Chapter 176 Reward
Zhao Chunhua's voice was soft but firm. She always believed that a low-key life was the best choice. She longed for the quiet and ordinary days and did not want to bring unnecessary trouble by being ostentatious.
Yuan Shansheng nodded to show his understanding and agreed.
"Can you get me some charcoal? I'm planning on buying some."
Zhao Chunhua continued.
Although she had spent a considerable amount of money, she was still very satisfied with what she bought today, especially since it was much cheaper than buying it in the market.
Considering Yuan Shansheng's rich experience and extensive knowledge, he might be able to help me find a more cost-effective way to reduce some expenses.
"How much do you need?"
Yuan Shansheng, who was in a good mood after having just completed a big deal, asked.
If the need is only for a small amount, he is even willing to give some away for free out of his own pocket as a token of friendship.
"About a hundred pounds."
Considering the cold winter, Zhao Chunhua must make adequate preparations for heating herself and her children. It always helps to prepare more.
"so much?"
When he heard this number, Yuan Shansheng couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
Zhao Chunhua smiled and said affirmatively: "Yes, and I hope the charcoal is of good quality and will not produce too much smoke when burning. At the same time, I would also like you to help deliver it to my door. Do you think it is possible?"
Hearing this, Yuan Shansheng replied with some embarrassment: "I do have channels, but with such a large volume, I'm afraid it's hard to have a big price advantage..."
"Tell me about it."
Zhao Chunhua maintained a gentle attitude and encouraged him to continue.
It doesn’t matter if the final price is a little higher than expected. At least it’s always good to give yourself more options.
"According to the current market price of good quality charcoal, it is about 40 wen per jin. But I can help you negotiate a cost of about 20 wen per jin."
Yuan Shansheng moved his lips, estimated the cost and said.
In this way, even a large-scale purchase of 200 kilograms would cost four taels of silver.
Yuan Shansheng didn't understand why Zhao Chunhua, a farmer, could be willing to spend so much money to buy such a luxurious thing.
After all, charcoal is different from animal hide products. The latter can be used for many years, while the former is used up and consumed very quickly.
"No problem, but remember not to make a big deal about delivering the goods. Try to do it quietly."
Sometimes it is necessary to spend the necessary money to survive the winter.
Zhao Chunhua knew that life would be more difficult in winter, so she had to make this choice.
"Okay, but it will take a few days for it to be delivered."
"Time is not a problem, the key is that the things have to be reliable."
Zhao Chunhua emphasized.
The weather is still relatively mild at the moment, but she knows that the days ahead will be more difficult, so every step cannot be taken lightly.
After the deal was done, Zhao Chunhua left the market with a half-empty basket on her back.
Unexpectedly, this trip cost her a total of about ten taels of silver, which was an amount she could only save up over several months.
But this expenditure may mean that there will be no major consumption this year?
She bought two kilograms of rice cakes on the street and planned to divide half of them into small portions for her grandchildren to enjoy.
The children would definitely be happy to see the rice cakes, and Zhao Chunhua also felt a little relieved.
In addition, there are chestnut cakes and mung bean cakes in today's market, with a wide variety.
Zhao Chunhua bought a whole pound of each item, hoping that everyone in the family could try different flavors of pastries and enjoy the long-lost sweet taste.
During the selection process, she discovered freshly-launched chestnuts. The price of ten cents per catty was quite fair, so Zhao Chunhua bought five catties without hesitation.
Thinking of my grandchildren eating hot roasted chestnuts, I felt even happier.
Then she bought another ten kilograms of taro.
Adding up all the miscellaneous items, including the charcoal and rabbit fur products mentioned earlier, I have almost spent all the money I brought with me today.
Although these things cost a lot, they are essential for the upcoming cold winter.
Zhao Chunhua found a secluded place and hid most of the taro and chestnuts, and also kept the pastries left for herself.
She knew that her family was not well off and that these precious foods had to be treated with care and not wasted.
Carrying the basket that was obviously much lighter, Zhao Chunhua walked towards a jewelry store.
Her steps were brisk and firm, as if she had anticipated the good things that were about to happen.
Since I have spent so much effort and money, if I can't make some money back, I will probably have trouble sleeping tonight because of anxiety.
Fortunately, the previous efforts were not in vain.
After many negotiations and communications, the shopkeeper finally decided to adopt her twenty designs.
Although these designs are very simple, they finally brought her a stable source of income, which made Zhao Chunhua feel very happy.
As the sky grew darker and dusk fell, Zhao Chunhua completed most of the tasks she had planned for the day.
This included picking up lard that had been pre-ordered long in advance from the butcher stall, and purchasing an extra two kilograms of bones for family meals.
She planned to use these fresh bones to make soup to reward herself when she got home.
Overall, it was a pretty fulfilling day.
Although she was a bit busy, Zhao Chunhua felt that she had gained a lot and felt more at ease.
Market days are always extremely busy, and even the more spacious oxcarts are packed tightly.
Even in open air conditions, the air in the carriage is still filled with various smells.
This was almost a torture for Zhao Chunhua, who was used to a fresh environment. She could even feel her brows furrowed.
Not everyone living in the village has access to an ample supply of firewood.
Some people live in very poor conditions and don’t even have their own wells.
They have to go to public water sources to fetch water for their daily lives; as for firewood for cooking, most of it depends on the adults in the family to go out and cut and collect it themselves.
Simply picking up dead branches and leaves as fuel is far from enough to support the daily consumption of the entire family.
Therefore, in some special cases, some families may not take a shower for several weeks in a row to save fuel.
Anyway, they don't care about what others think, and they are thick-skinned, so others can only shake their heads helplessly at their lifestyle.
Zhao Chunhua endured the unpleasant smell along the way, and immediately quickened her pace to leave the scene after the car stopped.
Even during the journey, there were occasionally a few not-so-friendly passengers complaining about the environment in the carriage, but she noticed that most people around her endured it silently and did not respond.
No matter how sarcastic or directly critical those people are, everyone seems to have become accustomed to it.
Such a situation makes people admire it involuntarily.
As winter approaches, the temperature drops day by day.
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