Her Cultivation Diary

F{h*F5/) V~4. Dafang Hardware Store_1

The market by the river has a history of one or two decades.

For the most part, the people selling vegetables and the stalls here have been relatively fixed.

Occasionally, there might be farmers carrying poles to sell some locally-grown fruits, but those follow the seasons and do not last long.

But there’s one exception, the vegetable-selling newcomer Song Tan, who is strange, very strange indeed.

Firstly, there aren’t many young girls selling vegetables here.

Secondly, this young girl is pretty, and she brought an equally pretty but simple-minded younger brother, able to evoke sympathy and attract attention.

Lastly, the vegetables are sold at such a high price!

At first, the other vendors scoffed:

Don’t think that just having a simple-minded brother can attract customers!

This market is full of middle-aged and elderly aunts who are savvy with their spending, hating to even spend an extra penny. Being pretty and pitiful might attract people elsewhere. Here, the aunts won’t spend a dime more!

But as they watched, the simple child who started off slow and foolish gradually became more adroit, even counting money more smoothly—

Well, look at that!

You’re training your brother, huh.

Then comes the issue of the vegetable prices.

Wild vegetables for twenty RMB a pound?

The vendors sneered, thinking you’re just selling freshness!

But as the weather warmed up and vegetable prices dropped, she was still selling for twenty RMB a pound?!

The vendors scoffed: You must be relying on shills, right?

And then later, even Milk Vetch from the fertile fields was being sold, still at twenty RMB a pound, and still, there were so many people scrambling for it…

The vendors were completely numb.

How should they put it, could it be that having sold vegetables for one or two decades, they had totally missed the market trend?

Having held back for so long, they finally asked today.

Who knew that the aunt they asked also harbored deep frustrations: “Isn’t that the truth? These vegetables are so expensive; every day when I spend money, it’s like cutting my heart with a knife.”

Then why do you buy so much?!

The vendor stared at the bunches of fresh and vibrant Milk Vetch in the aunt’s basket, puzzled.

Who knew the aunt’s mood would suddenly lift:

“You don’t understand, eating more vegetables is good for the body. Our family eats a few pounds of these vegetables every day, making going to the bathroom smooth, the body feels good, and we sleep soundly at night… Even the pimples on my daughter’s face have lessened significantly! This money is well spent.”

“Moreover, these vegetables are unbelievably tasty, good in salads, stir-fries, hot pot—you name it! If I don’t get to eat it in a meal, I feel agonized.”

The onlookers: …

So… What you’re buying isn’t vegetables, it’s Brain Platinum, a calming oral solution, a laxative, melatonin, right?

Maybe even add some opium?

This is too exaggerated.

Who knew the aunt, seeing their disbelief, became even more defiant: “You all shouldn’t be skeptical! Aren’t we those who’ve bought vegetables for decades – don’t we know what’s good by now?”

“Just look at how this girl sells vegetables, always selling out swiftly; everybody can’t all be fools, can they? If you really don’t believe it, spend twenty RMB to be fooled once, and you’ll know how good it really is!”

The aunt, with a basket full of vegetables, left in a huff, and after passing two stalls, she spotted someone selling tomatoes, so she stepped forward:

“How much are you selling those for?”

The vendor hesitated for a moment: “Eight RMB.”

The aunt immediately got angry: “Oh really! I’ve been buying vegetables around here for decades, and you dare to rip me off, these tomatoes were clearly four RMB just yesterday!”

Having said that, she stood up and turned to leave.

A vendor approached cautiously from not far away, “Bro, why did you raise the price?”

The vendor had a look of wanting to cry but having no tears, “Isn’t it because I see her spending over a hundred bucks on wild vegetables every day…”

Thinking she was a bold customer who didn’t care about the cost and preferred expensive stuff!

They kept to themselves, feeling wronged; but when they turned around, they saw that the pretty girl had already prepared to pack up her stall with her silly brother.

The neighboring vegetable seller took a brisk step:

“That, do you have any more vegetables? I’ll take a pound!”

Song Tan was startled, then she instructed her brother, “Qiaoqiao, go get a bunch from the car.”

While smiling she said, “Uncle, we’ve bothered you by setting up next to your vegetable stall these past few days—today’s vegetables are all sold out. However, I had planned to bring some to my relatives. Just take a pound.”

The vegetable seller’s face finally brightened up as he waved his hand, laughing, “The market isn’t mine. We sell different things, so what’s the difference? But you must charge me for the vegetables, I won’t take them for free…”

Before he finished speaking, he saw Qiaoqiao puff out his chest, proudly showcasing the QR code on his hoodie.

The vegetable seller: …

Seeing the smiley girl again, he had no choice but to scan the code and pay, then he turned away with the vegetables, feeling frustrated.

Song Tan then smoothly took out five yuan, “There you go, buy your Peppa stickers!”

…

Qiaoqiao, his cheeks and clothes adorned with stickers, happily carried the basket following Song Tan. He looked around with wonder:

“Sister, their building is so tall!”

“What are they selling here?”

“There are flowers!”

“Where exactly is Uncle?”

Song Tan looked at his carefree expression, her own expression softening, “We’ll be there soon. See, the one with the blue sign up ahead—Qiaoqiao, can you read it? Try reading it out.”

Qiaoqiao followed her hand and looked over, then he started counting with his fingers strugglingly, “Big, big… hmm, Metal… hmm…”

He turned his head, his clear eyes looking at Song Tan, “I’ve finished reading.”

Song Tan sighed—Qiaoqiao was in such a state; he could understand, count, recognize money, occasionally tell the time. He was obedient and easy to coax, never crying or making a fuss arbitrarily.@@novelbin@@

But if it came to systematic learning, he was really like a kindergarten kid, unable to recognize all the characters and had trouble getting around, let alone letting him commute to school in the city alone…

She would have to think of another way later.

But this thought just flashed through her mind, and she brought a smile to her face, “Qiaoqiao is so smart! That is—Dafang Hardware Store! Remember, our uncle is called Song Dafang, okay?”

Twenty years ago, Uncle Song Dafang and his wife worked on construction sites in the city. Later on, after making some connections and saving some money, he took over a store in the building materials market. Thanks to this store, he managed to save a substantial amount for his family.

This one endeavor had lasted for twenty years.

Even though the business had been less favorable in the last two years, his children had grown up, and there wasn’t as much pressure, so his life was even more comfortable than in previous years.

Song Tan remembered the past, still faintly recalling how Auntie loved gold. During the earlier years when they returned to their hometown, every visible part of her body was adorned with gold jewelry.

Because of this, everyone in the village talked about how Uncle had become wealthy, until one day when Auntie brought them to a jewelry-making store.

“Bring a few fifty-cent coins, pay a bit of labor charge, and you can get a bracelet made! Just like gold, shiny and yellow, and very durable too!”

It was only when Song Tan grew up that she learned—destroying RMB was illegal…

However, at this moment, these past events flashed through her memory like a carousel, evoking the sensations she had felt before.

Meanwhile, Qiaoqiao nodded obediently, “I remember, Uncle is called The Hardware Store!”

Song Tan: Pfft!

“Just call him Uncle, don’t say it wrong, okay?”