I Only Choked on Noodles, Why Am I Here?! [BL]

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 – Business Booms

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Han Yan glanced at the handful of copper coins resting on his palm. Under the bright morning sunlight, the dull copper seemed to shine with a particularly pleasing glow.

A faint smile appeared in his eyes.

This was their first sale.

Although it was only a small amount of money, it represented something far more important it proved that someone was willing to buy what they brought.

Without hesitation, Han Yan placed the copper coins into Wei Jun’s hands.

Wei Jun stared at them for a moment before carefully closing his fingers around the coins. His face quickly brightened with excitement.

"We really sold it Brother Yan..."

His voice trembled slightly with excitement, as though he still couldn’t believe they had actually made a sale.

After all, before arriving at the market, neither of them had expected much of an outcome. The village was poor, and their family circumstances were hardly any better. Even gathering enough goods to sell had not been easy.

Yet now, they had actually earned something.

The old woman and the little boy who had bought from them soon disappeared into the crowd.

Then something unexpected happened.

It was as though the old woman’s purchase had become the best advertisement possible.

The nearby customers who had been watching from a distance suddenly began approaching one after another.

Questions came from every direction.

The once-empty stall quickly became crowded as curious customers gathered around.

"Young man, how much for this piece of meat?" an elderly woman asked as she squeezed her way through the growing crowd.

Han Yan glanced at the cut she was pointing at before replying, "Twenty copper coins per jin."

The old woman clicked her tongue.

"Twenty? Can’t you make it a little cheaper?"

Han Yan shook his head.

"The meat is fresh, and the price is already lower than most stalls in the market."

The old woman inspected the meat again before reluctantly nodding.

"Fine. Weigh it for me."

As Han Yan skillfully prepared the meat, more people began stopping to look.

"Can it be cheaper?" another customer asked.

Han Yan shook his head calmly.

"The price is already fair. The meat is fresh, and every piece is weighed honestly."

"What about these fruits?" a middle-aged man asked, pointing at the baskets beside the stall.

Wei Jun quickly straightened.

"Ten copper coins per bundle."

The man picked one up and examined it carefully.

"They look fresh."

Around him, several customers nodded in agreement.

"Look at the color."

"They must have been picked recently."

"The meat looks good too."

"No wonder people are gathering."

A woman selected one of the fruits.

"Are they sweet?"

Wei Jun smiled confidently.

"You can taste one if you’re worried."

He picked up a freshly cut slice from the sample pieces beside the basket and handed it to her.

Secretly, he was glad Han Yan had suggested preparing samples beforehand. Otherwise, convincing customers to buy unfamiliar fruits would have been much harder.

"Really?"

"Of course."

The woman hesitated before taking a bite.

The moment the sweet juice spread across her tongue, her eyes widened.

"It’s sweet and it smells so good!"

The crowd immediately became more interested.

"Give me a bundle."

"I want two."

"Save one for me."

Copper coins began changing hands one after another.

Meanwhile, Han Yan had already entered a state of focused efficiency.

One hand held the knife while the other selected pieces of meat according to the customers’ requests. Every cut was clean and precise, neither cheating the customer nor allowing himself to suffer losses.

"One jin and two liang," he said after weighing a customer’s purchase.

"That will be nineteen copper coins."

The customer checked the scale before nodding in satisfaction and paying immediately.

Nearby, murmurs spread through the crowd.

"He’s weighing honestly."

"His scale doesn’t seem to cheat."

Hearing the comments, even more people stepped forward.

"Young man, I want two jin."

"Can you cut it smaller?"

"How much for this piece?"

Han Yan answered each question patiently.

"Two jin will be thirty-eight copper coins."

"I can cut it smaller."

"That piece is slightly heavier. Let me weigh it first."

A familiar voice suddenly rose from the edge of the crowd.

"Second brother-in-law!"

Han Yan paused briefly before looking up. He saw Madam Zhang pushing through the customers

The moment she arrived, her eyes swept across the stall, lingering on the steadily shrinking pile of meat and the growing pouch of copper coins.

A trace of unwillingness flashed through her eyes.

"Second brother-in-law looks like business is quite good."

Han Yan nodded politely.

"What would you like to buy, Sister-in-law?"

Madam Zhang pointed at one of the best cuts of meat.

"That one."

Han Yan glanced at it briefly.

"Just over a jin. Twenty copper coins."

The moment she heard the price, Madam Zhang frowned.

"Twenty?"

She lowered her voice.

"Han Yan, we’re family. Just give it to me for ten."

The surrounding customers immediately turned to look at her.

Even Wei Jun nearly choked.

Ten copper coins? That was almost half the price.

