As soon as they entered the city of Huainan, everyone was stunned by the bustling scene.
There were people coming and going on the streets of the city, and it looked very busy.
Various stalls are set up along the street, and the stall owners' calls are loud and enthusiastic, trying hard to attract the attention of passers-by.
The buyers were not to be outdone, and the sound of bargaining could be heard everywhere, all hoping to buy their favorite items at a more affordable price.
At this moment, the sharp contrast is really touching. The city is so quiet and peaceful, people live and work in peace and contentment, and their lives are proceeding in an orderly manner; but outside the city, there are starving people everywhere, a miserable and desolate scene, as if two completely different worlds are forcibly separated by the city wall.
Yao Qingshuang looked at the bustling scene around her, then turned to Su Yuandong and the others and said, "I won't be going with you. I have to go buy some things the women need. I'll go back by myself after I'm done. You guys just go about your own business, and we'll see you in the village then."
After hearing this, Su Yuandong didn't bother to be polite with her. He smiled and nodded and said, "Okay, Aunt Yao, then you better be careful."
As he spoke, the crowd immediately split into two teams, each walking in a different direction, and soon blended into the bustling city scene.
Yao Qingshuang hurried to the grain store. As soon as she entered the store, she carefully inquired about the price of grain with a focused look.
After some questioning, her brows furrowed even more tightly. It turned out that the price of grain in Huainan Prefecture had actually increased a lot compared to when she was in Da'an County.
Moreover, the grain stores in the city have purchase limits, and the amount of food each person can buy is pitifully small.
She knew in her heart that under the current circumstances, even if Dazhuang and the others came, they would not be able to buy much food.
She paced back and forth in the alley, racking her brains for a solution.
Suddenly, she thought of her supermarket space, which contained a lot of food.
If we take out the food and say that we bought it in the capital, perhaps it will solve the urgent problem.
But as soon as this thought came to her mind, she hesitated.
To do so would mean lying to everyone.
She knew very well that once a lie started, it would snowball and require countless lies to cover it up.
However, thinking about the sad faces of the people in Sujia Village due to lack of food, and then thinking about the situation of her own group, she knew that there was no other way now and could only take one step at a time.
Yao Qingshuang was thinking that the family only had one ox cart, which was extremely inconvenient to use to pull things. It would be great if she could buy a mule.
Mules are very strong and can help pull a lot of heavy objects.
But when she thought of her current situation, she couldn't help but sigh.
She originally had only 18 taels of silver on her, and she had already spent five taels. Now she only had thirteen taels left, so it was almost impossible for her to buy a good mule.
She searched the rows of shelves in the supermarket space with some worry.
Finally, her eyes fell on a box of glass beads.
It was a box of glass beads that any child would be unable to take their eyes off. The colorful colors sparkled with charming luster under the light.
In this dynasty where only colored glass is available, colored glass is extremely precious. These exquisite glass beads should also be able to sell for a good price, right?
If I could sell these beads, I might have enough money to buy a mule.
She picked up the box of beads carefully, as if she saw hope.
Yao Qingshuang brought two glass beads to the pawnshop in the city. She took a deep breath and stepped in.
Behind the tall counter, the shopkeeper was lowering his head, his slender fingers skillfully fiddling with the abacus, and the crackling sound of the beads colliding echoed in the silent shop.
Yao Qingshuang pursed her lips nervously. She slowly and carefully took out the glass beads wrapped in a clean cloth from her arms and gently placed them on the counter. Her voice was a little nervous: "Shopkeeper, I want to pawn my things."
The shopkeeper was originally nonchalant and just glanced up out of habit, but when his eyes fell on the two glass beads, his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had suddenly seen a dazzling pearl in the dark night.
The glass beads actually emitted a strange light in this dim environment. It seemed as if light was slowly flowing in each bead, like a dream, which instantly attracted the shopkeeper's full attention.
The shopkeeper, awestruck, picked up the bead and examined it closely, muttering to himself, "This... is this a glass bead? Look at the texture and luster, it's truly rare in the world! This bead is so exquisitely crafted, it's like the work of an immortal."
Although his voice was not loud, it was clearly audible in the quiet pawnshop.
For a moment, the other guys in the pawnshop were attracted by the commotion here. They put down their work one after another, their eyes full of curiosity, and stood not far away, whispering enthusiastically about this mysterious glass bead, guessing its value and origin.
Looking at the small commotion caused by the glass beads, the shopkeeper frowned slightly. He knew very well that such a treasure should not be kept in front of people for a long time to avoid any trouble.
So he quickly asked the guys to do their work, and then took Yao Qingshuang to the hall in the backyard.
The backyard hall was decorated quite elegantly, but Yao Qingshuang had no intention of appreciating it at the moment. She felt a little nervous, and her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes, but at the same time she also felt a hint of anticipation.
She looked at the shopkeeper quietly, not daring to breathe, waiting for his estimate.
The shopkeeper twirled his beard, pondered for a moment, then looked at Yao Qingshuang sharply and said slowly, "Madam, this pearl has an extraordinary origin. I wonder how you got it?"
Yao Qingshuang's heart skipped a beat. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly spoke, "Shopkeeper, it's like this. My husband is a well-traveled merchant. Once, while on his business, he happened to save a foreign traveler who was in trouble. The foreign traveler was so grateful for my husband's life-saving grace that he gave him these two glass beads as a thank you gift.
Originally, I wanted to keep these beads as a souvenir, but now that the world is difficult and life at home is really tight, I really have no other choice but to make up my mind to pawn these two beads and exchange them for some silver to make ends meet.
After hearing this, the pawnshop owner nodded thoughtfully, thinking that just by looking at the appearance of the glass beads, he knew they were definitely not ordinary items. They turned out to be from a foreign country, no wonder they were so special.
Then he looked at Yao Qingshuang and asked again, "Madam, if that's the case, are you sure you want to pawn these two beads? If you pawn them, you'll need to have enough money to redeem them later."
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