Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth - Chapter 11

By the time the donkey cart arrived at the county town, the sky had already brightened considerably.

The drowsiness of the early morning had dissipated, and the hustle and bustle of daytime unfolded like a grand painting.

The towering city walls stood tall like brave guardians of the homeland. People and vehicles began to stream in and out of the city, with the guards occasionally inspecting the passers-by.

Everyone had to pay a two-coin entry tax to enter the city, which Song Tongsheng, Song Sheng, and Song Ci all covered.

“Brother Ergou, let’s head to the East Market. It’s more crowded there,” Song Sheng suggested after they entered the county town.

This time, Song Ci had brought the two wild rabbits and three wild chickens he had caught the previous day.

Song Sheng and Song Tongsheng, on the other hand, had brought seasonal vegetables from their home. Compared to Song Ergou’s previous visits to the city, which were mostly for mischief and spent in gambling dens, taverns, and restaurants, the men from Uncle Ergou’s family were much more reliable.

Although Song Sheng didn’t come to the city often, he was very familiar with its layout, especially the places where commoners did business.

“Phew, we’re lucky the good spots haven’t all been taken,” Song Sheng sighed in relief when they found a stall. Despite his confident appearance, he had been uncertain whether they would find a suitable place.

“Thanks to you this time,” Song Ci praised.

“You know it,” Song Sheng replied with a hint of pride.

“Come on, stop wasting time and get over here to arrange the goods,” Song Tongsheng said, frowning at Song Sheng’s arrogant demeanor.

Song Sheng immediately became docile. “Alright, Second Brother, I’m coming.”

“How should we sell these rabbits?” Throughout the morning, Song Sheng and the others had sold a lot of their vegetables, but none of Song Ci’s game had been sold. Most people thought the price was too high.

“Twenty coins,” Song Ci said. The current market price for an adult wild rabbit was between sixteen and twenty coins each.

Song Ci had set the highest price to leave room for bargaining. In fact, he had wanted to set an even higher price, but his two younger cousins had stopped him.

Abandoning his mindset as a wealthy private son and a young master, Song Ci had learned from repeated failures that whether in rural or urban areas, people looked for value when buying things. To get people to buy your goods, you had to make them feel like they were getting a good deal.

For example, in his previous life, there were various promotions, such as the Double Eleven sales on Taobao, where sellers would first raise prices and then offer discounts, resulting in products being more expensive than usual. Although such behavior was not very ethical, he could still learn from it.

“That’s way too expensive. What have these rabbits been eating? I saw another vendor selling rabbits on the street ahead for just twelve coins each,” the old lady said.

Tough! Really tough!

As soon as the price was quoted, Song Ci felt that the old lady was being really tough, immediately cutting his price by eight coins.

“Madam, these are genuine wild rabbits, not domesticated ones. The reason theirs are so cheap is probably because there’s something wrong with their rabbits. Look at mine, they’re not only alive but also plump and healthy-looking. For twenty coins, it’s definitely worth it.”

“Too expensive. It’s almost as much as pork. Although your rabbits are alive, their fur is so thick, and they don’t look like they have much meat on them. They also look listless, and the meat won’t be flavorful. How about we meet in the middle at fifteen coins?”

Listless, and does that have anything to do with whether the meat is flavorful? Does the rabbit have to be cheerful knowing it’s going to be eaten? Song Ci thought the old lady’s logic was like that of a bandit.

“You’re being way too harsh with the price. For an adult wild rabbit, the market price is at least eighteen coins…”

The young Sheng had been anxious for Song Ci when he couldn’t sell his game.

Now, seeing that his brother Ergou was making a mistake by quoting the market price after setting it at twenty coins, he quickly took over the conversation, speaking with a rising and falling intonation, “Madam, this is a fair price, not expensive at all. Look at these rabbits, they have a glossy coat and are quite large, which means they’ve been well-fed and their meat is succulent. Although their fur is a bit thick, look at how thick and dense it is. In winter, you can use the rabbit fur to make a hand warmer, and your hands will stay warm all winter. We wouldn’t sell just the fur for less than this price. It’s just that my brother is in urgent need of money, so we’re selling them quickly. Madam, you have a good eye; you’ve chosen the best rabbits. I’ll tie them up for you and even throw in a bunch of scallions as a seasoning.”

While speaking, Song Sheng made exaggerated expressions, which made the old lady laugh heartily. She had originally been attracted to the rabbit fur, planning to use it as the lining for her grandson’s cotton-padded jacket for the winter. However, the rabbit was indeed more expensive than usual.

Now, seeing that the young man was willing to give her a bunch of scallions, she didn’t care so much about a coin or two. “You’re really good at business, much better than your brother,” the old lady said, glancing at Song Ci.

“I don’t know how to speak well, please don’t mind. My brother caught these rabbits,” Song Sheng replied.

“Oh, really? I didn’t expect that,” the old lady said.

Song Ci:……. Had he offended the old lady? Why did she seem to enjoy teasing him so much?

“You’re quite something, I didn’t know you had such skills,” Song Ci said, putting his arm around Song Sheng’s neck after the old lady left.

“Brother Ergou, you can’t do business like that. You’ll drive everyone away,” Song Sheng said.

“You’re right, you’re absolutely right,” Song Ci agreed, feeling a bit embarrassed and guilty for not fully understanding the mindset of these common folk.

They were looking for bargains, but more importantly, they wanted to be happy with their purchases.

When you give them a good deal and make them happy, they are more willing to spend money. People who come out to buy game are not short of a coin or two.

What’s the point of arguing over such a small amount and ending up unhappy? With just a few kind words from Song Sheng, the old lady happily paid up.

