C12 The First Sum of Money

The individual at the herbal medicine shop was utterly shocked.

"What is this, selling for twenty bucks?"

Consider that her monthly wage was barely a few dollars; twenty dollars was a considerable sum.

Yet, no one paid her any mind. Tang Jin and Han Qiangu simply walked out of the shop.

The pair arrived at the largest breakfast joint in town. It was modest, with around seven or eight seats, all of which were empty.

Han Qiangu ordered eight deep-fried dough sticks, two bowls of tofu pudding, two tea eggs, and a basket of steamed buns.

The proprietress of the breakfast shop was initially taken aback, then her face lit up with delight.

"Please wait, it'll be ready shortly!"

Once seated, Han Qiangu studied the man before him. Despite his plain attire, there was something about his demeanor and presence that was enigmatic.

It was rare for someone to recognize valuable herbs like Cordyceps, which have been known since ancient times.

"Brother, my name is Han Qiangu, and what might I call you?"

"Tang Jin!"

They exchanged a traditional fist salute as a greeting.

"Brother, this item is truly a gem, but I'm afraid it won't sell here. It's pointless for you to keep it. I'll offer double the price, what do you say?"

Tang Jin just smiled and shook his head.

"Brother, to be honest, that's Cordyceps. The price may not be high in this small town, but I assume you're from the city. There, it's highly sought after!"

Tang Jin's smile was inscrutable.

Despite Han Qiangu's sharpness, he hadn't expected Tang Jin to be so direct.

"So, what's your asking price?"

Tang Jin responded with a smile, gesturing the number nine with his hand.

Han Qiangu was left speechless.

"What? Impossible! That's too steep. You've got to cut me a deal. I can go as high as half that!"

With that, Han Qiangu held up five fingers.

"Let's compromise. I'll lower my price, and you'll lower your expectations. 90 yuan, final offer!"

Nowadays, for the average person, 90 yuan was an exorbitant sum.

Considering that a pound of pork cost just over one yuan, that 90 yuan could potentially buy upwards of 40 pounds of pork.

Han Qiangu clenched his jaw.

"Fine, consider it an investment in our friendship for today!"

They exchanged a knowing smile.

Once their conversation concluded, breakfast arrived.

After finishing their meal, Tang Jin also packed up two baskets of buns.

Tang Jin intended to pay, but Han Qiangu insisted on covering the bill.

Tang Jin then revealed the caterpillar fungus, giving Han Qiangu a glimpse.

Han Qiangu's eyes gleamed. He sniffed it, scraped off a tiny piece with his fingernail, and savored it in his mouth.

"Yes, this is the real deal!"

"We've had a taste, so now, shouldn't we..."

Tang Jin's smile lingered as he gazed at Han Qiangu.

Han Qiangu gave a firm nod.

"Done!"

Han Qiangu pulled out his wallet and counted out nine ten-yuan notes.

He passed the 90 yuan to Tang Jin, who didn't bother to count it before slipping it into his pocket.

It's worth noting that an ordinary farmer might not earn 90 yuan in several years, yet Tang Jin appeared unfazed by the amount, his demeanor untroubled.

"Brother, I'll give you an address. If you ever come to Yanjing, make sure to look me up!"

Without any delay, Han Qiangu produced a pen and jotted down an address for Tang Jin.

Tang Jin's gaze was fixed on the pen.

He thought to himself, "If I had a pen, I could teach Little Milk Bun to read!"

"Brother, I have a bold request, if I may..."

Han Qiangu clearly grasped Tang Jin's implication.

"You're eyeing my pen, aren't you?"

Tang Jin offered a ten-yuan note.

"Brother, I don't want you to lose out. Keep the money; I'll buy the pen!"

Han Qiangu nodded, accepted the ten yuan, and casually handed the pen over to Tang Jin.

"By the way, brother, do you have any ink?"

Han Qiangu's heart skipped a beat. It was common knowledge that in this small county town, fountain pens were a rarity that most people had never even laid eyes on, let alone found for sale in the local general store.

"I have some, but it's back at my hotel. Come with me, and I'll get it for you!"

Tang Jin nodded in agreement.

Once their conversation concluded, they rose and made their way to Han Qiangu's hotel.

Upon reaching the lobby, Tang Jin paused.

"Brother, I'll wait for you here. Go on up by yourself!"

Han Qiangu understood that Tang Jin was simply being cautious. His curiosity about Tang Jin deepened.

Here was a man who appeared to be quite destitute, yet his meticulousness in action was nothing short of impressive.

"Alright, I'll go now!"

Han Qiangu fetched a bottle of ink for Tang Jin, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, Tang Jin departed.

Leaving the hotel, Tang Jin headed straight for the general store, where a novel item had arrived that no one had ever seen before.

The store was bustling with customers, some sporting bell-bottoms and sunglasses, all with their gaze locked on a shiny new bicycle.

"What is this contraption? It sure is peculiar!"

The female salesperson, with her sharp features and sullen demeanor, showed no interest in engaging with the onlookers.

"Don't just stare, and definitely don't touch. If you damage this, you can't afford to pay for it!"

The crowd chuckled, but two troublemakers sauntered closer to the saleswoman.

"Miss Zhao, if we were to marry you, would this come as part of the dowry?"

Her face turned a shade of thunder as she screeched back at them.

"Dowry? I'd rather marry off my grandmother!"

Laughter erupted around the room.

In the midst of the laughter, Tang Jin entered.

He glanced at the gleaming 28-inch bicycle but quickly averted his gaze after seeing the price tag.

Approaching the counter, he made his request.

"Could I get a pound of apples, please?"

It was well-known that apples were a luxury fruit during that time.

The saleswoman, upon hearing Tang Jin's request, turned to face him.

"A pound of apples?"

Tang Jin confirmed with a nod.

"How much per pound?"

"Two dollars and fifty cents."

The shoppers in the vicinity were taken aback when they heard what the saleswoman had to say. Astonishingly, a pound of apples was going for a higher price than a pound of pork.

"I'll take a pound," Tang Jin said as he pulled three yuan in change from his pocket.