hsntnovel Chapter 165 Rattan Chair
Chapter 165 Rattan Chair
Stepping back into the Taiping Street Free Trade Market, even though it was late at night, the hustle and bustle hadn't subsided at all. The crowd density seemed even greater than when she left. The lighting mainly came from the battery lamps, kerosene lamps, or even candles brought by the stall owners themselves. The light flickered and cast swaying shadows on the heads of the throng. The sounds of bargaining, arguments, urging, children crying, and suppressed sobs coming from somewhere...
Xu Xiaoyan slowed her pace, no longer rushing with a clear goal as before. With the main supplies already prepared, she was only out now to check for any omissions or deficiencies, her gaze casually sweeping over the stalls on both sides.
As she passed a stall piled high with various old furniture, handcrafted woodenware, and rattan products, her gaze was suddenly drawn to something in the corner—a recliner handwoven from dark brown, thick rattan. It had a simple and elegant design, a wide body, a noticeably curved backrest, and rounded armrests. The rattan weave was tight and even, showing the weaver's exquisite craftsmanship and the use of solid materials.
The chair stood out against the backdrop of the old tables and chairs with missing arms and legs, and the rough wooden boxes and bamboo baskets around it. Xu Xiaoyan's heart immediately stirred. In the long winter that was about to come, the kang (heated brick bed) and stove could ensure the basic survival temperature, but people couldn't always lie on the kang.
Having a chair like this, where you can recline and relax in a warm indoor space, would undoubtedly be a pleasure.
She walked over without thinking, reaching out to touch the armrests and seat of the rattan chair. The surface was smooth to the touch. She asked, "Boss, how much is this rattan recliner?"
The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a kind and honest face. He was squatting behind his stall arranging a few small stools. When he saw a customer come in and ask about what he considered to be the most "high-end" item, he immediately stood up, put on a simple smile, and enthusiastically introduced the item:
"Girl, you have excellent taste! This chair isn't machine-made; my dad wove it by hand, one rattan at a time! He used only old rattan, soaked it in oil, and then sun-dried and baked it—it's incredibly sturdy and durable! It won't break even after decades!" He patted the chair surface forcefully, producing a dull, solid sound to demonstrate its quality. "The price is reasonable too, only 3 points!"
However, he immediately scratched the back of his head, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and added, "Well... there's one thing. My business is so small, I don't deliver to your door. You can see this chair; it's really heavy! You'll have to figure out how to carry it back yourself." He looked at Xu Xiaoyan's slender arms and clearly felt that this was a big problem for a young woman.
Xu Xiaoyan tried it out, grabbing the armrests on one side of the chair with both hands and trying to lift it up. She could barely lift the chair off the ground by a small corner before she felt her arms straining and her back and waist having to work hard. "Goodness, it's so heavy!" she thought to herself.
A conflicted look appeared on her face. She loosened her grip and began to haggle with the stall owner, saying, "Brother, this chair is indeed a good thing, and I really want it, but it's too heavy. How can a little girl like me carry it? It's quite a distance from home... Boss, can you think of a way? Even if you add some points, can you help me deliver it?" She tried to use points as bait.
The stall owner glanced at Xu Xiaoyan's troubled expression, then looked back at the heavy, obviously difficult-to-move recliner. He also felt that it was unrealistic to let a girl carry it away by herself. He frowned and thought for a moment. After doing business all night, he also wanted to get rid of the goods as soon as possible, pack up and go home to make final preparations for the big drop in temperature tomorrow.
He hesitated for a moment, then offered a compromise: "Hey girl, how about this... You buy a few other things from my stall besides this chair, and as long as the total price reaches 5 points, I'll try to borrow a tricycle from someone I know and deliver the items, chair and all, to your home! How about that? I can't just make a free trip; I'll have to consider the gas and the favor." He looked at Xu Xiaoyan expectantly; this was clearly the only way he could think of that would both make him profitable and facilitate the transaction.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoyan did not immediately refuse. Given the current soaring prices, it was not unreasonable to offer a handmade, high-quality rattan chair with home delivery, and it might even be a good deal. The key question was whether she needed anything else from his stall.
Her gaze began to search carefully over his somewhat cluttered stall. To be honest, most of the items on his stall were old furniture, handmade woodenware, bamboo and rattan products, and some old things whose purpose was unclear. She already had a rich stock of daily necessities in her space, and she had many items with similar functions.
Xu Xiaoyan's gaze quickly swept over several rough wooden stools, a stack of wicker baskets, and two small low tables... Suddenly, in the inner corner of the stall, several dark-colored but neatly shaped items stacked together caught her attention.
That's a steamer! And it's a fairly new bamboo steamer! It has about five or six layers, and a matching lid! Although there's a little dust on the surface, the structure is intact, without any damage. This thing... will be an extremely useful kitchen utensil for the foreseeable future when I'll be making cooked food, especially noodles! Steaming buns, steamed bread, mixed grain rice, heating food... is much more convenient than boiling or baking directly in a pot!
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately went over, bent down and picked up the top steamer. She weighed it in her hand; it was very heavy. The bamboo strips were thick, the edges were smooth, and there were no burrs. The quality was quite good. She looked at the others; they were all the same size and in good condition.
Holding the steamer, she turned to the stall owner and asked, "Boss, how much are these steamers? Are they a set?" She pointed to the stacked steamers and lids.
The stall owner, seemingly eager to sell his wares and head home to prepare for the impending temperature drop, glanced at Xu Xiaoyan's interest in the steamers and readily agreed, "Oh, these! They're all good stuff, made of thick bamboo, durable! I used them when I ran a breakfast stall, but I put them away when I closed down. I'll give you 0.5 points each! Here's a total of…" He counted, "6 steamers, plus this lid, and I'll throw in a few clean steamer cloths, that'll be 3 points for you! How about that?"
He quickly did the math: "Adding the 3 points for the recliner, it's a total of 6 points..." He scratched his head.
Xu Xiaoyan nodded almost without hesitation, "Okay, you're responsible for delivering it to my house."
"Okay!" The stall owner immediately pulled out a crumpled notebook from his pocket and asked her to write down the address. Xu Xiaoyan took out her phone on the spot and prepaid 6 points to the seller through the trading platform. After seeing that the prepayment was successful, the stall owner told Xu Xiaoyan to wait a moment and then ran off to find an acquaintance to borrow a car.