One xun of paper is about 1.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters long, and costs one hundred coins.

　　Gu Zhao also had an inkstone, which only needed an ink stick. A cheap ink stick, a rectangular piece weighing about four taels, cost one hundred and fifty coins. Rabbit-hair and goat-hair brushes were cheaper, and came in different sizes. The ones used for copying books cost thirty coins each, and the larger ones cost fifty coins.

　　Two brushes, an ink stick, a fathom of paper, and three hundred and thirty coins.

　　Li Zhouzhou raised a pig. He cut grass for the pig every day and fed it with wheat bran three times a day. After more than a year, the fat and meaty pig weighed only about 200 pounds. One pound of meat cost ten cents. When Gu Zhao just bought the meat, he checked the cleaned bones and found that one cent could buy two large bones.

　　A pig weighing two hundred pounds costs two taels of silver.

　　Gu Zhaogang still thinks that salt and sugar are expensive. Compared with this, if people do not study and do not take the imperial examination, the current life of ordinary people can be considered to be well-fed and well-off. But if they just want a temporary comfort, then they can only pray for good weather, for the superiors to be kind and not to increase taxes, for no corrupt officials, and for no war.

　　The imperial examination is a must.

　　”Do you have these two books?” Gu Zhao took out the note and asked.

　　The bookstore clerk heard this and said, “Yes, wait a moment.” He went to the bookshelf, found two thin books and took them down, saying, “Two books, a total of two taels of silver.”

　　Gu Zhao: …

　　A big fat pig and a book.

　　”Do you have a handwritten copy? I’d like to buy one.” Gu Zhao said immediately.

　　The waiter put the books back on the shelf with regret, muttering that the two books were printed in Beijing with clear handwriting and good paper, and they could be read and stored for a long time without being damaged.

　　Seeing that his Zhou Zhou was very interested, Gu Zhao immediately interrupted the waiter’s muttering and said, “I want a handwritten copy, cheap.”

　　The handwritten copies were copied by students from poor families to earn a living and to consolidate their knowledge.

　　”The total price for the handwritten copy is one tael of silver.” The clerk took down the manuscript.

　　Gu Zhao flipped through it and saw that the handwriting was better than his, neat and tidy, with occasional black spots. This was a 50% discount, so he could understand the typos. So he said, “I want this one.”

　　Li Zhouzhou was still thinking about the good book that the guy just mentioned, printed in Beijing——

　　”Is it okay, Zhou Zhou?” Gu Zhao asked.

　　Li Zhouzhou paid the money.

　　The clerk wrapped the ink stick with oil paper first. If it got wet, the books and paper would be ruined. He wrapped the things and handed them over. “Thank you for your patronage. The total is one tael, three hundred and thirty coins.”

　　The two came out of the bookstore, Gu Zhao was holding something in his hand, and Li Zhouzhou confessed, “Husband, in fact, I have saved three or four strings of money over the years, and we can buy those two printed books.”

　　”I didn’t expect that my Zhou Zhou is actually a small rich man.”

　　My husband said something again that he couldn’t understand but he knew he was teasing him.

　　Gu Zhao finished joking and said in a serious tone, “I know Zhou Zhou loves me, but studying is not something that can be done overnight. Buy two books today, and you will have to buy more in the future. If you can’t finish reading, you will have to buy more. If paper and pens are used up or broken, you will have to buy more. These cheap things will be enough.”

　　On weekdays at home, when his husband teases him, he will act like a child and act like a spoiled child, which Li Zhouzhou likes. Now that his husband is talking seriously, Li Zhouzhou can’t tell what’s going on, but he feels that his husband is reliable and steady, and he likes him very much, so he can’t help but say, “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

　　After they finished buying the things, it was noon. The steamed buns they brought in the morning were cold and hard. They were both starving, so Li Zhouzhou took his husband to the noodle stall and ordered a bowl of vegetarian noodles and a bowl of meat noodles.

　　Vegetarian noodles cost three cents, and meat noodles cost five cents.

　　The boss served the noodles in a coarse porcelain bowl with plenty of filling.

　　Li Zhouzhou pushed the meat noodles in front of his husband. Gu Zhao did not refuse. He just used a wooden spoon to put most of the meat sauce on top into Zhouzhou’s bowl.

　　”Hey, sir, I don’t need it—”

　　”Who just said ‘I’ll listen to you, sir’?”

　　Li Zhouzhou was speechless, but he felt happy inside, so he ate the food obediently, thinking that he would order meat for both portions next time, so that his husband could eat well. He ate the steamed buns he brought with the hot noodles.

　　My husband has a small appetite, so this is not necessary.

　　There were still diners at the noodle stall. While Li Zhouzhou was eating noodles, he heard someone talking about him and his husband, saying that they didn’t look like a couple and that they were brothers. He was the older brother and his husband was the younger brother who was a scholar. Li Zhouzhou didn’t like to hear this.