"Alright! Anything edible is fine to send over, we can talk about the price after I see the goods? Don’t worry, if they’re good, I guarantee you won’t lose out," Ma Jincai also kept his wits about him, not having seen the goods—who knew what quality they’d be?
Chiang Xiao nodded in agreement.
She also inquired about any new happenings in town these past few days. Ma Jincai, not suspecting anything, thought for a bit and told her a few things, but none of them related to what Chiang Xiao wanted to know. She felt relieved, thinking that the incident at Chu Liang’s House last night must have been suppressed by the military.
No sooner had they finished talking than the dishes Chiang Xiao ordered were served. Ma Jincai hurriedly bid them farewell and left.
Chiang Songhai had hardly said a few words throughout the entire conversation, and Chiang Xiao had already settled the matter. He was stunned, still trying to process what had happened, when he was suddenly taken aback by the three large plates of substantial dishes.
Chiang silk snail meat!
He had seen it before—1.8 yuan a plate!
Chiang Songhai felt as if his heart had been pricked.
Then he looked at the plate of fried river shrimp, and felt another prick.
And the slices of meat intermixed with fat in the cabbage—another prick.
"Grandpa, you eat first, I’ll be right back," said Chiang Xiao as she dashed off, returning in less than three minutes with three aluminum basins in hand.
"I borrowed these from Director Ma. Let’s pack up half of the dishes to take home. We can reheat them tonight for dinner, so grandma can also try some," Chiang Xiao said, as she poured the meat and vegetables into the aluminum basins.
She filled two basins, stacked them, and covered them with the third, placing them all in the basket.
Thinking at least they would have food for another meal, Chiang Songhai’s aching heart eased a bit.
"All set, Grandpa, let’s eat while it’s hot. After eating, we still need to go shopping!"
The chef’s skills at Peace Restaurant were quite decent.
Chiang Songhai’s lunch was both satisfying and painful. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to indulge in such rich dishes at his age—usually it was just plain congee, greens, and pickles, bland to the point of boredom.
Filled with a lunch oozing with grease, and savoring delicious rice with hearty bites, it felt like he was dreaming.
After the greasy, filling meal, the grandfather and granddaughter left Peace Restaurant to buy paint and paper at the bookstore.
Originally, Chiang Xiao wanted to earn some money and buy a few sheets of paper, saving the rest for her household. But after talking with Ma Jincai, she changed her mind. Since she was going to enter Bai Gu Mountain and had found a new way to earn money, she needed to buy more supplies first, paint more with the Magic Brush, thinking it might come in handy on the mountain.
"Grandpa, is it okay if I use the money I earned today to buy more supplies for learning to paint?"
At this moment, Chiang Songhai didn’t know how much she would spend, but naturally, he agreed to let her spend the money.
"Of course, Little, buy whatever you want. Our money is all yours."
Hearing her grandpa’s words, Chiang Xiao smiled with pursed lips.
The bookstore in Peace Town wasn’t big, just two storefronts and ground level, with only five bookshelves not densely packed. Paints, brushes, and paper were kept in a glass showcase.
In Chiang Xiao’s eyes, these items couldn’t really compare to those of the future. There were only a few simple varieties, but they were enough for her current needs.
The paints for the wall propaganda paintings were bought with public funds provided by Secretary Yao, which were needed in large quantities, costing Five Yuan. Chiang Xiao bought two twelve-color sets of small paste tube paints for herself—one set of oil paints and one set of watercolors. The oil paints cost 1.8 yuan and the watercolors 1.5 yuan.
There were also two sizes of sketchbooks, the larger one at 0.78 yuan and the smaller one at 0.38 yuan. She also purchased a bundle of rice paper measuring one chi.
Pencils, erasers, rulers, palette, brushes, and ink brushes were also purchased.
In those times, having enough to eat was the top priority, and art supplies were considered luxury goods. Chiang Xiao’s purchases had almost cleared out the bookstore’s inventory.
When she left, the shop assistants were still in a daze.
Not only her, but even Chiang Songhai felt unsteady on his feet and broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead.