Influence
"The beans?" Yes, they have, but not unreasonably so. "It seems they are now selling for twelve wen a dou," the vendor glanced at the crowd rushing in to buy things, lowering his voice. "I estimate that prices will continue to rise, so if your family has grains, refrain from selling them to the grain merchants too hastily." Hold out a bit; you might be able to sell it for a higher price.
A gleam appeared in Zhou Erlang's eyes, but he also felt a twinge of heartache. After the autumn harvest last year, their family sold a batch of grains. If they had kept them, they could have earned at least twice as much money by now.
Manbao's eyes also glittered as she glanced at their tofu. She then tugged at her second brother's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Brother, we need to raise the price of our tofu."
Zhou Erlang quickly snapped back to reality, looking at their tofu, and then at the gradually increasing flow of people on the street.
He carefully observed their faces, attire, and expressions, and soon noticed many unfamiliar faces.
The same logic applied - Luojiang County was only so big, with only so many nearby villages. Most of the people who came to wander down this street Zhou Erlang had already seen.
He had a good memory for faces, not as exceptional as Manbao's photographic memory, but after seeing someone a few times, he could remember them, at least finding their faces familiar.
And now, there were quite a few customers picking and choosing items on the street whom he didn't recognize.
He coughed lightly, positioning Manbao behind the stall. Lowering his voice, he instructed, "Don't move, Lao Liu." "I'll keep an eye on them here at the stall; you go for a walk."
Raising prices was not something to be done arbitrarily; it was necessary to first assess the market prices of others before deciding.
Zhou Erlang frequently inquired about the prices of others. He coughed lightly, then set off for a leisurely stroll through the streets with his hands behind his back.
Zhou Lilang crouched behind the stall, instructing the older maid to drape the flowers over the small bamboo basket, while Manbao was responsible for taking out the sugar from the cloth bag and putting it inside.
He watched his second brother's figure and asked Manbao, "Why did my brother leave?"
"To ask about the prices, of course," Manbao said casually, "I don't think he needs to inquire, as there's only our tofu stall on this street; there shouldn't be any price variation."
Although she said that, Zhou Erlang walked from the end of the street to the beginning, inquiring about the prices at most stalls, while also observing the state of their businesses.
And he returned with an excited expression on his face.
He said, "Basketry hasn't gone up in price, but everything edible has." Vegetables and similar items have all increased in price. Their businesses seem to be doing well. I will try selling today. If it goes well, I won't bring the basketry tomorrow. "We'll specialize in bringing vegetables instead."
Manbao responded, "We don't have many vegetables left from our garden."
Although the garden wasn't flooded, many vegetables had rotted due to excessive rainfall.
Zhou Erlang reassured her, "It's okay, we'll have your sister-in-law bring out the pickled vegetables from home."
Manbao replied, "I don't want to eat pickled vegetables; I want to eat fresh ones."
Zhou Lilang and the others couldn't help but glance at Zhou Erlang.
Zhou Erlang turned their head back directly and said, "Don't look at me like that." "We're short of money at home, so we need to seize the opportunity to save some."
Feeling the need to clarify, Manbao remarked, "Big sister isn't in a rush for money."
"It's not about my big sister, it's about the autumn tax," Zhou Erlang whispered. "My father calculated a few days ago that even if the heavens are kind to us from now on, with favorable weather until the autumn harvest, our family's grain probably won't be enough for our consumption." "What about the autumn tax?"
Manbao was an educated person, so she understood these matters, which is why Zhou Erlang explained them to her. If it had been another child, he wouldn't have said much and would have resorted to authoritarian oppression instead.
Upon seeing them, Zhou Lilang wore a puzzled expression, indicating partial understanding of the situation, while Zhou Erlang also grasped the situation. He sighed sadly and asked, "Will you still go to the county office, Brother?"
Zhou Erlang hesitated.
The older maid secretly nudged Manbao.
Manbao immediately shifted his focus from the autumn tax matters and stared keenly at Zhou Erlang, "Brother, why don't you wait here for us?" The street may be crowded, but it's not chaotic. "We can handle it ourselves."
Upon seeing the light in her eyes, Zhou Erlang's face displayed a hint of sadness. "Manbao, do you really think so little of me?"
"No, no, I don't look down on you, Brother." "I just don't want to delay your opportunity to earn more money."
Zhou Lilang and the others vigorously nodded in agreement.
Zhou Erlang glanced at the customers passing by on the street, hesitated, and finally said, "Alright, Xiao Liu, keep an eye on them, don't let go of their hands, and don't get into arguments with anyone." If trouble arises, try to tolerate it; avoid resorting to confrontation. If necessary, call the constables, understand?
"Understood!"
Zhou Lilang quickly strapped on the backpack with the small bamboo basket, Big Head hurried to carry the basket of flowers, while the senior maid held the freshly woven flower basket. Manbao grabbed two more baskets, and the four of them happily bid farewell to Zhou Erlang, waving their hands.
Zhou Erlang watched as they disappeared, swaying their tails happily like fish taken out of a net and released into the river, before he shook his head. The neighboring vendor also noticed this. Upon recognizing these children, he smiled and commented, "Your children are quite clever."
Zhou Erlang modestly joked, "Clever or mischievous, just having fun." However, with so many strangers in the county town now, I can't risk letting them roam freely. "I won't bring them next time."
"They are fine as long as they don't have money on them," the vendor stated. "In the city nowadays, there are thieves and robbers after money and grains, but no one preys on children."
Nowadays, children are not valued much. I heard that outside, a bag of sixty catties of grains can buy a seven or eight-year-old girl, and even younger ones can be bought with twenty catties," the vendor explained.
Zhou Erlang looked stunned and asked, "Is it that serious?"
Glancing around, he whispered, "Indeed, I have an uncle who specializes in selling food along the main roads." He mentioned that the Yizhou area was completely washed away by water. Not only was there a shortage of food, but also many houses were without roofs. Many people were swept away by the water, disappearing without a trace in an instant. Think about it. Without houses, let alone food, many of those who escaped had only the clothes on their backs; some even lost their shoes.
Zhou Erlang's face turned pale.
The vendor sighed, "Look at this scene, doesn't it resemble the great drought of the eleventh year of Dade?" Fortunately, the flood disaster is not particularly severe here, although the crops in the fields will definitely suffer. "But at least there will be some harvest, unlike during the eleventh year of Dade…"
Zhou Erlang blankly stared, feeling the vendor's voice growing increasingly blurred, yet he managed to hear, "During that time, it was truly tragic here." During that time, my brothers and sisters starved to death, and I was the only one who survived from my family. "Zhou Erlang, what's wrong with you?" "Why are you so pale?"
Leaning against the wall for support, Zhou Erlang managed a forced smile and said, "It's nothing, probably just the sun shining too brightly."