"You are a sharp as ever, weird boy!!" The middle-aged man laughed in a thundering voice again. He ruffled the young boy's head even rougher than before. The boy was shaken hard, he hugged the basket tighter so it wouldn't fall from his lap.
"Indeed, when did the money start being used?" The middle-aged man rubbed his rough chin with his thick fingers.
"Does it mean, before now, people didn't use money to buy things?" The young boy asked in excitement.
"Well, probably. That's what I heard from some clever guys. Long long ago, people didn't use money to pay things. They did barter instead." That middle-aged man put the young boy on another chair beside him, and he took his cup of black coffee.
"What is barter?"
"It's a way of exchanging things based on our needs, boy," the young lady entered the shop with 2 plates on her hands. "Here uncle Harold, your bacon pie." She put the plate in front of the middle-aged man.
"Is a toast with cheese and ham OK for you, boy? We still have some bread, and I don't want to throw it. And you also brought a lot of butter." The boy just nodded. She put the plate and a cup of cocoa milk in front of the young boy, "Ah, I didn't put sugar in it so it's OK."
The boy stared on the unrequested set of meal. The old lady giggled softly.
"She already memorised your taste, I see."
The young boy flustered. He took the cup and drink it with rose cheeks. "So, what me and pizza owner did of exchanging tomatoes and sugar is something could be called barter?"
"Yup! It's fun, isn't it?" The middle-aged man grinned at him like a little kid.
"So, if it is so easy to do, why did people start using money?"
"Hem, I am not so sure boy. But I think sometimes it easier to buy it with money instead of exchanging them. Because it will be easier to determine the value, perhaps?" The middle-aged man answered nonchalantly and started eating his bacon pie.
"Like this pie. I don't actually know, how many slices of pizza should I give in exchange."
The boy looked at his own plate, "Yeah, me neither, I guess. If I pay it with yogurt. How may jars should I give?"
"That's why, since human needs are getting more and more complex, comparing the value of things to another things is getting more difficult." The middle-aged man chomped another bite of the pie.
"Then, How many sugar will you give me in exchange to the tomatoes, pizza owner?" The young boy started eating his toast.
"Well, maybe this is the advantage of money. Let's see," The middle-aged man pointed his right point finger to his lips, tapped it for several times while thinking, "With that kind of quality and quantity, it will be around 25 pennies. Then I'll give you the sugar as much as the same cost. Fair isn't it?" He pointed his fork to the boy.
"Hmm..., maybe..." The boy sounded unsure. "But, then.., how do people determine the value of things and convert it into money?"
"Let's play a guessing," the old lady smiled at the young boy. Even the young lady and the middle-aged man looked at her in a quizzical expression.
"I like playing game!" The young boy was enthusiastic and nearly jumped off his chair.
"If you have to give some value of things, how will you put the order from the highest to the lowest amongst cheese, milk, and egg?"
The boy scrubbed his chin lightly, "I think cheese will be the highest, but... I am not sure with the milk and egg. Probably nearly the same?"
The old lady smiled. The other two were interested and listened closer.
"Now, how about amongst sweater, gold, and tomato?"
The young lady folded her arms across her chest, she was interested on how her granny communicated with the young boy. 'This is something I've never tried before', she thought.
"Isn't gold, sweater, and tomato?" The young boy answered hesitantly.
"Why do you think that's a good order?" The middle-aged man asked, he seemed to understand the flow.
"Because, gold is very rare, it's difficult to find and even if you find it, you still have to shape it to make it more usable. Sweater is from wool, and wool is from sheep. We cannot take the wool anytime, well, compare to tomato, I think."
"Great!" The old lady looked satisfied. "Now, in summer, which one will be more valuable, summer shirt or coat?"
"Summer shirt of course, who would even wear a coat in summer? Ah," the young boy left his words hanging for a while, he crossed his fingers and put his arms behind his head, "I think I start to understand it. Thanks a lot." He smiled to the old lady.
The middle-aged man sipped his last gulp of black coffee. "Come on, Boy! Let's go to my place, we still have a business to deal with."
They pushed the door and narrowed their eyes. Seemed like the cloud had went away, letting the sunlight passed through the sky. Indeed, the day was just about to start.
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