The morning mist of Chang'an had not yet cleared when the Taiji Chamber of Commerce's Pricing Supervision Team was already buzzing with activity. Huwa was riding a green-ox-drawn wooden cart covered in abacuses, the speakers looping "Pricing Transparency Disco," when he was suddenly jolted by a street vendor's shout: "Step right up! Take a look! Garlic steamed buns, buy one get one free, the second one is completely on the house!"
Huwa yanked the reins. The green ox let out a neigh and screeched to a halt. He looked closely—Uncle Zhang, who sold sesame flatbreads, had somehow set up a stall right next door, hoisting a banner for "garlic steamed buns" that looked almost identical to Huwa's own signboard. "Uncle Zhang, are you pulling a 'price assassin' 2.0 on us?" Huwa whipped out his "Abacus Eye" detector. "Buy one get one free sounds cheap, but actually..."
"I've been wronged!" Uncle Zhang lifted the steamer lid, and out tumbled a small abacus from within the steaming hot buns. "These are 'arithmetic buns'! Every bite drops an Abacus Bead, and collect nine to redeem a free flatbread!" The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Huwa did the math carefully and saw that it indeed didn't exceed the twenty percent price difference limit, leaving him with no choice but to painedly give a thumbs-up to Uncle Zhang's innovation.
Chapter 566