Chapter 74: Encountering a Shrew on Opening Day

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Encountering a Shrew on Opening Day

On the way, Hu Liang and Dacheng took turns pulling the cart, while Widow Xie walked ahead with a lantern to light the path. Ji Huan started out walking beside her, but soon fell behind.

’I didn’t realize it when I was riding in the mule cart before,’ she thought. ’Now that I’m walking, I see how far it really is.’

Widow Xie told her to get on the cart, but Ji Huan refused.

The cart was already piled high with things and nearly full. There was only a tiny bit of space left, and Dabao was sleeping there.

She had tried not to make any noise when she got up, but she’d woken Dabao anyway. Whether he was just grumpy from waking up or for some other reason, today he’d absolutely refused to stay at the Hu Family’s home. He just tugged on Ji Huan’s hem, not crying or fussing, but the blank look on his little face made it impossible for her to say no.

So, Widow Xie had cleared a space on the cart and laid down a quilt. The dirt road was bumpy, and even though Dabao, swaddled in the quilt, tried his hardest to keep his eyes open, his eyelids kept drooping shut against his will. Before long, he was fast asleep again.

Ji Huan steadied herself against the cart’s frame, tucked in the corner of his quilt, and quickened her pace to keep up.

Occasionally, they would pass other handcarts with hanging oil lamps, presumably other vendors on their way to set up stalls in town, just like them.

Hu Liang was getting anxious, afraid they would be too late to get a good spot. He gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might, while Hu Dacheng and Ji Huan helped by pushing from either side.

Widow Xie, however, felt that since they had gotten up so early, there was no need to rush.

But when they arrived in town, they discovered they weren’t early at all.

The sky was just beginning to grow light, but people were already at nearly every stall on both sides of the street. Some had already begun to set up their wares, while others were just holding their spots.

There were no fixed stalls here. Everyone just paid a daily tax of three cents. As long as no one stepped out of line, the officials who collected the money didn’t bother with anything else.

As a result, whether you got a good spot or not was all up to you—it was generally first come, first served.

Of course, there were exceptions. Some people who had been vendors for a long time used their seniority to form cliques with their neighbors. They had their own unwritten rules, and their stall locations became fixed. Any outsider who wanted to take their spot would have to think twice about whether they could afford to make enemies of them.

Hu Liang’s group were newcomers, so they didn’t dare venture too far toward the center of the street. They found an empty spot near the town entrance, close to the memorial archway.

’This spot isn’t very good,’ Ji Huan thought, but it was her first time setting up a stall, and she didn’t know the ropes. She decided to just observe for now.

Hu Liang unloaded the table and stools and set them up. Ji Huan lifted the groggy Dabao from the cart just as his eyes fluttered open. He was still clutching a little cloth lion.

"Are you cold?" Ji Huan touched his face. Dabao slowly shook his head.

Widow Xie had already set up the simple stove and pot. Dacheng was starting the fire. Ji Huan led Dabao over to sit next to Dacheng and had them tend the fire together while she began her preparations.

There were several places in town to get water, so water wasn’t an issue.

The side ingredients had all been chopped in advance. The wheat gluten had also been prepared the night before—washed, boiled, and torn into thin strips. They had done all this to avoid being flustered on their first day.

Selling hot and spicy soup had been Hu Liang’s idea, so the business was essentially his. As a result, he was more nervous than anyone. Even though Ji Huan had said they didn’t need a bone-based broth, he had still gone and bought a few large soup bones.

"Th-they weren’t expensive, anyway..."

His awkward fidgeting made it obvious he was overwhelmed with nerves.

Ji Huan saw his anxiety but didn’t comment on it. She took the soup bones, prepped them, and added them to the pot of boiling water along with the spices for the hot and spicy soup.

With the bones added, the broth naturally needed to simmer for longer. After nearly an hour, the fragrant aroma of the bone soup began to waft out.

By this time, the sky was bright, and the streets were starting to fill with people. Aside from the other vendors, most were town residents out for their morning shopping. The villagers who came to the market fair usually arrived later.

But these people only paused at the mouth of the street for a moment before heading either south, or toward the east or west streets. Very few walked in their direction.

Widow Xie and Hu Liang kept turning to look, craning their necks, but to no avail.

Ji Huan, however, remained focused on the pot, undistracted.

