Chapter 4: Grain Purchase

Certainly, shops and workshops are still bound to be separated by several blocks. Throughout the entire Xia Dynasty, although commerce was not classified as a lowly profession, discrimination was certainly present

The price of sorghum is expected to decrease by nearly half, and it would be ideal if the animals of the Star Alliance are willing to accept it

In a single sentence, the shopkeeper expressed everything he wanted to say, while also hoping to promote twice as much.

All the grain at home was accounted for, and Cheng Jinzhou did not want to entrust the task of purchasing grain to the servants. Therefore, he personally went out through the second gate.

The shopkeeper still wore a smile like a blooming flower and said: "The court has its own rules. May I ask how this young master is addressed? We can first send you 40 shih of rice flour and 5 shih of sorghum flour. As the end of the month is approaching, if you are not in a hurry, we can deliver another batch next month."

Shaonan is not a large city, and the Cheng family is situated in the very center of the city, adjacent to the governor's office and the local cathedral.

90 stones are approximately equivalent to 45 star coins, which is only enough to purchase books totaling 22,500 words. Coupled with the element of randomness, Cheng Jinzhou is quite pessimistic about the final outcome

Rest assured. The shopkeeper himself is the one who feels at ease. In the west of the city, Bai La Lane is entirely occupied by the Cheng family's villa. In the past, during grand banquets for guests, that place was used to entertain them

Cheng Jinzhu sat in the creaking two-wheeled cart, quietly exiting through the back door, while the two young attendants, Shi Mo and Shi Yan, stealthily followed behind the cart, evoking a sense of furtive mischief.

Shimu and Shiyan followed closely behind. When they arrived at https://mhetushucom.com and were about to go out, Cheng Jinzhou finally stopped, waved his hand, and said, "Come here, come here"

According to the education of this era, it is indeed the right path for youth to be mature beyond their years. The actual age of Dr. Cheng is not particularly evident—having never left school, he has never truly grown up

According to regulations, only clergy of the sanctuary, astrologers, nobles or gentry with titles or achievements, their families, and various officials are qualified to wear silk. The so-called silk includes 14 types of products such as brocade, gauze, silk, satin, spun fabric, crepe, and muslin, among which satin is the most strictly regulated. Ordinary wealthy merchants, regardless of how affluent their fortunes may be, dare only to wear it at home, and those that can be worn by children are all from noble families.

Cheng Jinzhu ignored him and simply said: "Go out and buy some things; you prepare the car."

Cheng Jinzhu was also quite indifferent. He initially intended to ask for the price, but then thought to himself: "Shopkeeper, could you please provide me with an itemized list? Please clearly write down the various types and prices of the grains in your store, right now."

Traveling eastward, the carriage moved swiftly. Passersby and other vehicles, upon seeing the character "Cheng" on the carriage, mostly avoided it as if they had seen a police car. In the entire Southeast, the Cheng family could be considered a prominent family, but in Shaonan City, the Cheng family wielded immense power, to the extent that it would not be an exaggeration to say that Shaonan City belonged to the Cheng family. The governor of the province was none other than Cheng Jinzhou's father. The Privy Council, with civil officials in command of the military, had to appoint members of the Cheng family to key positions. Even the archbishop of the Holy Hall and the *Tu* *Shu* were relatives of Cheng Jinzhou, not to mention countless mid- and low-level officials.

It is fortunate to be born into the affluent Cheng family; had one been born into a destitute household, even the ring on one's finger might have to be pawned, let alone the provisions sufficient for several years.

Those engaged in the grain trade are not afraid of registration with the authorities; they only fear buyers of unknown identity. In Shaonan, whose identity could be more distinguished than that of the Cheng family

As he walked towards the door, Cheng Jinzhou casually asked, "Shiyan, do you know how much grain can be harvested from one mu of land?"

On ordinary days, when regular customers come to the shop, the shopkeeper certainly cannot remain seated. At this moment, he carefully remarks: "The white flour sells the best. Our Huo family's famous fine white flour is very comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand. Among the cooked foods, the hanging noodles, soup pancakes, and cold noodles are all selling quite well"

Cheng Jinzhu nodded and said nothing further. Whether in his past life or this life, he had never truly lacked money, and he felt no guilt whatsoever about spending money.

Because astrologers need to endure more powerful star formations, they require stronger bodies—this presents a perfect means of cheating for many astrologers with poor talent, as increasing their body surface area is advantageous. For the nation, the more burdensome individuals there are, the stronger the national power becomes

White flour is made from wheat? Cheng Jinzhou confirmed that many things in the Great Xia Dynasty are similar to the original, but not entirely the same, for example, the traditional characters that are equally beautiful and intricate yet difficult to recognize.

20 shis of rough rice cost 4 taels of silver, wheat is somewhat cheaper, but not by much, and with the addition of sorghum, a whole ingot of silver is spent. The attendants, Shi Mo and Shi Yan, could not help but gasp in secret; they received second-class wages, which amounted to only one tael of silver a month. Before following Cheng Jinzhou, they had hardly seen much silver.

