Chapter 702 - 701: Scholar Gu’s Illness
A single statement roused Old Granny Zhang and the other old ladies; it was time to head home to cook.
They scattered like birds and beasts.
Old Granny Zhang watched as everyone dispersed and then scoffed, "These city folks are all so pretentious, too insincere. Early in the morning, no sooner do you all leave than I bet they’ll gather at our doorstep. I stepped out to buy a pancake and got surrounded, and now my once hot pancake has gone completely cold!"
As she spoke, she pulled out the pancake from her bosom. Indeed, the once fragrant pancake was now as cold as stone, stiff and hard. She knocked it against the wall, and it could have knocked off a patch of dust.
Wang Yongzhu took the pancake, "What does this matter? Mother, is there anything else you want to eat? I’ll go buy it right now?" Handing over the remaining snacks and candies to Old Granny Zhang, she turned to leave.
"Isn’t this enough? When it’s time to cook later, won’t the pancake soften up if soaked in water? I’ve already inquired around; everything in the city costs money. We can’t just consume our resources; I have no idea how much that stipend for Chongjin is going to be. We need to be frugal with our spending, you got that?"
Old Granny Zhang snatched back the pancake, caring deeply. She had patiently chatted with those city ladies this morning, and it wasn’t for nothing.
She had now learned which nearby rice shop sold the cheapest rice, when to buy vegetables to get the freshest ones, which bakery offered the best deals on buns, and even with firewood, she knew whom to buy from.
One could say that in just a morning’s time, she had grasped at least half of the secrets on how to survive in Jing County.
She had also calculated in her mind that, considering their family’s expenditure, excluding the stipend for Chongjin’s studies, the cost of food and clothing for the whole family, along with other miscellaneous expenses, would at least amount to Five Taels of Silver.
Although Old Granny Zhang was now aware that her daughter had some money, and her son-in-law wasn’t someone without plans, for her, Five Taels of Silver was way too expensive.