They used it very much as we use zero: as a place-holder digit in large numbers, and as the "number" before zero. Many places numbered the days of the month 1-20 (as we do), but others used 0-19 (as if we started the month on October 0th). The logographic nature of numbers and the limited subject matter of extant texts make it difficuly ascertain whether they would think of saying of "zero cacao beans" versus "no cacao beans." Modern languages tend to negate the verb rather than the noun, so comparison is tough.