Chapter 31: Bustling with Business and Eager Sales

It had to be said that the town’s market, held once every half month, truly attracted a crowd. Du Yun had barely been standing by the toy stall when she saw waves of people surging back and forth, the air thick with the clamor of vendors hawking their wares.

Noticing a group of children heading toward the toy stall, Du Yun hurriedly transferred her pastries from the storage box, then took out a plate from her small basket. Upon the plate were vibrant, translucent rice cakes, shimmering in the morning light, looking utterly tempting.

With the rice cakes displayed, Du Yun wanted to mimic the other vendors and call out to attract customers, but embarrassment held her back. She opened her mouth, yet no sound came, and her face flushed hot with self-consciousness, making it even harder to speak.

Just then, a matron carrying a basket passed by, caught sight of the pastries on Du Yun’s plate, and exclaimed, “Oh my, what are these? Are they edible? They look almost too pretty to eat!”

“They’re edible, called rainbow cakes. I made them myself, and they’re delicious!” Du Yun, anxious about how to start calling out, seized the opportunity the loud-voiced woman presented and joined in with enthusiasm. Though shy, Du Yun wasn’t foolish and knew how to seize an opportunity, so she responded loudly to the woman.

“Really delicious? They must be expensive, then?” The woman, easily convinced, was clearly tempted by the pastries’ attractive appearance.

“Auntie, just try one and see for yourself—it’s free!” Du Yun noticed that while she spoke, more and more people were gathering to watch, so she decided on the spot to let the woman sample her wares.

At the mention of “free,” the surrounding crowd’s interest was piqued. Eyes fixed eagerly on the plate, each hoped to get a taste without spending money.

Du Yun glanced at the pastries—each was a two-inch-long chunk. If she let everyone sample a whole piece, the entire plate would be gone in no time, and she needed to make money from these. Her gaze landed on a watermelon vendor’s stall, where a small knife lay. Smiling, she borrowed it and deftly cut the large cakes into bite-sized pieces.

“Here—these plain-colored cakes are ten cents a piece, the layered rainbow ones are thirty cents for two pieces. Tasting is free, Auntie, have a try,” Du Yun said, forcing herself to smile through her shyness.

“Let’s try, let’s try!” the crowd chimed in, egging the woman on. She laughed heartily, popped a piece into her mouth, and her eyes immediately lit up.

“Delicious, truly delicious! But this piece is so tiny,” the woman grumbled, wanting another. The crowd, seeing her reaction, realized the cakes were indeed tasty and grew eager to try them as well.

“If you think they’re good, Auntie, why not buy a couple to take home? Ten or twenty cents isn’t much,” Du Yun encouraged, seizing the moment. This woman was her breakthrough—if she bought, others would surely follow.

“They are good, but…” The woman was still hesitating, unable to tear her eyes from the plate.

“It’s my first day selling here,” Du Yun said, biting her lip. “How about this: there are five colors of the plain cakes, so that’s fifty cents total, but I’ll give them to you for forty cents, throw in an extra piece for free, and even half a piece of the rainbow one as a bonus. How about it?”

“What, a free ten-cent piece and half of a fifteen-cent one? That’s almost twenty cents saved—such a deal!” At the mention of a bargain, the woman’s resolve strengthened. She had only planned to buy one to try, but now she nodded firmly. “Alright then, I’ll take forty cents’ worth!”

In this town, forty cents wasn’t a trivial amount—a dime could buy a large steamed bun, two or three dimes a pound of rice, and eighty cents a pound of pork—so this purchase delighted Du Yun beyond measure.

“Great! I’ll pack them up nicely for you, Auntie!” Smiling, Du Yun arranged the cakes on clean hemp leaves, the colorful, glistening pastries looking even more beautiful together, causing those around to swallow hungrily and consider buying as well.

“My, these cakes are wonderful—and quite hefty too.” The woman, pleased, placed the cakes in her basket and handed over four ten-cent notes to Du Yun.

“Thank you, Auntie! Come back if you like them!” Du Yun called after her, and though the forty cents in her hand felt light, it gave her a sudden sense of security.

With this first sale, the hesitant bystanders were emboldened. An older woman asked, “Girl, if I buy now, will you also give me two extra pieces, like you did just now?”

“Extras too?” Du Yun hesitated, then decided she could manage it, but put on a troubled look. “Auntie, you see, I spent quite a bit on ingredients and put a lot of effort into making these…”

“Oh, just sell to me—I’ll buy forty cents’ worth too!” The old woman, initially planning to buy just one or two for her grandson, couldn’t resist the bargain and decided to buy more.

“Alright, Auntie, you want the same as before?” Du Yun agreed readily, quickly packaging the cakes in hemp leaves.

Once the first few customers bought, selling became much easier. One after another, people stepped forward to buy cakes. Du Yun decided to stick with the “buy four, get two free” offer. By the time the first surge of customers ebbed, more than half her cakes were gone, and her pocket was bulging with small bills.

“Oh my, miss, you’re doing a roaring trade!” While Du Yun was tidying her basket and wiping her brow, the woman from the toy stall next door approached her.

“Hello, Sister. This is my first time selling here—perhaps fortune favors the simple-hearted,” Du Yun replied modestly. Though she had some memory of the town’s ways from the former owner’s recollections, it all felt somewhat distant and unfamiliar, so she spoke with a hint of respect.

Seeing that the toy stall owner seemed friendly, Du Yun thought she’d likely return to sell in town and decided to make a good impression. She took out a piece of rainbow cake, placed it on a perilla leaf, and offered it to the woman. “Homemade—please don’t mind.”

“Miss, you’re not only gracious in manner but generous in action!” The woman, who had been hoping for a taste, was delighted to be offered one without having to ask, and offered Du Yun a word of advice.

“Miss, you’ve done well today, but there are a lot of people here—some aren’t above a bit of pilfering. Be careful,” she said, glancing meaningfully in a certain direction, warning Du Yun that someone might have set their sights on her.

La la la, it’s the weekend; the author is diligently stockpiling chapters. If you find the story enjoyable, please remember to add it to your favorites.