Chapter 3, two hundred coins for a dou of rice

After having dinner, Han entered the room and came out holding a piece of silk and two pieces of cloth.

"Alright." Li Jing responded with a smile as he got out of bed

Mother, I would like to go to the town today

My son, take this silk ribbon to the town. If there is anything you wish to buy, feel free to do so. Additionally, take these two pieces of cloth to the grain store in town and exchange them for some millet. Also, here is a string of money for you to take with you

Li Jing greeted his sister-in-law and others, then turned to wash his face and brush his teeth in the yard. As soon as he arrived, Wan'er had already diligently drawn a bucket of cool well water for him and brought him a face towel and toothbrush

The room is quite spacious. In addition to a wooden frame bed, there is a four-fold red lacquer wooden screen in front of the bed. Furthermore, there is a large bookshelf neatly arranged with nearly one hundred volumes of thread-bound books. On one side of the bookshelf, there is a jujube wood desk and several Hu chairs. Apart from these, there is only a large wooden cabinet that is as tall as a person.

Li Jing did not believe in Buddhism, yet he could not refute Han's belief in it. He nodded in agreement at that moment; although ten jin of incense oil was not a small amount for this household, it was worth it to put Han's mind at ease.

Li Jing glanced at these items and understood in his heart that this was nearly half of the family's wealth. During the Tang Dynasty, both coins and silk were used as currency. In addition to copper coins as currency, the use of silk was also mandated. The emperor had even issued an edict stating that any transaction exceeding ten guan must be conducted using silk.

After putting on the pleated trousers, Li Jing picked up a rope approximately three feet long and tightly tied it around the knee area of the trousers. This way, whether riding a horse or walking, it became very convenient. This rope also has a name, called the binding rope for trousers.

One must consider what actions to take; it is imperative to take certain actions oneself

A few knocks were heard at the door, and then Wan'er pushed the door open and entered, lifting the curtain.

Outside, the sound of weaving could be heard again. Li Jing remembered that he had been contemplating how to solve the family's food problem late into the night yesterday, yet the sound of weaving had not ceased. To his surprise, upon waking early in the morning, the loom was still clattering. A heavy feeling settled in his heart; this year, the drought had resulted in almost total crop failure, and the entire family was barely surviving thanks to the relentless efforts of several women weaving and raising silkworms day and night.

Looking at the toothbrush that Wan'er handed over, Li Jing felt a bit resistant. By this time in the Late Tang Dynasty, there were already specialized toothbrushes made from horsehair, known as "brushing teeth tools." At first, Li Jing did not notice the difference between this brushing tool and modern toothbrushes, resulting in a mouthful of blood during his first attempt at brushing. The horsehair brush was very stiff, and if one carelessly used the methods of later generations, it could lead to significant trouble.

After wearing the pleated trousers, one then puts on the knee pants. The knee pants, also known as the "jingyi" in Hanfu, are garments that cover the legs from the knee to the ankle. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the jingyi was worn fitted to the body; however, at this time, it has transformed into knee pants, which are worn over the trousers.

In the early morning, a ray of dawn light streams through the window, and outside, the rooster announces the arrival of day.

Li Jing took a pair of trousers from the bedside rack. During the late Tang dynasty, although men primarily wore round-collared robes, they also wore pleated trousers underneath. Not only men wore pleated trousers, but women did as well. These trousers, known as "ku", were mainly developed under the influence of the Hu people. However, the "ku" differs from modern trousers; they are very loose, especially the two pant legs, which are made quite wide, hence they are often referred to as "big-mouth trousers". The matching upper garment is the pleated top, which is made to be relatively fitted. Wearing these two together forms the "ku zhe", originally intended for military use to facilitate marching, but later gradually became common attire for the common people. However, the "ku" differs from modern trousers; they are very loose, especially the two pant legs, which are made quite wide, hence they are often referred to as "big-mouth trousers". The matching upper garment is the pleated top, which is made to be relatively fitted. Wearing these two together forms the "ku zhe", originally intended for military use to facilitate marching, but later gradually became common attire for the common people.

Li Jing, having dressed, left the room and entered the hall. He saw that the sister-in-law responsible for the household meals had already brought the dishes with Wan'er. A large earthenware basin of wild vegetable porridge was prepared, with a plate of pickles in front of each seat. The sister-in-law smiled at him and said, "Hurry and brush your teeth and wash your face, then come to eat."

Han glanced at Li Jing and put down his chopsticks, saying: "That's fine. Since the last incident, you haven't stepped out of the door. It would be good to take a walk in town and also visit Fahua Temple to offer incense and fulfill your vow. When you had your incident, your mother made a promise to the Bodhisattva. Now that you are well, it is time to repay that vow. You should donate ten jin of sesame oil!"