The bone broth was finally ready. She added the cooked wheat gluten and the various side ingredients to the pot in sequence, then stirred in the reserved starchy water from cooking the gluten. The soup quickly thickened and turned a rich, reddish color, its aroma instantly wafting halfway down the street.

Ji Huan told Dacheng to pull back the firewood, leaving just a few logs to keep the soup warm.

The woman selling baskets at the next stall couldn’t take it anymore. Swallowing hard, she asked Widow Xie, "Hey, dear, what’s that you’re cookin’ in that pot? Smells mighty fine."

Widow Xie, thinking she had a potential customer, eagerly launched into a detailed explanation.

The woman barely listened, concerned with only one thing: "How much for a bowl?"

"It’s not expensive, five cents."

"What? Five cents!" The woman’s voice immediately turned shrill. "You call five cents ’not expensive’? That’s highway robbery!"

Widow Xie was not one to take an insult lying down, but she knew that being amicable was good for business. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Ma’am, our broth is made from real bones. We also add tofu, shredded kelp, green vegetables, and wheat gluten. It’s packed with ingredients. How is five cents expensive?"

The basket seller couldn’t care less. "Who knows if those bones of yours are rotten? Hmph! Five cents for a little bit of soup? That’s almost what I get for one of my baskets! What a ripoff!"

Widow Xie couldn’t hold back any longer. "Stop spewing crap! My son just brought those bones over from the butcher. It’s not like you didn’t see him. Are you blind or something?"

Seeing that many of the other vendors were now looking their way, Ji Huan stopped Widow Xie. She turned to the woman and said, "Ma’am, if you think it’s too expensive, you don’t have to buy it. As you can see, plenty of people are watching, and no one is forcing you to open your wallet, are they? We wouldn’t say a thing if you chose not to buy. After all, none of us have it easy making a living. But it’s not right for you to make such baseless accusations. You say our food is spoiled just because you think it’s pricey. Have you ever considered an alternative? Perhaps the reason you can’t afford it is simply because you’re poor?"

"You!" Hearing faint snickers from the surrounding crowd, the woman looked ready to explode. She would never admit she couldn’t afford it. ’It’s their price that’s outrageous, not me!’ she fumed internally.

"Don’t you get clever with me! You’re just trying to cover up your guilty conscience! Your bones *are* rotten! Everyone, listen up! This family has no scruples! They use spoiled bones to make their soup! It’ll give you diarrhea if you drink it..."

The color drained from Hu Liang’s and Widow Xie’s faces.

Ji Huan’s face darkened as well.

’Since coming here, I’ve seen my fair share of shrewish behavior,’ she thought. ’As long as it didn’t go too far, I could just treat it like watching a play. But this is a blatant attempt to ruin our business. She needs to be taught a lesson.’

"Since you say our bones are spoiled, it just so happens I have one we haven’t used. Dacheng, bring it here and let the good lady have a taste to see whether it’s spoiled."

Dacheng was furious too. At Ji Huan’s words, he stomped over with the bone, thrusting it out for everyone to see.

The meat on the bone was bright red, and blood was still seeping from the cut surface. It was obviously fresh from the butcher. Anyone there who wasn’t blind could tell.

Ji Huan smiled. "Ma’am, since your nose doesn’t seem to be working, why don’t you try it with your mouth? Don’t worry, we’re not stingy about one bone. After you’ve had a taste, we’ll feed it to the dogs. Right here, in front of everyone."

Hu Liang took the bone, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to shove it into the woman’s mouth.

Seeing his menacing expression, the frightened basket seller covered her mouth and stumbled backward.

She had no desire to gnaw on a raw bone, so of course she didn’t dare spout any more nonsense. The crowd of gawkers also dispersed and returned to their own stalls.

Dabao walked over and tugged on Ji Huan’s sleeve, his eyes fixed on the bone in Hu Liang’s hand.

It only took a moment for Ji Huan to understand. He must have heard her say she was going to feed the bone to a dog and was thinking about Dahuang.

Feeling both exasperated and amused, she poked his forehead. "Oh, you!"

After that whole commotion, the group’s morale was clearly shaken.

As the sun climbed higher, the street grew busier, yet their stall remained completely ignored. This only made their discouragement more palpable.

They were all either hanging their heads or looking utterly dejected, fidgeting as if they were sitting on hot coals.

"Maybe we should just..." Hu Liang began, wanting to suggest they pack up and go home.

But before he could finish, Ji Huan stood up, pointed south, and declared, "We’re moving."