The store looked quite well-stocked. Everything Zhang wanted should be available there, Yun Yiyi thought to herself. Butcher Yun took Yun Yiyi to look at eggs first. The eggs in the basket were not very large, and the shells were quite clean. A full basket of eggs probably contained over a thousand.

"My fellow, do you want to buy some eggs? The eggs in our store are big and taste delicious. One egg is two cents." The shopkeeper came over with an abacus and said.

At this time, chickens are fed with vegetable leaves, wild vegetables, earthworms, and occasionally some grain. Therefore, the eggs are not very large. However, the eggs do not taste fishy and are very fragrant.

"Shopkeeper, I'm a refugee from outside the city. I'm here to purchase supplies on behalf of the villagers. I want 500 eggs. Please give me a better price." Yun the butcher said to the shopkeeper.

"How about this, originally it costs ten cents to buy five eggs, but I'll charge you ten cents for six eggs. What do you think?" said the shopkeeper after thinking for a moment.

Butcher Yun thought about it. The eggs they sold in town were three cents for two. If they bought them, they would also be two cents each. The price the shopkeeper offered was indeed not expensive. If they bought them back, the villagers would be willing to save some eggs. When they wanted to supplement the nutrition of the elderly and children, they could just crack an egg, beat it, add a spoonful of lard, and a little more boiling water. The resulting drink was fragrant and delicious. This way, everyone in the family could benefit from it, making it an inexpensive way to supplement their nutrition.

"Yes, shopkeeper. Thank you for taking care of us. In addition, could you please pack an extra 100 for me? These 100 were bought separately by my family. Shopkeeper, how much do you sell your red dates for?" asked Yun the Butcher.

"Okay, I'll tell the waiter to pack them separately for you. Don't worry. We'll pack 250 eggs in one basket, so two baskets will give you exactly 500. Our eggs are all stored in rice bran, so they're very safe and basically won't break. I'll also put the other 100 eggs in a separate small basket for you. Also, the red dates in our store are large, thin-skinned, and have small cores, so they're especially sweet. This is a variety from another place, specially grown by them. They're delicious, but the yield is not high."

In previous years, regular customers would have snapped up everything early. This year, the drought is severe, and many customers prefer to store more food and avoid these small snacks. "However, I don't have much left; I estimate it's only about 15 jin (approximately 150 catties). I originally charged 350 wen per jin, but if you want all of it, I'll charge you 300 wen per jin. "What do you think?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Okay, boss. Please weigh it and see how many pounds are left. I'll take them all. There are a lot of people in our village, and if one family distributes them, they'll run out. I also want some seasonings for cooking. I need two pounds of star anise, and one pound of bay leaves, cinnamon, and other seasonings."

"Boss, I see a lot of ginger in the basket at your door. What's the price now?" Yun the butcher continued to ask.

"That ginger was sent to us by a fellow villager who has been supplying us for many years. He grows it on a large scale, so he should not be short of water. Even in a year like this, the ginger he grows is still very big. The quality is very good." The shopkeeper picked up a piece of ginger and showed it to Yun the butcher.

Butcher Yun took it and looked at it. The ginger was indeed large, juicy, and fresh. There was even a layer of dried soil on the surface. The quality was indeed very good. The person growing the ginger must be a veteran, and his cultivation methods were excellent. An ordinary farmer couldn't grow ginger of such high quality. Moreover, with the current widespread water shortage, ginger requires a lot of water from planting to harvest. The fact that this grower managed to grow ginger so well despite the water shortage was truly admirable.

"I've taken a look, and the ginger is indeed of good quality," said Shopkeeper. "This grower, even in times of widespread water shortage, is still able to grow such excellent ginger. I'm truly impressed. I can accept a higher price. However, we don't buy ginger to eat. As you know, people usually buy ginger to add to cooking, mainly to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor."

We are refugees. We've finished purchasing supplies today. We'll continue our journey south tomorrow. The journey to escape the famine is still a long one. Temperatures are expected to drop further and further, leading to more colds and fevers. Boiling ginger in water can reduce inflammation and prevent colds. However, medicinal herbs are too expensive, and we can't afford them because there are so many of us. Ginger is more affordable, so every household should stock up. "Yun the Butcher explained to the shopkeeper.

"Okay, I understand. So this is the situation. The purchase price of this batch of ginger is 200 wen per catty, and we sell it to others at 280 wen per catty. So, we'll charge you 240 wen per catty. After all, I still need to deduct some expenses. Moreover, the purchase price of ginger this year is higher than in previous years." The shopkeeper explained.

Butcher Yun thought about it. In good years, ginger in town usually fetched around 180 wen per jin (approximately 500 wen). Grocery stores sold it for 260 wen per jin (approximately 500 wen). However, ginger was easily lost, so even after deducting the loss, the profit wasn't much. Farmers typically planted dozens of ginger bushes in their gardens. After harvesting, they pickled some, made some sauerkraut, and kept some for daily use, which was generally enough for a year's consumption.

Those selling ginger in town are usually specialized vegetable farmers. Their large plantings, combined with good water and fertilizer management, yield high yields and excellent appearance, earning them a strong buy from the town's grocery stores. Farmers typically buy ginger in winter, when the weather is cold and colds are more common. When their own fresh ginger is gone, they buy some to keep on hand. If you see signs of a cold coming on, drink a cup of hot ginger water, get some sleep, and work up a sweat.

"Okay, boss. The price is what you said. Thank you for taking care of us. Please prepare 200 kilograms of ginger for me. Try to put it in two baskets, put some hay in the middle, and put it layer by layer. Otherwise, the ginger will break and it will be difficult to preserve." Yun the butcher said with a bow.

"Okay, don't worry. I'll tell the clerk everything." With that, the shopkeeper arranged for the clerk to prepare the goods and pack them. Then, the shopkeeper calculated the bill using an abacus. Yun the butcher paid the money. Beside him, Yun Yiyi secretly calculated it in her head and it was exactly the same. The shopkeeper's abacus beads were moved very quickly and accurately. Yun Yiyi had learned to use an abacus when she was in school in modern times, but she had forgotten it all long ago. Now, if you give her an abacus, she wouldn't be able to use it. However, mental arithmetic is still faster.