumbers, tomatoes, five yuan a pound! If they aren't delicious, you don't pay!"

Chen Ling called out.

His cry immediately drew a multitude of gazes.

What on earth? Cucumbers and tomatoes dared to sell for five yuan a pound? That was daylight robbery.

The vendors running neighboring stalls couldn't help glancing over as well.

"Cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh greenhouse vegetables! Taste before you buy, you'll know quality when you try it..."

"Five yuan a pound, even if you don't buy, you can taste something fresh..."

Ignoring what others thought, Chen Ling continued hawking his goods.

Encouraged by his cries, the curious onlookers quickly gathered around.

That included the shoemaker from the neighboring stall and a candy-figurine vendor.

"Well, I'll be. It's only March, how come there are cucumbers already? Ah, must be grown in a greenhouse."

"Building a greenhouse costs a pretty penny, doesn't it? I heard someone in Yangtougou built one to grow mushrooms."

"What do you know? A mushroom greenhouse doesn't take up two mu of land, doesn't cost much. Vegetable greenhouses, on the other hand, cost a fortune..."

"So what? That's still no reason to charge such a sky-high price! The most expensive vegetables in the county seat aren't even two yuan, selling them for five yuan a pound is butchering people like livestock!"

"..."

Seven or eight people gathered around, each voicing their own opinions.

Chen Ling didn't mind. He pulled out two cucumbers, snapped them into several pieces, and handed them out.

"Fellow villagers, don't rush to say it's expensive. Come, taste the flavor. If they aren't delicious, you couldn't pay me to ask this price, right?"

"You get what you pay for. Put that way, it makes sense."

"Let me try one."

The middle-aged shoemaker from the neighboring stall nodded, took a piece of cucumber, rubbed it against his clothes, and took a bite.

*Crunch.*

With that single bite, the middle-aged man was greeted by an explosion of crisp freshness. After chewing a few times, a lingering fragrance remained on his lips and teeth.

A refreshing sensation rushed straight to his glabella, instantly lifting his spirits.

In a flurry, the middle-aged man finished the remaining piece, gave Chen Ling a thumbs-up while chewing, and said unclearly, "Delicious! Brother, your cucumbers are truly delicious."

Hearing this, the others couldn't help taking pieces of cucumber from Chen Ling's hands to taste as well.

Upon tasting, they were all pleasantly surprised, giving Chen Ling a thumbs-up and praising him endlessly.

However, none of them showed any intention of buying.

This was within Chen Ling's expectations, so when he picked up a tomato and invited people to taste it again, no one stepped forward to eat.

Since they weren't going to buy the man's goods, who had the thick skin to keep eating?

"Brother, your vegetables are really good, but the price is too steep. Can't you make it a bit cheaper?"

The middle-aged shoemaker spoke up, swallowing slightly as he looked at Chen Ling's two large baskets of vegetables.

Standing rather close now, he could smell the faint aroma drifting from the cucumbers and tomatoes.

"Exactly, exactly. Lower the price a bit, we'll each buy two pounds from you. Didn't you bring the vegetables to the market precisely to sell them?"

"Young man, you need to be flexible in business. Give us a discount."

"..."

Chen Ling smiled and shook his head: "I can't go any lower. Five yuan really is rock bottom."

"You all just tasted them. Honestly, with vegetables this good, do you think they're worth five yuan a pound?"

At that, everyone fell silent. Having tasted them, they knew the quality was top-notch; otherwise, they wouldn't have even bothered to bargain.

"You're selling them so expensive even county officials couldn't afford them. I might as well go walk around the market."

The crowd gathered for the market scattered in a flurry, leaving only the shoemaker and the candy vendor beneath the large gateway.

The candy vendor was a plump old man whose face was mottled with white and dark patches—he had vitiligo.

The old man shuffled over and said hesitatingly, "Little brother, since we're all fellow stallholders here, if I genuinely want to buy, can you give me a discount?"

Chen Ling glanced at the pair, picked out a few tomatoes and cucumbers from the baskets, and thrust them into their arms.

"Setting up stalls together is a matter of fate. If you think they're good, just take some. What's all this talk about buying or not buying?"

