Yun the Butcher and Yun Yiyi drove their donkey carts further down the street. There weren't many people on the street anymore. It was probably because it was so hot, and no one wanted to go out.
"Dad, there is a grocery store in front. Should we buy another big clay pot? This way, we can store more water. Now, we have bought food and we are not short of food for the time being. However, we are always short of water." Yun Yiyi asked, pointing to the grocery store in front.
"Yes, we do need to buy it. When the time comes, fill it with water and put it on the donkey cart. Fix the sides of the clay pot so that it is not easy to break. Let's go and have a look. If the size is right, we can buy two." Butcher Yun drove the donkey cart to the door of the grocery store and stopped.
At that moment, a young waiter emerged from the shop. He took the rope from Yun the Butcher and helped tie it to the shop's entrance. Yun the Butcher and Yun Yiyi then walked inside. Entering, Yun Yiyi noticed that the shop was quite large, about fifty square meters. Along the west wall were numerous jars of varying sizes, as well as some earthenware pots.
In the center, four sets of shelves were placed, each filled with exquisite tea sets. There were small teapots with lotus leaf designs, paired with cups painted with emerald green lotus leaves. There were teapots with simple landscape paintings, and the cups also matched the beautiful landscape painting sets. Finally, there were teapots with green bamboo on top, and cups also with bamboo on top, each an exquisite tea set.
Looking closely, each tea set had a different pattern, yet each one was exquisitely crafted, instantly captivating. However, the Yun family didn't have a habit of drinking tea. In this era, tea drinking was still a relatively elegant, yet expensive, hobby. Transportation was underdeveloped, so traveling between places took a long time, and information exchange was also slow.
Furthermore, tea-making technology wasn't as advanced as it would be in later times, so even slightly better-tasting tea was quite expensive. High-end teaware was also quite expensive. Here, those who truly drank, loved, and understood tea were definitely not poor. The poor were still struggling to make ends meet and couldn't reach this level.
At the easternmost end of the store stood two rows of shelves, each filled with white porcelain bowls, plates, and spoons in a variety of patterns. The designs were beautiful: some depicted peonies, others peaches, and even two plump fish. "I bet they're not cheap," Yun Yiyi thought to herself.
"Boss, how much is one of the clay pots in our shop?" asked Yun the butcher, pointing to the large clay pot on the west side of the shop.
"Hello, that earthenware jar is 400 wen each. If you want two, it'll be 760 wen. Don't think the price is a bit high; it's definitely worth it. This jar has a lid, which seals it well. Furthermore, this jar was custom-made for us."
"It's thicker and harder than an average clay pot. Ordinary clay pots are thin, brittle, and easily broken. But ours is very sturdy and won't break easily. You can use it to store water or grain, no problem," the shopkeeper said, pointing to a pot that was almost a meter tall.
Butcher Yun walked over and touched the jar. It was smooth, without any bumps or lumps. Some kilns make jars very roughly, with bumps all over the surface and inside as well. They're also thin, so they'll break easily. However, the price is also relatively cheap. Butcher Yun opened the lid and felt inside. It was also smooth, indeed quite thick.
It was estimated to be almost as thick as a water jar. A large earthenware jar like this could easily be placed on a donkey cart to store grain, water, or meat. It had a large capacity and was sturdy. However, Butcher Yun thought for a moment and decided he could only stack two more jars on the cart. If he added more, there would be no room.
"Okay, shopkeeper. Then I'll take two earthenware jars. My donkey cart is outside the store. Please ask your servant to help me put them on the cart." Butcher Yun handed seven hundred and sixty coins to the shopkeeper.
"Okay, please wait a moment." The shopkeeper took the money and told the boy to put the two earthenware jars on the donkey cart and tie them up with ropes.
After saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, Yun the Butcher and Yun Yiyi continued walking forward. They walked a short distance until they reached the end of the street. They turned right and emerged onto another street. Wow, this street was filled with vegetable stalls and even some snack shops. The vegetable stalls were all open-air, so you could tell what they were selling at a glance.
"Dad, it's a good thing we got here, otherwise we would have missed the vegetable vendor." Yun Yiyi said happily.
"Yes, let's go around one stall at a time. Try to buy vegetables that can be kept for a long time. Buy less vegetables that spoil easily." Yun the butcher instructed.
Yun the Butcher and Yun Yiyi arrived at a cabbage stall, where two baskets of cabbage were placed. The cabbages were not very large, and the outer leaves looked a little wilted. However, a closer look at the soil at the roots revealed that the cabbages were very fresh. The cabbage seller was a sturdy, middle-aged woman. She sat on a small stool, drinking water and watching the people passing by. Whenever someone passed by, she would shout loudly, "I'm selling cabbages." If no one was around, she would just hold the cup and drink. She looked very kind.
"Auntie, how much do you sell your cabbages for?" Yun Yiyi asked.
"My cabbage is five cents a head. Do you want to buy some cabbage, little girl?" The middle-aged woman selling vegetables stood up and asked with a smile.
"Yes, auntie. We are refugees from outside the city. We haven't seen such juicy cabbages for a long time. Did you grow these cabbages, auntie? You are so capable." Yun Yiyi praised with a thumbs up.
"Oh, little girl, you have such a sweet mouth and are really good at praising people. Yes, I grew these cabbages. My yard is big, so I cultivated most of it to grow vegetables. As a result, I planted too much and couldn't eat it all, so I took out some to sell and then went to buy food." The woman selling vegetables said proudly.
"Although you are a little dark, you are so cute and don't look like a refugee from outside the city at all." The middle-aged woman took a look at Yun Yiyi's chubby body and said.
"Haha, auntie, I'm so fat because my parents raised me well. I've bought all the cabbages from your house. Can you give me a discount?" Yun Yiyi said embarrassedly, rubbing her fingers together.
"Brother, this is your little girl, right? How did you raise her? She is so smart and cute. When I see her, I want to take her home and raise her. She is not like my two naughty boys who are so charming every day." The woman selling vegetables said to Yun the butcher enviously.
"Sister, thank you for the compliment. To be honest, I have three naughty boys in my family, and this girl is the youngest and also the most caring one." Yun the Butcher said happily.
"Haha, my daughter is so thoughtful." The woman selling vegetables echoed.
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