The next day.
It was rare for the family to go to the town together, and the two little ones were eagerly looking forward to it as they woke up early.
Luo Ge cooked some corn porridge and then brought over the clothes she had made for them the night before to change them into.
"How about it, do you like them?"
Looking at the two little ones, Luo Ge smiled and patted their little heads, asking.
Older Baby carefully clutched his new clothes, nodding repeatedly: "Older Baby likes it very much!"
"Second Baby also likes it very much, thank you Auntie."
Their contented joy, combined with their carefulness to not damage the clothes, was truly heartwarming.
Gu Jinchen had also changed into new shoes, leaning against the door frame and looking at the two little ones with a slight hint of disdain.
Hmph, these good-for-nothing brats.
He looked down at his own shoes, his micro-expression carrying a trace of pride.
They couldn't compare to his!
As if sensing their uncle's smugness, the two little ones exchanged a glance and simultaneously turned their heads away.
"It's good that you like them. Quick, go eat breakfast, and then we'll set off after."
Luo Ge didn't notice the little situation between the men of the household, feeling quite pleased that they said they liked the clothes.
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Okay!"
The three of them answered in unison, as if trying to outdo each other in speed.
...The market day was indeed lively, with many people from the city gate onwards.
As they walked further in, the clamorous, bustling noise only grew louder and more boisterous.
Luo Ge held Older Baby's hand, while Gu Jinchen carried Second Baby on his shoulders. The little one was extremely excited.
"Wow! So many people!"
"Uncle, look over there, that long-tailed little animal!"
Second Baby's eyes were wide open, not blinking as he scanned the street. Suddenly, his gaze brightened with excitement as he pointed somewhere.
Gu Jinchen turned his head to look, only to find that it was a little monkey doing a performance, skillfully juggling a few woven bamboo balls in its hands.
Its agile, long tail could even hook and loop things, earning cheers from the surrounding villagers.
Luo Ge had heard the commotion, but her short stature and the crowd prevented her from seeing anything.
Older Baby could only look in the direction his younger brother was gazing at, seeing nothing but rows of legs.
"I'll take you over to see."
Gu Jinchen noticed his wife's curiosity and reached out to take her hand, leading the way and squeezing a path through the crowd for them.
Looking at his large palm and then the people around them, Luo Ge lowered her head shyly, her little face blushing slightly.
This was her first time holding hands with him in public, and it felt a bit unfamiliar.
But when she saw the little monkey, she instantly put aside her shy feelings.
"Auntie, Brother, look at its long tail!" Second Baby grew even more excited at the close proximity.
Although the village folks often said the children were like little monkeys, the little ones had never actually seen a monkey before, nor any illustrations of one.
So they didn't recognize it as a monkey, simply coming up with a temporary name based on its long tail.
"This is a little monkey," Luo Ge smiled and explained upon hearing his words.
"So this is a monkey? This little monkey is so amazing!"
Older Baby's eyes lit up as well, watching the little monkey skillfully looping its tail with rings, his gaze filled with envy.
Gu Jinchen smiled as he watched the three of them, unable to help feeling happy seeing their enjoyment.
After the performance ended, the little monkey went around with a wooden bowl to collect tips from the villagers who had watched the show.
The monkey's owner made a living this way, and since Luo Ge and her family had enjoyed the show, they each contributed a copper plate like the rest.
After watching the performance, the family strolled along the street, and the little ones, who had rarely been to town before, found everything novel and fascinating.
Most children love sweets, and the two little ones were immediately drawn to an old man's stall selling sugar figurines molded into various small animals when they saw it.
However, they didn't ask Luo Ge to buy any for them, only staring longingly. Finding it amusing, Luo Ge bought one for each of them to have and eat.
After buying the sugar figurines, they walked a bit further until they reached a dried fruit and pastry shop. Luo Ge glanced at the basket of dried fruit on Gu Jinchen's back.
"Should I go in and check it out first?"
Perceiving her thoughts, Gu Jinchen asked.
"Hmm... no need, let's all go in together."
"Alright then."
With that, the family stepped into the shop. On market days, there were many people coming to buy goods, but not many visiting this pastry shop.
