Finally, we arrived at the county town. There, we saw soldiers standing on both sides of the city gate checking people coming and going. Each person entering the town had to pay an entrance fee of two coins!
The county town is very large, and not far from the town gate is a place where oxcarts and donkey carts are parked!
Ordinary donkey carts and oxcarts are not allowed to enter the city. Only people carrying documents to deliver goods can drive their carts in, but they have to pay an extra five coins. If the ox defecates, they have to clean it up!
Lu Chuan and Xu Han entered the city gate smoothly. The county town was quite prosperous, with the roads paved with bluestone slabs and very clean.
What greets the eye are antique buildings, which are different from the streets I saw in the scenic area in my previous life, and have a more down-to-earth atmosphere!
Lu Chuan explained to Xu Han, "The county town is mainly divided into four districts. The roads in the middle of each district are very wide. The eastern district is where wealthy people live, and street vending is not allowed there. The shops along the street are also relatively high-end."
"The North District is where some poor families live. Many of the residents are migrant workers, along with some already impoverished people who already live in the city. There aren't many shops there."
"Most of the residents in the West and South areas are ordinary families. There are many shops in between, and the prices of the goods sold are relatively moderate. Ordinary families can afford them."
However, there's a wide market in the southern district where many people set up stalls to sell their produce; it's very lively there.
After hearing Lu Chuan say this, Xu Han gained a general understanding of the county town.
"It's almost noon now. Let's go check out the market on South Street first, otherwise there won't be many people there later!"
Xu Han nodded in agreement! First, she and Lu Chuan went to the market, which was very lively. There were all sorts of things for sale: chicken and duck eggs, dried vegetables, needles and thread, and of course, food. The cries of vendors rose and fell, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere!
The two walked along, stopping frequently, until they came across a vendor selling eggs. The eggs were large and round.
Xu Han bought 40 eggs at one coin each, spending a total of forty coins. This amused the woman who bought the eggs, as it was rare for someone to buy so many at once.
In those days, eggs were considered a type of meat dish. Ordinary families would buy three to five at most to satisfy their children's cravings.
There are eggs in the refrigerator, but they aren't free-range eggs. They don't taste as good as the eggs I buy at the market. After all, chickens these days are free-range and eat grains. Their eggs are definitely much tastier than supermarket eggs.
Continuing on, there weren't any vegetables for sale yet! But then I saw an old lady with five hens in front of her stall, looking worried as she watched the passersby.
Lu Chuan also saw it. The two exchanged a glance and went to the old lady's stall. Xu Han asked, "Auntie, how much are these chickens?"
The old woman selling chickens saw someone inquiring and quickly said, "Young lady, buy a chicken! It's 18 coins a pound. These chickens are all chicks I raised last year, and they're just at their egg-laying stage! If you don't want to eat them after you buy them, you can keep them to lay eggs!"
Xu Han was puzzled. Most families wouldn't sell a chicken that had just started laying eggs, since they could make a lot of money just by selling eggs!
Seeing Xu Han's puzzled look, the old woman continued, "If you want more, I can give you a discount! If my son hadn't fallen and injured his leg on the mountain, I wouldn't have been willing to sell them! Now that our family has suffered a disaster, we're waiting for this money to buy chickens and pay for medicine!" With that, she wiped away her tears...
Xu Han saw that the chickens were indeed well-raised, very energetic, and had glossy feathers, so she said, "I'll take all five chickens. Please weigh them!"
Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately said, "Alright, young lady, I'll give you 17 coins per catty!"
Xu Han didn't say anything! After the old lady weighed it, it totaled 18 jin, which was 17 wen per jin, or 306 wen. Xu Han gave her 310 wen directly, and the old lady hurriedly said that she had given too much.
Xu Han said, "Auntie, I don't have much to carry. Consider the extra money as payment for the bamboo basket. Is that alright?"
The old woman replied, "The bamboo basket is homemade and worthless. You've already helped me by buying my chicken! How can I not give you the basket to carry the chicken? Please take it!" With that, she was about to hand it to Xu Han.
Xu Han took the bamboo basket and said, "Auntie, take it! Hurry up and get your son the medicine, this can't be delayed!" After saying that, she pulled Lu Chuan away.
Lu Chuan remained silent throughout. Xu Han discreetly observed Lu Chuan's expression; thankfully, he wasn't angry. She realized she had indeed acted somewhat presumptuously. After all, it wasn't her money.
When Lu Chuan saw Xu Han looking at him, he said, "The money is all yours. Buy whatever you want! That old lady does look rather pitiful. She must be going through some real hardship at home."
Hearing Lu Chuan say that, Xu Han laughed and said, "You said it yourself! I can buy whatever I want!" Then she continued walking forward.
Seeing a large crowd gathered ahead, Xu Han went over to take a look out of curiosity. It turned out to be a beef vendor. She quickly squeezed in, thankfully, slaughtering cattle was permitted in this era! Some cattle were used for plowing and couldn't be slaughtered arbitrarily. Others were specially raised for selling meat.
Beef was more expensive, costing 32 coins per pound, while pork was only 15 coins per pound. So few people were willing to eat beef, and most ordinary people who wanted to treat themselves would choose to buy pork.
However, Xu Han doesn't like eating pork; in her previous life, she mostly bought beef, mutton, chicken, and duck.
Lu Chuan also saw the surprise in Xu Han's eyes and said, "You like beef, right? Buy more!"
Hearing Lu Chuan say this, Xu Han replied, "Okay! Then buy more! Store it and eat it slowly!" Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan immediately bought 10 catties and spent another 320 coins.
Actually, I have some beef in my own space, but it's less than half a pound, not even enough for one meal.
Speaking of this, Xu Han remembered a problem she discovered yesterday! That is, there is a loophole in the space!!! The food taken out of the refrigerator must be eaten before it will refresh.
I left one of the strawberries I took out the day before yesterday on the table uneaten, but when I checked my social media yesterday, the strawberry image hadn't reappeared! It was quite obvious.
So Xu Han quickly ate it after leaving the space, but when she checked again today, it had been refreshed...
I'm speechless...
I can't even keep the stuff I wanted to smuggle out anymore, it's so frustrating...
After buying the beef, the two went to the stall selling chicks and ducklings. Ducklings cost 6 coins each, and chicks cost 5 coins each, so they bought 30 chicks and 20 ducklings. Finally, at the stall owner's suggestion, they bought 5 goslings, also at 6 coins each.
I wasn't originally planning to buy goslings, but I was worried that the chickens and ducks might get caught, so I bought five goslings to raise together. That way, when the geese grow up, they can protect the chickens and ducks.
Xu Han sighed, "Money really doesn't go far!" after spending 300 coins on all these purchases.
After buying these items, the two went to a noodle stall to eat noodles. Xu Han ordered a bowl of egg noodles for 8 coins. Lu Chuan wanted to change it to meat noodles for Xu Han, but Xu Han didn't want to eat shredded meat noodles, so Lu Chuan ordered the same egg noodles as Xu Han.
When the noodles were served, the bowl was overflowing. Xu Han couldn't finish it all and wanted to give some to Lu Chuan first. But Lu Chuan said, "You eat first, and I'll eat the leftovers."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
