Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

11

Following his memories, he walked towards Wangfujing Street, like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time, filled with curiosity about the street scene.

He secretly resolved that once he had saved enough money, he would buy a camera and record the appearance of this ancient city before the city walls were demolished.

As we passed a grain store, the young clerk greeted us warmly: "What would you like, sir? We have a full range of grains here."

"

He Yuzhu looked around the store: "Do you have corn kernels, rice, and wheat?"

The man led him to the open sack.

He Yuzhu grabbed a handful of grains and rubbed them between his fingers: "What's the price?"

"Right now, the legal tender is depreciating every day. Wheat is 300 yuan per kilogram, rice is 350 yuan per kilogram, newly arrived Jingxi rice is 500 yuan per kilogram, and corn kernels are 250 yuan per kilogram."

"

Why is Jingxi rice so precious?

"This is imperial rice personally selected by Emperor Kangxi! It used to be exclusively for the royal family. If the Qing Dynasty hadn't fallen, ordinary people would never have been able to eat it."

"

He Yuzhu was secretly delighted and counted his only thousand yuan notes: "Half a pound each of wheat and corn, and half a pound of Jingxi rice as well."

"

"Alright! Where should I put it?" The waiter deftly took out the scale.

He Yuzhu then remembered that unlike in later generations when supermarkets had readily available plastic bags, plastic had not even been invented yet in this era.

"I forgot my rice bag in a rush when I left home. Do you have any bags here that can hold things? Please help me think of a solution. If not, I'll come back to buy some another day."

"Sir, you've bought too little; the rice bags in the store are too big to fit."

How about this—I'll wrap it twice in kraft paper for you, tie it securely, and it'll definitely stay in place the whole way.

"Thank you, where do I pay?"

"Come with me to the counter." The clerk led him to the counter and told the shopkeeper what he wanted.

He Yuzhu took out six banknotes and handed them over.

After counting the money, the shopkeeper said, "I'll take six hundred from you, the goods cost five hundred and seventy-five, here's your change of twenty-five." He took the change and put it away. The clerk had already tied three packets of seeds into a stack with hemp rope and handed them to him.

He Yuzhu picked up the paper bag and stepped out of the store, the sound of the waiter seeing him off echoing behind him.

He turned the corner and slipped into the alley. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he instantly stored the seeds in the Blessed Land.

After strolling around the streets for about an hour, the archway of Wangfujing came into view.

Only then did he realize how advantageous his location was—his old house was within the Third Ring Road, and it was less than an hour's walk to Tiananmen Square.

Strolling south to Qianmen Street, I suddenly saw the golden plaque of "Tongrentang" hanging high.

Remembering that this more than two-hundred-year-old brand was the prototype of the Bai family in "The Grand Mansion Gate", he straightened his clothes and stepped across the threshold.

"Sir, are you here to pick up medicine or...?" the waiter asked, stepping forward.

"I'd like to buy some medicinal herbs. I don't have a prescription, but I know their names. Is that alright?"

"Tell me what you think, and I'll go ask the manager."

"Could you please inquire about the prices of camellia seeds, alfalfa seeds, and foxtail grass seeds?"

The waiter hurriedly went into the back room and returned a moment later.

"I inquired with the manager about the three medicinal herbs you requested, and he said that a prescription is not required to purchase them."

Alfalfa seeds cost 50 yuan per 50 grams, foxtail grass seeds cost 5 yuan per 50 grams, and camellia seeds, which are transported from the south, are a bit more expensive, costing 100 yuan per 50 grams.

How much do you want?

He Yuzhu calculated that with the 425 yuan in his pocket, he could buy three liang of camellia oleifera seeds, but he didn't know how long it would take for them to grow after planting, so he needed to prepare more.

I bought two ounces of alfalfa and five ounces of foxtail grass, and that was just enough to cover the cost.

"Three ounces of camellia seeds, two ounces of alfalfa seeds, and five ounces of foxtail grass seeds."

"Okay, go to the counter to pay first, and I'll have someone get your medicine."