Chapter 32:
The two hurried along without stopping, walking for nearly an hour before arriving in town.
Along the road were farmlands everywhere, with crops planted in the fields. Because it was summer, there was corn half a person’s height, vegetables, soybean seedlings…
Lush and verdant, full of green vitality, the sky grew brighter the further they walked.
Luo Zhi’er wiped her sweat, looked up at the sky, the sun rising in the east, lifted the bamboo tube to drink some water, and continued walking!
She walked until her legs trembled, her heels aching. If only she had an ox cart…
Li Sanmao told her to rest, but she didn’t. She knew she was fat and walked slowly, so she couldn’t afford to delay any more time!
By the time they reached town, the sun had roughly risen. Near the city gate, on the avenue outside the city gate, there were many passersby coming and going, hurrying along.
There were horse carriages, mule carts, donkeys, some walking with shoulder poles, some pushing wheelbarrows…
She noticed that the people’s attire here was similar to the clothes and hair accessories worn by people in the Song Dynasty on TV.
Near the city gate, after crossing the bridge, she saw many people lining up, with a long queue.
The gate guards were checking passersby. The city gate walls were painted with red paint on the exterior, and the overall shape was that of a tall tower city.
Looking up, it was very high, with soldiers standing guard on top…
Li Sanmao carried the bamboo basket on his back, sweat beading on his head. By the time the two of them passed through, it had already been about half a quarter-hour.
Once inside the city, before them was a particularly wide avenue paved with green bricks.
On both sides were neatly arranged rows of houses with red paint and yellow tiles. These houses displayed goods, similar to modern street-front shops.
These buildings were very quaint. The shops sold fruit, buns, cosmetics, writing supplies, various snacks, alcoholic drinks, restaurants, dried goods…
Passersby came and went continuously, some wearing brocade, others like them in ordinary civilian clothes.
At the street edges and in the shops, people inquired about and bought goods. Along the way, there were street performers, peddlers hawking rattle drums, candied hawthorn, needlework—everything imaginable…
Much more bustling and lively than she had imagined…
After entering, they followed the crowd for a while. Li Sanmao, carrying the bamboo basket, planned to go to the usual market for selling wild game to check it out.
Luo Zhi’er followed along with him.
The two of them were late for selling things. Some small vendors from town and nearby villages had come to claim spots before dawn.
This was the main procurement market. The deeper they went, the denser the crowd became.
They finally reached the old spot, Luo Zhi’er drenched in sweat, but the ground stall area was already full, no positions left.
This was the area for mobile stalls. Walking around, they finally saw one or two empty spots. She wanted to set up there but was stopped by Li Sanmao.
“Wife, this is a fixed position stall where someone has paid monthly rent…”
“Oh!”
The spot where he used to sell mountain goods had long been taken, selling eggs there now.
The two wandered a few rounds and finally squeezed into a small gap in the corner at the turn.
The big lady next to them selling scallions was pretty nice; Li Sanmao knew her from before.
“Aunt Chen!”
“It’s San Mao? Here to sell wild game again today?”
“Yeah, look, all the spots are taken.”
“It’s crowded in the morning. Come squeeze in next to me. Look, my scallions will be sold out soon, you can set up right here.”
“That’s great, thanks Aunt Chen!”
“No need to be polite. Is this your wife?”
“Yeah, Zhi’er, this is Aunt Chen.”
“Hello Aunt Chen! Your business is really good, we just arrived and you’re already sold out!”
“Hehe, not bad. I got lucky; a big customer from the restaurant came this morning and bought twenty pounds at once. Go ahead and set up.”
Aunt Chen moved over a bit to make space. Li Sanmao set down the bamboo basket, removed the cloth piece, and took out the smoked dried wild game…
Luo Zhi’er placed the termite mushroom oil and the shredded bamboo shoots nearby…
All morning, a few people came to inquire about the smoked meat, but no one asked about her termite mushroom oil or shredded bamboo shoots at all…
They just looked and left…
These city folk were sly too. They asked the price of the smoked meat but didn’t buy, or tried to haggle lower than the previous fifteen cash per pound by two cash.
Li Sanmao refused. If they sold less, parents would surely be angry, and he felt it wasn’t worth it!
These people kept wandering, not in a hurry, just waiting to see if he’d sell in the afternoon.
When she arrived, she noticed this street also had people selling wild game.
Their prices were a bit lower than Li Sanmao’s, but their smoked dried meat chunks didn’t look as good in quality as Li Sanmao’s.
Seeing it wasn’t working, Luo Zhi’er straightened her skirt hem and immediately started shouting on the street like a modern salesperson.
“Everyone passing by, don’t miss out! Come see our smoked wild game, shredded bamboo shoots, termite mushroom oil!”
The crowd was drawn by her crisp shouting voice. They wondered what cute young woman it was, but upon closer look, it was a fat lady.
Indeed, it attracted some to come forward and inquire. “Hey fat auntie, what’s this termite mushroom oil? Can I taste it?”
Fat auntie?
A flock of crows cawed in Luo Zhi’er’s mind. What? She had dressed up all morning, yet still this image?
And Li Sanmao had said she looked good.
No time to think, answer his question first.
Politely she said,
“Sorry, oldest brother, this one can’t be tasted.”
