That afternoon, Hu Qin sat at a table of eight immortals in a bamboo tube house on West Street embroidering cross-stitch.

One side of the table tied an erected bamboo pole, and a piece of red paper was picked up on the bamboo pole, on which was written the advertising slogan: Great news Puqi Caojia Liquor Factory will buy a large number of soybeans from now on, please have soybeans to go to sell, there is a special person to buy, the price is more preferential than the local price. Notice is hereby given.

On the table is a stack of finished cross-stitch products, and the cross-stitch pattern on top is Zhong Kui catching ghosts.

A male customer with a black scar on the left side of his face came over and took Zhong Kui's cross-stitch to catch ghosts, looked at it again and again, put it on the table, and looked at the cross-stitch inside, as well as the door god pattern, the birthday star pattern, the year more than (fish) pattern and other different styles of a total of six. He showed a look of envy, and couldn't help but pick up the cross-stitch of Zhong Kui's ghost hunting and asked, alas, how much is a piece?

Hu Qin stopped his work, looked up and replied, ten dollars a piece.

The male customer said in a rhetorical tone, so expensive? Can it be cheaper?

Hu Qin replied that it can't be cheap. I'm not worried about not being able to sell them, but during the Spring Festival last year, I sold a total of 10 cross-stitches for 100 hangs.

The male customer put the cross-stitch of Zhong Kui's ghost-catching pattern back in his hand, turned his head to look at the red paper advertising slogan on the bamboo pole, and smiled silently with a strange expression. He asked again, "sigh", can I exchange soybeans for your cross-stitch of Zhong Kui catching ghosts?

Hu Qin replied briskly, of course.

The male customer asked, how many catties of soybeans do you want?

Hu Qin said that it was said that he wanted 10 catties of soybeans, because the purchase price of 1 catty of soybeans was a penny. Since you exchange soybeans, 8 catties is enough.

The male customer laughed and said, how can you be willing to pay two dollars cheaper?

Hu Qin said, I won't tell you, I have a relative in Honghu, entrusted me to collect soybeans and tofu to sell with him, if you use soybeans in exchange for this cross-stitch, of course I will put some price, cheaper.

The male customer saw that she was embroidering a cross-stitch in her hand, and the head of a magpie had just been embroidered, so he asked, "Sister-in-law, what is the name of the cross-stitch you are embroidering now?"

Hu Qin replied with a slight smile, and the magpie stepped on the branch.

The male customer said, good, very auspicious, the Spring Festival is approaching, and the cross-stitch you embroidered has created a joyful atmosphere.

Hu Qin asked again with a "hmm", you said to exchange soybeans for my cross-stitch, do you change it or not?

The male customer said, change! You've embroidered five finished pieces, including the cross-stitch of the magpie tread branch you're embroidering, and it's all the same price, 10 yuan each. Hu Qin nodded.

The male customer asked again if the soybeans were exchanged for eight catties of soybeans. Huqin said, of course yes.

At this time, a few more customers came to look at her cross-stitch. A female customer picked up Zhong Kui's cross-stitch to catch ghosts and asked, do you sell it?

The male customer grabbed the white, I bought it, and I immediately went back to get the soybeans in exchange.

The male customer of Huqin fingers said that this one was what he said first, you can choose other styles!

The female customer said, I just want Zhong Kui to catch ghosts, and I want to hang it as a curtain at the door to suppress evil spirits.

Hu Qin said, then you wait a few days! I'll embroider you another cross-stitch of Zhong Kui's ghost hunting.

The male customer said, sister-in-law, don't sell that one, I'll send soybeans to Caojia Liquor Shop tomorrow morning, and you give me this cross-stitch of Zhong Kui catching ghosts.

Hu Qin said, you have to go early, and I will close when it is late. The male customer said, "Okay!"

The weather in Layue is a little cold, and the sun rising on the horizon in the early morning seems to be frozen red, and its light shines into the Cao family's compound, although it is also brilliant, but there is no warm feeling.

On the east side of the yard, a few hired hands rubbed their hands together to keep warm, and then put their drinks as usual.

The wooden building on the west side of the courtyard has an open door, and half of the mat is spread in the door, occupying most of the room. There was a lot of soybeans on the mat, at least a hundred catties.

