Chapter 282: Off to the Grand Market!

The members of the Yan family were up one after another, starting to load their goods onto the ox cart.

As for breakfast, there was no rush—they’d eat once they got to the Grand Market.

The ox cart was packed to the brim. Aside from Li Xuemei, who had a seat, everyone else had to walk.

Villagers from all around were also heading toward the town, some driving carts, others on foot.

By the time they reached Xiqiao Town, where the Grand Market was held, it turned out their village wasn’t even the earliest to arrive.

A few scattered groups were already there, having claimed spots and begun unpacking their goods.

The market was set up on a flat stretch of land just outside the town. Thanks to the regular gatherings, the area was cleared of weeds and wide open.

The villagers had done their homework on the market, so they quickly staked out a large area for themselves.

Dozens of families worked together, propping up a long row of connected grass shelters with poles. Compared to the lone families setting up on their own, their setup looked far more organized and impressive—drawing plenty of attention.

Families not selling food set up their stalls around the long shelter, laying out mats and arranging their goods neatly.

One person would stay behind to watch the stall while the rest headed straight for the steamed bun stand.

Cooking outdoors was nothing new for them. Soon, smoke curled into the sky.

The women, having finished the preparations, began kneading the risen dough into round balls and placing them into steamers. Before long, piping hot, fluffy buns filled with the rich aroma of fresh dough were coming out of the steamers.

They didn’t need to worry about attracting customers.

The villagers who hadn’t eaten yet were their first patrons.

This was something Yan Lao’er had specifically instructed: don’t bother with breakfast at home. Once at the Grand Market, they could eat while waiting for the crowd to arrive.

After all, they were selling food—why not support their own first?

Li Xuemei and the others had prepared two types of buns: coarse flour buns and mixed flour buns.

They accepted either coins or grain as payment.

The coarse flour buns were one coin each; the mixed flour buns were three coins for two.

Besides the buns, they had a large pot of wild vegetable and egg drop soup.

The wild greens were foraged from the mountains, and the eggs came from wild ducks nesting in the reed marshes. There weren’t many eggs, so just a few were used, with a bit of coarse salt for flavor.

A bowl of soup cost one coin.

Most villagers opted for the cheaper coarse flour buns. The soup, however, was quite popular. Families would buy one bowl to share, and if it wasn’t enough, they’d come back for seconds.

Since someone had to stay behind to watch their own stalls, once one person finished eating, they’d switch out with another.

This kept a steady flow of people coming and going in front of the bun stand, making it lively and bustling.

The women were busy kneading dough, steaming buns, collecting bowls, and washing dishes…

Copper coins kept flowing in.

Since everyone was from the same village and knew each other well, there was no worry about anyone shortchanging them. Li Xuemei, who was in charge of collecting payment, had only one real job: calling out totals and stringing coins together.

Until… she received her first payment from someone outside the village.

It seemed the man had been observing for a while.

He’d heard Li Xuemei calling out prices: “Five coarse flour buns, five coins.” “Four mixed flour buns, six coins, plus one bowl of soup—seven coins total.” “Three coarse flour buns, three coins, plus soup—four coins.”

The stand was clearly popular, and the crowd gave off a trustworthy vibe.

The man said in a low voice, “I’ll take two coarse flour buns and one bowl of soup.”

Li Xuemei remained calm and replied, “Two coarse flour buns, two coins, plus one bowl of soup—three coins total.”

It was a family of four.

The parents had brought their two children, one older, one younger, to the market.

The man was quickly handed two large buns. Madam Qi Da, who was in charge of the soup, was so excited she ladled in extra, giving him a full bowl.

His wife, worried he might spill it with his rough hands, stepped in to take the bowl herself.

There were only two tables at the bun stand, both packed. Seeing the family looking around for a spot, several people quickly got up, balancing food in their hands and mouths, and made space for them.

The family sat down, still a little dazed.

The woman remarked, “This place is really generous. The soup’s practically overflowing…”

The man didn’t say much—just gave a grunt of agreement. He broke the buns in half and handed them to the children.

The woman told the kids to drink the soup first, rotating the bowl so they could reach the bits of egg floating inside.

The children slurped up the savory soup and devoured the coarse flour buns with gusto. In no time, the bowl was empty.

Not wanting to waste a drop, the woman used a bun to mop up the last of the soup and popped it into her mouth.

Then she nudged her husband.

“Go get another bowl.”

The man got up and handed Li Xuemei another coin. Soon, he returned with another full bowl of soup.

This time, both adults got to taste the salty, flavorful wild vegetable and egg drop soup.

With something tasty in their mouths, half a bun didn’t feel like enough.

They bought two more coarse flour buns and finished them with the soup. The whole family left satisfied.

They found a spot and began setting up their own stall.

Meanwhile, the two kids started chatting with the children at the neighboring stalls. It didn’t take long before they were bragging about the delicious buns and soup they’d just had…

And once there was a first, there was a second.

More and more unfamiliar faces began appearing at the bun stand.

This discovery thrilled the people of Xiao’an Village.

The women worked even harder, full of energy.

The others, seeing the momentum, hurried to set up their own food stalls.

Only Yan Lao’er remained unhurried.

What’s the rush?

Right now, most of the people arriving were vendors. No one had made any money yet, so who’d be in the mood to spend?

His grilled and braised fish were meant for later, when the crowd arrived and the Grand Market truly came alive. That would be the real business hour.

Yan Yu wasn’t in a hurry either.

Her little friends hadn’t even finished breakfast yet. Once they were done eating and helping out at home, they’d come gather at her place.

She carried her small backpack, everything she owned packed inside.

With steady, unhurried steps, she strolled leisurely through the area.

Most of the stalls at the Grand Market were still selling homegrown goods. Some vendors offered raw grains, others had cooked food ready to eat. There were also plenty of handwoven items made from straw and rattan. Clearly, no matter where you went, there were always people with skillful hands.

Yan Yu quickly found what she was looking for—eggs!

There weren’t many quail eggs, though, and she worried it wouldn’t be enough to sell on their own.

She wanted to mix them with regular eggs, just like how her mother and the others made two kinds of steamed buns—one with coarse flour and the other with a blend.

So why couldn’t she sell two kinds too? Braised Eggs and Braised Quail Eggs.

It didn’t take long for Yan Yu to strike a deal with the egg vendor, an older woman.

She paid in copper coins, which had more purchasing power than bartering.

After calculating the price, it came out to seven coins for ten eggs.

The woman had brought thirty eggs, and Yan Yu paid twenty-one copper coins for all of them.

Just as she was about to head back, she spotted a new stall along the path she’d come from—someone was selling tofu.

Two full blocks of tofu sat on the table, still uncut, covered with a cloth drape. Only one corner was lifted, just enough to show what was underneath.

“Auntie, how much for the tofu?” she asked.

(End of Chapter)