RNP Chapter 21 Going to the Market
Chapter 21 Going to the Market
"Oh! Please sit down, please sit down. We're all neighbors, no need to be so polite..." Yang Ming said with a smile. He really couldn't believe that this woman, who looked only 18 or 9 years old, actually had a ten-year-old child.
"Brother, please sit down and have some sunflower seeds. I just roasted them today. It's just my daughter and me at home. If we ever have any trouble in the future, please help us out." This young woman was Liu Fen, Yang Ming's neighbor. Zheng Bao'er brought several large peaches home, and Liu Fen naturally wanted to know where they came from. When her daughter said that the aunt next door had given them to her, Liu Fen brought over a basket of freshly roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts to express her gratitude. Those large peaches weighed more than ten kilograms.
When Wei Qingqing, Sun Fangfang, and Liu Fen chatted, they were surprised to find that she was already thirty years old, but looked so young. They became very interested and pulled her into the house to chat and discuss beauty secrets. After all, women care a lot about their appearance.
"That's right, that's right, neighbors should help each other out!" Yang Ming said with a smile.
"Hello, Uncle!" Zheng Bao'er said timidly.
"Hello! Your name is Bao'er, right? You're so cute!" Yang Ming smiled and reached out to pinch the little girl's cheek, making her shyly hide in her mother's arms.
"You two chat, I'll go cook for you. Aunt Liu and Bao'er can eat at home!" Yang Ming said with a smile, seeing that the three women were chatting happily and it was getting late.
"How could we accept this? Let's go home and cook it ourselves. You just moved in today, you must be tired." Aunt Liu said, getting up to leave.
"Oh, Aunt Liu, don't go! Let's eat at home. I still want to discuss beauty and skincare with you!" Wei Qingqing grabbed Aunt Liu's hand and wouldn't let her leave.
Sun Fangfang was the most direct one. She turned on the TV and tuned it to an animation channel, and little Zheng Bao'er couldn't move her feet.
"Alright then, I'm so sorry to have bothered you." Seeing her daughter completely absorbed in the cartoon, Aunt Liu nodded helplessly, a wave of guilt washing over her.
"I'll go cook for you!" Since we're eating at someone else's house, we can't just sit around doing nothing; we have to help out. Aunt Liu rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair forearm.
"Today is our day, women's day. Let Yang Ming do it himself. Let's go sit on the kang and continue our chat." Without waiting for a reply, Wei Qingqing pulled Liu Sao onto the kang.
Yang Ming shook his head with a wry smile. He understood Wei Qingqing quite well. Ever since her face recovered, Wei Qingqing had become very concerned about beauty and skincare. Now that there was a successful example of beauty and skincare from Aunt Liu, she naturally wanted to learn from her.
Because we had guests in the evening, we prepared a lavish dinner with eight dishes, a soup, and the staple food was reheated white steamed buns that we had steamed at noon. Northerners have always had a special fondness for white steamed buns.
Yang Ming moved the kang table onto the kang and carried the food into the room.
The first dish was scrambled eggs with tomatoes, sprinkled with cilantro, which smelled so appetizing.
The second dish was smashed cucumber. The crisp, prickly cucumber was smashed, cut into sections, mixed with sesame paste, topped with a clove of garlic, and drizzled with vinegar. It was so refreshing!
The third dish was chili cabbage. The tender cabbage leaves were blanched in water and arranged on a plate. Then, oil was heated in a pan, a few small chilies were stir-fried to make chili oil, and then it was poured over the cabbage while it was still hot...
The fourth dish was Mu Shu Pork, which Yang Ming learned from the school's chef when he was in college. Pork, wood ear mushrooms, cucumber, eggs... were served on a plate and looked very appetizing with their black, yellow, red and green colors.
The fifth dish was a fruit platter. This dish was simple to make. The pears, apples, peaches, and apricots were peeled and pitted, and arranged around the edge of the plate. The watermelon was cut in half, and the flesh was scooped out with a spoon and placed in the center of the plate. The cantaloupe and honeydew melon were peeled, the seeds were removed, and all of them were cut into crescent-shaped slices. At the very top of the fruit platter were peeled and seeded grapes.
The sixth dish was stir-fried eggs with chives...
The seventh dish was celery stir-fried with pork...
The eighth dish was steamed potatoes. After the potatoes were steamed, the skin was peeled off to reveal the soft, white flesh. They were then cut into small pieces with cotton thread, arranged on a plate, and sprinkled with white sugar. Originally, Yang Ming planned to make candied sweet potatoes, but he didn't have the skill, so he only made steamed potatoes with white sugar.
