On market day, He Zifeng and Qiu Yu left home before dawn to secure a good spot. Qiu Yu brought a few pancakes made the day before and a sheepskin bag filled with water. They loaded their goods onto a cart and headed to the county town.
The creaky cart took nearly two hours to reach its destination. The sky was just beginning to lighten as they arrived. They quickly set up their stall. The bi-weekly market was bustling with vendors selling everything imaginable, most simply spreading a mat on the ground to display their wares.
But He Zifeng, ever resourceful, had crafted two wooden stands at home. These allowed him to display his goods neatly without cluttering the ground. They placed seven or eight half-bolts of fabric on one stand and twenty bundles of fabric scraps on the other, filling both stands.
Even before the market was fully open, customers began to gather.
“This fabric looks nice—how much is it?” a young woman, accompanied by a girl of about eleven, asked.
He Zifeng replied, “Six pieces of scrap fabric per bundle for five wen, or ten wen for a whole piece. Some have slight dye imperfections, so they’re better for making quilts or inner linings than clothing.”
The woman examined the fabric and nodded. “Not bad.” She chose three whole pieces and two bundles of scraps, making their first sale of forty wen.
More people quickly crowded around.
“How much is this one?”
“This pattern’s beautiful!”
The neat arrangement of fabrics, with clearly visible patterns and colors, drew in a steady stream of customers. Unlike other stalls, where fabric scraps were piled haphazardly, their orderly display made browsing a pleasant experience.
“Five wen per bundle,” Qiu Yu repeated as people eagerly picked out their choices.
The customers appreciated the convenience of not having to dig through piles and the variety of patterns available. Some even feared their desired fabric might be snatched by others, so they hurriedly handed over money.
He Zifeng kept restocking the stands, while Qiu Yu handled the sales. Their teamwork ensured everything ran smoothly despite the growing crowd.
Occasionally, a customer would open a bundle to inspect the fabric, only to find that the pieces were even better than expected—neatly cut, free of stains or holes. This transparency further boosted their reputation, attracting even more buyers.
“You’ve got a piece of silk in this bundle?” someone exclaimed.
“Yes,” He Zifeng replied. “Some bundles contain silk or brocade, but we’ve mixed them randomly. Every bundle is worth the price.”
“You’re an honest vendor!”
The fabrics sold out quickly. Soon, only small items remained: beanbags for one wen each, fancier basket-shaped ones for two wen, semi-finished shoe uppers for two wen per pair, small pouches for one wen each, and ten patchwork quilt covers for 100 wen each.
The quilt covers, with their colorful and auspicious patterns, caught the eye of an older woman. “How much for this?”
“100 wen,” He Zifeng replied.
“That’s too expensive! I’ll take it for 50,” she countered. She had a newborn granddaughter and thought the cover would make a perfect gift but balked at the price.
He Zifeng smiled and said, “It’s a lot of work to make these, but since my wife isn’t here, I’ll give you a deal—80 wen.”
“60,” the woman pressed.
Though inexperienced at bargaining, He Zifeng reluctantly agreed.
Word of the discount spread, and within moments, seven quilt covers were sold. By midday, their stock had dwindled to three quilt covers, thirty pairs of shoe uppers, fifteen fancier beanbags, and a bag of decorative fabric flowers.
He Zifeng took a break, eating a pancake and sipping water from his sheepskin bag. Though other stalls were bustling, he felt proud of their success.
Just then, Qiu Yu returned, carrying a large bundle. He Zifeng hurried over to help.
Qiu Yu’s face was glistening with sweat. “I bought five catties of pork lard—it was pricier than meat at twelve wen per catty. I also got nine pig trotters at three wen per catty, totaling twelve catties. The butcher even threw in two large bones for free. I spent a total of 100 wen, plus four wen for a pig’s heart.”
He Zifeng placed the bundle on the cart and wiped Qiu Yu’s sweat with a cloth.
Seeing how much they had sold, Qiu Yu’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Wow, you sold all that?”
He Zifeng nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Qiu Yu looked at He Zifeng and said, “I’ll make you something delicious tonight.” Then he suddenly remembered, “I still need to buy some spices and rock sugar. Watch the stall for a bit longer.”
He Zifeng nodded. “Buy three feet of red string first. We’ll string the silk flowers on them.”
“Got it,” Qiu Yu replied, heading off to a fabric shop. Shops like that usually carried small items like string. After buying three feet of red string, they quickly strung the silk flowers, tying them securely.
Once done, Qiu Yu left to shop for the other items.
He Zifeng enjoyed the feeling of making steady sales, even with small profits. Noticing that other vendors sold similar accessories for two to three wen each, he priced the silk flower hair ties at two wen apiece.
There weren’t many to sell, and a group of young women quickly bought them all, often picking up some shoe uppers as well.
After a while, a man approached the stall. “Is this all the stock you have?” he asked.
He Zifeng nodded.
The man said, “I run the nearby general store. How much to buy all of this in one go?” He had been watching for a while, noting that Zifeng’s stall was doing better than his shop.
This man specialized in buying out market vendors at a lower price, then reselling the items at his store. With markets held only twice a month, those who missed the market would come to him later.
He Zifeng quickly calculated: the three quilt covers alone were worth 300 wen, and with the rest—shoe uppers, silk flowers, and pouches—the total came to 460 wen. “I’ll sell it all to you for 400 wen.”
The man, a shrewd negotiator, replied, “Brother, I’ve got to make a living too. If I take it for 400, how am I supposed to profit? Since it’s our first deal, how about 200 wen?” His signature move was halving the asking price.
He Zifeng shook his head firmly. “That’s too low. I’d rather sell them piece by piece myself. I’m already giving you a discount for convenience. Let’s settle at 300 wen—any less and I won’t sell.”
The man, unhurried, said, “People have already picked through your stock. The best items are gone. Besides, it’s not worth sitting here all day for what’s left. Let’s make friends, and in the future, I can help you offload anything you find hard to sell.”
After some haggling, they finally settled on 240 wen. The man even took the two wooden racks that He Zifeng had made for the display.
Though the man was stingy, He Zifeng felt relieved to clear out the remaining stock.
When Qiu Yu returned, looking excited, he was startled to see only the cart left. His face turned pale. “What happened? Did someone steal our goods?”
He Zifeng reassured him, “No, I sold it all. Let’s go home.”
The couple loaded the cart and headed back, arriving home before noon.
Once home, they emptied their money box to count their earnings.
After deducting the 468 wen spent on materials, they still had 1,300 wen left.
Both were stunned by the total.
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