"I was really at my wits end. The children at home were complaining about having sore throats after eating the corn noodles. My mother-in-law and I decided to shamelessly come here to borrow them..."

After the Lin family's daughter-in-law finished speaking, she shook her head again in shame and sighed.

Yang Ruoqing raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"When did the price of rice rise so high? It's ten times higher," she said.

The Lin family's daughter-in-law said: "I don't know either. I didn't go to see the surplus grain at home before, but then I started going to the town to buy rice during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"The price is raised every half month. During the twelfth lunar month, the price is almost every three days. Especially during the Chinese New Year, it is even higher than the price of pork. If you have money, you can't buy it, and you don't know what the price is.

What happened? Why is this happening?" she said.

Yang Ruoqing asked again: "What about other rice and grain shops in the town? Is this the same situation?"

The Lin family's wife nodded.

Yang Ruoqing wanted to ask something more, but Mrs. Sun and Granny Lin's mother-in-law had already weighed the rice and came over from the backyard.

The mother-in-law of the Lin family said happily to her daughter-in-law: "I asked you to lend me ten kilograms, and your third aunt lent us thirty kilograms. Wife, now we have rice to cook in the first month of the year, and our relatives will also have food to eat when they come over."

"

When the Lin family's wife heard this, she was also filled with gratitude.

Faced with the many thanks from her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Sun said a little embarrassedly: "We are all fellow villagers, so we should help each other. There is no need to see anyone outside."

"If it's not enough to go back, come here again," she said.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Lin family expressed their gratitude again. The daughter-in-law took the bag of rice and held it in her arms like a treasure, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left together.

Here, Mrs. Sun looked at their backs as they walked away, and couldn't help but sigh and said: "Hey, how pitiful, people coming out to borrow rice during the Chinese New Year, it's sad to see this kind of thing."

Yang Ruoqing came to Sun's side and asked Sun, "Mom, have you heard about the skyrocketing price of rice in town?"

Mrs. Sun was startled for a moment, and then said: "Did it skyrocket? I don't know, but some time ago I was washing clothes in the pond at the entrance of the village. I heard them talk about this. They seemed to be talking about the price of rice. I didn't know it at the time.

Listen carefully."

"Oh." Yang Ruoqing nodded, thoughtfully.

As the New Year approaches, the prices of various things will increase, which is normal.

Just like in modern times, the price of vegetables has doubled around the Spring Festival.

But no matter how much it rises, it will always be within a certain range, and after that special period, the price will fall and return to its original state.

Moreover, she has been at home this year, so she went back to pick up Luo Fengtang and left for nearly a month.

Before that, except for rice and grain, she didn't pay much attention to the things in Wa City. The fluctuations of other basic living necessities were within the normal range.

"Take your clothes back first, it's time to cook dinner." Yang Ruoqing said.

After dinner, Yang Huazhou and Yang Yongjin came over to play.

In addition, the county and county restaurant account books were specially sent to Yang Ruoqing for review.

Mrs. Sun cleaned the table, made a few bowls of tea and put it on the table, then went back to the kitchen in the backyard and continued her work.

Fry meat bones, blanch raw chicken, fry meatballs, patties, etc...

In the main room, Yang Ruoqing was looking through the account books at the table. Yang Huazhou and Yang Yongjin were sitting on the left and right, waiting for Yang Ruoqing's inquiries at any time.

Luo Fengtang accompanied Yang Huazhong and talked quietly to the side.

Every once in a while, Luo Fengtang would get up and stir the fire in the charcoal brazier, or add a few new charcoals.

This charcoal is made from the finest charcoal and has almost no smoke.

Unlike in the past when conditions were poor, it was considered a luxury to be able to burn the lowest quality charcoal. Every time it was burned, people would choke with tears and runny noses, and the room would be filled with smoke like fire.

Life is getting better now and everything has improved.

At the table, Yang Ruoqing also saw through these account books that there have been many ups and downs in prices related to life in the past six months, but they are not exaggerated.

After discussing with Yang Huazhou and Yang Yongjin about the management of the restaurant, she closed the account books and started talking about something off-topic.

As they talked, they talked about the Lin family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law coming over to borrow rice in the evening.

Yang Yongjin said: "Qing'er, please don't mention this. I also find it strange that rice and grain shops in not only Qingshui Town, but also Wanghai County and other towns down there have been arranged."

"The prices have soared beyond recognition. Many families in the county cannot afford rice, so in the end they have to eat wheat noodles."

"The price of wheat noodles has also increased. How low will it be in the end? It will be as low as going to the Wa Market to pick up rotten vegetable leaves and make porridge!" he said.

"Is there such a thing?" Yang Ruoqing raised her eyebrows.

Yang Yongjin nodded, "The prices of other restaurants in the county have increased. It's not the food prices that have increased, it's mainly the rice."

"In the second half of the year, several big restaurants in the county have closed down, let alone small restaurants."

"Why? I can't afford rice!" Yang Yongjin said.

"Our Tianxianglou's business in the second half of this year is obviously better than in previous years. After a long time, it turns out that it is because there are fewer competitors?" Yang Ruoqing asked.

Yang Yongjin nodded, "Our Tianxiang Tower, because the rice is supplied by Uncle San, there is no need to buy it outside, and the cost has not increased."

"In previous years, the rice in the restaurant's rice warehouse could last until the next season's rice matures, but this year there are more people eating in the restaurant, and the rice is used up quickly."

"I'm a little worried that I won't be able to wait for the next season's rice to mature. If there is no food supply in the meantime, our restaurant will have to go out to buy rice, which will be a big loss. I might not be able to buy so much rice even if I put in all the profits I made before.

This is what I'm most worried about right now!" Yang Yongjin said.

Beside him, Yang Huazhou also patted the table, "Yes, Jin's worries are also my worries. Restaurants in the county are also facing the same situation."

"Just a few days before I came back from the county, the price of rice was different between yesterday and next week. Even if you have money, you can't buy it. I don't know where the rice in the market outside has gone!" Yang Huazhou

Said again.

Hearing this, Yang Ruoqing frowned.

Over there, the conversation between Yang Huazhong and Luo Fengtang also came to an abrupt end.

Yang Huazhong said: "It's not just restaurants. Many people in our village have suffered this loss. They don't even have tears to cry now."

Yang Ruoqing turned her gaze to Yang Huazhong and motioned for him to continue.

Yang Huazhong continued: "Take Wangfu as an example. Not long ago, he saw that the price of rice was rising, so he stole half of the rice in his family's rice warehouse and sold it without telling his son and wife."

"I sold it for a good price, and I had a lot of fun for a while. I bought cigarettes, wine, meat, and came back to make tooth sacrifices. I showed off my business skills to everyone I met."

"Other families in the village were jealous and took some of their own rice to sell. The money they earned from selling the rice also tasted the benefits."

"Both of them are following the trend, selling a few kilograms of rice at will, eating a few more meals of wild vegetable soup, and selling the saved rice can buy two sets of clothes. It's like they have found a treasure."
Chapter completed!