The soup was tomato and egg soup, a large bowl full, topped with chopped green onions and cilantro, which looked very appetizing.
Instead of putting a whole basket of steamed buns on the table, we put a few on the table and the rest on the cabinet below, so whoever wants to eat them can just take them.
I took out two bottles of beer and two cans of soft drinks from the refrigerator, and dinner was ready.
The ingredients for dinner were ordinary, but most of them were produced in the farm space. As soon as they were served, an extremely tempting aroma filled the entire room. Yang Ming really had no intention of hiding anything about the things grown in the farm space: "I do have something to hide, but I absolutely cannot let you see it on my face. If I try to cover it up furtively, my confidence will weaken, and if my confidence weakens, all sorts of little devils will come."
"Wow! Your food smells so good!" Aunt Liu exclaimed sincerely, taking a deep sniff of the aroma.
"It's all ordinary food. We just moved in, so we didn't prepare anything fancy. I'm planning to go to the market tomorrow to buy some things. Could you help me decide what to do, Aunt Liu?" Yang Ming put his chopsticks on the table.
"There are three markets tomorrow! What do you want to buy?" Aunt Liu asked.
"I'm going to buy a tarpaulin and build a shed over the well in the backyard to prevent all sorts of random things from falling in," Yang Ming said.
"Not only do we need to buy tarpaulins, but we also need to raise chickens, ducks, and geese..." Wei Qingqing interjected, pulling Liu Sao to the table. "Liu Sao, let's eat..."
"Wash your hands, wash your hands... I've discovered that you two have a lot of good stuff here. This morning it was peaches, and now you've produced so many more..." Sun Fangfang reminded her.
"If there's food, just eat it. Why are you making such a fuss? Honey, go get us some water!" Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes at Sun Fangfang and ordered Yang Ming.
"Okay!" Yang Ming nodded and went to the outer room to bring in a basin of water.
Three women and a little girl washed their hands together and then sat down to eat.
"If you're going to buy tarpaulins, go to the countryside. That's where they sell the most tarpaulins, and it's easier to bargain. If you also want to buy some chickens, ducks, and geese, go to Majia Gou. There's a livestock market there, and right next to it, you'll find vendors selling chickens, ducks, and geese, all hatched by their own hens. Liujia Tun is also good, but I heard that the vendors there are mostly peddlers, and most of the chickens, ducks, and geese you buy will die." Aunt Liu said, picking up a piece of watermelon and taking small bites.
"Are all chickens, ducks, and geese hatched by old hens?" Sun Fangfang asked, somewhat surprised.
"If there's a brooding hen, they'll incubate it together. Anyway, it won't be more than a few days. The hen won't leave the broth until all the eggs have hatched," said Aunt Liu.
"Then let's go to Majia Gou tomorrow..." Yang Ming said.
"Mom, tomorrow is Sunday, I want to go to the market too..." Zheng Bao'er said softly, picking up a piece of potato.
"If you're not going, what are you going to do? Stay home and do your homework!" Aunt Liu glared at her daughter.
Zheng Bao'er pouted and dared not speak.
"How do you plan to get there? Majiagou is deep in the mountains, and the roads are difficult to travel. If you drive, your car won't be able to get in. When the villagers go there to go to the market, they use donkey carts..." Aunt Liu said.
"Honey, don't we have a donkey cart in our backyard? We can borrow one from the villagers..." Wei Qingqing had never ridden in a donkey cart before, so she naturally found it novel.
"Even if you have a donkey cart, it's useless. Does he even know how to drive one? He'll just drive it into the ditch..." Sun Fangfang said, picking up a piece of spicy cabbage.
"Even if you have a donkey, it won't work. The cart in your backyard is a horse-drawn carriage. It was given to you from the landlord's family when the landlords were being robbed. Donkeys are small animals and can't be driven around," said Aunt Liu.
"It's okay, I still have a hand tractor. The tractor can definitely handle it." Yang Ming thought of the hand tractor he bought in the vending system.
"A hand-held tractor? Where is it? I don't see it." Sun Fangfang asked, puzzled. She had been watching the move the whole time and hadn't seen any tractor at all.
"It's right under the back of the truck. That thing is very light; I can carry it by myself. You definitely won't see it unless you get on the truck." With that, Yang Ming put down his chopsticks and went out. A short while later, he came back in carrying a hand tractor. This hand tractor weighed only about 100 pounds. The wheels were only 30 centimeters in diameter, but the chassis was high and could be adjusted according to the specific terrain. It was only 2.5 meters long, and the engine looked only 30 centimeters long, wide, and 20 centimeters high—exquisite and compact.
