"How much are sugar and soy sauce?" Gu Nian asked with a soft, childish voice.
"Sugar is 8 copper coins per pound, and soy sauce is 16 copper coins per liter. How much do you want, little girl?"
This price made Gu Nian click her tongue in disbelief.
No wonder the kitchen at home only had salt; other seasonings were indeed not something an ordinary family could afford.
"Then I want to buy a pound of sugar and a liter of soy sauce."
Lin Sanshui gave her forty-three copper coins, and most of them were used up just like that.
"Alright, little girl, you didn't bring a jar. Would you like to buy one to store the soy sauce? Two coins each." The young man politely asked with a smile.
"Okay." Gu Nian pinched the copper coins in her hand, nodding stiffly.
After spending forty-three copper coins, there were only seventeen left.
Watching the young man busy weighing sugar and pouring soy sauce, Gu Nian asked again, "Big Brother, are there any other cooking ingredients in your shop? Could you show me?"
"We also have white vinegar and rice wine. Would you like some?" the young man asked.
Gu Nian shook her head and asked again, "Isn't there anything else?"
She wanted to buy white vinegar and rice wine, but unfortunately, the few coins she had left weren't enough for splurging.
"Little girl, if your parents didn't tell you to buy something, don't buy it randomly. Or else, you'll get spanked when you get home! The town's restaurants mostly buy their cooking ingredients from us here, and I've never heard of any other special ingredients!" The young man laughed and then suddenly thought of something, adding, "However, I've heard that good chefs have their own secret sauces, which we outsiders don't know about."
Saying this, the soy sauce was already poured into a jar, just the right liter, no more, no less, and the sugar was also wrapped in oiled paper and handed to Gu Nian.
Gu Nian took it, and as the jar was too heavy, she almost dropped it.
Fortunately, the young man held it tight, "Be careful, if it spills, you'll have nothing left. And your family, how could they let such a young child out to buy soy sauce?"
"Thanks, big brother, my brother is waiting outside for me, I can carry it." Gu Nian held it firmly this time. Even though it was still a bit heavy, she could manage.
When she was almost to the door, she noticed the peas in the sack nearby and her eyes lit up, "How much are the peas?"
"Five coins per pound."
"Then I want to buy three pounds. Big brother, please weigh it for me first, and I'll come back to get it later."
Gu Nian made two trips before she had everything next to Erhu. On her last trip back, Dahu also arrived with the hired ox cart.
When Dahu saw the things on the ground, his eyes widened, "Why did you buy all this? Does Dad know?"
"Of course, it was with the copper coins Dad gave me that I bought it," Gu Nian replied.
Erhu turned and looked at Gu Nian with surprise.
This little sister seemed small, but she certainly wasn't short of courage.
Dad had given her the money, but he didn't say to spend it all at once!
He had just asked, and Dad gave his little sister forty-three copper coins when he left, telling her to save it and spend it gradually. And now there were only two left.
Listening to Gu Nian say that Dad instructed the purchase, Dahu still felt a twinge of pain.
Sugar and soy sauce weren't cheap, and they must have cost quite a bit. And these peas, apart from making porridge, they didn't have much use. Although tasty, they were particularly hard to cook, consuming a lot of firewood.
Buying so many things, how will the future days be?
Before long, Lin Sanshui returned.
After getting on the ox cart and seeing what Gu Nian had bought, and hearing that she only had two copper coins left, his heart ached sharply.