Everyone knew that the items here were relatively expensive, and ordinary families could only afford to buy them for gifts or banquets, not regularly.
Wealthy families, however, would frequent the shop, as they were the main clientele.
"What would the guests like to purchase?"
Although the shopkeeper saw that their clothing was ordinary, he didn't neglect them, immediately greeting them with a pleasant and appropriately friendly smile when he saw them enter.
"Candied fruits, dried fruits, any recommendations?"
The kind of leadership manifests in the kind of employees. Observing the attentive service from the shopkeepers and assistants, she had a good feeling about the place.
"Yes, this way, please follow me."
The shopkeeper led them to the candied and dried fruit section, just as Luo Ge had expected – mostly sweet preserves, with only sour-sweet options like preserved plums and raisins.
Similar to the salted plums, there were honeyed plums made with a method akin to honey dates, the plums themselves quite sour but with a sweet-and-sour taste when candied.
"These honeyed plums are our signature item. Would you like to try some?"
Noticing Luo Ge's gaze linger on the honeyed plums, the shopkeeper suggested.
"Are these the only preserves you have?" Luo Ge pursed her lips slightly and asked in a soft voice.
The shopkeeper clearly paused, then nodded.
"Yes, this is all we have."
"Then may I trouble you to call your proprietor? To be honest, I've made a kind of dried fruit myself, and the taste is quite nice.
So I was wondering if you would be interested in procuring it, in which case I could trade it for some silver."
Luo Ge smiled lightly, appearing sincere and a bit bashful.
As she spoke, she took out a jar of dried lychees from the basket, and as soon as the lid was opened, a sweet-and-sour fruity aroma wafted out.
The proprietor, who had turned his attention this way when Luo Ge asked if there were only those preserves, instantly brightened upon smelling the fragrance.
Seeing his reaction, the shopkeeper glanced at the proprietor, and after receiving a nod, agreed.
"Certainly, this way please."
It wasn't appropriate to discuss business directly outside, so they led Luo Ge and her family into a private room.
The shopkeeper introduced the two parties, served them tea, and then went back out to attend to customers.
"Pardon me, but how should I address you both?" The proprietor Lee looked at the husband and wife and asked.
"My husband's surname is Gu." Luo Ge smiled and replied, placing the dried fruit on the table and pouring some onto an empty plate.
"These are the dried fruits I made myself. Proprietor, please have a taste and let me know what you think." She was quite direct in getting to the point.
Seeing Luo Ge's straightforwardness, Proprietor Lee smiled: "Very well, let me try them then."
This sweet-and-sour fruity aroma had already whetted his appetite. Just the scent alone made his mouth water.
The translucent fruit flesh also looked appetizing, and without further ado, he began tasting it.
In the next instant, his eyes lit up.
It's always hard to resist wanting more when it comes to sweet-and-sour foods, and before he knew it, he had eaten several pieces, quickly polishing off the small plate of dried fruit.
Seeing this, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen exchanged a smile, realizing that the business deal was basically settled.
"Ahem, these dried fruits are indeed excellent." After finishing, Proprietor Lee finally realized his lack of decorum, clearing his throat and remarking.
"May I ask what price you were considering?"
He had tasted the dried fruits, and the flavor was indeed superior to the honeyed plums, with a better overall quality as well.
Such a thing, if sold in a shop, would certainly not have trouble selling. But if the price was too high, it wouldn't be worthwhile for him to buy it and resell it.
Luo Ge smiled when she heard this: "To be honest, this is our first time selling this. The fruits were picked by my husband and I from the mountains, and there weren't many loquat fruits that could be found up there.
We couldn't make more than a hundred pounds of dried fruit from them, so this is the only batch we produced.
I really don't know how to estimate the price myself. Why don't you, the shopkeeper, take a look and give me a price?"
Upon hearing Luo Ge's words, the shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but take a closer look at her.
Although this young woman said she would let him decide on the price, her words reflected the hard work involved in making the dried fruits, as well as their rarity.
By emphasizing these two points, he couldn't just give her a low price.
But her gentle, smiling demeanor made it impossible for him to get upset with her words.
She really was an intelligent woman.
