CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 301: BEIJING 57

Since returning from the last visit to the big courtyard, Zhou Jiao has not left the military district compound again. During the day, she either chats and watches movies with new girlfriends she’s met in the courtyard or plays chess and cooks new dishes in the kitchen.

Lately, Zhang Guoqing has often been taken out for strolls by his father-in-law, Zhou Xiaozheng. Sometimes, he’s dragged by the courtyard elders for drinks and ideological lessons, and in the evenings, he chats and plays around with his buddies like Fang Fei.

The life in the courtyard is colorful for the two of them.

With just a few days left until New Year’s Eve, the couple learned that more than forty free markets have opened in seven districts of Beijing since the second half of last year. They were secretly pleased, knowing they arrived at the perfect time.

Considering that they would return to the Northeast after the New Year, the couple decided to visit Beijing’s largest Heavenly Ladder Free Market to shop for some stock, and secretly stash some items at home.

At around four in the morning, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao handed their child over to Aunt Chen. After leaving the compound, they directly hired a cart to the Heavenly Ladder Free Market they had inquired about.

On the road adjacent to the Heavenly Ladder Free Market, vendors were selling New Year pictures, baskets, new dried fruits and nuts, and toys. Inside the market, it was divided into sections for groceries, local specialties, vegetables, and chickens and ducks.

Apart from a few rural vendors, most were farmers from surrounding counties selling their own produce. During this winter, when farming is idle, farmers are all out doing business. Some old uncles with a Hebei accent had stalls with not only chickens and ducks, but also fish, shrimp, cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, dried chili, vermicelli, and various local specialties.

Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao first strolled around the market. They found that apart from grains, there was a wide variety of products. Compared to state-run vegetable stores, the free market was more convenient with a complete range, fresh ingredients, and the possibility to bargain.

Standing at the market entrance, citizens came and went continuously, and further ahead, they saw many carts parked in the remote area of the market with people guarding the goods on the carts, constantly receiving goods sent out by family members.

Seeing more and more people enter as it got brighter, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao, looking at the sacks in their hands, immediately bought a few large bamboo baskets not far from the entrance and started shopping from the innermost part. When they got to the stall selling eggs, a few people were already negotiating prices.

Zhang Guoqing quickly asked Zhou Jiao to watch the goods in the baskets while he quietly went forward to negotiate a deal with the egg-selling aunt. As for the price, who knows how many eggs will be left after spring?

Zhang Guoqing placed the basket next to the stall and let Zhou Jiao guard it. He then ran swiftly with the sack to continue buying in the nearby area.

Seeing that the egg-selling aunt was talkative, Zhou Jiao asked her about any other markets around, or if there were any bazaars. The egg-selling aunt and her husband had come over with fellow villagers in carts last night. Apart from her husband still having unsold river fish and shrimp, she had nothing left to sell.

In the mood, she explained in detail some of the markets and bazaars she knew, being particularly sensitive to where things are sold and prices. By the time Zhang Guoqing returned, Zhou Jiao had nine out of ten things figured out.

For example, the Beijing Yongping Gate Fruit and Vegetable Market mainly deals in seasonal fruits such as Beijing chestnuts, Huairou apples, Shanxi pears, and persimmons and black dates. The pricing method at this wholesale market often led to price inversions instead of following the market.

For example, the original bazaar at the Jingxi Mine area, with bazaars taking place on even days each month. The East Dam and Sun Village in the East Suburb district hold bazaars on the 3rd, 7th, and 10th of each month. Changxin Old Factory has three bazaars on the 24th, 27th, and 29th of each lunar month. The varieties sold at these bazaars are similar to those in the urban area, with more village special local products.

After Zhang Guoqing finished his shopping, the kind aunt lent him a cart. Outside the market, Zhang Guoqing repacked his goods before returning the cart. The couple found a cart not far from the big courtyard to return home.

Zhou Jiao stayed in place while Zhang Guoqing carried two sacks back, and they used a bicycle to transport. The couple, like mice storing nuts for the winter, carefully hid things at home.

Once home, Zhou Jiao fed the child then immediately started processing live chickens and ducks with Zhang Guoqing. The most troublesome this time was these live animals, to ensure that Zhou Xiaozheng could often drink fresh chicken soup. Zhang Guoqing bought chickens wherever he saw them, tying them and stuffing them in sacks. He was quick as a flash to prevent the chickens from cackling. He slaughtered, and then Aunt Chen and Zhou Jiao barely managed to clean them.

Aunt Chen looked at the twenty or so old hens that had been cleaned and was so angry that she wanted to curse the pair for being wastrels. She felt particularly distressed seeing that there were small eggs inside a few old hens’ bellies.