Chapter 63 – Goods
Yan Xi Nian’s stall was surrounded by a crowd at the bustling night market, with people fervently negotiating prices.
Sitting lazily in the middle of the crowd, Yan Xi Nian didn’t budge no matter how much they tried to haggle.
As the customers argued with dry mouths, getting more heated, they almost started bickering.
Xia Lu Nong, who had never experienced such a scene before, had no idea how to bargain and was too shy to say anything. He just focused on frying the crab roe sauce.
The crab roe sauce, now fully cooked, had been poured into more than four hundred jars.
Through the glass, the golden crab roe and crab meat were clearly visible, glistening under the light and looking both fresh and oily.
The fragrance continued to spread, making the stomachs of many around them rumble, reducing the energy for arguing.
After dealing with the crab roe sauce, Xia Lu Nong began preparing spicy stir-fried crab right in front of the crowd.
He chopped the crabs into pieces, coated them in egg batter and flour, then stir-fried them with green onions, ginger, and chili peppers until the batter turned golden.
As the aroma of the stir-fry filled the air, combined with the scent of yellow wine, it tantalized the senses of those nearby, who hadn’t yet eaten dinner.
Many onlookers had planned to hold off on buying, but as the crabs cooked, the overwhelming fragrance wore down their resolve, and the crowd became restless.
Finally, someone in the crowd spoke up, “Five pounds of rice for a pound of crab, right? How many pounds is each crab? I’m going home to get rice now!”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “Most crabs weigh around three or four pounds. Come back soon, and I’ll pick a nice, full one for you.”
“Deal!” The person squeezed through the crowd, clearly heading home to fetch rice.
With this first trade initiated, many others in the crowd followed suit, squeezing through to go get their own rice.
Yan Xi Nian called after them, “We’ll take more than just rice—barley, wheat, corn, we’ll trade for any grains.”
“What about sweet potatoes?”
“No sweet potatoes, we’ve had too many of those lately and can’t eat any more.” Yan Xi Nian rubbed his belly. “No sweet potatoes for now. Taro and lotus root, though, we’ll take those. We’ll also accept noodles or rice vermicelli to mix up our meals.”
“Heh, you’re getting picky! How about meat? Do you accept meat?”
Yan Xi Nian replied, “No fresh meat, but we’ll take cured meat. Fresh meat doesn’t keep well. As for live animals, we’ll only take hardy ones.”
Even those not planning to buy anything stood around bargaining and chatting, turning the whole scene into a lively exchange.
Meanwhile, Xia Lu Nong had finished cooking the spicy stir-fried crab.
The four of them ate from their bowls while continuing to do business.
Clearly, many people around them wanted a taste, but most were too shy to ask. Those bold enough to try were met with Yan Xi Nian’s playful suggestion that they buy some for themselves.
It was a live advertisement of sorts, causing another wave of people to swallow hungrily.
Xia Lu Nong, already full from all the street food, had eaten his fill of crab over the past few days, so after a few bites, he handed his bowl to his brother and started preparing spicy bullfrog.
Spicy bullfrog is another rich-flavored dish.
After stir-frying onions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers in a hot pan, Xia Lu Nong added the bullfrog meat.
The tender bullfrog meat immediately changed color as it hit the pan, releasing a fragrant aroma.
The crowd, still reeling from the smell of the crab, was now hit with the delicious scent of the bullfrog, making them all the more eager.
Many people took a few steps back, wanting to escape the tempting aroma, but found themselves unwilling to leave.
One person, eyes fixed on Xia Lu Nong’s actions, muttered under his breath, “This is just too cruel.”
The people around him nodded in agreement. It really was too cruel! First crabs, then bullfrogs, all cooked so fragrantly—who could resist?
“Forget it, I still have a goose at home that’s been starving because I’m always out foraging. I might as well trade it for some crab,” someone in the crowd muttered before calling out to Yan Xi Nian, “Boss, how do you trade crab for meat? Is it one pound for one pound?”
Yan Xi Nian smiled, “Let me take a look at your goose. If it’s in good shape, then yes, one pound for one pound.”
“Boss, can I trade my rooster the same way?”
“I have ducks at home. Will you accept ducks?”
“What about bamboo rats? I’ve raised some. Can I trade bamboo rats for crab?”
Yan Xi Nian responded to each question, and when it came to the bamboo rats, he emphasized, “Bamboo rats are fine, but you need to include the cage and only trade one. They’re tricky to handle.”
The person was delighted and said, “Sure! I made the cage myself, and I’ll throw in two days’ worth of rat feed for you.”
