She thought for a bit and almost blurted out ‘half a catty’ but then she remembered that in ancient times half a catty was equal to around eight ounces. After all, wasn’t there a saying that said ‘a half a catty is eight ounces’, which meant ‘there’s not much to choose between the two’? Thus, she hastily corrected herself, “Please give me four ounces of each.” 

The price for the vinegar and soy sauce came out to be five copper coins total. She then calculated all of the transactions she had conducted today. Her mother had given her twenty copper coins for pocket money, and she had sold Xiaolian’s embroidery for one hundred copper coins. The embroidery silks cost ten coins, and the spices and condiments were thirty coins. She had also stuffed ten coins into her older brother’s hands. After that, she still had eighty coins on hand. So it wasn’t like she was a spendthrift right?

Growl….

They had eaten breakfast early today. Even Little Shitou, who was used to having only two meals a day, hugged his belly, which was rumbling in protest, with a distressed look on his small face. However, he didn’t even suggest the possibility of buying something to eat.  

The food market had some booths selling breakfast that hadn’t closed yet. Xiaocao carefully held her condiments and walked over to the stalls with her younger brother. She bought a bowl of hot soup, took out her shepherd’s purse...