"What time is it?" Shen Xiaoyan poked Zheng Wei's face.
"It's almost Chen Shi," Zheng Wei replied. "Let's go down to eat something, then we can go out for a stroll."
Shen Xiaoyan closed her eyes again. After a few seconds of grogginess, she sat up with a sudden movement like a carp leaping, and then announced loudly, "I'm awake."
Having said that, she threw off the cotton quilt, got out of bed, put on her slippers, and went to get clothes to wear.
Zheng Wei watched Shen Xiaoyan's figure and couldn't help but smile. This little woman always changed so quickly, making it impossible to predict what she would do next.
After they both got dressed, Zheng Wei picked up a basin and went downstairs. He needed to wash his face. The shop assistants didn't bring water in the morning, as there were too many people and one didn't know when each person would wake up.
Shen Xiaoyan walked to the door of Shen Xiaoming's room. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened from the inside.
"Xiaoming, you're awake," Shen Xiaoyan said with a smile.
"En, I've already been reading for an hour," Shen Xiaoming nodded.
As Shen Xiaoming spoke, he walked out, turned around, and closed and locked the door before following Shen Xiaoyan back to her room.
Once inside and seated, Shen Xiaoyan asked, "Xiaoming, why did you wake up so early?"
Shen Xiaoming said earnestly, "I'm not attending class for these two days, so I'll definitely fall behind. Therefore, I'm looking at what I need to learn first. As for anything I don't understand, I'll ask the teacher when we get back."
It took a full day just to travel from Baiyun Manor to Huangshan County. If they bought some things and then rushed back, it would take at least three days in total. Therefore, Shen Xiaoming had asked the teacher for a two-day leave of absence.
In reality, Shen Xiaoming didn't have to come, but Shen Xiaoyan still wanted to bring him. Perhaps he might find something he desired.
Besides, their opportunities to visit the county were few, at least not many at present.
As they were talking, Zheng Wei had already fetched water back. Shen Xiaoming said he had already washed up, so Shen Xiaoyan got up to wash up with Zheng Wei.
After tidying themselves up, they took their money, locked the room door, and the three of them went downstairs.
There were quite a few people eating breakfast downstairs, and there were even empty tables. The three of them walked to an empty table and sat down.
A shop assistant brought tea and then bowed with a smile, asking, "What would you like to eat, sirs?"
Shen Xiaoyan said, "We'll have three servings of steamed dumplings, three pancakes, a plate of sesame cakes, three boiled eggs, one portion of braised meat, and two kinds of pickles. For the porridge, let's have melon seed porridge."
After speaking, Shen Xiaoyan looked at the other two and asked, "Anything else?"
Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoming both shook their heads. This amount was already enough for them to eat their fill.
"Alright, please wait a moment," the shop assistant said before turning and heading towards the kitchen.
While waiting for the food, Shen Xiaoyan looked around and noticed that business was indeed good here.
The last time they visited was during the New Year, so it was understandable that business was good then. But with business still this good now, it meant that it was truly doing very well.
The food was quickly brought by the shop assistant. The three of them ate silently, paid the bill, and then went out.
There were already many pedestrians on the street, selling all sorts of things. However, Shen Xiaoyan noticed that most people were carrying baskets filled with vegetables and the like, appearing to be heading to the morning market to buy groceries.
The place selling fruit saplings was in an open space not far from them, and they had to cross a stone bridge to get there.
Looking down as they walked on the stone bridge, the river below was as green as jade, with rippling waves. Occasionally, a fish would swim by.
There were many people on the bridge, and some were holding tree saplings or flower saplings. Shen Xiaoyan knew then that they had found the right place.
After crossing the bridge, they saw a crowd of people in the distance, indicating that this was their destination.
As the three of them walked over, Shen Xiaoyan realized that although it looked like a dense crowd from afar, it was actually quite spacious once they arrived. People were choosing their own items without appearing too crowded.
Shen Xiaoyan, holding Shen Xiaoming and Zheng Wei's hands, walked towards the nearest stall.
It was a stall set up by an elderly man around sixty years old. Behind him was a flatbed cart.
On the cart were bundles of saplings, all appearing as straight sticks. If not for the roots and the mud at the bottom, Shen Xiaoyan would have almost thought they were just tree branches.
Leaning against the flatbed cart were various other tree saplings. Some had a few leaves, some had already bloomed, and some had nothing at all.
Perhaps because they had been looking for a while, the old man noticed them and asked, "Can I help you with something?"
Shen Xiaoyan replied with a smile, "Grandpa, we want to buy some fruit trees. May I know what kind of saplings you are selling?"
Upon hearing that a customer had arrived, the old man's smile deepened, his old face crinkling like a chrysanthemum. "I have many varieties. If you think these are not enough, look there, that's my son. And over there is my second son."
The old man pointed to his left and right sides.
Shen Xiaoyan understood immediately. This old man was quite business-minded, knowing how to spread his reach. By setting up stalls separately but close together, they could mutually support each other and display more of their goods.
Knowing that the old man was a shrewd businessman, Shen Xiaoyan didn't beat around the bush. She said directly, "As long as your saplings are good, I'll take any variety, and the more the better."
The old man was stunned by this. After recovering his senses, he looked at Shen Xiaoyan with suspicion before smiling and saying, "Young lady, are you perhaps teasing me?"
Shen Xiaoyan replied, "Why would I tease you? If you don't believe me or don't want to sell, then I'll go ask elsewhere."
The old man quickly said, "No, no, let me introduce them to you."
The old man thought to himself, whether Shen Xiaoyan was truly intending to buy or just asking, it wouldn't hurt to explain. It wouldn't take up much time and there would be no loss.
If they sold, it would be best. If not, he could just tell stories.
"I have persimmons, pears, peaches, red pomegranates, dates, water persimmons, oh, and blueberry vines."
Shen Xiaoyan mentally noted down each type as the old man mentioned it. In the end, she found there were a total of 15 types, similar to the fruits she knew from the north in her previous life. It seemed this place was indeed quite unique.
Despite having so many fruit varieties, no one seemed to be planting them on a large scale. She had asked at the fruit shops in the county, and the prices for these fruits were very high, and they were all imported.
Feeling curious, Shen Xiaoyan directly asked, "Grandpa, I'd like to ask, since we have such a complete selection of fruit saplings here, why are the fruits here still so expensive?"
The old man chuckled at this, saying with a hint of regret, "Although the varieties are complete, no one knows how to tend to them."
After a moment of silence, the old man added, "I'm not afraid to tell you, these saplings are all brought from outside. Most of them survive for a year and are put up for sale. As for the buyers, they all take them home to plant for fun. Very few of them grow, and they don't expect them to bear fruit."