Chapter 29 Grandparents Go Shopping
"The big hot meat buns are so delicious that they sizzle with oil when you bite them. They are so delicious that Wang Laosan, who is paralyzed in bed next door, can stand up. Come and buy some. A big meat bun costs only five cents. It's cheap and delicious."
"Selling candied haws, six coins a string, covered with thick maltose, one lick and it's sweet to the heart, adults and children love it——"
"Mutton noodles, freshly rolled noodles, made with the finest flour, come and eat--"
"Selling mushrooms is useless. Take them home, soak them in water, add some minced meat, and cook them in soup or stir-fry. They are so delicious that they will make your teeth fall out! One portion is only one penny!"
"Please have mercy on me, old man, and give me a steamed bun——"
"Yuelai Restaurant is offering a 20% discount on meals today. Come and have your meal. Sir, please come in. Three guests are welcome to sit in the elegant seats on the second floor..."
"......"
The sounds of hawking and begging along the way were audible.
Although Lianshan Town is poorer than the other two towns.
But it has a large area.
The population is naturally large.
The streets were bustling with activity. Among the people walking around, one could frequently see old men and ladies dressed in expensive clothes. There were more wealthy people than Jiang Fubao had imagined.
It turns out that the only poor people who can’t afford to eat are the farmers who grow crops…
Jiang Fubao curled his lips.
She looked left and right, like a country bumpkin coming to the city for the first time.
Not true.
It was indeed her first time in the city.
Good fellow.
The reputation of being a country bumpkin has been established.
"Grandma, why are there only food stalls here?" Jiang Fubao raised his head and asked Zhang Jinlan in confusion.
"This is the Food Street, and of course all the things sold here are food. Fubao, is there anything you want to eat? Tell grandma and she'll buy it for you." As she was talking, Zhang Jinlan saw a stall selling maltose blocks diagonally opposite.
Sugar is expensive.
Maltose isn't much cheaper either.
I eat it less than a few times a year.
She was going to buy two sweets for her granddaughter.
"I don't want to eat, grandma, let's go somewhere else." Jiang Fubao, who had eaten her fill, burped for a long time. She had no interest in any delicious food now.
She just wanted to stroll around the remaining four streets.
Learn more about this town.
By the way, see if there are any good businesses to start with, and then you can use indirect means to let the Jiang family do it.
You will never get rich in your life relying on a few acres of land.
From ancient times to the present, the poorest people are farmers.
Never changed.
Jiang Fubao, who grew up in modern times, knows this truth well.
"You really don't want to eat? Grandma will buy you two candies to sweeten your mouth, and then we can go shopping in other streets."
Zhang Jinlan thought her granddaughter was sensible and didn't want her to spend money.
He simply grabbed his granddaughter and ran straight to the candy stall.
"Hey, little guy, how much are these candies?" Looking at the candies of all sizes on the stall, Zhang Jinlan took out her wallet and asked the price.
"The big one is one yuan and four cents, the small one is one yuan and one cent. Buy two big ones and get a small one for free. Buy five small ones and you get six yuan."
This sounds like a tongue twister.
Jiang Fubao was confused after hearing this.
But Zhang Jinlan understood it clearly.
"Then give me five small ones."
When Zhang Jinlan heard the price, she felt a little pain in her heart.
In the past, the price of maltose was not so expensive. A large piece cost at most three cents, and a small piece cost one or two cents.
Why.
Food prices are really rising.
Everything goes up.
Zhang Jinlan complained in her heart.
"Okay, ma'am, you want to buy for five dollars, right? I'll give you one dollar for free, making a total of six dollars. I'll install it for you. Just give me five cents." The stall owner took out a green leaf.
Jiang Fubao recognized it at a glance; the meat buns her uncle bought for her that day were wrapped in this leaf.
There are no plastic bags here.
Paper is expensive.
Therefore, cheaper food is probably packed in this kind of leaves.
The more expensive ones use food containers.
"Auntie, here you go." The stall owner wrapped up six pieces of maltose that were only slightly larger than a fingernail.
Give it to Zhang Jinlan.
The two exchanged money and goods.
After getting it.
Zhang Jinlan took out a piece and stuffed it into Jiang Fubao's mouth. She wrapped the remaining pieces in leaves, threw them into the bamboo basket at the back and took them home.
Jiang Fubao's mouth was instantly filled with sweetness.
The taste is good, with the aroma of malt.
After a while.
The grandfather and grandson left the Food Street.
This time we went to Decorative Cloth Street.
As the name suggests, those that sell clothing are cloth shops, jewelry shops, and garment shops, etc.
This street is relatively large and the road is very wide.
It can accommodate three carriages at the same time.
There are five alleys in total.
The food street we just mentioned only has three of them.
The name of the alley is also very different from that of Baishi Street.
A down-to-earth one.
One is more elegant.
The grandfather and grandson were standing at the entrance of Xiuxiu Lane.
There are many stalls here.
All the items sold are embroidery.
Jiang Fubao's attention was attracted by a handkerchief embroidered with butterflies and flowers.
But she was too short and the stall was too high.
It was only when she was held in her grandmother's arms that she was able to see clearly.
"Grandma, look, this handkerchief is so beautiful, with so many flowers on it." Jiang Fubao shouted with surprise.
The embroidery on the handkerchief is lifelike, and the fabric looks soft and smooth. It must be comfortable to use it to wipe your mouth.
It's nothing like the mouth cloth hanging on grandma's body.
Rougher than a foot cloth.
"You have a good eye, little girl. This is Yanyun silk, which is unique to Yanyun Province. It is woven with white silk and then embroidered one stitch at a time by a Jiangnan embroiderer with seven-color embroidery threads. It is a hot commodity. If it is put in the shop, it will sell for at least two taels of silver!"
The stall owner is a woman in her thirties.
Has a round face.
Looks a bit like Buddha.
She was not like some snobbish shopkeepers who would be disgusted when they saw others wearing shabby clothes.
Hearing Jiang Fubao praising the handkerchief, she picked it up so that the grandfather and grandson could see it more clearly.
Also introduced together.
"Two taels of silver? Oh my God, this is too expensive. My family spends less than two taels of silver on food and daily expenses in a year. How can such a small handkerchief be sold at such a high price? Young lady, you should put it away quickly and don't damage it, otherwise you won't be able to sell it at a high price."
Zhang Jinlan cried out in surprise.
She saw the stall owner playing with the handkerchief.
I was so scared that I quickly reminded her.
"Haha, don't panic, it's not that expensive here, only eight dollars."
The stall owner smiled kindly twice.
Explaining.
One diaoqian is equal to one hundred wen.
Ten taels of silver is equal to one tael.
So eight taels of silver is just over half an ounce of silver.
Maybe he was frightened when he heard the word "two taels" just now.
Now that they knew the handkerchief only cost a little over half an ounce, the grandfather and grandson's expressions were not so surprised anymore.
But I can’t afford more than half an ounce.
Zhang Jinlan only had four hundred coins in her purse from the eggs she had just sold, and she spent another three coins on her noodle soup.
Plus five cents for maltose.
There are only more than 390 coins left.
"Fubao, let's go. Grandma can't afford it." Zhang Jinlan was not self-abased. She said directly that she had no money.
His frank appearance made the stall owner look at him with a higher regard.
"Grandma, I didn't intend to buy it. I just thought it looked nice and wanted to show it to you. When I grow up and make a lot of money, I'll buy you seven pairs and you can use them interchangeably."
Jiang Fubao drew a big cake.
But Zhang Jinlan's food smells delicious.