Chapter 6: Buying and Selling

Li Yingtang took his arm: "Let's go sell them over there."

Qin Xian gently pulled away: "It's a public place, people are watching."

Li Yingtang: "We're bundled up so tightly, who would recognize us? Besides! Aren't there other people doing the same thing over there? Why is it that we’re the only ones who can't?" Was he looking down on her?

Qin Xian took a closer look, and it really was... the morals of the day were declining!

They arrived at the residential area.

Li Yingtang picked out the best-looking persimmons to place on top and organized her thoughts: "Selling—" Her peripheral vision caught Qin Xian standing idly by. If he was right there, wouldn't he know exactly how much money she made?

That wouldn't do!

Her mind raced, and she phrased her words carefully: "A-Xian, could any of your patients be nearby? If they recognize you, come over to greet you, and then take a fancy to the persimmons and try to get close to you, it would be a bit of a mood-killer for me to talk about money. Could you stand a bit further away and come back after I've finished selling them?"

Qin Xian stepped away immediately.

Li Yingtang promptly raised her voice: "Selling frozen persimmons! Fragrant, sweet, and nutritious frozen persimmons! Don't miss out as you pass by. Rock-bottom prices: ten cents for a large one, buy five get one free. Two small ones for ten cents, buy ten get four free. Hey, ma'am, take a look at my freshly picked frozen persimmons."

She pushed the cart forward with big strides.

The woman picked up a persimmon and squeezed it: "Looks pretty good. Can I pick them myself?"

"Pick whatever you like, choose whatever you want." Li Yingtang emphasized the discount rules: "If you buy the large ones, you get a large one free; if you buy the small ones, the free ones are small too, okay?"

The woman picked twelve large ones and paid.

Li Yingtang took the money, feeling incredibly excited. Making a dollar on the first sale was a great omen.

She continued to call out, her crisp, melodic voice and attractive appearance drawing the attention of passersby.

Whenever she made eye contact with someone, she would chase after them to pitch: "Big sister, want to buy some persimmons? They promote fluid production, quench thirst, resolve phlegm, relieve coughs, and nourish the lungs and spleen; they have so many benefits!" She had learned all these terms from Qin Xian.

"Really?"

"I'd be a puppy if I were lying to you. Want to try two?" Li Yingtang diligently wiped a persimmon clean with a cloth and handed it over.

"I'll do it myself."

Before long, half the cart of persimmons was sold.

Li Yingtang stood out of the wind and tallied the accounts: four yuan and thirty-five cents. The remaining ones weren't as high quality, so it would be hard to sell them at the original price.

She cut the price in half and continued calling out along the main road. It took only half an hour to sell the rest, earning another one yuan and sixty cents.

Given the prices here, this should be enough to buy a padded jacket, right?

She tucked the money away and headed back the way she came, but when she reached the intersection, Qin Xian was gone.

Where was he?

Did he dump her and leave?

"A-Xian! A-Xian!" She was so panicked she didn't even care about the cart, shouting in all directions like a headless fly.

The next second.

A cold, clear voice echoed in her ear.

"Over here."

Li Yingtang turned back. The young man was standing under a pine tree, shielded from the wind, holding a white flour bag. His posture was upright, elegant as jade.

Buying flour, was he?

She let out a sigh of relief and rushed toward him like a gust of wind, smiling brightly: "You scared me to death, I thought you’d gotten lost."

Qin Xian said bluntly: "Isn't it more like you were afraid I’d leave you behind?"

Li Yingtang blinked. Did he have to be so blunt? "The persimmons are all sold out, I made four yuan. I'm freezing to death—is there anywhere that sells padded jackets? Could you please take me to buy one? If it's not enough, you can cover it for me first, and I'll pay you back when I sell the hawthorn berries." She shivered at the right moment to elicit sympathy. "Actually, I don't have to buy one, I can endure it. If I get too cold, I'll just hug you to keep warm. You don't object to me being your wife, so you'd agree to a hug, right?"

Qin Xian...: "Let's go."

After entering the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Yingtang changed from the inside out and also bought two new cotton quilts, spending thirty-two yuan.