Song Sheng felt very proud that Song Ci agreed with his point of view. With the cooperation between Song Ci and Song Sheng, all the items that Song Ci had brought were sold out.

The two wild rabbits were sold for twenty and eighteen coins respectively, and the three wild chickens were bought in bulk by a wealthy household that had unexpected guests.

They didn’t even haggle over the price of fifteen coins per chicken, making a total of eighty-three coins.

“Come on, let’s go eat at a restaurant,” Song Ci said at noon, after the fruits and vegetables brought by Song Sheng’s family had been sold. He decided to reward the main contributors of the day.

“Brother Ergou, it’s still early. We can just go back and eat. There’s no need to waste the money,” Song Tongsheng tried to dissuade him. His mother was right; although Brother Ergou had been gradually changing, he still didn’t know how to manage money well. He needed to talk to his aunt and have her keep a closer eye on him.

“It’s not like I’m taking you out every day. This is the first time I’ve made money, and I’m feeling happy,” Song Ci said with a smile, genuinely pleased that everything had been sold.

Song Sheng, who had been disappointed when his brother refused, thought they wouldn’t be able to dine out. He had never been to a restaurant before. Hearing Song Ci’s words, he immediately cheered up.

“Alright, Brother Ergou, you have to treat us to a big feast. I’ve worked really hard today,” he said.

“I won’t forget that,” Song Ci replied.

The three of them wandered around the market for a while and chose a well-known braised pork noodle shop.

The noodles were made with the shop’s traditional technique, using plenty of ingredients and having a great taste.

The business was usually very prosperous. In addition to noodles, the shop also sold buns and side dishes.

“Smells great,” Song Sheng said as soon as they entered the noodle shop, taking a deep breath involuntarily.

Song Tongsheng glanced at his less-than-ambitious younger brother without saying anything.

Song Ci directly placed the order, “Waiter, bring us three bowls of noodles with extra meat, and three meat buns.”

“Sure thing, sir. Please wait a moment,” the waiter replied.

While waiting for the noodles, Song Sheng couldn’t keep still. He looked around and suddenly paused, as if he had noticed something. He exchanged a glance with Song Tongsheng.

“Brother Ergou, the food here smells even better than what my mother cooks,” Song Sheng said.

“If your mother found out, you’d be in for a hungry stomach,” Song Ci teased, thinking that Song Sheng, being young and excited about his first restaurant visit, was just being enthusiastic.

“My mother wouldn’t do that,” Song Sheng insisted.

“Your mother would just complain to your father, and then your father would send your elder brother to discipline you. If you still didn’t comply, your father would come himself, and then it wouldn’t just be about being hungry,” Song Tongsheng interjected.

“Humph, you always make fun of me and never help me out,” Song Sheng said.

“You know our father’s temper. If I tried to plead for you, I’d get punished too,” Song Tongsheng replied helplessly.

“You have no sense of brotherly love. Brother Ergou, let’s not acknowledge him as our brother anymore. I’ll be your real brother from now on,” Song Sheng declared.

“No, no, no, I can’t afford a brother like you,” Song Ci joked along.

“What’s wrong with me?” Song Sheng got angry again.

“Change that rude mouth of yours, and that would be better than anything,” Song Tongsheng calmly inserted. Song Sheng’s blunt speech wouldn’t cause trouble now, but it would in the future. Even if he couldn’t change, it would be better if he could keep it to himself.

“What’s wrong with my mouth? I’m always right about the matter, not the person,” Song Sheng defended.

“I’m your second brother and I can’t see it, but others won’t think so either,” Song Ci added.

At first, Song Ci found it amusing to watch the brothers bicker, but later he felt something was off. Song Tongsheng was usually quiet in front of others, just like Song Tiesheng, yet he was acting so lively and even arguing with his brother in public.

Song Ci didn’t believe that just dining out could make a steady person become so lively. It hadn’t changed Song Sheng over the years, and it certainly wouldn’t in just a short while.

Puzzled, Song Ci looked around and was about to see something when Song Sheng pulled his head back and sternly warned him, “Don’t forget, you’ve turned over a new leaf!”

Ignoring the boy’s tactlessness, Song Ci felt bewildered.

When he turned his head again and looked closely, he finally noticed the original group of hooligan friends drinking outside a tavern not far away.

The tavern was located behind the noodle shop, so they hadn’t seen it when they first entered. Song Ci now understood the reason for the brothers’ unusual behavior.

He found it amusing and was deeply touched. The Song family, including Uncle Ergou, truly had no complaints. It was partly because of the original father’s influence, but also because they were genuinely good people. Song Ci felt fortunate to have such great family members in this life.

“Youngster, why do you concern yourself with so many adult matters?” Song Ci lightly tapped Song Sheng’s head. At such a young age, he already had the makings of a nagging wife. Which girl would be able to tolerate him in the future?

Song Sheng was unwilling to accept it, “I’m just looking out for you. If I hadn’t seen you change, I wouldn’t even bother with you. If you keep hanging around with those people, I won’t acknowledge you as my brother.”

“Alright, alright, I understand. I promise you, I won’t mix with them anymore,” Song Ci assured him.

“You have to swear,” Song Sheng pressed, not letting go of the advantage.

“Alright, I swear. Happy now, little brother?” Song Ci asked.

Song Sheng huffed and fell silent, while Song Tongsheng also quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he didn’t have to pretend with his brother anymore.

At that moment, the noodles arrived. The steaming hot noodles were emitting billowing steam. The clear, oily, and fragrant soup contained fine, white, jade-like noodles and large chunks of braised pork belly.