Chapter 80: Selling Vegetables
Translator: Lonelytree
“Miss, how much are the tomatoes? I’ll buy some.”
Someone had a free taste, and they wanted to buy some tomatoes home. They already tasted so good raw, so they would be better if stir-fried.
“2 RMB each!”
“2 RMB each?” Someone thought they misheard. “Miss, did you mean 2 RMB per catty?”
“No, 2 RMB each. Everything on my tricycle, other than the spinach and chilies, is sold by the unit.” Xiao Lingyu explained seriously, “Eggplants are 2 RMB each, cabbage is 15 RMB each, spinach 15 RMB per catty, and chilies are 20 RMB per catty.”
Many people’s interest waned when they heard the price. The market sold a catty of tomatoes for 2 RMB, but the girl sold them for 2 RMB each; The market sold eggplants for 60 cents per catty, but the girl sold 2 RMB each. The prices for cabbage and spinach were also ridiculously high. However, those who had taken the samples thought the taste was worth the price.
For example, the auntie who complained of pesticide said, “Okay, give me ten tomatoes, one cabbage, three eggplants, and half a catty of chilies.” She would consider this a purchase of exotic vegetables. After all, the taste was indeed exotic.
Mother Xiao immediately packed the order. Mother Xiao handed the bag and smiled, “Big Sister, it’s 51 RMB, but I’ll take 50 RMB. Please do come back again.”
The Auntie was a direct person. She laughed. “As long as your crops are organic and delicious, I’ll come back again.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll maintain a high quality of our vegetables.” Mother Xiao promised.
After the auntie made the purchase, some others joined in. However, there were not many customers due to the high price. Most of the customers were the ones who had tried the free tomato slices. Soon, about half of the tomato stock was gone. Only around 50 was left. As for the other vegetables, Xiao Lingyu and Mother Xiao sold fifty eggplants, ten cabbages, eight catties of spinach, and four catties of Chili.
Due to the constant crowd around their tricycle, the passerby slowed down when they saw the bustle. They stopped to join the crowd.
“Are they selling vegetables?”
“Why is there such a big crowd here?”
“I heard from people that the tomatoes here are very delicious. However, they’re quite expensive too, 2 RMB for one.”
“Are they worth the price? I’ll buy one to try.”
“Oh my God! The taste is unreal. I thought they were exaggerating, but they’re not! Auntie, give me five more tomatoes please!”
“I’ll have five too!”
The tomatoes were gone in half an hour. Mother Xiao was excited, but she didn’t show it.
Soon, the crowd dispersed as the tomatoes sold out. Mother Xiao looked at the remaining stock, and she said with worry, “Yu ‘Er, the tomatoes are gone, but what about the rest? Can we get them sold?”
Xiao Lingyu said, “Mom, it’ll be fine! Let’s push our tricycle forward!” Her original plan was to set up at the market. She didn’t expect that half of her stock would be gone before she even reached the market. Plus, they arrived at 9 am, a time when most of the shoppers had already left.
Xiao Lingyu and Mother Xiao pushed forward and reached the intersection of Sunshine District.
An old lady passed by, pulling along a small shopping trolley. She looked like she was going to the market. When she saw the vegetables in Xiao Lingyu’s cart, her eyes lit up, and she asked, “Miss, are your vegetables for sale?”
Xiao Lingyu answered, “Yes, Granny.”
“Let me take a look.” The old woman took a look and said, “Your crops are fresh. How much do you sell them for?”
“The cabbage is 15 RMB per head, eggplant is 2 RMB each, spinach is 15 RMB per catty, and the chilies are 20 RMB per catty.”
The old lady frowned. “Why are they so expensive? They’re several times higher than the market price.”
“Granny, I believe my crops are worth the price.” Xiao Lingyu answered. She was not budging on the price. She knew how much they were worth. In the future, the price would only go up and not down.
Xiao Lingyu was still feeling the market, so for her, the price was already low.
The old lady’s brows were furrowed. She asked, “Are you sure your crops are worth the high price?” The old lady’s eldest grandson was sitting for the university entrance exam. He was under a lot of pressure. He had no appetite. No matter what she cooked, her grandson couldn’t stomach them. The old lady came out today to find something delicious to hopefully regain his grandson’s appetite.
The old lady brought an old hen from the countryside. She woke up early to slaughter it and make chicken stew. It was why she was late to the market.
Xiao Lingyu didn’t waste time. She broke off a leaf from the cabbage and handed it to the old lady. “Granny, why don’t you try it yourself? This cabbage tastes sweet even when eaten raw.”
Mother Xiao was dumbfounded. ‘How can Yu ‘Er ask the customer to eat raw vegetables?’ Mother Xiao glared at Xiao Lingyu and was about to say something when Xiao Lingyu added, “Granny, don’t worry. Our vegetables are all clean.”
The old lady hesitated before she took the leaf. She bit on it. Then her brows relaxed.
“You’re right.” The old lady said. “Fine, it is a bit more expensive, but it is worth it. Give me a cabbage, six eggplants, two catties of spinach, and one catty of chili!” Since the cabbage tasted good, the other vegetables should be good too. The old lady bought some for her grandson.
However, the old lady soon came to regret it. Her grandson’s appetite recovered so much that the vegetables were finished in two meals.. The old lady regretted not buying more. A shame she didn’t know where to find the vegetable vendor!