Daily necessities cost only one yuan and twenty cents, and many were items she specifically requested, such as menstrual belts, undergarments, a bathing curtain, and bamboo skewers for the hawthorn berries.

Looking at the money flowing out like water, she promised

"I made you spend a lot today. When I get on my feet, I’ll definitely make sure you live a good life."

Qin Xian glanced at her sideways.

Li Yingtang felt quite awkward. A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken! She used to think she was capable of anything, but now, away from the platform her parents provided, even making a promise felt so pale and powerless. "Ahem." She took the initiative to ease the cooling atmosphere: "Shall we go home?"

"Otherwise?"

Li Yingtang choked.

It was noon by the time they returned to the health station.

Qin Xian pushed the wheelbarrow into the storage room, and Li Yingtang bagged the clothes she had borrowed from Auntie Liu, tucked a duck egg into her pocket, asked Qin Xian for the location of Auntie Liu's house, and headed over.

"Oh, you even brought a duck egg? You're too polite." Auntie Liu swallowed hard.

Little Qin's wife was truly generous; she gave away such a large duck egg just like that.

It was a good thing she had lent her the clothes, otherwise, how would she have gotten such a treat? "I just saw you and Dr. Qin coming from the direction of the village entrance. Did you go to town? Did you buy these today?"

Li Yingtang only knew the other woman through Qin Xian and knew very little about her. Worried that revealing the origin of the duck egg would invite jealousy, she replied: "Yes."

"What else did you buy?"

"A bathing curtain and toilet paper."

"Come inside and sit for a chat."

"No, I have things to do at home." Li Yingtang was anxious to get back to clean the hawthorn berries. After saying goodbye to Auntie Liu, she hurried away. As she neared the health station, she heard a few screams. Only when she got close did she realize a villager had broken their leg, and Qin Xian was helping to splint and bandage it. "You must stay in bed and rest after you go back, keep warm, and take your medicine on time."

"Yes."

Li Yingtang felt both curious and full of admiration. He was truly the man she had fallen for at first sight; he could even set bones.

Qin Xian sent the patient away and stood at the washbasin to wash his hands. He caught a glimpse of Li Yingtang out of the corner of his eye. She was staring at him again—was she not tired of looking? "Did you return the clothes?"

Li Yingtang snapped out of it: "Ah? Oh. Someone is here, I won't disturb you." She went to the kitchen to clean the hawthorn berries, spreading them out on a basket to drain.

After she finished, her hands were numb from the cold, so she returned to the infirmary to warm up by the fire.

The infirmary, which had been lively earlier, was now empty.

Li Yingtang scanned left and right: "A-Xian~ A-Xian~~"

Qin Xian's calm, clear voice came from the next room: "In the next room."

Li Yingtang lifted her leg to cross the threshold, then pulled it back: "Are you tired? Then, my dear, you rest. I'll watch the infirmary."

Qin Xian, separated by a wall, sat at his desk and pinched his flushed, burning earlobes. He was afraid of her; a single sentence from her could easily disturb his peace of mind. "The bed is covered in your things, there's no room to rest."

She had left the bed in a mess, and the things she bought were just tossed about carelessly.

Only then did Li Yingtang remember she hadn't folded the quilt or organized the items she had bought. She immediately moved back to the room, greeting him with a smile: "It is a bit messy, isn't it? Teach me how to organize it."

Qin Xian was shocked: "You need to be taught how to manage your own affairs? You..."

Li Yingtang tilted her head, confronting him: "What about me?! Can't I be someone who hasn't done this before and doesn't know how?"

Qin Xian: "..." She actually had a point. What kind of girl didn't even know how to fold a quilt? It was mostly out of... laziness.

Just as he thought this, he saw her rubbing her hands, which were red and swollen from the cold.

His heart gave a sudden tug. Yesterday, her hands had been as delicate as scallions, but after just one day of toil, they were a mess.

She must have been pampered all her life, only starting to do manual labor once she came to him.

He was just a poor commoner with no real family to speak of and no great prospects. What could she possibly want from him? With her looks and the way she spoke and acted, she could easily have handled a young man from a wealthy family. "You shouldn't be wasting your youth here with me."