Chapter 15: Spending Money

And then there were these two rabbits—if they truly had the miraculous effect she claimed, then his connections in the southern part of the city would only expand further. In this world, no matter how much power you hold, or how much money you have, no one can escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. But who is willing to die? Especially those who are wealthy and hold status. This time, he planned to sell the rabbits to an old official he was acquainted with. The old official had already retired, but once held high office, and his children were all successful. She lacked nothing in terms of money, but her health was poor. If these rabbits really could nourish the body, then his business in the family compound would thrive. He wouldn’t even need to worry about anyone reporting him.

Thinking of this, he quickly brought Ji Tangtang to his base of operations and exchanged the goods she had requested. Then he pulled out a tube of toothpaste and apologized, “Big sister, you’ve walked quite a lot today. I haven’t yet delivered on the seeds I promised you. Let me give you an extra tube of toothpaste as compensation.”

Ji Tangtang took the white jade-like toothpaste from Qin Xiangdong and sniffed it, finding a rich fruity fragrance. Although it couldn’t compare to the fruit from the secret realm, the scent was still quite pleasant. Brushing teeth while smelling such a fragrance would certainly feel nice. She accepted the toothpaste and asked, “How much is this toothpaste per tube? I’ll buy a few more.”

“This fruit-flavored one is a bit more expensive. At the supply and marketing cooperative it’s sold for 50 cents a tube, but you also need ration tickets. With me, you don’t need tickets—80 cents a tube. I only have three left in stock.”

Ji Tangtang, now carrying a large amount of cash, didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take all three.” Then she looked around and said, “What else do you have? Take everything out and let me see.”

Seeing her boldness, Qin Xiangdong knew this big sister was not only capable but also willing to spend. Acting mysterious, he said, “Wait a moment.” Then he went into another room and carefully wheeled out a bicycle, presenting it proudly: “Well? Surprised? This is a Forever-brand bicycle. At the supply and marketing cooperative it costs 180 yuan, and even with tickets, it’s not guaranteed you can buy one.” He expected to see excitement in Ji Tangtang’s eyes.

But Ji Tangtang’s expression didn’t budge. What a joke—wasn’t this just a low-level magical tool? One that couldn’t even fly, and required pedaling with your feet. In her past life, which magical tool she used wasn’t far superior to this? What was there to be excited about?

Qin Xiangdong, seeing her so calm, inwardly praised her as truly an expert. With a sheepish laugh, he said, “Someone else originally ordered this from me. We agreed on 200 yuan. If you want it, I’ll give you 10 yuan off—190 yuan for you.”

Ji Tangtang sighed. No matter how advanced her magical tools once were, she couldn’t use them now. She could only reluctantly settle for this low-level tool. She nodded. “Alright, bring me this bicycle. Do you have anything else good? We’ll settle everything together later.”

Qin Xiangdong said, “That fabric I gave you earlier—I have more. Want it?”

Thinking of the rags the Ji family members wore, Ji Tangtang replied boldly, “Bring it all out, I’ll take it.”

Qin Xiangdong fetched the fabric from his storage room and introduced it: “This is the most fashionable Dacron (terylene). Outside, it’s 1.2 yuan per foot with ration tickets. With me, no tickets are needed. I usually sell it for 1.4 yuan per foot, but for you, I’ll discount it to 1.3 yuan. How about it?”

Ji Tangtang looked at the fabric with disdain—it was nothing compared to her magical robes. But recalling the memories of the original host and the information from the book, she knew she had little choice now. She nodded. “Alright, I’ll take it all. Count up how much it costs.”

Qin Xiangdong felt this business deal today was truly worthwhile. His smile could barely be suppressed. “One bolt of fabric is 40 feet. At 1.3 yuan per foot, that’s 52 yuan per bolt. Two bolts would be 104 yuan. Add the bicycle and toothpaste, that makes a total of 296 yuan and 40 cents.”

Ji Tangtang pulled out a thick wad of large-denomination bills, slid her fingers across it, and easily took out 30 notes, handing them over. “Do you have anything else? Like rice or flour?”

Qin Xiangdong carefully counted the money. Exactly 30 bills—not one more, not one less. But he had seen clearly: she had drawn out a very thick wad, and with just a casual slide of her fingers, she took out exactly the right amount. His earlier suspicion was confirmed—she indeed had some special ability. Just by sliding her fingers over the money, she could know the exact count. Amazing! He even thought about recruiting her.

His thoughts raced as he answered her question: “I don’t have grains like rice or flour—those are in very short supply.”

Ji Tangtang was a little disappointed. It seemed she still had to cultivate more land in the secret realm. Only by relying on herself could she have enough food and clothing.

Seeing her disappointment, Qin Xiangdong remembered how she had specifically asked for seeds when selling ginseng. He quickly added, “I don’t have grain, but I do have some things that could be used as seeds. You might like them.”

He took a stool, climbed up, and untied a bundle hanging from the beam, opening it to show her. “These are seeds people kept for themselves. If you need them, I can part with some.”

Ji Tangtang asked, “What kinds are there?”

Qin Xiangdong introduced them one by one: “These food crop seeds include sorghum and soybeans, and there are also vegetable seeds—this one’s chili, this one’s beans, and pumpkin…”

Ji Tangtang frowned as she looked at the seeds. It seemed that the original host’s family also had some of these vegetable seeds, since the land around their house was used for growing vegetables. But they probably didn’t have much left. As for sorghum and beans, it seemed the family didn’t have any.

After thinking for a while, she said, “Alright, I’ll take them all.”

Qin Xiangdong nearly cried out ancestor! in his heart and hurriedly said, “I can’t give you all of these. These were kept by people for their own use—they still need to plant them. I can only give you half.” Even giving half made him feel guilty, afraid he’d be scolded later. But right now, satisfying this “ancestor” was the most important thing.

Ji Tangtang could more or less tell that these seeds didn’t really belong to him. Thinking that time flowed differently in the secret realm, and with its spiritual spring and aura, crops planted there would definitely mature faster than outside, she said, “Alright, once I save some seeds, I’ll give you a share.”

Qin Xiangdong thought to himself, By the time you save seeds and bring them over, this year’s planting season will already be missed. But since he had suggested it himself, hoping to please her, it was his own doing. Since his goal was to win Ji Tangtang’s favor, he naturally refused to take money, so he went along with her words and said, “Alright, when you save some seeds, just share a bit with me. These were kept for personal use anyway, so no need to pay.”

Ji Tangtang replied, “Fine, but then you don’t need to give me the remaining change.”

“No, that won’t do. What’s owed is owed,” Qin Xiangdong insisted, handing her 3 yuan and 60 cents in change, showing that he was a man of integrity.

Ji Tangtang didn’t want to take his seeds for free, so she pulled a few wild fruits out of her pocket and handed them to him. “I picked these myself in the mountains.”

Qin Xiangdong looked at the fruits she gave him and once again felt grateful that he hadn’t tried to play tricks in front of her. He accepted the fruits, then told Ji Tangtang the places where he usually did business. He explained that if she wanted to sell things in the future, she could look for him there, and if she didn’t see him, who she could go through to find him instead.

After the two made their arrangements, Ji Tangtang pushed her bicycle and carried off a full basket of goods.