Chapter 326: Selling Vegetables

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Jiang Chuan had made up his mind. On the black market, radishes and mushrooms sold for three cents per half a kilogram. In a regular market, they’d fetch at most one cent per half a kilogram. With his four baskets, he had about 40 kilogram of radishes and 25 kilogram of mushrooms. If he priced them at one and a half cents per half a kilogram, he’d not only make a profit but could also win repeat customers.

Jiang Chuan, with his basket of vegetables on his back, said to Auntie Tian, “Auntie, please wait for me here. I’ll get the horse cart, and then we can head back together.”

Jiang Chuan worried that if he went to the sugar factory’s residential area on his own, he might be stopped by the security guards. Hence, he asked Auntie Tian to wait for him.

After confirming this, Jiang Chuan rented a horse cart in the town. He found a secluded spot and secretly transferred the vegetables from his SUV to the cart. Then he went to find Auntie Tian.

Just as Jiang Chuan had expected, the people working in the sugar factory were not short on money. So, they didn’t question the price of the vegetables. And since regulations on buying and selling weren’t very strict back then, as soon as they set up their stall in a vacant spot in the courtyard, many came to ask for prices. However, most bought in small quantities. To attract repeat customers, Jiang Chuan offered a free mushroom with every half a kilogram of radish purchased.

In no time, he had sold out, making a total of nineteen coin.

After selling the vegetables, Auntie Tian invited Jiang Chuan to her house.

On the way, Jiang Chuan saw Zhou Yang with his daughter Zhou Juan going out. Unexpectedly, their family had moved from the town to the sugar factory’s residential area in the county.

However, seeing that they seemed busy, Jiang Chuan didn’t greet them and just followed Auntie Tian.

Auntie Tian lived on the fourth floor. There were no elevators back then, making it quite a task to climb up, especially with a basket weighing more than 10 kilogram. Knowing she couldn’t manage on her own, Jiang Chuan helped her carry it up and was offered tea at her home.

Only then did Jiang Chuan find out that Auntie Tian used to be the director of the county town’s office. Now retired, her daughter had taken over her position, while her son was the manager at the county sugar factory. His wife also worked there. The entire family had good jobs.

Auntie Tian currently lived with her son. The family had arranged to stay three months at her son’s place and then three months at her daughter’s.

After sharing all this, Auntie Tian sighed deeply, “However, I suspect 1 won’t have the chance to stay at my daughter’s place much longer.”

Jiang Chuan wasn’t particularly curious about other people’s family affairs but still prompted her, “Why? Is it because your daughter is moving somewhere else?”

Auntie Tian said with a hint of melancholy, “Yes, my daughter is as capable as any man when it comes to work. The higher-ups think highly of her and want to assign her as the captain in the village production team. She’s set to take up the position in a month.”

Jiang Chuan responded, “That’s great news, Auntie! Being appointed as the captain in the production team is a promotion. Why do you seem so concerned?”

Pouring Jiang Chuan another cup of hot tea, Auntie Tian continued, “While the promotion is good, the thought of her relocating to the village worries me. It’s so far away. It would be inconvenient for me to visit her. Moreover, life in the village isn’t as comfortable, and I’m unsure if she can adapt.”

Indeed, transportation back then wasn’t as advanced. Unlike today, where even a relatively far-off place can be reached in a day’s drive, back then, even a bus trip from the county to the village would take at least half a day. This was why Jiang Chuan’s family had to stay overnight the first time they visited the county.

Additionally, the living conditions in the villages were poor. Many households didn’t even have a proper toilet, which was one of the initial challenges faced by Jiang Chuan’s family when they first moved there.

Jiang Chuan then tried to comfort Auntie Tian, saying, “Don’t worry, Auntie. As the captain, she’ll be allotted a house. She can choose a relatively good one, which might not be much different from what she has in the county.”

After listening, Auntie Tian couldn’t help but boast about her daughter’s strong-willed nature and how she’s even more proactive than many men. This was also the reason she hadn’t married, even in her thirties.

Growing more distressed, Auntie Tian continued, “I regret sending her to university. She met a man there, and they decided to be together. She refused to marry anyone else. Later, that man moved to the provincial city and hasn’t returned since. My daughter’s life got held back because of this..”