"Really? But I've never seen this style before. How much horsepower does it have?" Sun Fangfang raised an eyebrow and asked.
"8 horsepower, I heard it's imported from abroad, I only bought it because it's small," Yang Ming said, pointing to the strange characters on the tractor.
"What language is this? I've never seen it before..." Sun Fangfang frowned as she looked at the strange characters.
Wei Qingqing, of course, knew the details and said, "There are many writing systems in the world; how could you possibly know them all?"
"That's true, maybe it came from some remote little country! Let's eat, let's not talk about this anymore, let's eat, or the food will get cold..." Sun Fangfang said.
"Sister Liu, since Bao'er is willing to go, let her go with us tomorrow..." Wei Qingqing said.
Before Aunt Liu could say anything, Sun Fangfang said, "Why don't we go together tomorrow? Yang Ming doesn't know where Majia Gou is either. With Aunt Liu leading the way, we won't get lost."
"Yes, Aunt Liu, let's go together tomorrow," Wei Qingqing said.
Since things had come to this point, Aunt Liu couldn't refuse any longer and could only nod in agreement. This delighted Xiao Bao'er, who stopped eating and immediately sat down in front of the TV to watch "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf"...
The sky was dark, like a black curtain, dotted with countless stars. The crescent moon, like a silver hook, seemed to be fishing in the endless sea of stars.
The nights in the mountain village are absolutely incomparable to those in big cities; they are truly dark, so dark that you can't see your hand in front of your face.
Yang Ming slept alone in the west room, while the east room was occupied by Wei Qingqing, Sun Fangfang, and Liu Fen and her daughter. Originally, Liu Fen and her daughter planned to go home after dinner, but Wei Qingqing insisted that the mother and daughter sleep with them and whisper to each other at night. Liu Fen could not refuse and had to agree.
"What bad luck! Why is this kang (heated brick bed) so hot?" Yang Ming lay on the kang, tossing and turning. The kang was just too hot. He had cooked two meals that day, both cooked in the stove in the west room, which made the kang scalding hot.
"The phone's ringing... The phone's ringing..."
The phone rang, and Yang Ming suddenly sat up on the kang (a heated brick bed). He picked up the phone and saw that it was Zhang Yingning calling. He hurriedly went out of the house to answer the call in the yard.
"Feed? Aunt Zhang?"
"Is this Yang Ming? Brother, where are you?" Zhang Yingning's voice was a little anxious.
"I'm in the countryside! Is there something you need?"
"Do you still have any sweet potatoes or potatoes? We've used up all the stock you brought last time..." Zhang Yingning asked bluntly.
"All...gone?" Yang Ming clicked his tongue in surprise. "That's quite a lot..."
"What's so special about having a lot? Tomatoes are fine, but potatoes and sweet potatoes are used to make potato pancakes and sweet potato pancakes, which are eaten as a staple food! How long will that last?"
"I'm running low on sweet potatoes and potatoes. If you need a lot, it'll have to wait a couple of days. But I do have some other things here, would you like them?"
"Anything else? Tell me what it is? Can you guarantee the quality?" Zhang Yingning's interest was piqued.
"It's mostly fruits and vegetables, dozens of kinds, too many to list at once. If you want to see them, I'll send you an email later. The quality is absolutely guaranteed," Yang Ming said.
"Did it pass the quality inspection?" Zhang Yingning asked.
"Does it still need quality inspection?"
"Of course, that's something you put in your mouth."
"You didn't check the quality control for the tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, did you?"
"That's because I did the quality inspection for you. Do you think I, who owns a big hotel, would dare to feed any food to my customers?" Zhang Yingning rolled her eyes on the other end of the line. This guy was too naive.
"Okay, Aunt Zhang, I'll send it to you after I've done the quality inspection."
"Forget about quality control for now. How many sweet potatoes and potatoes do you have? Get me a few thousand kilograms to tide me over..." Zhang Yingning didn't forget the original purpose of the call.
"Okay, I'll send it over to you now..."
"Is it troublesome? If it is, then wait until tomorrow..."
"No trouble at all! Please wait a moment, it should be delivered to you before midnight tonight."
"Okay, that's settled then. I'll wait for you at the hotel entrance."
