Chapter 38: That Mental Hurdle

Yan Lao’er found a nearby village.

He started chatting with the locals.

Yan Lao’er said someone needed a bowl and was willing to trade some greens from the backyard for it.

He asked, whose coarse porcelain bowl was up for trade?

Did he even need to ask?!

Of course, everyone was willing!

Every family in the village began digging out bowls.

At this point, who still had the luxury of everyone using their own bowl? Having one per family to take turns with was already good enough.

Yan Lao’er looked at the pile of bowls held up in front of him.

From the eagerness in their eyes, he felt the villagers’ enthusiasm!

“Well, put them down first, careful not to break them. I’m not keeping track of whose is whose. I’ll just take a few at random, and when they choose, whichever family’s bowl gets picked, that’s who it belongs to.

Also, if any of you have other light, portable things you don’t use and want to trade, I can bring those along too. If someone’s interested, we’ll trade. If not, I’ll bring them back just as they are. How does that sound?”

“Brother Yan, how are you this capable!” Madam Cui slapped her thigh, forcing her way out of a group of women.

“Our house has quite a bit of stuff. Come with me and have a look. We don’t have much grain left, but your Elder Brother Cui has lots of medicine. See if we can trade for some life-saving water or food, whatever amount we can get is fine.”

Yan Lao’er happily followed Madam Cui.

He wanted to see how much medicine Elder Brother Cui had brought.

Physician Cui was seriously massaging his own legs, sighing to himself. Once, he’d traveled village to village as a doctor, and hadn’t he just bought his donkey cart not long ago? Yet now, walking this little distance had worn him out.

Ashamed, truly ashamed!

“Husband, hurry up. Sort out the extra medicine so Brother Yan can take it and see if he can trade it for some food or water.” Madam Cui urged.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry, don’t worry. Are you really short on food and water?” Yan Lao’er asked.

Madam Cui said, “Not exactly, but the more the better. Having food at home brings peace of mind. What use are all these medicines that won’t fill our bellies? Better to trade them for something real.”

“Sister-in-law, you’re being silly! How can you say medicine is useless? This is life-saving stuff!” Yan Lao’er grew serious. “We’re all walking under the open sky and through wild lands. What if someone falls ill with a headache or fever? Elder Brother Cui’s medicine could save us then!”

“Huh? Really useful?”

“Think about it, sister-in-law. We’re not at home. There’s no village in front, no town behind. If someone gets sick, where would we get medicine other than from Elder Brother Cui?” Yan Lao’er insisted she understand the importance of medicine.

Yan Lao’er sighed. “If I had the money, I’d buy more medicinal herbs to stock up right now!

Here’s the deal, sister-in-law. If you run short on water or food, come find me. I’ll figure something out, alright?”

“Alright! Since you’ve said that, I’ll stop worrying.” She wasn’t unreasonable. Brother Yan explained, and she understood right away.

With all the stock the Yan family had, and with Yan Lao’er so good at arranging things, she felt a bit more at ease.

Physician Cui listened quietly. “Some of the medicine has been stored too long and may lose its effectiveness. If there’s an urgent need, we can trade it away.”

Madam Cui was dumbfounded. “When have we had medicine stored too long? Didn’t you sell any extra to the pharmacy in town?”

Physician Cui awkwardly turned away and mumbled, “Some were pre-prepared packages. The people who ordered them suddenly didn’t want them anymore, and I couldn’t just unpack them, so they were left.”

That kind of thing wouldn’t happen at a pharmacy, of course. Everything was made fresh to order. But villagers were hardy; once they felt better, they wouldn’t take the extra doses. They even wanted refunds for what they didn’t use. What could he do but give them their money back?

Who doesn’t care about their health? Poverty is to blame.

His wife loved money, so Physician Cui had kept this matter from her.

It wasn’t much, just three or four packages.

Madam Cui felt like pulling his ear but, seeing so many people around, she glared at him in silence.

“What ailments are these medicines for, Elder Brother Cui? Tell me so I can make a note.” Yan Lao’er not only asked in detail but double-checked the shelf life.

Later, when explaining to his wife and daughter, Yan Lao’er was quite moved.

“Don’t underestimate Physician Cui’s medical skills. Even if he’s just average, he’s a truly good person. Another person might not even offer refunds, and would easily repackage the unused medicine and sell it again.

We outsiders wouldn’t be able to tell—just common herbs, nothing visibly wrong. But Physician Cui, just for the slim chance that the medicine might have lost potency, has kept it stored till now. That’s rare.”

……

The old lady was chatting with other village women about the peddler who came selling old goods that morning. She didn’t expect him to come again just past noon!

“Wow, you’re quick on your feet. Not far, huh?” The old lady greeted him with a big smile.

As the saying goes, first-time strangers, second-time friends. Seeing Yan Lao’er again, she felt a certain fondness.

“Brought quite a few things? That’s more like it. No sense making an empty trip.” The old lady hurried over, eager to get a first look, but the other women moved even faster.

“Trading old goods? Never heard of that before.”

“Young man, where did you get all this stuff? If it’s bad, we won’t want it.”

This time, Yan Lao’er felt completely different in spirit. He’d finally figured out Sanbao’s ideal travel speed.

“Aunties, these are all things from our villagers’ homes. Life’s getting hard for us. Honestly… if it doesn’t rain again in two days, we’ll have to…

sigh… go elsewhere to see if we can survive.”

In the end, they just couldn’t get past that mental hurdle. They decided to reveal a little—just like they said, the goal wasn’t the trade itself, but to find a use for the things their people had brought out.

Why go to all this trouble?

They just wanted everyone to have an easier time.

When disaster strikes, who can stay unaffected?

People have feelings too.

He was trading for grain now, but when people wanted to leave later, would they remember him, hate him as the heartless junk peddler?

The old ladies all fell silent.

“What? Is it that bad out there?” One cautiously asked.

“Young man, leaving your hometown makes you cheap. Be careful.”

“Well… our Village Chief says it’s best to prepare early.”

The women exchanged glances and decided to discuss it with their families later.

“Auntie, about this bowl…” Yan Lao’er had already made up his mind. Worst case, he’d trade for it himself and sell it once the platform opened.

It’s not like a bowl could trap him.

“Sigh, you’re a decent person. Come on, follow me home. I’ll pick some greens for you. It’s fine, the vegetable patch is thriving. Give it a few days and it’ll grow back.”

Yan Lao’er readily followed.

Good people were still the majority!

The old lady only picked the mature outer leaves, gathering a big bundle, weighing at least two jin.

Yan Lao’er was too touched for words. He pulled out a couple of eggs and stuffed them, along with the chosen bowl, into her hands.

(End of Chapter)