allonlinenovel Chapter 959 Current Situation in the City
Chapter 959 Current Situation in the City
However, they were not entirely clear about the situation inside the city.
After discussing it, the group decided to send someone out to check the situation first.
To avoid drawing attention, people plan to tidy up before leaving.
I boiled some hot water in the kitchen and washed all the exposed parts of my body, such as my hands, feet, and neck.
After a long period of fleeing famine, everyone was filthy.
I had to change the water twice before I was almost done washing.
He changed into a cleaner set of clothes before going out.
Thinking about her agreement with Wang Daniu last night, Lu Qingqing went out with Qin Lang.
The agreed time was 9:45 AM, but it was still early, so she decided to go for a stroll in the streets first.
The two drove the carriage out the door and headed towards the commercial street in the west of the city, which they had visited the day before.
The same dilapidated slums present a very different scene during the day and at night.
At the entrance of the dilapidated mud-brick and thatched house, a woman wearing a face towel was washing clothes.
There were also elderly people with gray hair sitting in the sun, and children playing in front of their homes.
Without exception, these people were all thin and had sallow complexions.
Upon seeing a carriage pass by, they hid in a panic and peeked out cautiously.
Even young children know to stay far away.
Lu Qingqing glanced at the population count along the street; there were only three to five people in the entire alley.
In some alleys, every house was locked up tight, and there wasn't a soul in sight.
The carriage continued forward and saw a grain shop sign on the street ahead.
As they drove closer, they discovered that the grain shop had already closed.
The lock on the door was covered with a thick layer of dust.
Clearly, this shop has been closed for a long time.
The liquor store and several other shops next door were also locked.
It seems that the situation in Dongyuan City is not very good either.
The carriage continued onward, passing through the slums in the north of the city, and arrived at the city center.
At this point, the road was smoother, and the houses on both sides were noticeably better.
There were noticeably more pedestrians in this part of the city.
Lu Qingqing even saw an old man selling veils at a roadside stall.
The veils on the stall were exquisitely woven, with a specially designed soft cord at the chin for securing them.
Even the veil on the hat can be easily removed.
This veiled hat is much better than the ones they wore when they fled famine.
Lu Qingqing stopped the carriage, got out, and took out a veiled hat to look at it.
When the old man saw her come down, he hurriedly greeted her.
"Young man, are you looking to buy a veiled hat?"
These veils cost only fifty coins each, a real bargain.
Not to boast, but in the entire Dongyuan City, there is no veil hat better than mine.
I've been weaving veils for decades, I can do it even with my eyes closed.
You can wear them with confidence, they're very durable!
Lu Qingqing wanted to find out some things, so she asked:
"Sir, I'll take this veiled hat. Give me ten of them."
Upon hearing this, the old man smiled and began loading the goods.
As Lu Qingqing took out money, she inquired about the matter.
"Sir, how long have you lived in Dongyuan City?"
The old man's hands kept moving as he sighed:
"Oh my, more than forty years have passed in the blink of an eye."
To be honest, when I was young, I worked as a loader and unloader.
Later, when I got too old to do manual labor, I learned this trade.
"Sigh, time really flies!"
Seeing the emotion on his face, Lu Qingqing continued to ask:
"Uncle, you've lived in Dongyuan City for so long, I'd like to ask you something."
The old man nodded. "Ask away, I know a lot about what's going on in this city."
Lu Qingqing said, "I'm planning to buy some grain, but I don't know where to buy it. Can you give me some suggestions?"
The old man's expression turned wary upon hearing her words.
He glanced at her and Qin Lang in the car behind, as if he had noticed something.
However, he wasn't scared away like the others.
He looked around and, seeing no one nearby, whispered:
"Young man, you are a kind person, willing to take care of an old man like me."
Let me tell you what I know.
Currently, there are two grain shops open in the city.
One family in the east of the city, and one family in the west.
However, you absolutely must not buy from these two stores.
Both of these companies have powerful backers, which is why they were able to start operating.
The grain prices inside are outrageously high; ordinary people like us simply can't afford them.
The food we ate was all bought secretly through various channels.
In our area, we all buy from the Wang family up ahead.
The Wang family originally ran a grain shop at the end of West Street in the city.
After the temperature dropped, the city underwent rectification, and the county magistrate began to buy grain at low prices.
Most of the grain in the grain shops in the city was taken away.
I don't know how it happened back then.
Anyway, when we went to buy grain again, many grain shops were closed.
If you know someone, go to the grain shop owner's house and ask.
Only then did they realize that all the grain had been harvested.
However, some shopkeepers still secretly hid some grain and sold it quietly.
If you want to buy grain, go south along this street.
Two intersections further west, and you'll see a house with its door open.
That was Manager Wang's residence; his family was still selling grain.
Manager Wang worked his way up from a lowly shop assistant, which is the most honest and down-to-earth approach.
The coarse grains I bought from his store had virtually no pebbles in them.
Go ask them!
Lu Qingqing confirmed the address with the old man again, and after understanding, she handed the money to him.
The old man looked at the piece of silver and hesitated.
"Young man, do you have any copper coins?"
I can't make change from this silver coin.
Lu Qingqing took the ten veils and waved them off.
"Sir, please accept the rest as a token of our gratitude!"
The old man was stunned for a moment when he heard this.
Seeing that Lu Qingqing was already sitting on the carriage shaft, he hurriedly picked up the remaining four veiled hats from the stall.
He ran forward and placed the hat on the cart shaft.
"Young man, please accept these veils!"
Seeing that he insisted on giving it to her, Lu Qingqing did not refuse anymore.
He nodded to him and drove away.
Behind them, the old man watched them leave, squeezed the silver ingots in his hand, and happily began to pack up his stall.
I met a kind person today and earned this one or two taels of silver, which will be enough to buy some grain.
Oh dear, he needs to go home early so his son can go buy some food.
There's not much food left at home.
The old man thought for a moment, rubbed his aching back, and started tidying up.