Hello, My 1979

Chapter 14

After walking for a while, Su He figured out the local situation.

"There's a soy sauce factory and a liquor distillery nearby. There are quite a few workers there, so it should be a good market."

Soy sauce production is relatively simple but involves a complicated process and takes time. The distillery, however, can be risky if not properly sealed, potentially leading to health issues. Su He had experience helping with machinery maintenance and sealing equipment in a distillery in his previous life, so he was somewhat familiar with it.

As he walked, Su He noticed several women carrying baskets, likely heading to buy vegetables. Back then, plastic bags were rare, and people used baskets for shopping.

Su He knew he needed to be proactive in selling his goods and not wait for people to approach. He approached a kind-looking older woman and quietly said, "Auntie, would you like some fish or wild lotus roots? No need for a ticket!"

The women were startled by Su He's sudden offer but felt more at ease when they saw he was just a young man with a cow, a dog, and a child.

"What kind of fish do you have? Let me take a look!"

Su He showed her, "These are two silver carp, each about three pounds. Not more, not less!"

He realized he forgot to bring a scale, which was a problem since, back then, scales were not easily bought without a ration ticket.

The woman checked the fish and was pleased, "Oh, and you have river snails too!"

Another woman asked, "How much for the river snails and wild lotus roots?"

Su He replied, "Auntie, this is my first time in the city, and I don't know the prices. I even forgot to bring a scale. How about this: you set the price, and as long as it's not too low, I'll sell them to you. Rest assured, the river snails are clean, and I made sure they're sand-free!"

The women examined the items and agreed, "They are clean, though we can't tell if they're fully sand-free."

One of the women offered, "I live nearby. Come with me, and I'll buy everything. I won't take advantage of you. Silver carp is forty cents per pound, river snails twenty-five cents, and wild lotus roots ten cents. How does that sound?"

Su He wasn't familiar with the price levels of that time, so he decided to accept the offer to gain experience.

"Alright. I don't know the prices, but you seem like good people and won't cheat me!"

Little Pumpkin chimed in, "Aunties won't cheat us!"

Her cuteness, despite her poor clothes, charmed the women further. One of the women even pinched Little Pumpkin's cheek, and the others joined in, admiring her.

The women's homes were nearby, and they quickly arrived. The woman took out a small scale, and Su He weighed the basket and the items.

"The basket itself weighs about one pound seven ounces. With the river snails, it's twelve pounds eight ounces in total. Let's round it to twelve pounds. At twenty-five cents per pound, that's three dollars. Do you need anything else?"

The woman agreed, and added some wild lotus roots. Su He calculated and said, "Wild lotus roots total six pounds. You owe me three dollars and fifty cents."

Since the basket's weight was rounded down, the woman was pleased with the deal and smiled broadly.

Another woman bought the fish, and Su He gave a little extra, selling six pounds seven ounces as six pounds five ounces. The woman was delighted.