A tragic journey through ancient times, trying to make money

"Okay, thank you, Mayor."

"Mother, where are the pharmacy and blacksmith shop? I know there is a grocery store on West Street. I saw one when I went to town to buy salt a few days ago. Their prices are very reasonable."

"There are also medicine shops and blacksmith shops on West Street. The blacksmith shop is at the end of West Street."

"Then let's go directly to West Street. Things are cheaper there."

Zhang Yunyue and the other two decided to go to the blacksmith shop on West Street first, otherwise they would have to carry their things to the blacksmith shop, which would be very tiring.

When we arrived at the blacksmith shop, we saw an old man working on the iron inside.

"Uncle, uncle"

"Who are you? You are here to sell something, right? What do you want to buy? My price is fair."

"Yes, uncle, we want to buy an iron pot."

"Here, the iron pot is here, take a look." The blacksmith asked a few people to come into the house and pointed to the iron pot placed in the corner.

"Uncle, how much is the iron pot?"

“900 yuan a mouthful”

Zhang Yunyue looked at Zhang's mother, indicating with her eyes whether the price was right. When she saw Zhang's mother nod, she knew that there was no problem with the price.

"Uncle, I want to buy two iron pans. Can you give me a discount?"

"Two? Okay, since you're buying two at a time, how about this: I charge you 40 cents less. 40 cents is not a small amount. Normally, when someone buys a pot, I don't bargain."

"Okay, uncle, help me put them on these two backpacks and tie them up, one backpack and one pot."

Zhang Yunyue handed the blacksmith two taels of silver, and the blacksmith gave Zhang Yunyue 160 coins in change, then tied the two iron pots to the backpacks of Zhang's mother and Zhang Xingfeng.

Zhang Yunyue was about to walk out of the blacksmith shop when she saw the kitchen knife hanging on the wall of the shop. She realized that she seemed to be short of a kitchen knife for setting up the stall.

There is only one knife for cooking at home, and you cannot take it away from home, otherwise you won’t be able to cook at home.

"Uncle, how much is this kitchen knife? I want to buy another one."

"If you want the kitchen knife, just give me 70 cents. It was originally sold for 75 cents, but I'll give you the remaining cents."

"Okay, help me take it down. I want it." Zhang Yunyue gave the blacksmith another 70 cents.

Buy a good pot and kitchen knife.

The mother and her two children walked back and entered a pharmacy called Huichuntang. A pharmacist was dispensing medicine in the store and the doctor was examining someone else.

A medicine boy walked up to the three people.

"My three guests, are you here to see a doctor or get medicine?"

"Get medicine"

"Okay, then please come this way, sir, and show the prescription to the pharmacist so that he can get the medicine."

"Well, for our prescriptions, I buy the medicine directly, so I can just say the name of the medicine."

"Okay, this way then."

Walk to the place where you can get the medicine.

"Hello, please help me get star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, galangal, and fragrant sand. I want half a pound of each. Thank you."

Zhang Yunyue divided the medicinal materials needed for Thirteen Spices into two parts and prepared to buy them at two pharmacies, hoping to be safe.

"Sir, these combined together don't form any kind of prescription. Are you sure?"

"It's okay, just catch it. My family is a doctor in the village. I usually treat some simple diseases."

Zhang Yunyue said this without changing his expression.

"Oh, that's good. After all, medicinal herbs can't be used casually."

The medicine boy gave the weighed herbs to Zhang Yunyue.

"70 coins in total"

Zhang Yunyue took the spices and put them in the basket on her back, paid the money, and left Huichuntang.

She remembered that there seemed to be a pharmacy called Baicaotang near the grocery store, and she would go there to buy the remaining spices later.

Arriving at the grocery store, Zhang Yunyue went in to see if there was anything she wanted to buy. She originally wanted to buy salt, sauce, vinegar and the like, but then she thought that when she could set up a stall, she could just come and buy them.

I went shopping in the grocery store again and found that there was nothing to buy. I will just prepare a few bamboo tube jars when I set up the stall tomorrow.

The three of them left the grocery store and walked straight to the Baicao Hall next door, where they bought a few remaining spices from the Thirteen Spices shop. They used the same excuse they gave to the medicine boy at Huichun Hall, that his family was a village doctor and they needed medicinal materials.

We spent another 60 coins at Baicaotang, and there was nothing left to buy, so the mother and her two children returned with their backpacks on their backs. It was almost noon when they got back.

We can't spend too much time on the road in this weather. The longer we stay, the hotter it will be.

When they got home, Grandma Zhang and Mrs. Zhu were preparing lunch in the kitchen. Mrs. Zhu saw the mother and her two children entering the yard.

"You are back"

Zhu came out to help Zhang's mother and Zhang Xingfeng put down the backpack, and then went to the main room to pour a few glasses of water for the three of them.

"Hurry up and drink some water. You've been walking all morning and your clothes are almost soaked with sweat. Drink some water, wash up, and change your clothes to avoid getting sick. We'll eat soon."

Zhang Yunyue first returned the remaining silver to Grandma Zhang.

Then the mother and her two children tidied themselves up and changed their clothes.

Zhang Yunyue saw the mung bean milk that was already settling in the yard, and walked to the backyard, where the roof of the straw shed had been covered with thatch.

Grandpa Zhang and several others were setting up a scaffolding. The straw shed was about three meters long and 2 meters wide. The scaffolding was 5 meters long, 2 centimeters wide and 50 meters high, with two floors in total.

Bamboo curtains are hung around the thatched hut to provide ventilation and prevent mosquitoes.

Seeing that there was nothing she could do, Zhang Yunyue went back to the front yard and sat under the locust tree to chat with Zhang Yunxue.

Grandma Zhang came out from the kitchen: "Xiaoxue, go to the backyard and call your grandfather to eat."

"Okay, grandma, I'll go right away."

Zhang Yunxue ran to the thatched shed in the backyard.

"Grandpa, uncle, dad, brother, grandma asked me to call you to eat."

"Got it, come right away."

Zhang Yunxue ran back to the front yard, and Zhang Yunyue was moving tables and chairs.

"Grandma, Grandpa said he knows and will be here right away."

"Okay, put the food on the table first, and then your grandfather and the others can eat when they arrive."

As soon as the food was served on the table, Grandpa Zhang and his friends came out from the backyard, walked to the well, and each scooped a bucket of water to wash their hands.

Sitting at the dinner table, everyone saw Grandpa Zhang start using chopsticks and started eating too.

Everyone had been busy all afternoon and was hungry, so the Zhang family had lunch very quickly today.

After dinner, everyone went to the yard to enjoy the cool air and rest as usual.

"Yueyue, the straw shed has been built. It will take another half an hour this afternoon to build the frame."

"Well, now that the shelf is built, Dad and Second Uncle should start getting the tables and chairs ready."

"Yes, once the shelf is built, your uncle and I will start making tables and chairs."

"Grandpa, I've already rented a stall when I go to town today. It's 200 wen a month. It's on West Street."

"Okay, luckily you rented it, otherwise it would take a lot of time to rent it tomorrow."

"You guys build the stand in a while, I'll go make the chili oil. Dad, when you guys assemble the table and chairs, call me and I'll help you guys."

"Row"

After resting for a while in the yard, everyone started working again. Thinking about the days to come, everyone was quite excited these two days and did not feel tired while working.