Cheng Luanluan looked up at the sky. There were quite a few locusts flying across the sky, not many, but not few either.
Zhao Da frowned, "These things came here once last year. If they appear again this year, then Dahe Village, no, the entire Ping'an Town will be finished..."
"Uncle Da, no, it won't." Zhao Dashan shook his head vigorously. "Grandpa Lizheng said that the locusts that flew away won't come back. These might be stragglers that didn't manage to fly away last year. They won't be hard to deal with."
Zhao Da didn't speak, just drove the cart in silence.
Cheng Luanluan also remained silent. She estimated the number of locusts flying in the sky, roughly calculating there were nearly a hundred.
If locusts truly flew here, all the rice plants that had so painstakingly bloomed would be destroyed by them.
She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, when she watched the news, there was a hot search about a duck army sweeping away locusts, and hundreds of thousands of chickens entering rice fields, catching all the locusts flying everywhere, and eating them clean.
There were only three chickens at home, which was completely insufficient. Even if they immediately started incubating chicks now, there wouldn't be enough time. It would be great if chicks were sold in town.
Along the way, Cheng Luanluan pondered over the matter. Soon, the ox cart arrived at Ping'an Town.
At this time, the sun had just risen above the horizon. It was precisely the time for morning gatherings. At the intersection, people came and went, and various stalls lined the roadside.
"Selling steamed buns, selling steamed buns! Four copper coins for a pork bun!"
"Selling candied fruit, sweet and delicious candied fruit!"
"Selling eggs, cheap eggs here!"
The street was filled with loud shouts, and all the stalls were already occupied.
Dahe Village was too far from Ping'an Town. They had arrived so early, yet they couldn't even secure a single stall.
Cheng Luanluan found an empty spot at the end of the street, placed four buckets down, and instructed, "San Niu, you stay here and guard the goods. Dashan, you go to the restaurant over there and borrow two tables. It's two copper coins to borrow one. If it's more than two copper coins, don't bother. I'm going to the general store to buy food."
The mother and her two sons split up to work.
Cheng Luanluan walked to the only general store. This store had all sorts of items, including some antique porcelain bowls that looked decent. She opened her mouth and asked, "Shopkeeper, how much is one of these?"
The shopkeeper glanced at the patches on her clothes and said indifferently, "Thirty-five copper coins."
Cheng Luanluan: "..."
This was too expensive. Buying ten bowls, plus spoons, wouldn't that cost half a tael of silver? The cost was invisibly inflated.
She took a step back and asked, "Do you have anything cheaper?"
The shopkeeper's expression grew impatient. He said, "There are many cheap items here, one copper coin each, pick whatever you like."
Cheng Luanluan lowered her head to look. All the items below were defective. If their mouths weren't chipped, then their colors and patterns were ugly. They were only slightly better than the broken bowls at home.
She shook her head and turned to leave the store.
Behind her, the shopkeeper rolled his eyes in disdain, "Dressed so shabbily and still disdaining a one-copper-coin bowl, truly doesn't know her place..."
Cheng Luanluan was annoyed.
She walked to a small alley, opened the system's shop, and on the hazy interface, many beautiful sets of bowls and chopsticks of various styles were displayed.
She chose a set of ten medium-sized white porcelain bowls, each with a light pink plum blossom pattern. Each bowl cost two *wen* coins, totaling twenty *wen* coins, and ten spoons, making the grand total thirty *wen* coins.
She carried the ten bowls to the stall, only to see Zhao Dashan and Zhao Sanniu carrying two tables over.
Cheng Loanloan was a little surprised. She hadn't expected that with Zhao Dashan's glib tongue, he would actually be able to successfully borrow tables and chairs. This was a good omen!