After taking the toothbrush, he picked up a bit of green salt from the small wooden box beside him and sprinkled it on. He swished it around in his mouth a couple of times before carefully starting to brush his teeth. During the late Tang dynasty, most common people had the habit of brushing their teeth, and a toothbrush only cost one or two wen. However, ordinary folks could not afford green salt for brushing. Salt was more expensive than rice in the late Tang dynasty, with a hundred wen for a dou of salt, and the price was even higher for high-quality green salt. Nevertheless, the Li family had been relatively wealthy in their early years and maintained the habit of using green salt for brushing their teeth.

At this time, a dou of rice costs 200 coins, and a piece of silk costs 800 wen. One dou of rice is equivalent to approximately 7.5 jin in modern measurements. A piece of silk measures 40 feet in length and 1 foot 8 inches in width, which translates to about 12 meters in length and 0.5 meters in width in contemporary terms, sufficient to make two robes

However, in the current circumstances, the Li family naturally cannot consume such a large amount of food every day. Most of their meals consist of thin rice porridge, which is mixed with bran and husks to save on resources. They manage to maintain a diet of about one pound of rice per day, relying on the one hundred and twenty pounds of sorghum to last for four months, which should sustain them until after the Spring Festival next year. The women in the household work hard at weaving, and if Li Jing takes on some short-term labor, they might just manage to get through until the wheat harvest next year

Li Jing, with his eyes closed, reached out to touch his phone, but after a long while of searching, he found nothing. Suddenly, he woke up, opened his eyes, and sat up. What came into view was a wooden bed surrounded by three partitions. As he moved, the straw underneath the bed sheet creaked. Even the quilt covering him was made of coarse cloth, filled with dry straw.

Sixteen dou of sorghum amounts to one hundred and twenty jin in later generations. During the Tang Dynasty, border soldiers were provided with two sheng of rice daily, while women received one sheng and one he of rice. Based on this standard, for a family of seven in the Li household, the standard daily ration should be seven sheng and seven he, which translates to a daily consumption of five jin and seven liang of rice. Sixteen dou of sorghum is only one hundred and twenty jin of rice, which is sufficient for just twenty-one days.

Mother, I understand, I will go early and return early

In the past, when my father was still alive, the women in the family were not allowed to eat in the hall and had to eat in the room. However, now that the Li family has fallen into decline, there is only one man left in the family, Li Jing. After Li Jing mentioned it a few times, Han agreed and no longer adhered to those past customs and family rules. When the granaries are full, one understands etiquette; when clothing and food are sufficient, one understands honor and disgrace. For the Li family, which is now struggling even to have meals, many rules have become unnecessary to uphold. It is said that etiquette does not apply to commoners; ordinary people are fortunate if they can make ends meet, let alone pay attention to those formalities.

After carefully brushing my teeth, I finally managed not to end up with a mouthful of blood this time. Upon returning to the house, my family had already arrived, and only my second sister-in-law was still inside reciting scriptures.

Lifting the quilt, Li Jing, who was only wearing a pair of breeches, couldn't help but shiver. It was late October, and the morning was already quite chilly. Looking down at the breeches he was wearing, he couldn't help but smile wryly. These breeches were very similar to the triangular underwear of later generations, cut from two feet of cloth, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, with holes on both sides, perfectly covering the buttocks and hips. It is said that Sima Xiangru, a talented scholar who eloped with Zhuo Wenjun during the Han Dynasty, was forced by life circumstances to buy a tavern in Chengdu after eloping, allowing his wife Wenjun to manage it while he himself, in front of a large crowd, washed wine vessels wearing only a pair of breeches, which eventually compelled his father-in-law to acknowledge the marriage.

One dou of rice costs 200 coins, which is equivalent to 26 wen per jin of rice. One piece of silk is worth 800 wen, equivalent to thirty jins of rice. At this time's prices, three dou of rice can be exchanged for five dou of millet or six dou of sorghum. The piece of silk from the Li family can be exchanged for six dou of sorghum, and two pieces of cloth can also be exchanged for ten dou of sorghum

Tie the knee pants over the hakama, then put on the socks. Finally, there is the round-neck robe, leather belt, gauze cap, and black leather boots. This entire outfit took a full tea time to complete. If it were not for the complete memory of Li Jing's twenty years in his mind, he would have been at a loss with just this attire.

"Sanlang, your sister-in-law has made you steamed egg custard, hurry up and eat." Although Wan'er was originally from Silla, she had lived in the Li family for nine years, and her speech and actions were no different from those of the local people. At home, Han treated her like a daughter, so she addressed everyone as if they were family. To Li Jing, she always referred to him as Sanlang or brother.

However, according to Li Jing, the trousers worn by women in the late Tang dynasty were different from those of men. The most significant distinction was that the legs of women's trousers were tight and narrow, and it is said that they were not designed with a closed crotch but rather an open one, with a tie at the crotch area for convenience when using the toilet. As for undergarments, women in the late Tang dynasty did not wear any.