Chapter 912 - Mulberry Jam (1/2)

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

“Are you selling those mulberries?” Yuan Zhou repeated when he saw the old man blanking out.

When Yuan Zhou asked, he spoke with a gentle tone. Even Broth contributed by whimpering for a bit, behaving quite adorably and seemingly trying to prove that he indeed wouldn’t bite.

The two baskets the old man was carrying on his carrying pole were filled with purplish-black mulberries of different sizes. Perhaps they had been plucked for quite a while as they looked somewhat withered, but of course, they were still very fresh.

When the old man heard the question, he looked at Yuan Zhou in astonishment, and only reacted after Yuan Zhou repeated his question.

“You want to… want to buy these?” the old man asked as he pointed at the baskets.

“Yes, they look good,” Yuan Zhou nodded.

“Oh… oh, sure. They are not expensive. I’m usually selling them for 8 RMB per catty, but since it’s getting late, I’m selling them to you for 6 RMB per catty,” said the old man when he saw Yuan Zhou nodding.

The old man seemed happy to sell as he gave a discount without Yuan Zhou asking for it.

“Ok. I will buy both baskets,” Yuan Zhou said with a nod.

“Both? That won’t do. Eating a small amount of mulberries can be healthy, but it gets unhealthy if you eat too many. Moreover, it will be a waste if you can’t finish them and they are left to spoil,” the old man said as he shook his head.

“Don’t worry, I’m using it for the restaurant. I will definitely be able to finish them before they spoil,” Yuan Zhou said gently.

“Restaurant? Ok. Boss, remember, you can’t keep mulberries for long. You have to use them immediately. Let me weigh them for you,” said the old man with a nod. Then, he placed his carrying pole down and started taking out the scales.

“Ok. I’ll go get a basket for the mulberries,” Yuan Zhou said with a nod.

“Sure. Don’t worry, young man. My scales are very accurate,” said the old man with a nod. Then, he waited silently by the door.

Yuan Zhou did not need to go far. He went to the second floor and get a huge basket that seemed sufficient to store even 45 catties without problem.

“Here, put them in here,” Yuan Zhou said.

“Ok. I’ll be weighing them now,” said the old man with a smile.

“Ok,” Yuan Zhou nodded. He poured the bowl of broth into the dog’s bowl before he raised his head to look at the old man.

“This basket is 20.5 catties while the other is 17.5 catties. In total, they are 38 catties. You can calculate the price. I’m getting old. I won’t be able to calculate them manually,” said the old man, somewhat embarrassed.

“240 RMB in total,” Yuan Zhou said.

“240? Ok. I’ll give you a discount. 200 will do,” said the old man with a wide smile.

“That won’t do. I’ll pay for the full price,” Yuan Zhou said firmly and handed over 240 RMB in cash.

“Thank you, thank you, young man,” said the old man with a wide smile.

“Don’t worry about it. By the way, why are you using the alley?” Yuan Zhou asked while the old man was filling Yuan Zhou’s basket with the mulberries.

That’s an understandable question. The old man was obviously a mulberry seller. But why would he be walking in this deserted alley? Nobody would use this alley, and thus, he would not get any business here.

“I was not allowed to set up stall anywhere on the front street. I have been carrying them for an entire day but still couldn’t sell them off. So I thought I should try some place with fewer people so as to not disrupt anyone’s business,” the old man slowly explained.

“You planned them for selling?” Yuan Zhou did not say much and asked for something else instead.

“Not really. I have two old mulberry trees at home and since we couldn’t finish them all, I decided to sell them for some extra money,” said the old man.

“If you have more, feel free to deliver them to me,” said Yuan Zhou.

“That won’t do. I can’t trouble you,” said the old man as he repeatedly shook his head.

“Don’t worry. What about this, if you can’t sell them anywhere else, just try walking around here. I might need them again,” said Yuan Zhou.