After they hung up the phone, Yang Ming checked the time; it was already 9 PM. "Qingqing, Aunt Zhang called. She wants some goods. I'll go pick them up and deliver them to her. I'll be back before dawn..."
"Go ahead, be careful on the way..." Wei Qingqing's voice came from the east room.
Yang Ming opened the door, got into the truck, and drove away from the small mountain village.
There is a highway from Yunggu County to S City, but the distance is quite far, a full 100 kilometers. From Huaishu Township, where Zhengjia Village is located, to S City by taking a back road, it is only 60 kilometers. However, if you take the highway to the county, the journey is much longer, a full 120 kilometers. Generally, people take the back roads to save fuel when traveling from Huaishu Township to S City, or from S City to Huaishu Township.
However, Yang Ming wanted speed today. The highway was in good condition and he could drive directly to S City, unlike the dark and poorly lit side roads. So, he drove straight to the county town and headed towards S City along the highway.
The Transformers-brand transport vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 400 kilometers per hour. Of course, Yang Ming wouldn't drive that fast, but 100 kilometers per hour is still within his reach.
When he arrived at the Yingning Hotel, his trunk was already filled with potatoes and sweet potatoes.
"Brother, you've finally arrived!" Waiting in front of the hotel were not only Zhang Yingning, but also the big bosses who had signed the contract, who were all pacing anxiously at the entrance.
"Aunt Zhang, what's going on here?" This was quite a show of force, which made Yang Ming feel a little flattered.
"Don't say anything yet, let's inspect the goods first! Brother, drive the car to the backyard..." Zhang Yingning didn't wait for Yang Ming to get out of the car, but directly opened his car door and sat in the passenger seat.
"Auntie, is it that popular?" Yang Ming drove the truck towards the hotel's backyard.
"It's not just a matter of whether it's popular or not. According to customer feedback, after eating the sweet potato and potato pancakes you provide, they can even leave Bolt in the dust..."
"Bolt? The sprinter?" Yang Ming was a little embarrassed. He also ate sweet potatoes and potatoes, but why didn't he feel anything special about them?
"You bet! It's a bit of an exaggeration, but these sweet potatoes and potatoes are really filling. They sold out in just two days..." Zhang Yingning exclaimed.
"Just enough to fill your stomach? There are still people starving in modern society?" Those who can afford to stay in hotels must be more than just barely making ends meet, right?
"Of course not. It's a feeling, you know, it's the feeling of being full. It's like being starved for ten or fifteen days and then being allowed to eat as much as you want until you're full. That feeling... those who have never experienced hunger can never understand that feeling..." Zhang Yingning explained.
"I didn't realize that! Auntie has a very high level of understanding."
"Of course..."
The car drove to the backyard of the hotel and stopped in front of the warehouse. After Yang Ming and Zhang Yingning got out of the car, logistics staff immediately came forward to unload and weigh the goods.
The big bosses also stumbled over from the front yard, exchanging warm greetings with Yang Ming. In just a few days, they had come to realize Yang Ming's importance and admired Zhang Yingning's foresight even more.
"Sweet potatoes and potatoes are both 5000 kilograms..." Before long, the weight was measured, and a logistics staff member immediately came up to report the data.
"12 yuan per jin, 20000 jin in total, that's 24 yuan. Brother, let's go, let's transfer the money..." Zhang Yingning pulled Yang Ming to transfer the money.
"Aunt Zhang, I need money tomorrow! How about cash?" I need cash to go to the market tomorrow, since the market doesn't offer bank card services.
"Okay, whatever you say, anyway, 24 isn't much..." Zhang Yingning said. Since they weren't going to transfer the money, they would do a cash transaction. Zhang Yingning called the finance department directly, and soon someone brought the money over with a briefcase.
"Brother, please count these. We have a thousand catties of each of sweet potatoes and potatoes in our hotel. The rest are for them to divide up." Zhang Yingning opened the briefcase, revealing stacks of red banknotes. He then leaned close to Yang Ming's ear and whispered, "I've already deducted the twelve thousand. Also, you need to be careful. Ever since our sweet potatoes and potatoes became famous, other hotels in the city have been extremely envious and have been trying to find out about you. Be careful when you travel."
"It's alright, I've hidden in a remote mountain area, they won't find me." Yang Ming counted the money; the amount was perfect. He then closed the briefcase and said, "Everything's correct. Aunt Zhang, Uncle Zhang (Zhang Dapao), Sister Mei (Li Hongmei)... It's getting late, I'll head back now..."
After greeting everyone, Yang Ming got into the car and drove off.
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