Cheng Yao wasn’t offended. She took out a bunch of grapes so dark they were almost black. “Big brother, why don’t you try one first before deciding whether they’re edible?”
Her easygoing manner made Fatty feel awkward about picking a fight. He pursed his lips dismissively, plucked off a grape, and tossed it into his mouth. His eyes immediately widened in disbelief.
“What kind of grapes are these? They’re crisp and sweet—better than grapes bought in season!”
“You said it yourself—they’re wild grapes,” Lin Wanzhao said with a smile. “Only we call them ‘Glazed Pearls.’”
“Glazed Pearls?” Fatty repeated, savoring the name. He found it wonderfully fitting.
As they spoke, several passersby stopped to look.
Cheng Yao didn’t have time to bother with him. She took out the bamboo skewers she had prepared in advance, each with a single grape speared on it.
“Fresh wild grapes! Try before you buy! Guaranteed sweeter than your first love—if they’re not sweet, you pay nothing! Come take a look, don’t miss out as you pass by!”
Everyone who had come with her: “…”
Where had she learned lines like that? How embarrassing!
Some of the clansmen stared at the sky or the ground, not daring to look in that direction. Their faces were red with embarrassment, as though they could dig a hole in the ground with their toes.
But when the passersby heard Cheng Yao’s cries, they grew curious and gathered around.
The bamboo skewers of grapes passed from hand to hand. Everyone who tasted one nodded in approval.
A young man who looked like a scholar ate several grapes in a row and praised them enthusiastically.
“Sweet without being cloying, with a lingering fragrance on the teeth and tongue! Give me two jin!”
The other passersby chimed in.
“I want two jin too.”
“I’ll take five jin. I’ll keep some for the family and give some to my in-laws. There won’t be any left otherwise.”
More and more people crowded around. With no one there to keep order, the crowd became a chaotic crush.
The people in their group could hardly believe it. Cheng Yao had only called out a few slogans, and people were already asking to buy grapes. They had been slow to react, and by the time they realized what was happening, they were scrambling to help.
The scholar frowned as he watched them. “This won’t do. You don’t even have a scale. How are you going to sell them?”
Cheng Yao hurriedly said, “Everyone, please calm down! We’ve prepared small wicker baskets. One basket holds approximately three jin of grapes, and one-third of a basket is one jin. It won’t be inaccurate.”
The scholar challenged her, “You didn’t bring a scale, so how do you know one basket weighs three jin?”
How could Cheng Yao tell him that she had weighed them on an electronic scale?
Obviously, she couldn’t.
Before she could answer, Zhan Qingrou spoke up. “My sister-in-law’s estimate can’t be wrong. If you don’t believe us, find a scale and weigh it yourself.”
Cheng Yao tugged at her, but not before she finished speaking.
Honestly, little girl, where did you get this mysterious confidence in me?
Cheng Yao wasn’t some divine-eyed immortal who could tell the weight of something at a glance. How could she possibly guarantee that her estimate was perfect?
The man certainly wasn’t going to accept that.
Sure enough, the scholar said skeptically, “I have a steelyard at home. I’ll go get it.”
A voice drifted over from nearby.
“No need to trouble yourself. I happen to have one here.”
It was the Fatty from the fruit stall.
All his customers had been drawn over to Cheng Yao’s side, leaving his stall deserted. He looked like an abandoned young wife, full of resentment, and clearly wasn’t convinced by Cheng Yao either.
He left his stall and brought the steelyard over to her.
“Borrow mine. In return, give me two jin of grapes later.”
Cheng Yao was stunned for a moment, then accepted it with a generous smile.
“Thank you.”
Fatty stood to one side, gazing at her expectantly.
Unfortunately, Cheng Yao wasn’t very good at using this old-fashioned scale. The sliding weight kept slipping off.
The scholar shook his head as he watched. “If you’re not a merchant’s daughter, why come out and show yourself in public?”
Cheng Yao’s expression remained calm. “A female merchant is no different from any other woman. We’re only working to make a living. There’s nothing shameful about that.”
Her words left the scholar speechless. They also made the Fatty beside her look at her with new respect.
Ordinary people looked down on merchants, especially in front of small vendors. Even peasant women often carried themselves with an air of superiority.