Then he called out to the crowd, “Feel free to trade with me for bamboo rats! It’s a better deal than crabs. If you can’t bear to trade for crab, bamboo rats can satisfy your cravings!”
While they were talking, the first group of people returned, carrying bags of grain.
Yan Xi Nian focused on doing business. People traded for crabs and bullfrogs, carefully selecting the best ones. Yan Xi Nian was patient, letting customers pick whichever they wanted until they were satisfied.
After choosing, customers didn’t leave. Instead, they took their bullfrogs to familiar restaurants at the night market to have them cooked—steamed, pan-fried, stir-fried, or salt-baked—each restaurant showing off its culinary skills. Soon, the whole street was filled with the aromas of crabs and bullfrogs.
After trading for crabs or bullfrogs, people would gather their families or invite friends to restaurants. They’d pay a small cooking fee, add a few side dishes like smashed cucumbers, century eggs with vinegar, fried peanuts, or sugared tomatoes, and order some drinks. Then they’d sit at the table, enjoying their meal in the cool breeze.
Though it cost five pounds of rice for one pound of crab or bullfrog, people found a way to make it work. Before long, more and more people came with grain and other items to trade for the crabs and bullfrogs.
The atmosphere of the night market grew more competitive, with people even starting to rush for the trades.
Xia Lu Nong had just finished making the dry-pot bullfrog. He quietly ate it by himself, sitting with his chopsticks in hand, becoming a live advertisement for the stall—both beautiful and appetizing.
The crabs and bullfrogs in the truck were quickly running out, while the crowd in front of the stall kept growing. Some people, reluctant to part with their rice for crabs, settled for exchanging ten pounds of rice for Xia Lu Nong’s freshly prepared crab butter.
Each jar of crab butter was about four ounces. Everyone had watched him make it, using high-quality crabs filled with crab roe and meat. The aroma alone was irresistible, even if they couldn’t feast on the crabs themselves—just tasting the flavor was enough.
Soon, one person after another bought a jar, and by the end, all four hundred jars of crab butter, except for ten set aside for Lao Mo, had been traded away.
The goods they received in exchange for the crab butter were piled up like a small mountain.
There were so many people trading for crabs and bullfrogs that by 8 PM, the truck was already full of grain. They had to unload the grain and other traded goods onto the ground and quickly contact Lao Mo to help transport everything back for storage.
With so many people around, some tried to take advantage of the chaos, but Xia Huo Qu and his companions were vigilant and skilled, stopping any attempts at theft.
In the lively atmosphere, all the crabs, bullfrogs, and crab butter were exchanged, except for the ten jars set aside.
By 10 PM, Yan Xi Nian and his group were finally preparing to close up. Some latecomers, holding bags of rice, regretfully called out, “When will you come back?”
Yan Xi Nian turned and smiled in their direction. “We won’t. These crabs and bullfrogs aren’t farmed. I doubt we’ll find another batch.”
The crowd erupted again.
“What?”
“These were caught in the wild?”
“Oh no, with my skills, I missed out this time. Who knows when I’ll get another chance to eat them.”
People who had hesitated earlier now felt both regret and relief that they had acted quickly.
Some, unable to part with their rice, traded their crabs or bullfrogs back at a higher price.
Yan Xi Nian and his team didn’t concern themselves with that. They pushed through the crowd and drove their truck away, heading back to Lao Mo’s place to tally the day’s trades.
Sitting in the truck, Xia Lu Nong gazed outside. As they drove, he suddenly caught a whiff of a sweet aroma in the air. His heart stirred slightly, sensing that there was something good ahead.
It was a subtle feeling—he wasn’t even sure what it was, but he knew there was something valuable.
He leaned out the window, looking toward the night market.
His brother noticed and asked, “What is it?”
“I don’t know. I feel like there’s something good over there,” Xia Lu Nong said, pointing toward the street, his voice low. “It’s a strange feeling.”
Yan Xi Nian, intrigued, stepped on the brakes. “What kind of thing?”
“I don’t know,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “It’s over there. It doesn’t seem to be a living thing. Very odd.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “With so many people coming and going, someone might have brought something interesting back from foraging.”
Xia Huo Qu followed his brother’s gaze and saw only a stall selling malt sugar. “That sugar seller? His badge is blue. I doubt he even leaves the base much.”
Still, Xia Huo Qu said, “You all wait here. I’ll take Xia Lu Nong to check it out.”
They had brought so many goods, it was impossible to unload everything at once.
Yan Xi Nian waved his hand with a smile, “Why don’t you take some rice and go? If you don’t find anything good, at least you can trade for some sugar. It’s been a while since I’ve had maltose candy.”
Thanks for the chapter!