Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
“ Miss Liu, my young master Mingjing Town, aren't you looking to buy some grain? We need to buy some too, so let's go together!” Anan arrived just when Liu Qingxi was feeling troubled.
Sure enough, the next morning, when Liu Qingxi opened the door, he saw a horse-drawn carriage waiting at the entrance, with a familiar smiling face peeking out from inside.
Without bothering to cook, the siblings quickly washed up and hopped onto the carriage.
Inside, a young man dressed in blue was focused on a notebook. Hearing the commotion, he looked up slightly. His dark, alluring eyes seemed to draw people in.
“Yang Yichen, sorry to keep you waiting!”
“No problem! The earlier we go, the earlier we can return. Let's try to get everything we need today!” Compared to Liu Qingxi, who had only recently arrived in this era, Yang Yichen had more experience dealing with changes in atmosphere.
“Here are some pastries for you two to fill your stomachs first!”
Then the carriage fell into silence, with only the sounds of pages turning and chewing. Perhaps feeling that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Yang Yichen, as the Master, took the initiative to ask Liu Qingyan.
“Yan, how did you do with the assignments I gave you yesterday?”
“Mm-hmm! I finished them!” Liu Qingyan replied earnestly.
She even recited the Three Character Classic she had been taught: “At the beginning of man, nature is good; human natures are similar; habits make them different.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingxi couldn't help but admire Liu Qingyan's memory. After reading it a few times with Yang Yichen, he could almost memorize it.
“Good! Not bad!” Even Yang Yichen, who was strict about studies, had to admit that Liu Qingyan was a promising student.
“Qingxi, what are your plans for the future? When do you intend to send Yan to school?” After thinking for a moment, he continued, “Although I can teach him, I lack experience. It would be better for him to learn under a specialized Master at school!”
“I know. As soon as spring arrives and it gets warmer, I'll send Yan to town for school!” This had already been decided long ago.
The speed of the carriage was much faster than walking; a journey that would take an hour on foot only took fifteen minutes by carriage.
Biqi Town is unusually lively compared to Liu Qingxi's previous visits, with the sound of vendors calling out constantly.
The bustling crowd blocks the spacious road, which could accommodate three carriages side by side, now completely congested.
This is the first time Liu Qingxi has witnessed such a scene of traffic in ancient times. After waiting for a long time, the number of people ahead only seems to be increasing, with no sign of dispersing.
"Young Master, shall we get out of the carriage?"
Anan's suggestion is exactly what Liu Qingxi was thinking. The young man beside him slightly nods in agreement.
At this moment, Liu Qingxi, who originally planned to part ways with Yang Yichen, unexpectedly finds that they need to purchase similar items.
"Let's go together; I also need to buy some grain!"
"That's perfect! Let's go; buying in bulk might get us a discount!" Liu Qingxi says happily, his eyes squinting into crescent shapes.
The main purpose today is to buy grain. This time, they must stock enough food for the winter. Only when spring arrives and the ice and snow melt can they enter the town again.
Otherwise, if heavy snow falls and the roads are blocked, it will be difficult to enter the town again!
Having bought grain before, this time there’s no hesitation as they head straight to the Grain Shop they frequently visit.
What Liu Qingxi didn't expect was that a long line stretched like a dragon in front of the shop, extending from the entrance of the Grain Shop all the way across the street.
??? Countless question marks swirl above Liu Qingxi's head.
The sound of Refreshing voices gradually reaches him, answering his confusion: "Winter is coming soon; everyone needs to stock up on grain!"
Nodding in understanding, it was no wonder so many people were here; since she knew to buy grain, others must have the same idea.
Fortunately, there was a clerk at the entrance of the Grain Shop organizing the crowd, preventing those behind from cutting in line and directing everyone to form an orderly queue. Without this, it would have been complete chaos.
While waiting, Yang Yichen explained to Liu Qingxi the living habits of Biqi Town: "You weren't from here before, so you might not know. Every year around this time, the town is bustling. Those without grain hurry to buy it, while those with grain stock up on oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to prepare for winter at home!"
In her previous life, Liu Qingxi lived in the central region. Although winters were cold there, they couldn't compare to the harshness of the Northeast; she had never experienced such conditions.
Thus, her understanding of winter was limited to what others had described, without any deep personal experience.
However, seeing impoverished farmers carrying what was likely all their savings in large bundles back home gave her a slight understanding of winter's challenges.
Finally, after waiting for over half an hour, it was their turn.
To Liu Qingxi's surprise, buying in bulk did not lead to lower prices because the Grain Shop had no trouble selling its goods.
All the grain they had stored throughout the year would be sold off in this short span of just over half a month.
Moreover, those who arrived late often found nothing left to buy.
Well then, this was Liu Qingxi's first encounter with such a scene; she was somewhat astonished but relieved to have come early. Although the prices of grain were slightly higher than before.
Brown rice remained at the same price as before—four wen per pound—while mixed flour increased from three wen to four wen. As for polished rice and white flour, due to lower demand, their prices remained unchanged at eight wen and six wen respectively. Yellow beans were relatively cheaper at three wen per pound.
"I'll take one hundred pounds of brown rice, one hundred pounds of mixed flour, fifty pounds of polished rice, and fifty pounds of white flour! Oh, and add fifty pounds of yellow beans!" Liu Qingxi had already decided on the quantities before coming and didn't need to hesitate now.
The clerk quickly weighed and packed the items into bags while a dedicated accountant in the Account Room tapped away on an abacus, reciting calculations aloud.
"Brown rice is four wen per pound; for one hundred pounds that's six hundred wen! Mixed flour totals one thousand six hundred fifty wen!"
Liu Qingxi took out some silver from the package in his arms. Although it was strung together as Copper Coins, the Account Room had checked it for quite a while.
Next was Yang Yichen, who was quicker. Due to having more people at home, he brought two hundred pounds worth of goods, and instead of Copper Coins, he paid with shiny silver.
After that, Liu Qingxi went to the grocery store to buy a few bowls and a pot. It wasn't right to always have others bring bowls when inviting people for meals; it was normal for Farmers, but doing this every time felt a bit awkward.
In the past, he didn't have the money or conditions to buy many bowls and chopsticks. Now, having sold some game in town a few times and with the income from repairing his house, he had a total of eleven taels saved up, so he didn't need to be so frugal anymore.
He also bought some oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, spending a total of five hundred wen.
Finally, he got himself and Liu Qingyan each two sets of cotton clothes and two blankets, spending over six hundred wen. With other miscellaneous items included, he ended up spending nearly three taels of silver.
He felt quite carefree while shopping, but once he came to his senses, he realized how much he had spent without noticing; money really doesn't last long.
Fortunately, this time he had basically stocked up on everything needed for winter, so there wouldn't be any major expenses in the near future.
Otherwise, at this rate, Liu Qingxi felt that the plan to send Liu Qingyan to school would be far from realization.
Yang Yichen also bought a lot of things; together they filled an entire cart.
However, just as they were about to leave, Yang Yichen was blocked by an angry middle-aged man.
Comment 0 Comment Count