Chapter 35: Selling Grain

“Buying grain! Buying grain! Sell now or regret it later! Trade your grain for meat, buy gold for your mother, a hair flower for your wife, and candy for your son!”

“Highest grain prices in ten years! Miss this chance and there won’t be another!”

“Sir, do you have any extra grain? New grain is fetching a high price right now. Next year, it won’t be worth this much. You’d be missing out!”

“Sell your grain and buy two acres of land. In a couple of years, you could be a landlord!”

With the peddlers talking up a storm, the people of Qingshan Village, who had been firm at first, began to waver.

As long as they sold their grain, they’d get silver in hand. With silver, they could buy meat, maybe even land. That kind of temptation was hard to resist for ordinary folks.

If not for the Old Village Chief’s earlier warning, the villagers would’ve sold their grain the moment the first peddler arrived.

Seeing things taking a bad turn, the Old Village Chief immediately gathered everyone. “You all saw how bad the flood was. Money is important, but if a famine hits, you won’t be able to buy grain no matter how much silver you have.”

Someone couldn’t help but argue, “How could we not be able to buy grain if we have silver? Selling now is a big win.”

The Old Village Chief sneered, “You think a big win like this would fall into your lap? Don’t let a few sweet words fool you. If you sell now, you’ll be the one regretting it later.”

“I’ve lived over fifty years and never seen a good deal that actually benefited the common folk.”

The man who spoke up was immediately silenced.

Liu Fengshou¹ had a lot of land and a good harvest. He hesitated. “Brother, are we really not selling? Even after setting aside a year’s worth of food, I’ve still got extra grain.”

The Old Village Chief gave him a look. “You still have to pay taxes² later.”

Liu Fengshou replied, “In past years we could pay with silver. I figured converting it to money would be more cost-effective.”

“What if that’s not allowed this year?” the Old Village Chief countered. “Will you hand over your family’s food, or use silver to buy grain?”

That made Liu Fengshou uneasy.

He wanted to follow the Village Chief’s advice, but his family was large and not of one mind. His wife and sons all thought selling grain now was a great deal.

“If we sell the grain and end up starving, it’ll be too late for regrets.”

The Old Village Chief sighed inwardly. If even Liu Fengshou was wavering, the rest of the villagers were even more likely to cave.

He turned to Zhao Mengcheng. “Mengcheng, you’re familiar with the officials in town. Say a few words.”

All eyes turned to Zhao Mengcheng, especially those who had seen him ride the White Dragon. They looked at him with admiration and trust.

“Mengcheng, should we sell the grain or not? We’ll do whatever you say.” That came from the group who had seen the White Dragon. They were now Zhao Mengcheng’s die-hard fans.

Some of the women chimed in, “Mengcheng rode the White Dragon. His word must be reliable.”

Zhao Mengcheng glanced around at the villagers. “Since everyone’s willing to listen, I’ll say a few things.”

“The flood didn’t just hit Qingshan Village. It’s worse downstream in Fengzhou. I’ve heard some areas had complete crop failure, not a single grain harvested.”

The villagers had heard similar rumors, but some still held onto hope. “Those grain buyers said the flood wasn’t that bad.”

“They want to buy our grain. You think they’re telling the truth?” the Old Village Chief snapped.

Zhao Mengcheng continued, “If you don’t believe it, then wait. Grain doesn’t spoil that quickly. After the town collects taxes, if prices haven’t gone through the roof, you can sell your surplus then.”

“But the price won’t be as high by then,” someone muttered.

Zhao Mengcheng looked at him and asked, “So you’d rather sell now and have your whole family go hungry later?”

“In my opinion, nothing is more important than making sure your own family is fed. Silver is great, but if you can’t spend it, it’s just dead weight. Grain is far more practical.”

Having said his piece, Zhao Mengcheng stood up. “We’ve all lived through disaster years. Think hard about those hard times before you make your decision.”

After he left, Liu Fengping grumbled, “He doesn’t have land or grain. He has to buy food anyway, so of course he’s not worried.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Mengcheng’s just looking out for everyone. If you don’t believe him, go ahead and sell your grain. But don’t come crying when you’re starving,” Wang Ming snapped.

He tugged at Uncle Wang and Auntie Wang. “Sell if you want, but my family won’t sell a single grain.”

Embarrassed, Liu Fengping shouted, “What kind of attitude is that? I’m still your elder! Now that he’s made a little money with Zhao Mengcheng, he doesn’t even respect me anymore!”

Liu Bingkun scoffed, “Uncle Fengping, your family has so little grain you can barely feed yourselves. What are you so anxious for? Even if someone sells, you can’t. What, you planning to drag your whole family to Uncle Fengshou’s house and freeload?”