“Because it’s made from animal oil. When solidified, it’s eaten hot mixed with noodles or rice.”
“What? Selling food but can’t taste it? Then what’s the point of selling?”
The man turned and walked away without looking back!
“Hey, wait!”
“Forget it, Zhi’er, wait for the next one!”
Luo Zhi’er felt depressed. She hadn’t brought any cooked noodles or steamed white rice, and even if she had from so far, it would be cold and not taste right.
There were no noodles at home, and she had never seen rice…
What to do?
There was freshly cooked rice and hot noodles from the pot right here!
“Hey fat big sister, what’s this stringy stuff?”
A young man with messy hair like a chicken coop, scruffy beard, and a bit slovenly said.
He looked a bit dirty, eyes darting around. “Is it cooked?”
“Oldest brother, this is called shredded bamboo shoots. It’s cooked, made from wild bamboo shoots from the mountain. It can be stir-fried or used in stew!”
“Oh? Can I taste it?”
“Oldest brother, it can’t be eaten like this!”
One ‘oldest brother’ after another? This woman was ball-shaped fat, and her eyesight was bad too!
He brushed away the messy strands of hair from his forehead,
“Tricking ghosts? It’s clearly cooked but can’t be eaten. I think you’re just afraid someone will taste it all up!”
“I say fatty, you can’t do business like this. Body so big but stingy to death. This can’t be tasted, that can’t be eaten. Who buys without knowing the taste?”
“What if it kills someone?”
He threw his head back and yelled loudly.
The surrounding people’s gazes fell on her…
“This…”
“Enough, let me taste it!”
With that, he grabbed a handful and shoved it in his mouth. After one chew, he spat it out with a “pah pah”!
Gruffly he said,
“What the hell is this? Salty to death, even pigs won’t eat it! Pah!”
“Quick, give me mental compensation fee, or else, hmph! You won’t be allowed to set up stall here!”
Luo Zhi’er thought, had she run into a street bully?
“What did you say?”
Li Sanmao stood up at once. “Customer! You took our things without permission and ate them. We’re already good not asking you for compensation, yet you’re insulting us—what reason is that?”
The thug saw, huh? This fat woman had someone protecting her?
Because Aunt Chen had left, Luo Zhi’er had been guarding the termite mushroom oil and shredded bamboo shoots nearby.
She was fat and moved inconveniently, unfamiliar face—clearly her first time here!
He thought she was selling alone and had finally found a sucker!
Last night he had hunkered under the bridge. He wanted to find a sucker for some luck…
“Yo! This ball-shaped ugly woman has a male protector!”
Li Sanmao clenched his fists, knuckles cracking, coldly staring at him.
“She’s my wife. Protecting her is only right, isn’t it?”
“But she’s so ugly… fat…”
“Ugly? Fat? Doesn’t exist! One-on-one or what?”
Knuckles cracking…
“What?”
This man’s eyes must be blind. The chill in his eyes made him shudder!
“No, haha, brother, did you marry no wife and that’s why you’re so desperate?”
“Brother, I can introduce you to a beautiful young widow… that figure… tsk…”
“Hm…?”
The little punk doubled down, but seeing him unmoved and giving cold looks…
“Ouch, my stomach hurts. Your shredded bamboo shoots messed up my stomach!” The man clutched his belly, eyes rolling…
“Is that so? Come on, go to the yamen with me!”
“What? Brother, it’s a misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!”
“Little brother bids farewell!”
With that, he ran off!
Watching him slink away, Luo Zhi’er turned to look at Li Sanmao!
Li Sanmao crossed his arms, gaze flatly following the departing little punk’s back.
“This… we ran into a bully?”
“Hmph! What bully? Little punk, meeting your Grandpa San Mao today is your honor!”
Luo Zhi’er suddenly felt Li Sanmao’s figure towering!
The man narrowed his eyes,
“What’s this? Why look at your husband like that?”
Seeing her dazed,
“Or is it, you’ve been… captivated by your man?”
“Ah? No, no!”
Her round head shook like a rattle drum…
“I just think…”
“Think what? Isn’t he tall and mighty!”
“Narcissist! I was thinking if you’re thinking of that thief-good figure and appearance young widow!”
“Hehe, jealous? Don’t fall even more in love with your husband oh!”
“Nonsense!”
“Oh, so you already loved him a lot before?”
“Scram!”
This stinky man, surprisingly a bit black-bellied. The two bantered playfully for a bit.
“Miaomiao’s mother, why blushing!”
“You!”
She raised her fist and pounded him a few times…
The vendor at the next stall hadn’t expected this fat woman’s husband to dote on her so much!
Truly strange!
Unknowingly, it was already noon, not a single piece of meat sold, let alone the others…
They knew these people were probably just waiting for the afternoon to haggle when they couldn’t sell.
The two had walked mountain roads all morning, then sold things—really hot and hungry. For the fat her, it was a bit dizzying…
“Wife, you okay?”
Li Sanmao saw Luo Zhi’er, face flushed red, squatting to the side, fanning herself and panting…
“Husband, I feel weak all over, black spots in my vision, dizzy, but it’s fine, I can hold on!”
Li Sanmao was a bit anxious. His wife was frail; rushing so far in the morning, she had always feared climbing mountains and long walks.
