Chapter 8, Vegetable Market

Upon hearing the words of the old vegetable farmer, Steward Xu could not help but let out a sigh. As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. At this moment, the family is in dire need of money, yet this year, vegetable prices have risen. It is foreseeable that life at home will undoubtedly become even more difficult in the future, and the burden on the young master will only grow heavier.

Butler Xu borrowed a unicycle from the other party to deliver over 100 jin of cabbage and radishes back home, and then pushed it back to return the cart to the old vegetable farmer. However, he did not leave the market immediately; instead, he went to the west side of the market, where most of the vendors selling fish or meat were concentrated. The family had been without meat for a long time. Just yesterday, Aunt Luo brought two meat dishes to satisfy everyone's cravings, but this also reminded him that the young master and young lady had been spoiled since childhood. They could hardly endure the daily plain meals, let alone themselves.

"Fat meat is 12 wen, lean meat is 10 wen, how much would you like to buy?" The simple-hearted young butcher said with a beaming smile. Although Steward Xu was dressed in rags, his physique did not resemble that of a poor person. The young butcher, naturally perceptive, recognized him as a potential big customer and thus displayed great enthusiasm.

In fact, it cannot be blamed on the pawnshop; they will inevitably drive the price down as much as possible when pawning items. Additionally, clothing is not like jade or antiques. While new clothes may hold some value, once they are worn, their value immediately depreciates by more than half. Therefore, regardless of how good the clothing is, once it is taken to a pawnshop, it generally cannot fetch a significant price, with the exception of items like leather and fur.

This... Xu, the steward, had previously checked the accounts for purchases made in the manor and was aware of the price of pork. If he remembered correctly, the price of pork this autumn was only 11 wen. It should be said that as winter arrives, pork is easier to preserve, and the price should decrease a bit. However, now it has not only failed to drop but has actually risen. It seems that the previous vegetable seller did not deceive him; the disaster in the north has indeed affected the prices in Songjiang. However, the disaster victims have not yet entered the city, and prices have already increased so much. If the disaster victims arrive in the future, who knows how much more the prices will rise?

Butler Xu estimated that it would be impossible to buy cheap vegetables today, so while selecting cabbage, he casually asked the old vegetable vendor: "Brother, why have the prices of cabbage and radishes increased so much this year? In previous years, it was one penny for five jin, but this year, after searching for so long, you are the only one willing to sell it for one penny for three jin. Elsewhere, the cheapest is only one penny for two and a half jin. What is going on?"

The vegetable market in Songjiang Prefecture is conveniently located in the southern part of the city, just two streets away from the Zhou residence. The so-called vegetable market is essentially an open space where various vendors push their carts to set up stalls. When dawn breaks, there will be officials responsible for this area who come to collect taxes. Generally, each stall pays only a few coins, which is not a significant amount. However, there are some bold and stingy vendors who hide when they see the officials approaching; as long as they are not discovered, they can save a few coins. Yet, if such behavior is caught, they could face severe penalties from the authorities, and might even receive corporal punishment.

As Butler Xu stepped into the vegetable market, he was immediately greeted by a wave of intense commotion. The market was divided into five rows of vegetable stalls, with narrow pathways left between them. Shoppers crowded the pathways, bargaining with the vendors on either side. Various shouts and calls echoed throughout, making it necessary to speak loudly here; otherwise, the other party would not be able to hear what you were saying.

Compared to the vegetable stalls, the stalls selling fish and meat here are noticeably much quieter. With a population of several million in Songjiang Prefecture, there are around two to three hundred thousand people in the city alone. However, among these individuals, only a minority can afford to buy meat. Even some families with relatively well-off backgrounds only come to purchase meat once or twice a month to satisfy their cravings. For instance, most of the people seen at the Xu family are these individuals. Additionally, there are servants from wealthy households who come to shop. These servants are well-dressed, and their masters generally require a large quantity of meat, so they are the most generous spenders, making them particularly favored by meat and fish vendors.

"Buy it, of course!" Steward Xu also knew that this was probably the lowest price in the entire market. His family was indeed short on vegetables, so he readily agreed. However, he then caught a glimpse of the oddly shaped radishes on the stall and continued, "How about this, brother? You don't have much produce left. I'll buy all the cabbage, and since these few radishes won't fetch much, why don't you just consider them a gift for me?"

Thinking of this, Steward Xu couldn't help but sigh. Just as he was about to ask the other party for one pound each of lean and fatty meat, he suddenly heard someone nearby call out loudly: "Oh, isn't this Steward Xu? I was just saying I wanted to find you, and I didn't expect to run into you here!"

Beijing North Street in Songjiang Prefecture is a very bustling thoroughfare, lined with numerous shops on both sides. At the easternmost end of the street stands a tall and distinctive shop, which features a fence in front of its entrance, seemingly intended to prevent customers from entering. Above the main door of this shop hangs a plaque inscribed with four large characters—Dingfeng Pawnshop

Butler Xu first visited several fish stalls and found that most of the fish sold were marine varieties. After all, to the east and south of Songjiang Prefecture lies the sea, where many people make a living by fishing. Therefore, the quantity of seafood here is considerable, and the prices are not high. A large fish weighing ten jin costs only a few wen, and there are also smaller fish available, which are even cheaper.

Today, as dawn broke, Steward Xu stepped out with a bundle of clothes. The Zhou residence is located in the southern part of the city, and he is quite familiar with the pawnshops in that area. He knows that the pawnshops there are worse than one another. Additionally, he is concerned about losing face for the Zhou family by being seen at a pawnshop, so he deliberately went to a pawnshop in the northern part of the city. However, all pawnshops are equally unscrupulous, and today, the two bundles of clothes he brought in were only worth two taels of silver. This amount is hardly enough for them to celebrate the New Year. Thinking of this, Steward Xu couldn't help but turn back and spit twice in the direction of the pawnshop.