Rather than exerting oneself, it is better to let others take the trouble.

Cheng Jinzhu was accustomed to the service of "the customer is always right" and casually surveyed the surroundings, asking, "What is the best-selling grain here"

In which era was food considered a strategic resource? In this age of astrologers, it is even more so

Unfortunately, Doctor Cheng did not stay long. After reviewing the list, he called over a worker and said, "Prepare 20 stones each of brown rice and wheat for me. Also, get 20 stones of the cheaper sorghum."

Shimi hesitated for a moment, but still ran over

In a year, there are two harvests, and a single acre of land produces only 150 kilograms of grain. Even in paddy fields, the maximum difference is only three to four times, which is a significant gap compared to modern agriculture, akin to the standards between the Tang and Song dynasties. A single family requires 720 kilograms of grain at a time, which is nearly sufficient for a family of three for a year.

Cheng Jinzhu did not understand, but the book boy behind him was very clear. Before the shopkeeper could speak, he said: "Third brother, according to the court's regulations, any grain trade exceeding 50 shi must be reported to the authorities."

The attendant gave a signal to the nearby book boy and turned to run out.

After Cheng Jinzhu recovered from his illness, he had a new book boy named Shimo, who was only about fourteen or fifteen years old, yet he was exceptionally sensible. He hurried over in a few quick steps and said, "Third brother, it is cool outside and the books are ready."

Cheng Jinzhu jumped down nimbly, his famously frail constitution causing the two young scholars to turn pale, as if they were twins, repeatedly exclaiming: "Third Brother, you must not do this."

... ...

"Stop here." The coachman gently pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly came to a halt in front of a grain store that displayed a flag with the character '霍'. Since we need to buy grain, it is naturally not appropriate to go to Cheng's shop.

"Why don't you change to something fresh, something that can't be used every day..." Cheng Jinzhou waved his hand, tilted his head, and lifted the door curtain to enter.

The proprietor of the grain store was originally seated in the back room. Upon catching sight of Cheng Jinzhou's attire, he quickly jumped down from his high stool and hurriedly approached, saying: "Esteemed sir, welcome. Our Huo family grain shop specializes in rice, flour, and cooking oil. What would you like to purchase?"

It is precisely because of such a background that the Cheng family does not engage in commerce, yet one-third of the industries in the city belong to the Cheng family. The Cheng family does not farm, and one-third of the estates outside the city still bear the character "Cheng" prominently displayed.

Cheng Jinzhu indeed relished this privilege, opening the window to gaze outside. Accompanying the creaking of the two-wheeled carriage were the breathless gasps of two young scholars and the varying sounds of footsteps.

The Cheng family's household rules are strict; even if there is space in the carriage, it is unreasonable for master and servant to share the same vehicle—such is the nature of this other world.

To a certain extent, the government requires more food to sustain a greater number of robust individuals.

Cheng Jinzhu actually did not care about reporting to the authorities; the largest authority in Shaonan was his father. However, there was no need for a shopkeeper to be aware of this, so he instructed: "Do not grind the flour too fine, and for the rice, use brown rice. The wheat and sorghum should be whole. Let it be this way; can the items be delivered to the Cheng residence on Bailaxiang in the west of the city before dinner?" Who knows what the aliens want the food for; he was not going to do something thankless and laborious. Let it be this way; can the items be delivered to the Cheng residence on Bailaxiang in the west of the city before dinner? Who knows what the aliens want the food for; he was not going to do something thankless and laborious.

So troublesome? Cheng Jinzhou was taken aback

The shopkeeper greatly enjoyed Cheng Jinzhou's "troubles" and immediately responded with an obedient acknowledgment, going nearby to write the list without any concern about the prices being leaked. The grain store's prices were the most reasonable, fluctuating with the market and varying from day to day. In comparison, he was more concerned about Cheng Jinzhou's identity.

It appears to be an ordinary slope, about 1.5 stones in size

Agriculture and sericulture are fundamental. Even for the servants working in the government, once they save money and receive rewards, their first action is still to purchase land. In contrast, individuals like Cheng Jinzhou, who are scions of prominent families, seldom show genuine concern for the specific issues of agriculture and sericulture.

As for why the Cheng family does not procure goods from their own shop, the shopkeeper does not wish to delve into the stories within the grand residence.

Upon exiting the shop of the Huo family, Cheng Jinzhou tossed a silver ingot to Shimo and said, "Go to another store and buy some wheat and rice to send over. I will wait for you at the other courtyard. If there is a need for documentation, just leave it to the shopkeeper to handle."

Yes. The shopkeeper answered honestly, not daring to laugh at Cheng Jinzhou's ignorance. In fact, there is nothing to laugh about; it is quite normal for scions of noble families to be ignorant of the basics of life.

He suddenly realized that the variety of products in the grain stores of this era was truly overwhelming. Just the types of flour alone filled an entire wall with samples, and even if he were to ask, he would probably not be able to remember them all

The shopkeeper was somewhat taken aback and, for a moment, did not respond with a word about returning to Jinzhou