Liu Fengping’s face turned dark. He jumped up and yelled, “Village Chief, say something! He’s got no respect for his elders!”

The Old Village Chief snorted. “Everything Akun said is true. What can your little bit of grain do? Why are you even getting involved?”

Liu Fengshou didn’t hold back either. “Let me be clear. If you dare sell grain to go fool around this year, don’t come crying to me when you starve. I won’t even look at you.”

Liu Fengping didn’t dare say another word. He relied on his big brother’s help every year and had no leg to stand on.

Still, he looked resentful, but no one was on his side—not even his own brother.

After all that fuss, the Old Village Chief had had enough. “I’ve said what I needed to say. Go home and talk it over. Just remember, once you sell your grain, there’s no going back. Don’t come crying to me later. It won’t help.”

“Let me make this clear. Anyone who tries to be clever and ends up starving, don’t expect help from me or the village.”

Most villagers were still afraid of going hungry. Like Zhao Mengcheng said, silver was important, but starvation could kill.

Families with elderly members were especially cautious. They had lived through famine years and knew how precious grain was.

Zhao Wencheng had a broken leg and couldn’t attend, so Zhao Dasao brought the message back.

“They said don’t sell. If you do, you’ll regret it.”

Zhao Wencheng scowled. “The chance to make money is right in front of them and they’re too scared to take it. Serves them right to stay poor. A bunch of ignorant fools.”

Zhao Mancang, who had just returned, frowned. “If the Old Village Chief keeps blocking this, we won’t be able to buy much grain from the village.”

“Mancang, will this mess affect your studies?” Zhao Wencai asked anxiously.

Zhao Mancang sighed dramatically. “My teacher rarely asks me for anything. If I can’t get this done, he’ll definitely be disappointed.”

“Oh dear, what do we do?” Zhao Dasao fretted.

Zhao Wencheng struggled to sit up. “Maybe I can ask around. If we buy in secret and the Village Chief doesn’t find out, it should be fine. I don’t believe everyone will refuse to sell.”

“Exactly. We’re giving them money. Why wouldn’t they want it?” Zhao Dasao said. If it weren’t for the Old Village Chief and Zhao Mengcheng meddling, the villagers would be lining up to thank them.

Zhao Mancang’s eyes gleamed. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Father and Mother. My teacher said if I can pull this off, he’ll nominate me to take the exam next year.”

“Really? Amitabha, my son’s going to be an official!” Zhao Dasao cried out in delight.

Zhao Wencai grinned. “Mancang’s always been brilliant. If he takes the exam, he’s sure to pass. When that second brother of mine comes crawling back, I won’t even let him in the door.”

“If the Village Chief doesn’t apologize, I won’t even look at him.”

The couple grew more and more excited, as if they could already see their son passing the exam and basking in glory, while Zhao Mengcheng begged for forgiveness in tears.

Zhao Mancang had been living in town and only just learned from his parents about the family falling out.

He didn’t think much of Zhao Mengcheng’s family and scoffed, “Second Uncle used to be half a scholar. Who’d have thought he’d stoop so low and become a peddler?”

Zhao Dasao looked down on Zhao Mengcheng too, though she envied his business success. “He’s made quite a bit of money from it. That’s why he looks down on us and wants to cut ties. What an ungrateful wretch.”

Zhao Mancang said coolly, “Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants³. You two are farmers, and that’s still more respectable than doing business.”

Zhao Wencai immediately chimed in, “Exactly! I can’t stand that petty face of his. And the Village Chief’s lost his mind, treating his words like gospel.”

The family took turns cursing Zhao Mengcheng until Zhao Mancang suddenly remembered his sister.

“Where’s Xiaohua? She usually clings to me when I’m home. Why haven’t I seen her?”

The couple stiffened. They knew how much their eldest son cared about appearances and didn’t dare admit they had sold Zhao Xiaohua.

Zhao Dasao laughed awkwardly. “Who knows where that girl ran off to. She’s getting more unruly by the day.”

Zhao Mancang had only asked in passing and didn’t think much of it. “Mother, you really should keep a closer eye on her. A girl should be quiet, well-behaved, and filial to marry well. Xiaohua’s a pretty girl. I’ll find her a good match in the future.”

Zhao Dasao didn’t dare say a word, only nodded along. “Alright, I’ll keep a closer watch on her.”

“Father, keep the grain-buying matter in mind. Once it’s done, come find me in town,” Zhao Mancang said.

Zhao Dasao hurriedly asked, “You’re leaving already? At least stay for a meal.”

