The whole family stocked up on supplies two years in advance, so they could live a life of luxury wh

Xing'er went to the rice market.

The rice market is different from other places; it's always bustling with activity because the autumn harvest has just ended, and the air is filled with the fresh aroma of new rice.

At a glance, the market was piled high with bulging rice, all neatly packed in earthen-yellow burlap sacks, almost forming small mountains.

The workers loudly proclaimed the arrival of their new rice.

"Rice for sale! Top-quality new rice, come and take a look!"

"Buy rice, buy rice! Sir/Madam, please take a look at my rice. It was just harvested a few days ago, and it tastes wonderful."

"Rice for sale! Rice for sale! Everyone come and see my new rice! Every grain is translucent and shiny. Even the officials love my new rice!"

"......"

Xing'er noticed that buyers would grab a handful of rice, examine it carefully in their palms, and then put it in their mouths and gently tap it with their teeth, listening to the crisp sound to judge whether it was dry or wet.

"Brother, is this rice really worth that price?"

"Look for yourself, there's still rice husks on this. How can you sell it at this price?"

"Oh my god, this is top-quality polished rice. It's normal for it to have a little bit of husk. How about I reduce the price a bit? How about this price?"

She saw that after the two exchanged words, the rice buyer bought three liters of refined rice at an 80% discount. After the transaction was completed, the shop assistant used a wooden scoop to scoop a full liter of rice from the rice bag and poured it into the buyer's cloth bag.

In the middle of the street, many porters and porters carried loads of new rice back and forth on shoulder poles, their sweat leaving glistening streaks on their bronze backs.

The yamen runners patrolling the streets would occasionally walk by with their swords drawn.

Wherever he went, even the most notorious ruffians dared not cause trouble.

Xing'er was considering whether to buy polished rice or brown rice, but after looking back at the village's life, she didn't dare to provide the villagers with too good a life all at once. After thinking it over, she decided to buy 100 catties of brown rice.

Living too well all at once will only attract envy.

After all, brown rice is something that villagers can afford to eat.

Moreover, a peck of unpolished rice costs thirty coins, and a bushel of unpolished rice only costs three hundred coins.

Xing'er immediately decided to buy two shi of brown rice. In addition, she planned to buy flour to improve her life a little. However, she found out that one dou of flour cost eighty wen. It seems that flour was a very expensive thing in ancient times.

Xing'er only bought three bushels of flour.

After buying the flour, she thought for a moment and then went to the pork shop and bought ten catties of sliced ​​pork, which cost her another string of cash.

I must say, meat is really expensive; one pound of pork can buy forty pounds of brown rice.

After buying food, she went to the general store to choose suitable bows and arrows for her two older brothers and one younger brother. She also chose hair ties for her second older sister, fourth younger sister, and mother, and even bought two wooden hairpins for her grandmother and mother.

After Xing'er felt she had bought enough, she saw someone selling tofu.

"Tofu! Tofu for sale!"

"Fresh tofu is here!"

She went up to her and asked with a smile:

"Auntie, how much is your tofu?"

"My tofu is very fresh, it was just ground this morning, and it's very cheap, only five coins a piece."

"Okay, give me twenty yuan."

The aunt carrying the tofu was overjoyed to hear this, her eyes beaming with smiles. She picked out the tofu piece by piece from the wooden bucket, wrapped them on lotus leaves, and Xing'er took a large vegetable basket and had her put the tofu in it.

After buying the rice, she found a secluded spot to put it into her spatial storage. Then, carrying the flour and pork, she headed back. However, she secretly hid the chestnuts and jujubes she had bought at the bottom of her basket, waiting to bring them back to her family.

She hurried home through the bustling rice market.

They didn't encounter any oxcarts on their way back, so they had to rely on their own two legs to cross mountains and valleys. When they got tired, they would tilt their heads back and drink a sip of spiritual spring water, and when they were hungry, they would enter the space and have a hearty meal.

They rushed as fast as they could.

She left Qingshi Town at noon and didn't see Xinghua Village until three-quarters past dusk.

It was getting dark.

But when she saw the house at the village entrance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. This trip to the market was really tiring. About a mile from the village entrance, she quickly took out the coarse rice and put it into her large basket.

He also had a vegetable basket hanging on his arm, filled with twenty pieces of tofu.

Only then did he carry the heavy basket on his back and walk towards the old house.

Upon entering the village, I discovered that the doors of every household were closed.

Only the area where her house was located emitted gray smoke.

Xing'er hurried toward the old house, and along the way, only the dog tied to the tree wagged its tail at her in a friendly manner.

Looking at other people's well-behaved dogs, she felt a pang of regret, because her own dog, Dahuang, had been sold off heartlessly by its original owner.

Thinking of this, she shook her head and quickly walked towards the old house.

After arriving.

To her surprise, she found that the mud walls of the old house had been demolished, the foundation had been dug, and the open space next to the old house was piled with stones and wood.

Wang, with her sharp eyes, saw her return and immediately wiped her hands on her apron before smiling and going to greet her, "Oh, Xing'er's back! What good things did you buy for us?"

Xing'er smiled slightly:

"I just bought some brown rice. After all, everyone helps us with chores every day, so from now on we have to take care of their meals."

Wang was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

She thought she had bought something good, after all, everyone knew she had gotten a large sum of money from the Southern Scholar's house.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Wang managed a weak smile.

She brought her family to work hoping to earn a decent meal.

Xing'er knew what she was thinking, and raised the basket in her hand again with a smile:

"I also bought twenty pieces of tofu. I'll make tofu for everyone tonight."

"My goodness, you bought so much tofu?"

"Since there are so many people helping, I'll definitely buy more."

She was talking to Aunt Wang when Li Taohua and Li Dashan wiped the sweat from their brows and ran over. "Third Sister, give us your basket, we'll put it away. You must be tired after walking all day."

"Okay, brother, you carry this sack of brown rice over there first."

"Okay, don't worry, I'll take it right away."

After giving the brown rice to her eldest brother, she pulled her second sister aside and whispered:

"Second sister, there are chestnuts and roasted dates in my basket. You can take these and share them with third brother, fourth sister, and second brother. Secretly give some of the rest to Gou'er, Tiedan, Little Tiger, Cao'er, and Zhaodi."

"Okay, okay, I got it. So, how much did you buy today?"

"Just put this package back in our tent. Don't open it until everyone leaves."

Li Taohua understood what her third sister meant. Her eyes smiled like a crescent moon, and her brows and eyes were full of tenderness. "Okay, okay, I know. You must have bought something nice."

I understand.

Xing'er put her finger to her lips, making a secret gesture.

Li Taohua chuckled and poked her head with her finger, "You little rascal, you always have so many little schemes."

She then put the contents of the basket into the tent as her third sister had instructed, and distributed some of the jujubes and chestnuts to her sister's friends. She knew which children in the village were close to her third sister.

After seeing her second sister put the basket into the tent, Xing'er carried the basket to the simple earthen stove.

one look.

Tonight, we're having brown rice cakes, and the only vegetables we're having are wild greens we dug up from the fields.

Huang Si Niang from next door was busy at her stone stove. Seeing Xing'er carrying a basket of tofu, she smiled and asked:

"Xing'er, Auntie heard you're going to stir-fry tofu for us, is that true or not?"