Han Yan remained calm.

"The price is twenty copper coins."

Madam Zhang forced a stiff smile.

"Why are you being so calculating with family? We all lived under the same roof."

Han Yan continued weighing the meat.

"And we’ve already separated from that roof."

The smile on Madam Zhang’s face froze. "Second brother-in-law, you’re still holding a grudge?"

Han Yan shook his head

"No."

"Then why won’t you help your own family?"

This time Han Yan finally looked at her.

His expression remained as calm as ever.

"Sister-in-law, when families separate, it means each household is responsible for its own livelihood."

"If I give you meat for ten copper coins today, should I also give Uncle Zhang the same price?"

The onlookers immediately nodded in agreement. Not a single person supported her.

"That’s right."

"Business should be fair."

Madam Zhang’s expression darkened but she still didn’t give up.

"But we’re still relatives."

Han Yan replied calmly,

"And because we’re relatives, I should treat you fairly rather than differently."

The crowd fell silent.

Han Yan continued.

"The first customer received a discount because she was the first sale of the day."

"Every customer afterward paid according to the quality of the meat."

"If I lower the price only because we’re related, how would that be fair to everyone else standing here?"

Several customers immediately voiced their agreement.

"Well said."

"That’s reasonable."

Madam Zhang felt countless eyes landing on her.

Her face cycled through shades of red, green, and white, changing colors so rapidly that it was a spectacle to behold.

Still unwilling to give up, she gritted her teeth.

"Then fifteen."

"Twenty."

"Eighteen."

"Twenty."

Han Yan’s answer never changed.

His calmness only made Madam Zhang appear increasingly unreasonable.

Finally, Han Yan spoke again.

"Sister-in-law, if you wish to buy meat, I’ll gladly sell it to you at the same price as everyone else."

"But if you’re hoping family ties will pay the difference, I’m afraid I can’t help."

A few people in the crowd laughed while pointing at her.

Madam Zhang face immediately burned with embarrassment.

Unable to bear the attention any longer, she spun around and stormed away, muttering curses under her breath.

The moment she quickly disappeared into the crowd, Han Yan simply picked up his knife again.

"Next customer please."

The crowd burst into laughter before surging forward once more.

Soon, the brief interruption caused by madam Zhang was forgotten as the crowd’s attention returned to the goods on display.

Customers continued stepping forward one after another, and the steady flow of sales showed no signs of slowing.

While Han Yan remained occupied with weighing meat, accepting payments, and answering endless questions, Wei Jun found himself equally busy on the other side of the stall.

The fruits they had brought were not particularly rare, but they were fresh, clean, and carefully selected. Their bright colors stood out among the surrounding stalls, attracting the attention of passersby.

A young mother carrying a child stopped in front of the stall.

"These fruits look good."

Wei Jun nodded enthusiastically.

"They were picked yesterday. They’re still very fresh."

The child immediately tugged at his mother’s sleeve.

"Mother I want them, please."

The mother laughed helplessly before purchasing a bundle.

One sale became two.

Two became five.

Five became ten.

Copper coins steadily accumulated inside the cloth pouch.

Even the flowers they had brought merely to fill empty space at the stall began attracting attention.

A few well-dressed young ladies passed through the market accompanied by servants.

One of them suddenly stopped.

"Oh?"

Her gaze landed on the basket of white flowers resting at the corner of the stall.

The blossoms were elegant and pristine. Their white petals unfolded layer by layer around pale golden stamens, while a faint, refreshing fragrance drifted from them.

"What flower is this?" the young lady asked curiously.

Her companions immediately gathered around.

"It smells nice."

"And it’s beautiful."

"I don’t think I’ve seen this flower before."

Wei Jun opened his mouth before awkwardly closing it again.

Truthfully, he had no idea.

He only knew that Brother Yan had found the strange flowers growing near the mountain and picked them simply because they looked nice.

Han Yan glanced at the basket before answering calmly.

"In some places, they’re called mountain lilies."

The young ladies listened attentively.

"They grow naturally in the mountains and are surprisingly resilient. Even after being picked, they can remain fresh for several days if placed in water. Their fragrance is light and refreshing, making them suitable for decorating a room."

The young lady gently brushed a fingertip across one of the petals.

"No wonder they look so lively."

Another curious companion asked, "Do they have any special meaning?"

Han Yan nodded.

"They are often associated with purity, peace, and good fortune."

Whether this world attached the same meaning to lilies was another matter entirely, but none of the young ladies knew that.

As expected, their eyes immediately brightened.

"Then I want a few stems."

"I’ll take some as well."

"They’ll look lovely in my room."

Soon, the flowers began disappearing one bundle after another.

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