“I’ve got things to do,” Zhao Mancang refused without hesitation.

Before he left, Zhao Dasao stuffed some silver into his hands. “You’ve gotten thinner again this time. Take this money and buy yourself something good to eat.”

Zhao Mancang gave the silver a squeeze, clearly pleased. For once, he spoke with a rare bit of tenderness. “Mom, take good care of Dad. Eat well too. Once I pass the imperial exams, you and Dad can enjoy the good life.”

Zhao Dasao beamed and nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, I’ll be waiting to enjoy life in comfort.”

Only then did Zhao Mancang leave. Once he reached a quiet spot, he opened his pouch and was surprised to see five taels of silver.

“That whole White Dragon saving the child act might’ve been a lie, but it seems Mount Qingshan Village really wasn’t hit by disaster. Otherwise, how could my parents just hand over five taels like that?”

He tucked the silver into his chest with satisfaction. As a scholar, he prided himself on being rational and not believing in ghosts or spirits.

What he didn’t know was that Zhao Laoda and his wife hadn’t given him the silver because they were doing well, but because Zhao Dasao had sold their daughter for a good price.

After seeing her son off, Zhao Dasao returned to the house, worried. “We might be able to hide what happened to Xiaohua for a while, but not forever. If our son finds out, he’ll be furious with us.”

Zhao Laoda didn’t think much of it. “He’s already using the money, isn’t he? Let him be mad. He’s our own son. He’ll get over it in a few days.”

Zhao Dasao thought that made sense. “I just wonder where Xiaohua ended up. When will she become Empress?”

The couple both believed Zhao Xiaohua had some kind of spiritual gift and might really rise to greatness.

Zhao Laoda even said, “Once she becomes Empress, the Emperor will make me the Imperial Uncle⁴. Then we’ll get Mancang a good post where everyone has to kneel when they see him.”

Zhao Dasao joined in the fantasy. “If you’re the Imperial Uncle, then I’m a titled lady⁵ from the opera, decked out in gold and jewels.”

The couple indulged in their sweet daydreams, determined to help their son succeed.

Zhao Wencheng leaned on his cane as he headed out. He’d thought this would be easy enough. After all, they were offering money.

At first, he even tried to lowball the price, planning to skim thirty percent as a runner’s fee and make a tidy sum.

But after visiting several households, everyone just shook their heads at him.

Liu Fengshou said, “The Village Chief and Mengcheng wouldn’t lead us wrong. If they say we can’t sell right now, then we can’t.”

Even with family opposition, Liu Fengshou clenched his teeth and refused to sell.

Uncle Wang was even more blunt. “Zhao Da, your leg’s broken. Why aren’t you resting at home? What if it gets worse and you end up crippled?”

“Grain? My whole family said we’re not selling. Why are you still pestering us? Get lost. I’d rather let it rot at home than sell it to you.”

People who had previously agreed to sell were now hemming and hawing.

“The Village Chief said no selling. If I sell now, I’ll get scolded later.”

“Let’s wait and see. If there’s any surplus after paying taxes, I’ll sell to you.”

“I want to sell, but the old man at home won’t allow it. You know how much he trusts the Village Chief.”

“Mengcheng just said one word, and my three boys all refused to sell. They say he’s favored by the White Dragon, and going against him will bring bad luck.”

Some even turned around to advise him. “You’re Mengcheng’s own big brother. Blood is thicker than water⁶. Why not go talk to him and make peace? That’s better than reselling grain.”

Zhao Wencheng’s face grew darker and darker. He snapped, “Get lost, damn it. Zhao Mengcheng came knocking for money. If he doesn’t bow his head and admit fault, I’ll never forgive him.”

The person he yelled at wasn’t happy. “I was just trying to help, why are you cursing? Anyway, we’re not selling. Get lost.”

After going around in circles with no success, Zhao Wencheng finally turned to Liu Fengping.

Normally, he looked down on Liu Fengping. As the second son of the family, Liu Fengping was lazy and always mooching off his older brother. In Zhao Wencheng’s eyes, he was just as despicable as Zhao Mengcheng.

But now, with no other options, he had to swallow his pride and beg.

Liu Fengping took full advantage, but in the end said, “Your price is too low. The grain buyers who came yesterday offered the same.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

Zhao Wencheng cursed silently. At that price, there was no profit. “Fengping, we’ve known each other for years. Would I cheat you? Sell to me and you won’t have to lift a finger. Just wait for the money.”

“If not, then forget it. Grain is grain, no matter who buys it. Your friendship isn’t worth much.” Liu Fengping snorted.

