Chapter 144: Inflated Prices

Hong Gu hadn’t expected to encounter her lifesaver within her own village, so she was momentarily overwhelmed with emotion.

“Xiao Yao, what are you doing here? I thought it would be ages before I’d see you again!”

The woman, noticing Hong Gu standing in the courtyard, cast a wary glance her way, suspecting she might be trying to steal business.

“Hong Gu, I’m in the middle of discussing business with her. Don’t come here to cause trouble. I already have plenty of soybeans piled up. If I don’t sell some soon, I won’t have any money for the New Year.”

Hong Gu wasn’t there to cause trouble. She had simply recognized someone she knew and came over to greet her.

“Auntie, don’t worry. I’m not here to stir things up. I just saw Xiao Yao and wanted to say hello.”

“You two talk amongst yourselves. I’ll just come in and have a seat. Xiao Yao, you want to buy soybeans? Our village grows the best soybeans.”

The woman frowned slightly as she saw Hong Gu enter the yard carrying a basket. Though she said it kindly, it was clear she suspected Hong Gu was there to keep an eye on things.

“Hmm, I did notice the soybeans are indeed well-grown. I’m thinking of buying quite a few here, but what about the price?”

Xiao Yao was a bit surprised to run into Hong Gu here. She grabbed a small stool for Hong Gu to sit on and turned to the woman.

Originally, the woman had hoped to charge a high price, but with Hong Gu present, if she quoted too steep a rate, Hong Gu would surely call her out.

“I won’t ask for a high price. Soybeans in the city sell for three wen per jin, so you can have them for three wen per jin here too.”

The woman had wanted to ask for four wen per jin. Her soybeans were genuinely fine—not just boasting.

When Xiao Yao returned from the city, she had naturally checked the prices. There were only a few places in the city buying soybeans.

She hadn’t heard anything about three wen per jin. Though the soybeans were well-grown, they didn’t command the same price resistance as pure white rice.

“Auntie, that price seems a bit too high. I’ve been to every grocery store in the city. They only pay one wen per jin. Where did you get three wen from?”

Xiao Yao had already gathered all the prices before deciding to buy.

After all, she didn’t have much money to spend on soybeans, and she certainly wouldn’t spend money frivolously.

“Right, Auntie. When did your soybeans ever go up to three wen per jin? That’s a bit exaggerated!”

Hong Gu also chimed in from the side. No one in this village was selling soybeans at that price!

Hearing their words, the woman’s face shifted between pale and flushed. She truly resented Hong Gu’s interference.

“That’s not how it is. Look at my soybeans—each one plump, and none are spoiled. I’ve handpicked every single one.”

The woman scooped a handful of soybeans from the sack and showed them to Xiao Yao. Indeed, the beans looked good, without a single bad one.

But even if the soybeans blossomed, they were still just soybeans. Xiao Yao only intended to use them to sprout bean shoots.

“How about this: since every household in your village grows soybeans, I’ll ask around elsewhere. I have plenty of time today.”

With a mindset of settling things quickly, Xiao Yao rose from the stool and prepared to inquire at other homes about soybean prices.