When the shopkeeper heard this, his eyes lit up. This is truly a big customer! One hundred kilograms of brown rice, one hundred kilograms of rice, how much does that cost? His smile widened, and he bent a little: "Send it, send it, of course! Where do you live? I'll arrange for someone to deliver it to you right away!"
Chen Xiaoru nodded with satisfaction, thinking that the service attitude was not bad, at least much better than those modern indifferent ones. "How much is it in total?"
"One hundred catties of brown rice is three hundred wen, and one hundred catties of rice is seven hundred wen, which makes a total of one thousand wen, or one tael of silver." The shopkeeper quoted the price quickly, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Xiaoru, as if he was afraid that she would go back on her word.
Chen Xiaoru took out a silver ingot from the space, and without even looking at it, she threw it directly to the shopkeeper. This casual action startled the shopkeeper, who thought: This little girl is so generous, could it be that the eldest daughter of some family has secretly run out to play?
The shopkeeper took the silver, weighed it in his hand, blew on it, and bit it with his teeth. After confirming it was genuine, his smile stretched from ear to ear, his wrinkles blending together like a blooming chrysanthemum. "Okay, okay, just wait! I'll arrange it for you right away and guarantee it'll be delivered to your doorstep! Here's your change of nine taels of silver." He counted out nine taels of silver from the cash box and handed it to Chen Xiaoru with both hands, looking so respectful that he was almost kneeling and kowtowing.
Chen Xiaoru took the silver and casually put it in her pocket. Silver is the real currency these days! She thought for a moment and added, "Send the goods to Chen Laizi's house in Chenjia Village and say it was bought by his daughter. That's all."
The shopkeeper was stunned. Chen Laizi? He was a notorious scoundrel in Chenjia Village. How could his daughter... have so much money to buy rice? He began to wonder in his heart, but he still smiled and replied, "Okay, don't worry, I've got it in mind!"
Chen Xiaoru walked out of the grocery store and stretched. The sun shone on her, making her feel warm. She thought to herself, after spending this little silver, her family could finally have a few full meals. However, this was not enough. She had to find a way to make more money and lift the Chen family out of poverty.
She hummed a little tune and continued strolling on the street, wondering what else to buy.
After all, just eating rice is boring, you need some vegetables and some meat...
"Well... let's buy some pork first, and some lard. Pork belly is the best. Braised pork, twice-cooked pork, and pork with preserved vegetables... I'm drooling just thinking about it!" Chen Xiaoru's eyes were shining, as if she had already seen the table full of delicious dishes.
"I also need to buy seasonings, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, sugar... Oh, and chili peppers! I love spicy food, and life is incomplete without chili peppers!" Chen Xiaoru slapped her head, almost forgetting such an important thing.
She divided the money into several parts, one for buying meat, one for buying vegetables, one for buying seasonings, and one part... well, for snacks!
"Perfect!" Chen Xiaoru was very satisfied with her arrangement. She put the money away and walked towards the vegetable market with brisk steps.
"Boss, give me five strings of candied haws!" Chen Xiaoru said
"Okay! Ten cents in total." The boss handed over a string of candied haws with a smile.
Chen Xiaoru gave him the money and couldn't wait to take a bite. The sour and sweet taste instantly burst in her mouth, and a feeling of happiness arose spontaneously.
"Hmm...it's so delicious!" Chen Xiaoru squinted her eyes, enjoying this rare sweetness.
As expected, eating and drinking are both indispensable in life!
She continued walking, nibbling on a candied haws fruit. Her teeth scraped the sugar coating, making a crisp "crunch, crunch" sound. The sour and sweet taste of hawthorn spread across her tongue, as if dispelling all the uneasiness she had felt since crossing over. She thought to herself, "I must go to the market today and buy everything I want to eat!" She'd also better weigh a few pounds of meat and bones and boil a big pot of thick soup. Just thinking about it made her feel warm.
As soon as she reached the entrance of the market, the bustling atmosphere hit her. The sounds of hawking and bargaining blended together like a symphony of the marketplace. Chen Xiaoru took a deep breath and smelled the air filled with the tang of fish, the fragrance of vegetables, and the faint aroma of meat wafting from the butcher stalls.
"This is life!" Chen Xiaoru exclaimed, looking around, scanning every stall like a radar.
"Hey, young lady, look at the fresh pork in my house. It was just slaughtered this morning. It is fat and lean, and it is the most delicious when used to make braised pork!" A butcher with a face full of fat greeted enthusiastically.
Chen Xiaoru's eyes lit up, and she walked over quickly, carefully examining the pork on the chopping board. "Hmm, this pork belly is good, with distinct layers, fat but not greasy." She poked it with her finger, finding the meat firm and springy.
"Boss, how much is this pork belly?"
"Ten cents a pound!"
"Give me three pounds!" Chen Xiaoru waved her hand generously. She is now a person with "huge sum of money"!
The butcher was stunned for a moment, then he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and smiled particularly brightly: "Okay! Young lady, you are really straightforward!" He raised his knife and skillfully cut off three pounds of pork belly, tied it tightly with a straw rope, and handed it to Chen Xiaoru.
Chen Xiaoru took the pork, the heavy weight fell in her hands, and her heart also felt at ease, as if she was filled with happiness.
"Boss, do you have any more lard?" She raised her head and asked crisply.
"What a coincidence, there are still four or five pounds left. Do you want some?"
"Yes, you have to pack it all for me."
"Pork fat is cheap, 6 wen a pound, so the total is 24 wen. Add the price of the pork belly, and the total is 54 wen."
Chen Xiaoru fished out small change from her purse, counted out 54 coins, and handed it over, then took the heavy load of pork and pork fat. There were so many things that her hands could barely hold them. She thought with some regret that she should have taken a basket earlier. What a mistake.
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