You wait for Moonflower to finish trading, then you walk up to the chemist and ask him about job opportunities.

Chemist: "A temporary assistant, then. Of course, all assistants are temporary, in the grand scheme of things. But yes, you look useful.

You must've heard about my missing counter. I know, I told you about it myself. It couldn't have gone far. Well, relatively speaking. Find it and bring it back to me, and I will reward you with thirty-two bits. I'd do it myself, but I have science to do.

Speaking of science, I need somepony to help me with my research. Nothing too complicated, I suppose. I just concocted this new solution. An experimental potion, that is. I will offer thirty-two bits to anypony willing to test a sample of it while I study its effects. A small sacrifice, really.

That reminds me. I'm running low on vaccinium oxycoccos. It's a small berry that grows in coniferous swamps. As you can see on this map, there's a coniferous swamp just southeast of here. You'll find some there. Probably. For each cup of vaccinium oxycoccos you bring me, I will pay you... say... thirty-two bits sounds fair.

Hmm... I can't think of anything else you can do. To assist me, at least."

The clock on the wall indicates a quarter to five.