Zhao Wencheng wanted to storm off, but remembering his son’s orders, he had to give in. “Fine, we’ll go with that price. How much can you sell?”

Liu Fengping pointed to his storehouse. “As much as you want, I’ve got it.”

Zhao Wencheng was stunned. Was he planning to sell all his grain?

Liu Fengping grinned. “Those fools are worrying for nothing. If you’ve got silver, you’ll never go hungry. That’s just how the world works.”

Zhao Wencheng gritted his teeth. “Then it’s a deal.”

He left the Liu house with a dark face, frustrated that all his efforts had been wasted.

Halfway home, he spotted Zhao Mengcheng leading the three kids up the mountain. Zhao Wencheng scowled and let out a cold snort.

Zhao Mengcheng glanced at him, raising an eyebrow when he saw his brother limping around on a cane, but didn’t bother to respond.

The two brothers were like strangers now.

Zhao Wencheng’s face twisted with hatred. He came home still fuming.

“No luck buying grain? What now?” Zhao Dasao asked anxiously.

Zhao Wencheng sat down and took a breath. “Liu Fengping agreed to sell, but only at that price.”

“He’s just being greedy. You didn’t agree to it, did you?” Zhao Dasao grew nervous.

Zhao Wencheng snapped, “What choice did I have? No one else will sell. So what if there’s no profit? But even buying from him won’t be enough.”

Zhao Dasao pressed further. “Then what do we do? Should I ask my family?”

But Zhao Wencheng knew her family had been hit hard by the disaster. They didn’t even have enough for themselves, let alone extra to sell.

In the end, he made a harsh decision. “We’ll sell some of our own.”

“Our harvest wasn’t great to begin with. If we sell now, we’ll be the ones going hungry,” Zhao Dasao worried.

Zhao Wencheng sneered, “With silver in hand, you’re afraid of starving? No grain? Then we’ll eat meat and fish⁷.”

Zhao Dasao thought it over and agreed.

Neither of them stopped to consider: if grain were really so easy to buy, would Zhao Mancang’s teacher be going to such lengths to find it? If there’s no grain, where would the meat and fish come from?

“Hmph!” Zhao Chun snorted hard, giving Zhao Wencai a cold glare.

Zhao Mao and Zhao Xin followed suit, snorting in unison to show they were united.

Zhao Mengcheng chuckled and patted his head. “You all snort like that, I almost thought I raised three little pigs.”

Zhao Chun covered his forehead. “I just don’t like him. Hmph.”

Zhao Mao didn’t dodge and looked up to ask, “Dad, why does it look like you’re patting us the same way you pat a winter melon⁸?”

“Am I a winter melon?” Zhao Xin looked innocently at her father.

Zhao Mengcheng coughed and changed the subject. “Weren’t we going to pick mushrooms? Let’s go. I know a good spot.”

Behind him, Zhao Chun saw through his father’s antics. “So Dad’s feeling guilty. He really does pat us like winter melons.”

“I like being patted,” Zhao Mao said.

Zhao Chun stared at his brother in disbelief and muttered, “Suck-up.”

Then he ran to catch up. “Dad, go ahead and pat me. My head’s tough, it won’t break.”

“You’re the suck-up,” Zhao Mao fumed, seeing right through his brother’s two-faced act.

Zhao Mengcheng led the kids around a patch of forest. The mountainside suddenly opened up to reveal a grove of chestnut trees.

“Chestnuts!” Zhao Chun shouted in delight. He bent down and picked up a shiny brown chestnut, bit it in half with a crunch, and tasted it.

He ate half and held the other half out to his father. “Dad, it’s really sweet. Try it.”

“You eat it,” Zhao Mengcheng said, eyeing the suspicious liquid on it and politely declining his son’s gesture.

Zhao Mao had already gathered several. He wiped one clean with his clothes and handed it over. “Dad, try this one. It’s big and round, must be tasty.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled and took it. Wild chestnuts weren’t large, but they were sweet. After eating, there was even a faint osmanthus fragrance left in his mouth.

“Dad, how did you know there were chestnut trees here? We’ve never noticed them before,” Zhao Chun asked curiously.

They were always exploring the mountains and rivers. A spot like this should’ve been found long ago.

“Your dad has a talent for finding things,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a grin. Of course, it was thanks to his Mental Power. The mountain was basically his backyard. Not only did he know where the chestnuts were, he even knew where the rabbit holes were.

Zhao Chun looked at him with admiration. “Dad’s the best. I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

Zhao Mengcheng coughed, a little embarrassed at being a bad influence. “If you like them, let’s pick some to take home. Chestnut chicken stew is the best.”

