Rebirth begins with an arranged marriage

Chapter 81 Selling Silver

"Is there anything else?"

Holding her new clothes, Li Xiufang asked, "Do you need me to come with you? I'm strong enough to do chores."

"I still have a few silver dollars, I'm going to sell them at the vegetable market in the east of the county," Tang Huaiyi said. "Sister Xiufang, if you're in a hurry to go home, you don't need to come with me."

"I'm not in a hurry," Li Xiufang said immediately with a smile. "I'll go with them and take a look."

She was willing to go with him, and Tang Huaiyi had no objection. The three of them, carrying their new clothes, headed east towards the county town. Along the way, there were mostly brick and tile houses, and occasionally they passed supply and marketing cooperatives and state-run stores, all of which were bustling with people.

Compared to later times, this was merely at the level of a township, and even far inferior, hardly deserving the title of "urbanization." However, for rural farmers at that time, entering the county town was considered a "city," and could be regarded as "prosperous."

The county town wasn't very big to begin with, and it didn't take long to walk to the vegetable market in the east of the county.

The stench of rotten vegetable leaves, chicken and duck droppings, and fishy smells mingled with the sounds of voices, assaulting the senses. Looking into the market, Li Xiufang remarked, "Is there even less people at the county market than at a traditional fair?"

Tang Huaiyi explained, "The county's vegetable market is mainly crowded in the morning. Now it's almost noon, so there definitely won't be many people. It's not the same as going to the market every few days in the countryside."

"Oh, I see. Tang Huaiyi, you're really amazing. You know so much."

Li Xiufang looked at Tang Huaiyi, her eyes bright, and she couldn't help but smile as she spoke, her chest rising and falling slightly.

"Huaiyi, where should we go to sell silver dollars?"

Standing at the entrance of the vegetable market, Li Xiujuan saw Tang Huaiyi stop and asked him a question.

Tang Huaiyi led the two of them from the entrance of the vegetable market and into that alley.

After passing the shop where the dog was chained up, I arrived at the shop that used to display a sign for "antiques and calligraphy." The shop was closed, and the sign wasn't up.

Tang Huaiyi couldn't help but frown slightly.

He felt that this shop was quite fair. For example, even though he couldn't tell the exact value of the silver dollar, the owner didn't cheat him and charged him the normal price. Although it is said that doing business should be based on honesty, in reality, which shopkeeper wouldn't want to cheat a little and make more profit when he sees a bargain?

This shop is closed, so I can only check out the other one first.

If that place is also okay, then there's no need to wait until another day to come.

"The door isn't open?" Li Xiufang asked softly.

"Hmm, there's another one over there, let me take a look," Tang Huaiyi said, leading the group toward the other one.

Before we even entered, the guard dog started barking, looking quite hostile.

Li Xiujuan was startled and quickly stepped back.

Li Xiufang stood in front of Li Xiujuan, shouting, "Go away!"

He then shouted into the house, "Boss, is your dog so fierce?"

"Not fierce, not fierce at all. Our dog looks tough, but it doesn't bite." A round-faced, greasy, fat man walked out, wearing bell-bottoms and a floral shirt, his face full of smiles.

Such a fat and "fashionable" person is a rare sight in a small county town. For a moment, Li Xiufang was a little taken aback by his "sophisticated" appearance.

"It looks fierce, and it's quite scary." Li Xiufang said, explaining to Tang Huaiyi, "Erni was bitten by a dog when she was little, and she's terrified of dogs. And this dog of theirs is so frightening."

The portly shopkeeper in the floral shirt listened with a chuckle, glancing at the three men's attire. They didn't look like wealthy people. "You're here to buy something? My stuff isn't cheap, and it's not something you can eat or drink."

Tang Huaiyi took out six silver dollars: "I don't want to buy anything, I want to sell silver dollars?"

"Silver dollars? Oh, they're Yuan Shikai silver dollars."

The chubby shopkeeper in the floral shirt stepped forward, glanced at the piece, and pointed to the one in the worst condition: "This one isn't in very good condition... How about this, it's six silver dollars in total, I'll give you forty-five, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiufang's face lit up with joy as she looked at Tang Huaiyi: Forty-five yuan, that's quite a lot!

Tang Huaiyi is really capable; he managed to earn forty-five yuan just like that.

Farmers can work themselves to the bone all year round and still not earn this much from one acre of land!

The chubby boss in the floral shirt was observing her expression. Seeing it, he immediately regretted it: Oh no, I gave them too much. They clearly don't know anything!

As he was pondering how to reasonably lower the price, Tang Huaiyi chuckled and took back the six silver dollars.

"I have something to do today, let's come another time."

The chubby shop owner in the floral shirt was taken aback: "This won't take up much of your time—oh, young man, do you feel I didn't give you enough?"

"If you don't believe me, go to the bank and ask. This one Yuan Shikai silver dollar is worth five dollars. These six Yuan Shikai silver dollars were originally worth thirty dollars, but now I'm giving you forty-five. You still think it's too little?"

"It's not just banks, supply and marketing cooperatives also buy back these items. You can ask them if you don't believe me, and then come back to me to see if it's the same price."

Tang Huaiyi didn't argue with him: "Fine, I'll go ask."

"Oh, you actually asked?"

The chubby boss in the floral shirt shouted, his face flushed red, "You don't trust me, Ma Liu? Are you trying to slap me in the face?"

"Go ask around the market and your neighbors, every single one of them, has anyone ever said that I, Ma Liu, am dishonest or untrustworthy?"

Seeing that he was shouting and seemed about to turn hostile, Li Xiufang hurriedly grabbed Li Xiujuan's hand again, afraid that Erni would be frightened—she had been scared by the dog earlier, and she didn't know if she was feeling any better now.

Unexpectedly, the petite Erni took a bold step forward and followed closely behind Tang Huaiyi, as if she wanted to lend him a helping hand.

Li Xiufang turned around and glanced at Erni in surprise. Erni's face was a little pale and her body was trembling slightly, but her eyes were fixed on Tang Huaiyi's back, waiting for Tang Huaiyi to speak.

This Erni only has eyes for her man.

Li Xiufang thought to herself, but she also felt relieved and stood behind Tang Huaiyi, staring at the fat man in the floral shirt who looked like a toad.

If he dares to lay a finger on Tang Huaiyi in a moment, I'll scratch his face until it's bruised... Oh, and I'll smash his vicious dog to death too...

Li Xiufang was thinking about this on and off, waiting for Tang Huaiyi to speak.

Tang Huaiyi looked at the fat man Ma Liu, who seemed to be jumping up and down in a panic in front of him, and chuckled again.

What does it mean to have a guilty conscience?

This is.

No matter how much nonsense you shout, if the price you're offered is unfair, then it's unfair. What else is there to say?

"We don't know each other, let alone are familiar with each other. I feel the price isn't right, so I won't sell. Why would I need to ask your name, your character, or anything like that? It's unnecessary, isn't it?"

Tang Huaiyi said calmly.

"It's unnecessary, but if you leave here and start gossiping, won't you ruin my reputation, Ma Liu's reputation?" the fat man in the floral shirt shouted, glaring. "I don't care whether I do business or not, I can't stand being talked about like that!"

The dog he had tied to the door also raised its tail and barked wildly at Tang Huaiyi once again.