Chapter 37: Trading Old Goods

“Your elder brother said we’ll rest for two hours at noon, and the evenings are even more free. I can handle this on my own—just ride our Sanbao, and I can go anywhere!” Yan Lao’er remembered what his daughter had said before: to make full use of Sanbao’s capabilities.

As soon as he thought of that, an idea struck him.

“Trading isn’t the important part—the key is that these things will have a proper destination, and we can help the villagers clear out the burdens they don’t need,” the more Yan Lao’er thought about it, the more it made sense. He eagerly sought confirmation from his daughter, “Dabao, don’t you think so?”

“You’re absolutely right, Dad! In fact, I had another thought this morning—we should cook in large batches. It would save time and labor. But then I realized, some people eat more, some eat less, and dividing portions fairly would be tricky.” Yan Yu found it too complicated to calculate individual rations. Otherwise, pooling all food supplies together would make resource management easier.

“Two taels of flour for one steamed bun,” Li Xuemei interjected.

Yan Yu: ???

Yan Lao’er explained, “Back in the old communal kitchens, two taels of flour would get you a big steamed bun. We won’t ask for ration tickets; we’ll just have them trade flour directly. Oh, and water too. Hold on, let me do some calculations… A pound of flour makes about 6.7 steamed buns…”

Li Xuemei and Yan Yu watched him expectantly.

This was unfamiliar territory for the mother and daughter, so they had to rely on Yan Lao’er’s calculations.

“One pound of flour, half a pound of water, makes seven buns,” Yan Lao’er concluded. “All we need to spend is a bit of firewood.”

“We can definitely make this work,” Li Xuemei agreed. “Steaming buns and boiling water at the same time—one big pot a day, enough for everyone to drink.”

She had noticed that the villagers were drinking raw water, which could easily make them sick. But if they had to boil water themselves, many would probably find it too troublesome.

“Then let’s say one pound of flour and one pound of water will get you steamed buns and boiled water,” Yan Yu decided. Then she turned to her father, “Dad, you should steam a batch first, so they can see how big our buns are.”

Yan Lao’er nodded. “Alright, I’ll show them what I can do.”

…

After handing over the cart duties to his nephew, Yan Lao’er started wandering around the group.

He needed to get a sense of what the villagers had brought with them.

Once he had asked around enough, it was time for their midday break. Yan Lao’er took out an old batch of starter dough and began kneading furiously.

The villagers were stunned.

Who was that?

Yan Lao’er?

He actually knew how to cook?

Yan Huaiwen remained composed. They had all been traveling and eating together—sooner or later, everyone’s skills would come to light.

While waiting for the dough to rise, Yan Lao’er checked in with his brother, then rode off on Sanbao.

Many villagers were out gathering firewood and foraging for wild plants. But among them, Yan Lao’er was the only one riding a cow.

The flashiest guy in the village.

“Sanbao, is there a village nearby?”

Sanbao nodded.

“How far?”

Oh, right, it couldn’t answer that directly.

“Okay, if it’s one kilometer away, moo once. Two kilometers, moo twice.”

Sanbao mooed five times.

Got it—five kilometers.

Not too far. And with his ride?

“Sanbao, scan as we go. If no one’s around, run as fast as you want. If there are people, slow down. Don’t blow our cover.” Yan Lao’er tied himself to the ox’s back, feeling like a man about to experience extreme off-road riding.

“Go!”

…

A wild, exhilarating sprint. Leaping over rugged terrain. Heart-pounding adrenaline…

By the time Sanbao finally slowed down, Yan Lao’er was close to throwing up.

Never again.

Never let Sanbao “freestyle” like that again.

Running was fine, but why jump straight over obstacles?

Yan Lao’er weakly untied himself and led the ox into the unfamiliar village.

“Hello, ma’am! I sell second-hand goods. It’s my first time in your village—do you need anything?”

“Second-hand goods?” The old woman was skeptical. But seeing that he had arrived on an ox, she felt somewhat reassured—at least he didn’t seem like a thief.

“That’s right! They may be used, but they’re still functional—cheap and practical.”

“How do you trade?”

“Cash, food, or bartering—all work. You tell me what you need, and what you can offer. If we agree, we make a deal.” Yan Lao’er grinned.

“Alright, let me see what you’ve got.” The old woman glanced behind him, then frowned. “Where’s your stock?”

“Ah, ma’am, your village is a bit off the main roads. I came today to check things out. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll see if I can bring it next time.”

“We are quite far from town… Peddlers rarely visit. I don’t know how you even found this place. Selling second-hand goods, huh? Never heard of that before. You’re not trying to scam me, are you?”

“Oh, ma’am, that hurts! The drought’s been tough on all of us—I’m just trying to make an honest living. What could I possibly scam you out of? Besides, you’ve got sharp eyes—you wouldn’t be easily fooled!”

The old woman was pleased. She smiled.

“You’re right! I’ve still got my wits about me! Sigh… The heavens have no mercy. Times are hard. The other day, my grandson broke a bowl. If you have one, bring it next time. But since it’s second-hand, it better be cheap.”

“A clay bowl or a rough porcelain one?”

“Rough porcelain—for my little grandson.”

“What do you want to trade for it?”

“I’ve got some vegetables in my backyard. I’ll give you some.”

“That’s great!” Yan Lao’er was thrilled. “Ma’am, do you have extra water? Would you be willing to trade some?”

Anyone who could still grow vegetables in this drought clearly had water.

“Absolutely not! No way!” The old woman refused immediately.

“Alright, no problem. I’ll bring you the bowl next time.” Yan Lao’er turned and left.

The old woman watched him walk away, then suddenly smacked her thigh.

“Ah, I forgot to tell him to bring more things next time! That fool—making a special trip just for a single bowl!”

…

On the way back, Yan Lao’er had learned his lesson. This time, he made sure Sanbao stuck to running instead of leaping.

He arrived back at the carts, drenched in sweat under the scorching sun.

Why had his life come to this?

Why did there always seem to be more and more work?

How had he ended up taking on so many responsibilities?

Before he could figure it out, Sanbao had already stopped precisely next to their cart.

Its return-navigation skills were impeccable.

“Found a village. An old lady wants to trade a rough porcelain bowl for fresh vegetables,” Yan Lao’er reported proudly.

“Homegrown? Can we trade for water too?”

Yep. Father and daughter were thinking alike.

Yan Lao’er shook his head. Even getting a few leafy greens was a miracle—he hadn’t dared hope for more.

Yan Yu handed him a steamed bun. They hadn’t cooked at noon, so they were eating leftover buns from earlier.

They had only boiled a small pot of water.

Yan Lao’er happily ate his bun with water.

“We don’t have any extra bowls,” Li Xuemei noted as she sorted through their supplies.

“Someone else must have spares. Pick out some light, easy-to-carry items, and I’ll take them over to see what else we can trade.”

Under the blazing sun, Yan Lao’er set off once more.

…