C8 Into the City

The next day, before the chickens had crowed, Soong Xintong had already woken up. She took out the few tens of copper coins the original owner had hidden under the bed and carefully counted them, a total of 45 gold coins. This was all that this family had, so she carefully kept the money close to her body before hurrying back to Hee Family with the basket on her back.

After meeting up with the Hee Family people, they rode on a donkey cart for more than an hour and a half before they arrived at the county city when the sky was bright.

The name of the county was Qingjiang County, one of the sixteen counties under the Lingnan City. But in the end, it was still a county city. There were restaurants, restaurants, and even inns.

Second Aunt Hee Family asked: "Xintong, are you still going to the starter room?"

The washing room was on the north side of the street, far away from the street where Second Aunt Hee Family and the others were going. Soong Xintong thought for a moment.

"When are we going home?" Second Aunt Hee Family asked again.

"I don't know yet." Soong Xintong was planning on taking a walk around.

"If you want to go home, wait for me at the city gate? "If you can't make it in time, then go find Senior Lee's oxcart and bring it back to the village." Second Aunt Hee Family had specially come to the city today to buy gifts for Hee Baiyun's second blood brother, so they could not be delayed.

Soong Xintong nodded. "I got it, Second Aunt."

After parting ways with second aunt Hee Family, Soong Xintong first went to the starter room to pay the previous few wages, then directly walked toward the Lucky Restaurant that she remembered.

Before his father passed away, he had told her that this was the only restaurant in the county. The dishes he cooked were also fragrant, and he could smell them even from a few streets away.

He didn't know if it was true or not, but when Soong Xintong arrived, the restaurant was empty.

The shopkeeper, who was settling accounts at the counter, saw Soong Xintong's dress and knew that she wasn't here to eat. Still, he kindly asked, "Dear guest, what's the matter?"

Soong Xintong knew that her poor appearance did not enter the eyes of these city dwellers. However, she was not afraid. She directly asked, "Shopkeeper, do you accept the dishes here?"

"Vegetables?" The manager smiled and shook his head. "All our dishes have been sent."

"This is a new dish for me. It's perfect for the summer, clearing away the heat and detoxifying the poison." Soong Xintong put down the basket. "Manager, don't be in such a hurry to chase me away. Why don't you try it first?"

The waiter was speechless. "…" I've never seen such a thick-skinned girl.

"There's such a dish?" The shopkeeper was a bit interested. Recently, his boss had been talking about how the weather was getting hot. If there really was such a dish, it would be quite nice.

"Really." Soong Xintong took out the Houttuynia Grass from the basket on her back. "This is called Ear Breaking Root. Eating more of it can clear away the heat, cure the poison, and reduce the swelling."

"Amputated ear root? That sounds new. " The shopkeeper picked one up and sniffed it. "Why is it so pungent? The smell is too strange."

"It smells weird, but it tastes good." Soong Xintong grabbed a small handful of fishy grass and said, "Manager, you can let your chef try it. It'll be cool, fried meat, and hot soup."

Seeing Soong Xintong's confidence, the manager signaled the waiter at the side. "Have the chef make it for us."

"Before you cook it, remember to marinate it with salt and go get it watered." Soong Xintong reminded him with good intentions.

"Don't worry, little lady. My cooking skills as a chef are quite good."

Was this a way to remind her not to point fingers? Soong Xintong pouted. This was all for nothing.

"Young lady, please have some tea." The waiter came out with some tea and snacks.

"Thank you very much." Soong Xintong sat upright on the bench, waiting for the results in the kitchen.

Soon, the waiter brought out a serving of cold sauce and fried meat. The fragrance permeated the air and immediately aroused Soong Xintong's appetite. She had not eaten meat for a long time, so she couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

The shopkeeper, who often ate meat, didn't feel anything. He picked up his chopsticks to taste it and was instantly delighted. However, he still nodded his head expressionlessly, "Take it to the boss to give it a try."

What an old fox!

Soong Xintong picked up the cup of tea and sipped, occasionally eating a shriveled dessert. She thought to herself, "It doesn't taste good at all."

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the waiter ran out and whispered a few words to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper nodded and stopped shaking the abacus. "Lady, I've bought all of your abacuses. How about two taels of silver for a catty?"

Before Soong Xintong came, she had already inquired about the price of the wooden ears and mushrooms on the mountain. They could also be sold for seven coins per catty. Was he bullying her for coming to this place just now?

The shopkeeper noticed her unwillingness, "Lady, the vegetables in the outer room are worth about four or five catties."

"Manager, you also said it was vegetables." Soong Xintong tugged on the fish herb in her backpack. "They're much more useful than grass."

"Aren't they all grass?" The waiter muttered.

Soong Xintong looked coldly at the waiter and said, "Then you can use the grass to fry the meat."

The waiter choked.

Soong Xintong didn't waste any time, "Manager, let's do the business peacefully and just say the sincere price. I don't need to raise it any further, just the same price as the mushroom on the mountain."

"This is too expensive." The shopkeeper didn't want it. Ear and Mushroom were delicious and difficult to harvest, so the price was expensive. This' ear breaking root 'didn't seem like something difficult to pick.

"This was all collected by me after much effort. It's even harder than a mushroom." Soong Xintong rubbed her eyes aggrievedly. "Since the shopkeeper thinks so, then I will go and take a look elsewhere."

With that, he made as if to leave.

The shopkeeper hurriedly called her down, "How about four taels of gold per catty?"

"Seven."

"Five pieces."

"Seven." Soong Xintong didn't want to lower the price. "This is fresh food. The shopkeeper can sell it for dozens of coins per catty. It would be worth over a hundred coins. Why bother with a peasant girl like me who can't even afford a meal?"

The shopkeeper really didn't think much of the ten or twenty coins, and even his boss liked the taste, so he didn't hesitate much. "Alright, we'll do as you say. Seven pieces."

"Here's your money." The shopkeeper took out a stack of money and counted out 84 words to hand to Soong Xintong.

Soong Xintong secretly smiled after receiving the copper coin. However, she was still calm on the surface. "Shopkeeper, how about I give it to you in the future?"

The shopkeeper glanced at her and saw that she was still so calm after getting the money. He secretly nodded. "We'll talk about it in a few days. I don't know if I'll be able to sell it."

"Don't worry Manager, I'll definitely sell it." Soong Xintong made a guarantee.

"That's for the best." The shopkeeper saw that the sun was high in the sky outside, so he knew that the guests would arrive in an hour. "It's getting late, so I won't be greeting you."

Seeing that the shopkeeper had already sent her off, Soong Xintong didn't linger any longer. "Thank you, shopkeeper. Can I take this plate of pastries with me?"

The shopkeeper glanced at the plate of pastries, but it was only a few coins. "Take it away."

"Thank you, Manager." Soong Xintong happily walked out of the restaurant with the 84 copper coins that she had spent so much effort to bring. If it were in the modern world, she wouldn't be so happy even if there were tens of thousands of coins.