Salted Fish Market

Chapter Forty-Three

None of the celebrity guests knew how to do business. They either made a living acting or singing; where would they get any other business sense?

Maybe a few minor influencers on short-video apps could livestream and sell some obscure internet-famous products, while the bigger beauty bloggers just took sponsorships to recommend things. If they wanted this lot to run a business, they might as well invite influencers instead.

Of course, the production team had considered this problem, so they were not being completely inhumane. They had picked a good day—the market day.

Shangyang Village held a market every five days. At times like this, all kinds of merchants from the surrounding villages flocked in. Besides, transportation was convenient now. Villages beyond the hills no longer had to trek over mountains to get here; they could just ride over on little three-wheelers. The market was incredibly lively.

Li Wenchuan watched the crowds calling out their wares. Before long, a hand reached out from beside him. "Move aside, young man. You're blocking the way."

He quickly stepped aside and quietly apologized. Standing still in the middle of the road really had blocked quite a few people, so he hurried toward the roadside.

In his previous life, Chang'an City only saw such bustling scenes during major holidays, such as the Lantern Festival Fair. Chang'an had eastern and western markets, managed by the authorities and opened and closed on schedule. Even the vendors were regulated, unlike the dense, packed stalls here.

He had heard that rural areas had informal markets where people occasionally gathered at set times to trade, and he had seen them before. But as a prince who had experienced Chang'an's splendor, he had found them all rather desolate, so the related memories were not particularly vivid.

During the days since he arrived, he had roughly learned that commerce had gradually opened up after Great Qing. Rural markets and traveling merchants had increased, the nighttime curfew had gradually been lifted, and Jiangnan and the coastal regions had flourished.

What he saw now was already the world a thousand years later. In his era, it would have been shocking beyond belief, yet now he could accept it.

In the past, they had needed the common people to farm because food was scarce. Now they did not. The people needed fuller bellies, warmer clothes, and better lives.

Jiang Hansheng saw how absorbed he was and did not disturb him. Something had clearly changed after that night, and Jiang Hansheng felt uncertain. He had seen this sort of scene for over twenty years. It was somewhat fresh, but not surprising, so his attention was wholly on Li Wenchuan.

"We should find a spot first. There are too many people here, and there's no space," Jiang Hansheng suggested.

Li Wenchuan nodded. They really did need to find somewhere to settle down, but what could they do with sixty yuan?

Xiao Yi had already found a spot. An elderly person there had sold all their vegetables and was packing up to leave. He immediately had Su Mingwei hold the space, then borrowed a table from the hostess at the Household and carried it out, putting together a simple stall.

With only sixty yuan, they bought brushes, paper, and paints from a wholesale store.

Su Mingwei swiftly wrote several beautiful characters with a brush and pasted them in front of the table—"Calligraphy and Painting." Their stall was officially open.

Su Mingwei quickly put up several of her best paintings as well. She was skilled at ink painting, and her work looked quite professional, drawing many people to stop and look. Some asked about the prices, but only asked, nodded, and continued browsing.

Several dozen minutes passed. She had completed quite a few paintings and put them on display, but not a single one had sold.

Su Mingwei could not help sighing. "Brother Yi, do you think my paintings aren't pretty? Does no one like them?"

"Not at all. They're beautiful. Someone will come soon," Xiao Yi comforted her, though he could not understand it himself. He thought the calligraphy and paintings were all beautiful. Why could they not sell?

"I feel like we're going to lose money on this..." Su Mingwei had never felt so dejected in her life, and her voice took on a tearful note.

She had always been able to get whatever she wanted. When had she ever felt this down and out?

The uncle selling belts beside them fiddled with the belts on his rack and could not help glancing over at the two of them several times. After smiling and persuading the customer in front of him to buy something, he tidied up his goods and said, "Miss, it's not that your things aren't pretty... It's just that everyone here is from the countryside. They might think they look nice, but they won't necessarily buy them to take home."

They spent their days carrying hoes out to the fields. Who cared whether there were paintings at home to cultivate their sentiments?

"Ah..." Su Mingwei parted her lips, still not quite understanding. "Then what about mine?"

The uncle waved his hand. "It's actually simple. You can paint those kinds of designs too, can't you?"

Su Mingwei nodded.

"Paint a few bright red and purple peonies, write 'Prosperity in Bloom,' then draw some lucky children holding couplets saying 'Good Fortune as You Wish.' Or draw a fat cat—make it a calico—and write 'May Wealth Pour In.' I guarantee people will buy them." The uncle patted his chest, speaking with complete confidence.

On market days like this, many craft stalls wrote couplets and the character for good fortune. But it was not a holiday, so who would buy those? Those people would write artistic names instead, and someone would always get a few for their children.

Naturally, Su Mingwei did not know how to make those gaudy artistic names, but she could paint everything the uncle had mentioned. She instantly saw the light and picked up her brush to start painting.

The cameraman following the pair felt there was no hope for this shot. It would probably be useless, without a single highlight. Even though the uncle had offered some suggestions, he still thought it might not work.

After all, if he came to a market, he would only look at food and practical goods. He would not buy these useless things.

This was actually how men shopped. Like the customers at the belt-selling uncle's stall, most were men who immediately asked about quality and price. Women, on the other hand, would browse and compare, looking at styles and colors.

With her Ren and Du Meridians opened, Su Mingwei thought of the calligraphy and paintings she had seen at her elders' homes during the New Year. She immediately knew what to do. After swiftly painting several pieces, she hurriedly asked Xiao Yi to replace the old ones.

As soon as they replaced them, more people came over.

An auntie carrying a vegetable basket narrowed her eyes at the paintings. "Miss, did you paint these yourself? You're really capable."

She flipped through a few and thought, Oh my, this lucky child was painted so beautifully—fair and chubby, much prettier than the ones she had bought from stalls before. Then she asked the price and found it was surprisingly cheap.

So she said, "Miss, can I tell you what I want, and you paint it for me?"

These had just been painted, and the ink had not even dried yet. It was not unreasonable for her to make a request, was it? "I can pay extra."

Su Mingwei's eyes widened at once, and she smiled with complete sincerity. "Of course. Tell me what you want. I can paint anything."

The auntie wanted two lucky children, one boy and one girl, interacting and holding hands. One would have "Many Children, Many Blessings" written on their bellyband, and the other "May You Soon Have a Noble Child." Her daughter was getting married next month, and she had finally found something good. She could have it mounted after taking it home.

"Write some words for me too," the auntie continued.

Su Mingwei agreed to every request.

This happened whenever people shopped. A vendor might have no customers, but if someone stood in front of the stall for a long time, others would gradually come over too, wanting to see what they were looking at.

Ever since the auntie stopped here, the crowd had visibly grown, mostly women of motherly and grandmotherly age.

Most were only there to watch the excitement, but some found the paintings inexpensive and figured they might as well buy them, so they began placing orders. Others inevitably followed the trend, and the number of orders grew.

Some thought the girl was soft and adorable, so they could not help buying a few extra pieces.

The belt-selling uncle was grinning from ear to ear. More people was good—so good. Those waiting around or joining the crowd might want to take a look at his belts too.

"They're all new styles, ladies, take a look! Great quality and low prices!"

Su Mingwei's stall was bustling with activity, lively beyond measure.