Zhao Mao searched around but only found a dozen or so. “These are all I could find. The rest are still on the trees.”

“Watch me,” Zhao Chun said without hesitation and started climbing. The chestnut trees were tall with thin branches, but he was as nimble as a monkey. If there were chestnuts on a branch, no matter how small, he’d climb right up.

Zhao Mengcheng watched from below, his heart pounding. “Get down right now, or you’re going to fall.”

Seeing his father angry, Zhao Chun finally backed away. “It’s fine, it’s safe. I climb like this all the time and never fall.”

But before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud crack. The branch of the chestnut tree holding Zhao Chun snapped under his weight.

He didn’t have time to grab onto anything and fell straight from the high treetop.

“Big Brother!” Zhao Xin screamed, covering her eyes in fright.

Zhao Mengcheng reacted quickly, catching Zhao Chun just before he hit the ground. His voice was cold. “This is what you call safe?”

Zhao Chun was shaken and stammered, “I-I’ve never fallen before…”

Zhao Mao let out a sigh of relief when he saw his brother was unharmed, then ran over and scolded him. “Big Brother, have you looked at how much you used to weigh compared to now?”

“Oh right, I got fat,” Zhao Chun said, slapping his own forehead.

Half a year ago, he had been skinny as a stick. Now his arms and legs were packed with muscle, his belly round, and he’d shot up in height. He had easily doubled in weight.

Zhao Mengcheng let out a frustrated laugh. “Is that the point? If I hadn’t caught you just now, you’d be dead.”

“When you walk by the river often, your shoes are bound to get wet⁹. Think before you act. Evaluate the danger, or you’ll pay the price.”

Zhao Xin ran over too, hands on her hips as she scolded her brother. “Big Brother, you have to listen to Daddy. If you died, our whole family would be heartbroken. Do you want to make me cry?”

Zhao Chun shrank his neck and obediently said, “Dad, I won’t dare do it again.”

Only then did Zhao Mengcheng set his son down. “Remember, think three times before you act¹⁰. Nothing is more important than your lives.”

Zhao Chun nodded firmly, and Zhao Mao and Zhao Xin nodded along with him.

Zhao Mengcheng let out a sigh, thinking to himself how raising kids was no easy task. He looked around. “Wait here.”

When he returned, he was holding two bamboo poles. Right there on the spot, he wove a rope from grass and tied the poles together. Then he carved a fork at the top.

Lifting the bamboo pole, he aimed at a chestnut burr and gave it a twist. The burr dropped straight down.

“Daddy’s amazing. Big Brother is way too reckless,” Zhao Mao said, eyes shining.

Zhao Mengcheng chuckled. “This is called ‘to do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools¹¹.'”

Zhao Chun gave an embarrassed laugh, but the next moment, Zhao Mengcheng handed him the bamboo pole. “Go on, give it a try.”

Zhao Chun immediately forgot the earlier scolding and happily bounced around, twisting off chestnut burrs left and right.

Zhao Mao had to remind him, “Big Brother, watch it! They’re all falling on my head!”

Only then did Zhao Chun rein it in a little.

“Come on, let’s go pick mushrooms,” Zhao Mengcheng said, remembering their original reason for coming up the mountain. He took Zhao Xin’s hand and walked under the chestnut tree.

Before long, he spotted their target.

A large mushroom was growing on the chestnut tree. It was grayish-brown, layered like a blooming lotus.

“It’s huge! Daddy, can we eat this?” Zhao Xin asked curiously.

“This is called a chestnut mushroom. It tastes even better than regular ones,” Zhao Mengcheng explained.

Once he confirmed it was edible, Zhao Xin reached out and gave it a strong twist, pulling it off. She carefully placed it in her basket, pouting as she did.

“My basket’s too small. It’s full with just one mushroom.”

Zhao Mengcheng laughed. “Daddy’s basket is still empty. How about you help me fill it up?”

Zhao Xin nodded enthusiastically and got to work, her little face full of focus.

In no time, all four of their baskets were filled to the brim. Zhao Chun didn’t want to leave a single chestnut behind and packed his basket so full it formed a pointed peak.

Seeing there was no more room, Zhao Mengcheng quickly persuaded him, “That’s enough. If it’s tasty, we can always come back.”

Only then did Zhao Chun reluctantly stop.

He tossed the bamboo pole aside and hoisted his basket onto his back. “Let’s hurry home. I’m starving.”

The three little ones each carried a basket. Even the youngest, Zhao Xin, refused help from her father or brothers and insisted on carrying her own little basket.

Just as they were about to leave the chestnut grove, Zhao Chun suddenly shouted, “Dad, look!”

Translator’s Notes