Chapter 86: Trade in the Mountain Village

Each person was handed a bowl of egg water, and Yan Lao’er took the lead in drinking it.

Tasting it, he raised an eyebrow—there was honey in it?

Yan Yu sipped carefully, her small eyes darting around. Whenever she made eye contact with someone, she would nod slightly and smile politely.

She had to maintain her persona—right now, she was a well-mannered little young master.

The stewed chicken in the large earthen pot was cooked with wild ginger and wild onions, with a few mountain jujubes floating on top.

Yan Yu got a drumstick and a bowl of chicken soup.

Wild chickens were leaner than domesticated ones, and a single drumstick was just right for her.

The ginger and onion effectively masked the gamey taste, making the broth not only delicious but also subtly sweet.

Roast rabbit meat couldn’t compare to the flavors enhanced by her family’s seasonings, but since there was meat, there was no reason to be picky.

Though Yan Yu loved good food, she could eat just about anything—she was easy to feed.

The sorghum water rice was made by cooking sorghum grains into porridge, repeatedly rinsed with spring water from the mountains.

It was cool and refreshing—one bite of porridge, one bite of meat, absolutely satisfying.

Even if she let loose, she couldn’t eat much, whereas the others remained reserved, not revealing their true appetites.

Only after much persuasion from the villagers did Uncle Qi Si and Uncle Qi Wu finally eat three large bowls of porridge and a good amount of roast meat. It must have been tough for them.

Soon, Yan Lao’er began inquiring with Uncle An about snake and insect repellent medicine while casually mentioning his small barter trade.

The mountain villagers were highly interested and quickly gathered around him.

Several uncles began pulling things out from their homes.

Er Tie and San Tie looked at Yan Yu for direction, and she calmly waved them off—she remained composed; there was no rush.

Once the first trade deal was settled, Yan Yu finally called the two over and spread a cloth bundle on the ground.

Out came small straw sandals, little socks, shoe insoles, hair ties…

One by one, they were displayed.

The tiny items immediately caught the attention of the women and children.

Especially the mothers—when they saw children’s clothing, their faces lit up with joy.

They repeatedly examined the clothes. Though they had patches, they were washed clean and even seemed to carry a faint fragrance.

One woman sniffed it over and over, making sure she wasn’t imagining things.

She turned to the young master squatting behind the cloth and asked,

“Why do these little clothes smell nice?”

Yan Yu remained unhurried as she pulled her backpack to the front and took out a scented soap.

“They were washed with this scented soap, so they retain a faint fragrance, though it fades in a few days.

There’s also an unscented version.”

She handed over two pieces—one scented and one unscented.

She had decided last minute to bring both, just in case there were refined women in the mountains who might appreciate it.

Upon hearing the price of this scented soap in the outside world, the woman quickly handed it back as if it were burning hot.

She continued examining the little clothes, holding them up against her daughter to compare sizes.

“How do I trade for this little outfit?” she asked, clearly interested.

“Trade it for your snake and insect repellent herbs.”

The woman was delighted—what a deal!

She immediately sent her child home to fetch the herbs while clutching the small outfit tightly. She couldn’t let go—there were others eyeing it too.

Hers had the fewest patches and was one of the rare pieces meant for little girls in the pile of children’s clothes.

When the others heard they could trade herbs for goods, their shopping instincts kicked in!

One wanted shoes, another wanted socks, hair ties, little straw hats… There were even straw sandals that looked better than what they could weave themselves—everyone wanted something!

Once enough snake and insect repellent herbs were traded, Yan Yu lifted the restriction and accepted any medicinal herbs in exchange.

Er Tie and San Tie were overwhelmed with work.

Each item had a different value, and Yan Yu based her pricing on the first trade—three bundles of tied-up herbs per outfit, with slight adjustments as needed.

The small, neatly cut fabric pieces were especially beloved by the women.

These were cut from bolts of cotton cloth at her home, deep blue in color, soft, and fine to the touch.

The women had never felt fabric this soft before.

Their eyes shone with desire.

But for these fabrics, Yan Yu wanted grain in exchange.

As soon as grain was mentioned, the women hesitated.

They were no longer as enthusiastic as when they traded herbs.

Seeing this, Yan Yu pulled out her ultimate trade item—an iron pot.

Yan Lao’er also brought an iron pot, larger than hers. She wasn’t sure if he had traded his yet.

An iron pot!

Living in the mountains, they understood the value of ironware more than anyone.

Trading grain for an iron pot was absolutely worth it!

“Young Master, how much grain for your iron pot?” someone asked urgently.

Yan Yu had already done the calculations. Trading two sacks of grain for the pot was fair; three sacks would be a profit.

But pricing was always dependent on local circumstances.

Even if peddlers entered the mountains, they wouldn’t bring such expensive items as iron pots.

So, she raised four fingers.

“Four sacks.”

A sack of grain was about 100 pounds, meaning four sacks totaled over 400 pounds.

Yan Yu had calculated this based on the grain shop’s selling price—it seemed fair to her.

But the women calculated based on the grain-buying price, which confused them. They hurried off to find their men.

Yan Yu glanced at San Tie.

San Tie, quick-witted, left to find Second Uncle Yan to check how much he planned to ask for his larger iron pot.

Yan Lao’er hadn’t traded his pot yet.

His strategy differed from Yan Yu’s—he was selling items in batches.

He spent quite some time just trading clothes, then moved on to bowls. The first item he successfully traded carried special significance.

Wooden bowls were usable, but they couldn’t compare to ceramic ones.

Yan Lao’er accepted grain, medicinal herbs, mountain fruits, honey, smoked meat… He was open to various trades but negotiated carefully, making the process slower.

When he heard San Tie relay Yan Yu’s price, he had a clear idea.

Later, when he finally brought out his iron pot, he declared that he would only trade for grain—six sacks.

Good heavens!

Even if his pot was bigger, that was quite a price jump!

Those eager for an iron pot immediately flocked to Yan Yu.

They even pulled Uncle An over to help calculate whether four sacks were a fair trade.

Uncle An calculated based on sorghum prices.

In good harvest years, they had sold some grain before—each catty (half a kilogram) went for around three to four wen, sometimes as low as two wen.

As mountain villagers, they were always at a disadvantage when buying and selling.

Though there had been drought this year, last year’s harvest was good, and they had stored grain. It pained them, but getting an iron pot was worth it.

Uncle An pulled the men aside and advised, “If a few of your families trade together and share the pot, the cost per household won’t be much. Four sacks may seem like a lot, but in silver, you wouldn’t have much left after buying an iron pot. Plus, you know how expensive goods get when they enter the mountains.”

“We know, we know,” they agreed.

“See if you can bargain it down,” Uncle An suggested. “The young master is just a child—maybe he’ll be easier to negotiate with.”

But when they went to Yan Yu, she was firm—not a single reduction.

These men came and went, tried and tried again.

The real buyers are the ones who bargain!

She had faith in them!