Chapter 286: A Bountiful Harvest in Guanzhou

The land in Guanzhou yields only one harvest a year.

Most of the grains sold at the Grand Market were harvested last year—rice, sorghum, soybeans…

Freshly reaped wheat had just begun to appear in small quantities.

Although the court had long been promoting the cultivation of corn, the efforts hadn’t taken root in Guanzhou. The colder climate here made corn far less productive than in the southern provinces.

But this year was different. While major provinces like Qishan suffered from severe drought and unbearable heat, Guanzhou experienced a rare spell of favorable weather.

The ground temperature was higher than usual, and all crops were growing more vigorously than ever before.

Veteran farmers had already predicted a prosperous year back in spring. When it came time to sow, they planted as much land as they possibly could.

Though it wasn’t yet time for the official harvest, the early-maturing wheat already showed signs of an abundant yield.

As Li Xuemei and her two daughters walked through the market buying grain, they listened to the chatter around them.

Almost everyone was talking about this year’s harvest, their faces glowing with the joy of an impending bounty.

Yan Yu said happily, “Mama, with such a good harvest this year, we can buy grain nearby. Even if it’s not the absolute best, it won’t be far off. If we need more, we can always bring it in from elsewhere.”

“Mm! Tell your father to visit the nearby villages more often. Spread the word a bit. After the autumn harvest, once they’ve paid their taxes, anyone with surplus grain to sell will come to us,” Li Xuemei replied, equally pleased.

“No need to run around too much,” Yan Yu said with a mischievous grin. “Just have Dad tag along when Uncle goes out to the countryside to collect taxes.”

She waggled her eyebrows, making Li Xuemei burst into laughter.

“Oh, so now you’re riding your uncle’s coattails? Aren’t you afraid people will talk?” Li Xuemei teased.

Yan Yu cried out in mock injustice, then turned to tug on Big Sis Daya’s arm. “Big Sis Daya, tell me, are we really taking advantage? We’re paying fair prices—more than the Grain Store would offer. And we’re not forcing anyone to sell. We’re just going along to say hi. Whether they want to sell and how much is entirely up to them. Who could say anything bad about us? We’re in the right no matter how you look at it.”

Daya nodded firmly. “Xiao Er’s right, Auntie. If we want to buy grain and they want to sell, we’ll give them a good price. It’s better than selling to those grain merchants. They’re ruthless and always try to undercut. We’ve suffered from that in the past too.”

Li Xuemei fell silent. When it came to past experiences, they had no memories, no confidence, and no real say.

But from Daya’s words, it was clear that history often repeated itself. Whether in books or real life, there were always unscrupulous merchants squeezing every last coin from the common folk.

The three of them bought a lot as they went, running into many fellow villagers along the way.

Everyone had the same idea—to buy as much as they could.

The people of Xiao’an Village practically swept through the Grand Market, boosting the local economy in the process.

Some paid with copper coins, others with silver shards. Their purchasing power was astonishing.

Many from other villages regretted not bringing more goods to sell, as they quickly sold out.

With their pockets jingling with coins and spirits lifted, even the most frugal villagers couldn’t resist picking up some household items or trying something new during the monthly Grand Market.

The food stalls run by Xiao’an Village were drawing bigger and bigger crowds.

By the time Li Xuemei and her daughters returned to their stall, their arms full of purchases, they were met with an unexpected sight—Yan Lao’er’s stone-grilled fish was now in such high demand that he couldn’t keep up.

The braised fish tofu was slow to cook, and every time a batch was ready, it was snatched up immediately.

Li Xuemei and Daya went to sort through their goods while Yan Yu stood beside Liang Fengnian, who was busy tallying the accounts.

Their marinated egg business had come to a halt.

Tofu had been monopolized, and all the eggs they’d collected had already been devoured. Even the team sent to find quail eggs had some success, but quail eggs were too small—gone in one bite—and sold out in no time.

Just then, the tofu lady arrived with two more trays of tofu.

Yan Yu’s eyes lit up at the sight.

“You’re Yan Xiao Er, right? I’ve been looking for you. Your dad said you’d take these two trays of tofu. Bring them back and divide them up. I’ll collect the trays on the morning of the fifteenth when I deliver more tofu. Remind your dad to keep them safe, okay?”

“My dad ordered tofu? How much did he get?” Yan Yu wasn’t surprised at all. The fifteenth was when the village would host a banquet. Tofu was a versatile ingredient, perfect for all kinds of dishes. Of course her dad wouldn’t miss out.

“Three trays of tofu, two buckets of tofu pudding, two buckets of soy milk, and some dried tofu… Oh my, nothing less than what you’d expect from a scholar’s household—such a generous order!” The tofu lady beamed with delight.

Aside from the Grand Market, she had never sold so much tofu in one go.

And the soy milk—aside from her own family, no one usually bought it. These two buckets were pure profit. How could she not be thrilled?

“Our village is hosting a big banquet on the fifteenth,” Yan Yu explained, not wanting people to get the wrong idea about how extravagant the Yan family was.

“Oh, I know, I know. Madam Cui from your village told me. My in-laws are from the same village as Master Lu. If you ever want tofu again, just come to my place.”

The tofu lady was one of the new acquaintances Madam Cui had made.

“I heard from Madam Cui that you’re the second child in your family. Your dad sells grilled fish, your mom sells steamed buns, and the girl standing next to you earlier… could she be Scholar Yan’s eldest daughter?”

She pieced together the relationships, her eyes lighting up like lanterns.

She looked at Daya with such intensity it was almost blinding.

Yan Yu instinctively stepped in to block her gaze.

“Auntie, has my dad paid yet?”

“Of course she paid. That mute wife of his already settled the bill,” the woman said, her eyes darting over to Daya with barely concealed curiosity. She leaned in and asked in a hushed tone, “Xiao Er, tell your auntie—has your eldest sister been promised to anyone yet?”

Yan Yu was as tight-lipped as ever. “Eldest Sister’s marriage is up to my uncle. I don’t know anything about it.”

The Tofu Lady looked a little put out, mumbling, “What’s the harm in chatting? If she’s not engaged yet, maybe I could introduce her to someone decent.”

Yan Yu casually made up an excuse and sent the Tofu Lady on her way.

Just then, Madam Cui came bustling over like a whirlwind.

“Xiao Er, what was that tofu seller talking to you about? Was she asking about Daya? Tell your auntie the truth, I saw the look in her eyes and it wasn’t right.”

Yan Yu knew exactly where to draw the line and replied without hesitation, “She was, Aunt. Asked if Eldest Sister was engaged. I told her I didn’t know, that it’s up to Uncle.”

Madam Cui nodded approvingly. “That’s right! That’s exactly what you should say. These old hens, always poking their noses into other people’s business. If they could actually introduce someone decent, I wouldn’t mind, but all they ever talk about are their nephews and cousins from their mother’s side.”

She spat angrily. “Pah! As if we’d be blind enough to fall for that! All of them are just dirt farmers, scraping by with backbreaking work. Our Daya can’t marry into that kind of life. At the very least, she should marry a landowner—someone with hired hands at home. That way she won’t have to toil and can live comfortably.”

Yan Yu: …

Aunt, maybe you should bring all these requirements up with my uncle and see what he thinks?

(End of Chapter)