"Oh no, you shouldn't, you really shouldn't. We should pay you whatever we owe..."

Chen Ling's generosity actually made the two of them feel somewhat embarrassed.

Having spent a long time making a living as street vendors, they both cared about their pride. Bargaining was one thing, but how could they shamelessly take things from a young man for nothing?

"Don't stand on ceremony, just take them."

"I'm going over to the west side to buy some livestock in a moment, and I'd like to ask you two to keep an eye on my stall."

Chen Ling said with a cheerful smile.

"Well, alright then."

Hearing this, the old man and the middle-aged man felt relieved enough to accept the goods.

After turning around to place the items at their respective stalls, they hurried back to chat with Chen Ling.

Through mutual introductions, Chen Ling learned that these two were locals from Changle Township.

The vitiligo-faced candy vendor was called Zhang Tiegen, though people usually called him Old Gen or Uncle Old Gen.

Normally, he wandered through various villages peddling sugar figurines.

The shoemaker was called Guo Baolai. Aside from mending shoes, he also repaired bicycles, patched pots, and even castrated pigs.

"Fugui, when you go buy livestock later, let Baolai take you. He knows plenty of cattle, horse, and pig brokers; he's very well-connected."

The two men made small talk with Chen Ling while occasionally helping him call out to draw a couple of people over.

Unfortunately, everyone thought it was too expensive, and no one bought.

"Candy man, are you still doing business or not?"

Not long after, someone shouted.

The three of them looked over and saw an elderly woman with dark hair pulling a plump child who was standing on tiptoe, shouting "Monkey King, Monkey King!" and reaching out to grab one.

"Well now, who is this? Looks mighty familiar."

Zhang Tiegen walked over with a smile, picked up a Sugar Monkey King, and handed it to the chubby boy.

The old woman glared at him: "Familiar your grandmother's foot. Come home for lunch at noon; Huanhuan and her husband are finally back, you should come over and drink a few cups. Otherwise, your brother-in-law's drinking capacity is utterly hopeless."

"No, no. I haven't seen Huanhuan in over ten years, I wouldn't even know what to say if I went, it'd just be awkward."

Zhang Tiegen waved his hand, then fished a tomato out from behind his stall and handed it to the chubby boy: "Here, call me Great-Uncle. Great-Uncle will give you something yummy."

"I won't call you that. You were just talking bad about my mom, you're a bad old man."

The chubby boy pouted and said.

"Xiaoming, is that any way to talk to your Great-Uncle? Did you forget your mother teaching you to have manners?"

The old woman gently tapped the chubby boy on the head, then glanced at Zhang Tiegen: "It's just early spring, where'd you get tomatoes?"

"Look, a little brother over there is selling them. Grown in a greenhouse, sweet and sour, absolutely delicious. Sister, you and the child take a few."

Zhang Tiegen handed all the tomatoes Chen Ling had given him over.

The old woman glanced toward Chen Ling's direction, then picked one tomato from Zhang Tiegen's hand: "One is enough, don't give him so many. This kid is a picky eater, who knows if he'll even eat it."

"Then Great-Uncle will shape another candy figure for Xiaoming, how about another Monkey King?"

Zhang Tiegen's weathered face beamed like a blossoming flower.

"Yay, I like the Monkey King!"

The chubby boy's eyes lit up instantly as he chanted, "Monkey Brother, Monkey Brother, you truly are amazing..."

The old woman chimed in from the side: "If you want the Monkey King, call him Great-Uncle and say thank you, Great-Uncle."

With candy figures at stake, the chubby boy instantly became much more obedient and dutifully said, "Thank you, Great-Uncle."

This coaxed a hearty laugh out of Zhang Tiegen.

After the old woman led the chubby boy away, Guo Baolai teased, "No wonder Uncle Old Gen dragged me to buy vegetables from Fugui earlier. Turns out you were getting rare treats for your grand-nephew."

"Pity they're from the capital, they've seen everything. Greenhouse vegetables can be eaten whenever they want, you'd have been better off molding a few more sugar figures for the little kid."