Braving the morning chill, Steward Xu returned to the southern part of the city, carrying money to the market. There was still some rice at home, but one cannot have porridge for every meal, so it was time to buy some vegetables to take back.

There are many stalls selling pork, and Steward Xu strolled around a few times to get a general idea of the prices. Eventually, he arrived at the stall with the best business. The vendor at this meat stall was a young man in his twenties, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, exuding a simple and honest demeanor. He was exceptionally tall and strong, wearing only a single garment in the cold weather. In his right hand, he held a sharp knife, and whenever a customer came to buy meat, he would slice off generous portions without hesitation. Some regular customers would even take the meat without weighing it.

In the past, the Zhou residence often sent servants to purchase goods. However, as the chief steward, Zhou would naturally not handle such matters personally; there was a dedicated manager in the residence responsible for procurement, and Zhou would at most just check the accounts. It is precisely for this reason that Steward Xu was not very familiar with the vegetable market.

However, regarding these sea fish, Butler Xu thought for a moment and ultimately decided not to buy them, as no one in the household liked eating sea fish. The only one who enjoyed fish, Miss Zhuo'er, only preferred river fish, as she found the smell of sea fish too strong. Of course, there were fishmongers selling river or lake fish, but their prices were twice that of sea fish. Butler Xu touched his thin wallet and, in the end, could not bring himself to make the purchase

Although it is already winter, the vegetables in the market are still quite abundant. Among them, the most common and cheapest are naturally cabbage and radishes. The yield of these two vegetables is high, and they can be stored during winter. Many farming households have dug cellars to store them in large quantities, and when winter comes, they can sell them to vegetable vendors or transport them to the city for sale, which serves as a source of income during the winter downtime.

Finally, Butler Xu approached an elderly vegetable vendor. The vendor appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, with graying hair and wearing a tattered cotton coat that was stained and even shone black with dirt. He was idly rubbing the grime off his neck. The vegetables in front of him were few; aside from a small pile of cabbage that had not sold, there were also a few unattractive radishes, likely the leftovers that others had rejected, which is why their price was lower than those at other stalls.

"Little brother, you've been picking for quite a while, are you going to buy or not? This is already the cheapest produce of the day; once this village is passed, there won't be this shop anymore. Additionally, I've heard that Shandong has suffered a disaster, and many refugees are coming our way. It's possible that in a few days, the prices of grain and vegetables here will rise. So I advise you to buy a bit more now; otherwise, when the prices go up, you won't be able to find such cheap vegetables again!" The old vegetable farmer said somewhat impatiently. He only had this little bit of produce left for the day, and once sold, he could go home early. However, the person in front of him kept picking and hadn't indicated whether he was buying or not. Other customers, seeing that there were few vegetables left and someone was already there, were reluctant to approach and ask for prices. He only had this little bit of produce left for the day, and once sold, he could go home early. However, the person in front of him kept picking and hadn't indicated whether he was buying or not. Other customers, seeing that there were few vegetables left and someone was already there, were reluctant to approach and ask for prices.

"Little brother, how much is the meat here?" Steward Xu asked as he approached the stall

It was just the beginning of winter, the time when the prices of cabbage and radishes are at their lowest. According to Steward Xu's estimation, he could buy a pile of cabbage for just a few coins. However, he did not expect that this year's market situation was evidently different. He visited several stalls in succession, and the prices of cabbage and radishes far exceeded his expectations

Then, Butler Xu and the old vegetable farmer weighed the cabbage, which totaled ninety-three jin, costing exactly thirty-one wen. The other party then deducted one wen, effectively giving Butler Xu an additional three jin of cabbage for free. This made Butler Xu very happy, and he repeatedly said that he would look for the other party next time he bought vegetables

Butler Xu, dressed in a tattered cotton coat, stormed out of the pawnshop with a face full of anger. After circling around the fence in front of the door, he glanced back at the pawnshop entrance and spat contemptuously at the door. Only then did he turn around, cursing the unscrupulous owner inside the pawnshop while feeling the emptiness of his own wallet as he slowly walked away

Upon hearing Steward Xu's question, the old vegetable farmer patted his reddened neck and replied somewhat casually: "Brother, your question seems a bit naive. Just look at the weather this year; it's already so cold in October. The vegetables that were planted a bit later in the autumn have all been frozen in the ground. Moreover, in many places in the south, vegetables can no longer survive. Therefore, today's vegetable prices have doubled compared to previous years. The only reason I have lowered the price a bit is that there are only a few leftover roots left. Otherwise, if you had come earlier, it would have been one penny for two pounds."

After Butler Xu entered the vegetable market, he went directly to the stalls selling cabbage or radishes. As for southern vegetables like spinach, they are all transported from the south, making their prices quite expensive. The buyers are mostly wealthy families, and ordinary people simply cannot afford them. With the little money he has in hand now, he can only buy some of the cheapest cabbage and radishes

In addition to cabbage and radishes, there are also vegetables such as spinach and crown daisy. Although these vegetables may not appear very fresh, they are all transported from the warmer regions in the south. Currently, the temperature in the south is still not too low, so these vegetables can still survive. However, in another month or two, even the south will no longer be able to cultivate vegetables.

"It's fine, a few radishes aren't worth much. Once you buy them, I can get home early and enjoy a few warm drinks!" Although the old farmer had a rather impatient temperament, he was also very straightforward. Upon hearing the steward Xu's words, he did not haggle and immediately agreed.