"Zhang Wu has met this lady."

Even though he couldn't remember Qin San Niang's name, he still vividly remembered that this woman had once exchanged a bag of rice for the old lady of the Sima family. He quickly raised his hand in a bow, thinking that this woman was a righteous person.

He had been in a bit of a rush and hadn't carefully examined Qin San Niang and Pang Ya. He was only worried that people would recognize A Yao if they went to the pawnshop, because A Yao was so beautiful that even if she tried to look ugly, her natural beauty couldn't be hidden. Zhang Wu told her to wait at the door and not to wander off, while he went to pawn his valuables. He couldn't let A Yao eat coarse grains every day.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the pawnshop, he saw her struggling with a stranger, so he rushed over.

"My surname is Qin, I'm the third son, Qin San Niang. You can call me Qin Niangzi. But why is Constable Zhang dressed like this?"

Besides being a bit gossipy, Qin San Niang also wanted to know the whereabouts of Qi Hu and Zhao Juhua, since they had plotted against her life and she didn't want to leave any future trouble.

This was explained by the Sixth Sister. It turned out that Zhang Wu was her playmate when she was in Jiangzhou. Zhang Wu's father was the owner of a martial arts school in Jiangzhou.

After the sixth daughter arrived in the capital, Zhang Wu begged his father to send her to the capital to study, saying that it was under the emperor's nose and she could receive guidance from famous teachers and scholars.

Then the Sima family ran into trouble, and the women of the family were exiled. Zhang Wu planned to travel with them, also to protect her. This time, when she fell into a deep pit, it was Zhang Wu who risked his life to save her.

Qin San Niang clicked her tongue in admiration. This was a young man of deep affection and loyalty. Now, the way she looked at Zhang Wu was completely different!

I initially thought he wasn't good enough for Miss Sima, but now that I see them together, they actually complement each other quite well.

Staring at him with an inscrutable gaze, Zhang Wu felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if his mother was forcing him to go on a blind date.

Having abandoned her matchmaking intentions, Qin San Niang straightened her expression and said that she would do her best to deliver the message, and also told them to be careful.

Looking at Sima Yao's face, he turned back and advised her to make herself look uglier, and to wear looser clothes. In short, she should try to make any exposed skin look darker.

Sima Yao was no fool. Looking at her own fair and smooth hands, she instantly understood her good intentions and thanked her repeatedly.

After bidding farewell to the two men, Qin San Niang was free of her worries and went shopping in a cheerful mood.

Her goal this time was to shop till she drop! She was determined to fill every inch of the small space, so she even chose a large shelf in the supermarket, which greatly increased the storage capacity.

She had previously placed a meat bun in her spatial dimension, and two days later, the bun was still piping hot, fresh, and juicy—it was kept fresh inside! This was simply wonderful!

Therefore, at this moment, Qin Sanniang, who possessed seven hundred taels of silver, was filled with boundless pride!

Seeing that it was still light out, she took Fatty to the East Market, which was full of grain shops. There were also various restaurants and food stalls on the main street outside, and upon closer inspection, there were even fruit vendors. However, her main purpose this time was to buy cooked food, as supermarkets had plenty of fruit and similar items.

Just as Scholar He said, prices in Luochuan City are still at a relatively stable level.

A pound of sorghum flour costs twenty coins, a pound of wheat flour costs twenty-eight coins, and cornmeal costs twenty-two coins per pound. Rice is even cheaper than in the northern cities, probably because the south is a rice-producing area.

The best rice costs 28 coins per pound, the same price as wheat flour. Brown rice is divided into three grades: the best brown rice costs 20 coins per pound, the medium grade costs 18 coins per pound, and the worst grade costs 15 coins per pound.

After inquiring, I learned that the purchase of rice and grains here is unlimited, but the daily supply is limited and it is first-come, first-served.

This is because the general public still feels that food prices are somewhat high. It is said that the rebellion in the north has subsided, and the price of rice may come down at that time.

The city residents have already stored enough food for several months, and they can even forage for wild vegetables to supplement their meals. No one would spend so much money on grain. They have no money! They have to save what little they have for medical treatment, buying oil, salt, soy sauce, and even for weddings. Although times are tough, marriages still have to happen…

Only refugees like Qin San Niang would go to the city to buy food.

Not to mention that very few refugees have managed to reach Luochuan City, even those who have made it here have very little money left. A family that can afford to buy a hundred catties of grain is considered well-off.

Qin San Niang didn't have these concerns; she had money!

However, to avoid being watched, she decided to buy in batches. Also, she wanted to get Fatty back first; otherwise, how would she fit most of the items into her spatial storage? Wouldn't that give her away?

After looking around and thinking it over, he ordered 200 catties of wheat flour, 50 catties of the best brown rice, and 100 catties of paddy rice.

Even though she thought these were really not many, the shopkeeper was still quite surprised.

"Young lady, are you sure you want this much?" the shopkeeper asked again.

Qin San Niang nodded, "Shopkeeper, we're staying at an inn on that street. Could you find someone to help us get there? My niece will take you there."

The shops weren't far apart, and considering the two people, one big and one small, they really couldn't carry all that stuff. The grain shop owner nodded, saying he would help them push it over in a cart. However, that would leave the cart somewhat empty; should they buy something else?

The implication was that they felt Qin San Niang had bought too little, and it wasn't worth giving her away.

Besides rice and flour, the grain shop also sold oil, salt, and sugar. Although these were available in supermarkets, the quantities were limited. Following the principle that more is always better, Qin San Niang bought another fifty catties of oil, fifty catties of salt, and twenty catties of sugar.

The shopkeeper was all smiles this time; this deal was a great bargain!

"Fatty, there's too much grain, oil, and salt. You take the servants to the restaurant. I also need to buy some steamed buns and pastries, and if you like any good fruit, I'll buy some for you too."

On one side was the silver in Aunt San's basket. Although she didn't know how much seven hundred taels was, she felt it was a lot of silver, enough to buy many things. On the other side was a cart full of real grain, oil, and salt! The chubby girl, her face full of conflicting emotions, finally went with the helper to deliver the rice and flour.

However, he kept turning back to indicate to Qin San Niang that she must keep a close eye on the basket.

Unable to suppress her laughter at the sight of her thick, furrowed brows, Qin San Niang turned around and waved, indicating that she shouldn't worry!

There were quite a few stalls on both sides of the street, and the shouts of vendors filled Qin San Niang's ears.

This is life! The warmth and simple joys of everyday life are what truly comfort the human heart!

"Popular steamed buns, with all sorts of fillings. What kind of fillings are there? Green beans, eggplant, chives and eggs, pure pork meatballs..."