But Cheng Yao had said they were no different.
He thought the same way. Great minds really did think alike!
“Move aside. I’ll weigh them for you.”
Cheng Yao looked embarrassed. “That’s too much trouble.”
Fatty rolled his eyes. “If you’re too embarrassed, are you going to stop selling? Do you think any of the people behind you can do it?”
Everyone behind Cheng Yao shook their heads in unison.
Every one of them had been pampered and raised in comfort. They had never even touched an abacus, much less weighed goods.
Fatty took the steelyard from Cheng Yao. “Stand over there and give me a hand.”
Cheng Yao rubbed her nose and made room for him.
Fatty weighed a small basket of grapes. The result surprised him.
“Huh? Three jin and two liang?”
“The small baskets were designed to account for two liang of their own weight. Now do you believe us?” Zhan Qingrou lifted her chin slightly. “My sister-in-law is amazing. She’d never cheat anyone by giving them less than they paid for.”
Fatty gave Cheng Yao a thumbs-up.
Cheng Yao smiled and announced the price of the grapes. “Twenty copper coins per jin. Buy three jin and get half a jin free. Buy five jin and get one jin free.”
“What?” Fatty’s eyes bulged. “Grapes in season only sell for eight or nine copper coins a jin. You’re charging three times that for wild grapes. What fool would buy them?”
Cheng Yao patiently asked, “Let me ask you this: are there any grapes left on the market right now?”
Fatty was rendered speechless.
“When something is rare, it’s valuable. Trust me—I know what I’m doing.”
Fatty stared at her for a moment, then turned to the surrounding townspeople.
“Freshly picked wild grapes! Twenty copper coins a jin! Buy three jin and get half a jin free; buy five jin and get one jin free! Anyone who wants some, line up over here!”
“So expensive? Twenty copper coins could buy several jin of meat. Forget it!”
“You’re clearly selling to the rich. Ordinary people like me can’t afford that.”
“They’re just wild things you can pick for free in the mountains, and you dare charge twenty copper coins a jin? You must be out of your mind!”
The moment Fatty finished speaking, the crowd erupted in curses.
Some people were angry because they couldn’t afford the grapes. Some vendors were delighted to see a rival’s business suffer. Others simply enjoyed stirring up trouble. Once they started shouting, many people began to feel like they would be fools to buy the grapes and gave up on the idea.
Even the scholar moved aside and stopped asking to have them weighed.
Fatty looked at Cheng Yao with an expression that clearly said, See? I told you so.
“Stay calm.” Cheng Yao remained completely confident. She cleared her throat and continued calling out.
“Come and buy grapes! Each one is round and bright, bursting with sweet juice to soothe the heart! Thin-skinned, tender-fleshed, seedless, and fragrant! Buy a jin and take some home to try! Free samples—if they’re not sweet, you don’t pay!”
“Wild ‘Glazed Pearls’ picked fresh from the mountain! Bite one and juice bursts out, sweet enough to make you swoon! Freshly picked, no tricks—so sweet it’ll make you smile and move you to tears!”
Rhyming, catchy lines rolled off her tongue one after another, without a single repetition.
Everyone in the group stared at her, dumbfounded. Their opinion of her rose another notch.
They had known she was somewhat educated, but no one had realized she was this talented. What respectable young woman could improvise lines like these on the spot?
“Heh, this little girl really has some tricks up her sleeve. I want to see how many good lines she can come up with.”
“What are they selling up ahead? Why are there so many people? Let’s go take a look.”
“Have you heard? They’re selling wild grapes over there for twenty copper coins a jin! Let’s go see what rich people eat.”
Her voice was sweet and clear, carrying exceptionally well. More and more people were drawn over. Even the scholar couldn’t help but look at Cheng Yao with newfound respect. Gritting his teeth, he took out his money and bought three jin.
“We’re offering half a jin free when you buy three jin, but since you’re our first customer, we’ll give you two jin free, along with this exquisite little wicker basket.”
Cheng Yao had Fatty weigh out five jin of grapes for the scholar. She placed them in the wicker basket and covered them with leaves.
The onlookers exclaimed, “Buy just three pounds and get two pounds free? That’s incredibly generous!”
