It wasn't just Wang Hongyu who was arguing; Zhou Xiaoyun was also calculating who would contribute more and who would contribute less.
Looking at Ling Dapeng, who was engrossed in playing with his son, she complained somewhat:
"Mother treats Xiao Qiao'er better than her own granddaughter. What will happen if Mother spends the rest of the money on Xiao Qiao'er?"
“Aunt Liang died because of me, so it’s only right that she treats Xiao Qiao well,” Ling Dapeng said solemnly. “My brother and sister-in-law have to raise two children. Xiao Yun, I know you’re worried that I’m working too hard, but don’t worry, I’ll definitely find work so you and Er Gouzi can have a good life!”
Seeing her husband's serious face, Zhou Xiaoyun agreed. For the sake of the family, she could be less concerned about such things.
"Xiaoyun, let's go out for a walk and see if we can buy some rice."
Wang Hongyu's voice came from the doorway.
"Go ahead, I'll stay with Er Gou. Xiao Yun, you've worked hard!"
Ling Dapeng said gently, and then wiped Zhou Xiaoyun's hand with his own.
"You're all talk and no action." Zhou Xiaoyun glared at Ling Dapeng resentfully. "Take this tael of silver first. I'll only take one tael; I won't buy anything more."
Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun were unfamiliar with the place and their clothes were shabby, so they were often looked down upon. After running around to rice shops on several streets, they finally managed to buy a peck of rice and a pound of flour.
The high prices in the provincial capital left the two speechless. A peck of rice cost 200 coins, a pound of flour cost 200 coins, and a pound of oil cost 50 coins. That was almost half a tael of silver! The two dared not buy anything anymore, and they couldn't even bear to spend 3 coins on an egg.
"Sister-in-law, it would be great if Father could send Mother some more flour!"
On the way back, Wang Hongyu hung her head and said, "This money goes by so quickly. I never imagined that the noodles, wontons, and pancakes my mother-in-law used to eat were so precious!"
"Sigh, flour is expensive to begin with, but I never imagined it would be this expensive!"
Wang Hongyu was also upset. If she had known it would turn out like this, she wouldn't have made so many steamed buns when she first left home. It would have been better to keep the flour for now.
As they passed the cloth shop, they saw it was about to close. Wang Hongyu gritted her teeth and said, "Xiaoyun, let's go buy two more bolts of cloth!"
Zhou Xiaoyun was stunned. She subconsciously looked at her tattered and patched clothes and then thought of her child.
"Sister-in-law, let's go buy two bolts of cloth!" Her tattered clothes earned her a lot of disdainful looks.
"Shopkeeper, we want to buy cloth!"
Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun stepped forward and spoke.
The shopkeeper, who was closing up shop, was somewhat disgusted by the appearance of the two men. However, when he saw the rice and noodles they were carrying, especially the noodles, his eyes lit up. These noodles were not something that ordinary people could afford.
"You two have come at the perfect time. I'll be closing soon. Come, come, take a look. Are you looking for some kind of fabric?"
"Give me two bolts of fabric for making summer clothes, and in terms of color, something that won't get dirty easily."
Wang Hongyu spoke up, looking at the brightly colored items on the shelves, she couldn't help but be tempted.
"Summer clothes are light and thin, mostly in solid colors. If you two gentlemen would like something more durable and resistant to dirt, how about gray or navy blue?"
"With the addition of dyeing, the price becomes a bit higher, 131 pieces."
Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun exchanged a glance, both feeling distressed that the money had been spent so quickly!
"Shopkeeper, can you give us a discount? We'll add another bolt of white cloth."
Wang Hongyu thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said.
"Alright, alright, we're all closing up shop now. White cloth is 100 coins a bolt, gray and navy blue are 120 coins a bolt. That's a 20-coin discount for you!"
"Surely someone who can afford white flour can afford a few bolts of cloth!"
Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun blushed after the argument; they hadn't realized the noodles would be so expensive before buying them.
"Okay, let's do it this way then. Boss, please install it for us."
Wang Hongyu was heartbroken, but she couldn't bring herself to lower the price any further!
In the end, the two of them returned home carrying cloth, rice, flour, and oil, looking pale and sickly. The high prices in the provincial capital made them both anxious and distressed.
"You're back. I've tidied up the kitchen. The water in the water tank was drawn from the well. Are we cooking dinner? I'll go start the fire now."
Ling Dahu was in the kitchen, busy wiping away sweat as Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun brought the things over.
"This firewood is readily available, which is a good deal for us!" he said cheerfully, his eyes shining with joy as he saw what Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun were carrying.
"Dog Boy's dad, this provincial capital is terrifying! Everything is so expensive! I... I want to go back to the countryside!"
Wang Hongyu said with a bitter face, "This rice, flour, and oil cost 450 coins, and three bolts of cloth cost 340 coins. What are we going to do in the future!"
Ling Dahu's face immediately froze upon hearing this. So expensive?
"Honey, I'll find work tomorrow. I promise I won't let you and the kids go hungry!"
Ling Dahu immediately said that even a farmhand earning two hundred coins a month probably couldn't support a family! However, despite his worry, he tried his best to remain calm and comforted Wang Hongyu.
After putting the things down, Zhou Xiaoyun suggested, "Let's cook rice instead; rice is cheaper than noodles."
Wang Hongyu agreed wholeheartedly and immediately said, "Let's cook! Let's cook!"
"Then...where's the food?"
Ling Dahu couldn't help but speak.
"If we can't afford vegetables, can't we just eat rice? What right do we have to be picky?"
Wang Hongyu gritted her teeth and said that she was angry at herself for being incompetent and having no money.
Taowan's mother, dazzled by the trading system in her room, had no idea that her son and daughter-in-law were already struggling with the daily grind.
Looking at the packets of seeds and bedding she had placed in the cupboard, she still felt a great sense of accomplishment.
"What time is it? Haven't they had dinner yet? Are these guys reliable?"
Tao Wanniang muttered, "As the matriarch who has been in charge all this way, is it so hard for her to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor?"
Just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly felt a figure rush past the doorway. Tao Wanniang was stunned, and her heart surged with excitement.
Is it haunted? Is this house really haunted? That would be so interesting! Having traversed countless small worlds, she had also briefly held the identity of a Taoist master.
However, she didn't think that the original owner's body would see ghosts; there were only a handful of people in the world who would be unlucky enough to encounter such things.
Tao Wanniang quickly opened the door and chased after the figure that had flashed by.
It was only just getting dark, but that didn't affect Tao Wanniang's vision. This direction... was towards the Taihu stones!
"Mom, Mom, where are you? Dinner's ready!"
Just as Tao Wanniang was about to investigate, she heard Ling Dapeng calling for help from afar.
She felt a little embarrassed; it was like calling a child to eat, making her seem like she was being playful.
"I don't believe in ghosts. I've killed people before, why would I be afraid of ghosts? I will definitely find out the secret of this house!"
Tao Wanniang deliberately said loudly, "Whether it's a ghost or a human, just wait and see!"
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