The Transmigrated Farm Girl Has a Cheat Code

Chapter 29 Spending money like water

Since Lin Yu was going to school, she had to prepare writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for him. She and Lin Yu went to find a shop first.

There is only one shop in town called Mobaozhai, which sells the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper), but the shop is deserted and it seems that not many people visit it on weekdays.

Lin Yan and Lin Yu entered the shop. The shopkeeper was resting in a chair. Hearing that people had come, he looked up and saw that it was two little girls with their younger brother, dressed in coarse linen clothes.

The shopkeeper sighed and lowered his head again, noticing that they didn't seem to be there to buy anything.

However, I still asked, "These are all books for reading and writing. What are you looking for?"

"Shopkeeper, we've come to buy something."

Hearing the little girl's clear, melodious voice was like heavenly music. She looked up again, "Come buy something! What do you want to buy?"

“My younger brother is going to school, so I bought him some writing brushes, ink, paper, and books for beginners.”

Upon hearing that they were customers, the shopkeeper became much more enthusiastic, coming out from behind the counter to greet them. "What price range are you looking for? I have both expensive and cheap options."

"As long as it's comfortable to use, doesn't affect writing, and the paper doesn't bleed too much, and our family's financial situation is tight, we'll just use something durable," Lin Yan replied frankly.

The shopkeeper felt a surge of goodwill towards the young girl when she mentioned that her family was well-off and of good standing.

Those who come to buy things here are all scholars, some with good means and some with poor means. However, those students who are struggling financially either pretend to be calm and indifferent out of a desire to save face, or they act timidly and feel inferior to others.

The little girl was dressed in coarse linen clothes, suggesting that her family was not well-off, but she still sent her younger brother to school. Her behavior was graceful and poised, as if she came from a wealthy family.

"A writing brush made of rabbit-hair bristles and green bamboo tube is fine, 120 coins each, especially durable and with a good feel. Chicken-tail feather brushes are cheaper but not as good. Paper is this kind, 3 coins per sheet, 100 coins for 40 sheets. Ink is more expensive, the cheapest is one ingot of one tael of silver. An ordinary stone inkstone is fine, 50 coins."

"You're the shopkeeper, and you've been selling these things for a long time, so you naturally understand the needs of students better than I do. I'll listen to you! And what kind of books do you have for early learning?"

The shopkeeper nodded, his face pleased. "For early education, we usually teach the 'Thousand Character Classic,' 'Hundred Family Surnames,' and 'Three Character Classic.'"

"Here are some handwritten copies by students, sold cheaply, 150 coins each."

Lin Yan flipped through the manuscript and found that the students' small regular script was very neat. She looked for a character that was particularly beautiful, with a neat arrangement, vigorous and steady strokes, and flowing smoothly.

The shopkeeper noticed Lin Yan pausing to look at a book, so he came over and burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, so that's what you've got your eye on. His handwriting is strong and powerful; it's really well done."

This student came from a poor family and often copied books to support his household. His copies always sold the fastest; this was the latest one delivered.

"Then let's go with his!" It is said that one's handwriting reflects one's character, and Lin Yan also felt that this person's handwriting was upright and insightful, suggesting that he must be a scholar with integrity.

"I need all the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Since you bought a lot, I can send you some." As he spoke, he counted out ten sheets of paper.

"Thank you, shopkeeper! Ah Yu, the basket!" Lin Yan counted out one string of coins from the basket, strung it with hemp rope, and then counted out seven hundred and twenty copper coins. "Shopkeeper, please count them!"

The shopkeeper watched Lin Yan count the copper coins from the basket and thought that the two children had brought all their savings to buy them.

"Let me round it down again. The rice is seven hundred coins per string." He returned twenty coins to her, without counting the rest.

"Thank you very much, shopkeeper!" Lin Yan accepted the offer with pleasure.

Once outside the store, Lin Yu finally caught his breath. "Sister, this schooling is so expensive! I think we've earned a lot of money, two strings of cash, and now it's all gone in one go."

“These won’t be used up so quickly; you’ll need them for a while. In a couple of days, we’ll be able to dry another batch of fruit.”

"Let's go, let's look around some more!"

…………

"Flatbread! Flatbread!" A vendor selling flatbread called out as people approached.

"It smells so good, sis!" Lin Yu sniffed.

"Let's go buy some!"

"Uncle, how much is this flatbread?"

"Two coins each without meat, six coins each with meat!"

"We want four with meat." She and Lin Yu could each eat one for lunch, and take the remaining two back to Lin's parents.

"Okay!" the vendor replied happily, then wrapped four flatbreads in oil paper.

Lin Yu counted out twenty-four coins from the basket and handed them to the vendor.

The two walked along eating their flatbreads, which were about the size of plates and were baked until crispy in the oven. The aroma of the meat was even more enticing after baking. Lin Yu ate with great satisfaction, exclaiming, "So delicious!"

"Sis, do we need to buy anything else?"

"Let's buy some meat, we're out of meat at home, and we also need sugar to make dried fruit." She can't go up the mountain to hunt every day, and Lin Yan has found that it's not easy to find wild animals in the nearby mountains. Even with her superpowers, there's nothing left in the mountains!

She and Lin Yu went to the meat stall and bought two catties of pork ribs and two catties of pork belly for 100 coins. They also bargained with the owner to get two big bones.

Then I bought five catties of cane sugar. Current sugar-making technology couldn't effectively purify it, so the cane sugar wasn't white but yellowish-black, yet it wasn't cheap, selling for forty wen per catty. After all, in an era of food scarcity, sugar was a luxury.

After buying the meat, Lin Yu sighed, "I felt like I had so much money when I sold the dried fruit, but now it's almost gone." Lin Yu counted the copper coins in the basket, "Only 336 coins left. This money really is flowing out like water!"

"Hmm! There's still some left!" Lin Yan nodded, thought for a moment, and then saw a fabric shop ahead, so she pulled Lin Yu there.

"Sister?! We still want to buy more?!" Lin Yu felt that the few coins left at the bottom of the basket were not going to last.

Upon entering the fabric shop, the shopkeeper noticed two teenagers and asked, "Are you two here to buy fabric?"

Lin Yan nodded. "Yes! Do you have a color that suits him?" Lin Yan pointed to Lin Yu.

"Sis, sis, I don't want it anymore, I have clothes to wear!" When Lin Yu heard that Lin Yan was going to buy him clothes, he quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. "I don't need anything! Buy yours, you're a girl, you should dress up nicely."

Then he said to the shopkeeper, "I want girls' clothes!"

Lin Yan smiled, "You're going to school now, I'll make you a new one. It's okay, take them all, buy some for Mom and Dad too!"

Lin Yu's eyes widened, and he mouthed to Lin Yan, "We don't have enough money, sis!" Then he said, "I don't want it anymore, I'll buy it for you!"

"Don't worry, I still have money." Lin Yan chuckled and patted Lin Yu's head.

"Shopkeeper, make one for my younger brother, and one for my parents. What kind do you think would be suitable?"

Having worked in the business for many years, the shopkeeper had developed a certain understanding of the purchasing power of the target audience. "Look at this ramie fabric," he said, "it's getting hot now, so it's breathable, cool, and durable."

Lin Yan touched the fabric and thought: It's so stiff, how can it not be durable!