Honey, look at the eggs I bought today. Even loose red-shelled eggs are six yuan per jin now, and the shopkeeper said the price might change again tomorrow.

I saw the news too. Many wet markets in Beijing have entered the “six-yuan era,” and even boxed eggs at supermarkets like Hema and Aldi have gone up.

No wonder. When I was waiting in line earlier, an auntie in front of me kept saying that last month they were still just over four yuan, and now even making tomato scrambled eggs feels painful.

This increase really is fast. I heard from wholesalers that eggs were cheap last year, and many farmers lost money, so they culled a batch of old hens. Now there are fewer laying hens, and supply has suddenly become tight.

But the Dragon Boat Festival just passed, and school cafeterias are about to close for vacation. Logically, demand shouldn’t be that strong, right?

That’s why everyone finds it surprising. Holiday stocking and high temperatures affecting egg production both play a small role, but the main reason is still the gap left by the earlier losses. It takes time for new hens to grow and lay eggs steadily.

Then let’s buy fewer this week. For breakfast, we can switch to soy milk and steamed buns, and not fry eggs every day.

Okay. I’ll check the price again on my way home from work tomorrow. If it keeps rising, we’ll just buy a small bag, enough to eat, and not join everyone in panic buying.