There was a lean old man sitting on a Taishi chair in front of the door, Cao Yang's father, Cao Hongyou, who wore gold-rimmed glasses, and sometimes looked up and looked west, and the most he saw was outside the hospital. To his left was a clip scale against the wall, and the sparkling scale marks on the rod were shining.

Under Cao Yang's ass was a rattan chair, holding a heavy cloth bag in his hand, and he sat opposite the old man, sometimes gossiping.

Cao Yang looked at the soybeans stacked in the room, and said with a smile, Dad, I made a flag yesterday, and marked the advertising slogan of receiving soybeans on the flag, so that Huqin could be exhibited on West Street, and the effect was quite good.

Cao Hongyou said, okay! I also harvest soybeans for a few days, and with more than 1,000 catties, I can transport them to Jiangbei.

Suddenly, a person walked in from outside the courtyard gate, carrying a cloth bag, walking a few steps and standing in the courtyard and looking around.

Hu Qin came out of the inner room over there, holding a cross-stitch of Zhong Kui catching ghosts, and walked up to the male customer she had met yesterday. She pointed to the wooden building where soybeans were stacked to the west, and said kindly, you sell the soybeans first, and then I will give you this cross-stitch.

The male customer said satisfied, yes. So he walked over. Cao Hongyou stood up from the Taishi chair, held the card scale and said, are you going to sell soybeans? Come, weigh me.

The male customer handed a heavy cloth bag to Cao Hongyou, Cao Hongyou did not weigh it immediately, but put it on a flat bluestone slab on the side of the aisle, and then opened the bag to see the soybeans, and reached out to pinch it, grabbed a handful of it, and found that the soybeans were not clean.

At this time, Cao Yang also walked over and pressed the cloth bag in his hand, and there was a metallic crisp sound in the bag. He grabbed a handful of soybeans and saw that it was indeed not clean, except for the fine dirt and sand, and he shook his head. Then he said to Cao Hongyou, Dad, this bag of soybeans can't be collected if it is not cleaned.

The male customer had no choice but to make concessions, and said in a negotiated tone, pressing the price, or not accepting it?

Cao Yang said, you have to pick up the dregs before you can collect them.

The male customer said, I have 8 catties of soybeans, can I only make 5 catties and hand them over to you?

Cao Hongyou tried the scales and prepared to weigh the bag of soybeans to the male customer.

Cao Yang stopped, Dad, after accepting this bag of soybeans, we rarely pick up the dregs, forget it, don't, unless he picks up the dregs in the soybeans, we will collect it.

The male customer picked up the bag of soybeans and said dissatisfiedly, "If you don't accept it, I can sell it at a high price when I go to another store."

Cao Yang slapped the big cloth bag containing the money, and there was a metallic sound inside. He said, joke, who collects soybeans has a higher price than our Cao family? I shipped soybeans to Honghu, and the quality and price must be guaranteed.

The male customer glared at the big cloth bag Cao Yang was carrying, and with a "hum", the black scar on the left side of his face trembled. After that, he glanced at Huqin standing in the courtyard and left without saying anything.

Hu Qin took a cross-stitch of Zhong Kui catching ghosts and turned around and walked towards the house.

Cao Yang looked at her and shouted, Huqin, yesterday's effect was quite good, you go to West Street today to hang out the advertising banner for soybean harvesting, which can attract more people to sell soybeans.

Hu Qin said, I know. Cao Hongyou put the scale back in its place, sat back in the Taishi chair, and stared at Cao Yang and frowned. He said, Cao Yang, other people's soybeans are dirty, you don't want to, why do you have to say so many unnecessary things, some words are trade secrets, and it is no good for you to confide in.

Cao Yang said, Dad, the guy with a black scar on the left side of his face just now is not a businessman, what are you afraid of? Are you still afraid that your peers will not succeed?

Cao Hongyou said, oops, you are too immature, dozens of years old, children have been born, and there is no city government. You're going to lose out one day.

Cao Yang was trained to have bright red ears and faces, and he was still a little unconvinced, so he asked resentfully, Dad, what was wrong with me? Cao Hongyou said, what are you doing wrong? Think for yourself!