Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 22

As soon as one of the shop assistants saw someone walk in, he quickly lifted his eyes. Taking one glance at Ying Su’s clothes, the smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced with impatience. Waving her off, he said, “Shoo, shoo. Do you even know what kind of place this is?”

Ying Su raised her brow slightly. “And what kind of place is this?”

The clerk clearly hadn’t expected her to ask. Normally, those dressed so plainly would only look uneasy and flustered. Once driven out, they’d leave with their faces burning. But this woman, her skin was thick enough to talk back!

“You don’t even know what this place is, and you dare come in? You reek of fish, you’ll stink up the customers! Out with you!” The clerk’s expression hardened as he reached out to push Ying Su out.

Ying Su’s expression didn’t change. She flipped her hand and caught his wrist instead. A crisp crack sounded, and the clerk gave a short cry, his face turning pale as sweat broke out on his forehead.

A trace of displeasure swept through Ying Su’s heart. Releasing his hand, she said calmly, “So this is how your shop treats its customers?” Her dark eyes deepened. She hadn’t expected to run into so many blind fools in a single day.

The sudden turn of events stunned the other assistants. The shopkeeper sitting by the counter was a sharp one. He immediately stood up, plastering on a smile as he hurried over to Ying Su, giving the groaning clerk on the ground a hard kick.

“The lad was ignorant. What would the customer like to purchase? Please, this way.”

Ying Su’s face remained calm as she followed the shopkeeper over to the counter where rice paper was displayed. She carefully examined several types, compared them one by one, and finally picked out one kind. She asked, “How much is this paper?”

“Two wen for five sheets,” the shopkeeper replied quickly with a smile.

“I’ll take one hundred sheets.” Ying Su turned and walked toward the brushes and inkstones. After another careful look, she chose one brush, one inkstone, and an ink stick.

The shopkeeper had been watching her movements the entire time. Seeing how discerning she was, he realized both he and his clerk had misjudged her. Though she was dressed plainly, she was clearly literate and knowledgeable.

He wrapped up all the items she had chosen and pulled out his abacus. “This ink stick is sixty-six wen, the inkstone forty, the wolf-hair brush ninety-four. The hundred sheets of rice paper…” The beads clicked and clacked rapidly under his fingers.

“The total comes to two hundred forty wen.”

Ying Su drew the money from her sleeve, placed it on the counter, picked up her purchases, and turned to leave.

The shopkeeper lifted his head, staring blankly at her back. He lowered his head again, flicking the abacus beads once more. After a while, he muttered, “It really is two hundred forty. That woman’s mental arithmetic is remarkable.”

On the shop’s second floor, a middle-aged man in a plain blue robe stood respectfully at the side. Seated in the chair next to him was a refined young man in a white brocade robe, his features as fine as carved jade, his bearing elegant and striking.

The young man curved his lips as he watched Ying Su’s departing figure. Interest glimmered in his limpid eyes. “That was quite the show. This woman has some skill.”

The middle-aged man in blue was none other than the one who had bought ten big fish from Ying Su earlier. He said respectfully, “When that woman sold fish earlier, she mixed them all together and sold them by piece. Buyers all went for the big ones. Though there weren’t many big fish, those who bought them felt they’d made a bargain. They didn’t realize that the woman was the one who truly came out ahead.”

The man in white nodded slightly, withdrawing his gaze from Ying Su’s back. He lifted a long, slender, jointed hand, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip. “Dismiss that clerk downstairs. Also, send someone to investigate that woman.”

“Yes,” the middle-aged man responded respectfully.

The young man raised his pale fingers to press his brow, his other hand lightly tapping the wooden table beside him. A thoughtful look creased his features.

From his sleeve, his hand deftly drew out a black, glossy stone. He rubbed it in his palm, his eyes lowering slightly as he stared at it, sinking into thought.

Yesterday, the stone had grown warm. Upon receiving a secret message, he rushed to Dongjun overnight. Yet, after arriving, the stone gave no further reaction. Looking for something now would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

After buying brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for the little bun, Ying Su entered a fabric shop. She bought him two sets of cotton clothes. Remembering his worn-out shoes with toes peeking through, she picked out two pairs of comfortable new ones. She also bought a length of cloth and two quilts, spending another two hundred thirty wen in total.

With nothing in the house, Ying Su felt she wanted to buy everything she saw. But she knew she couldn’t be hasty. Her money wasn’t endless. Furnishings would have to be bought piece by piece, starting with the most necessary.

Two taels and three qian of silver might not sound like much, but it wasn’t little either. Still, Ying Su had too many things to buy. After one round of shopping, she had only one tael and five qian left.

Carrying her purchases, Ying Su walked toward Southwest Street. Passing the intersection with Southeast Street, she made a point of observing carefully.

Both sides of Southeast Street were lined with three-story wooden buildings. The street was tidy and quiet, with shop doors wide open yet nearly deserted. Now and then, one or two people could be seen.

It was only May. In Shengjing, the heat had yet to become unbearable, so the wealthy seeking respite from summer had likely not arrived yet.

Southwest Street wasn’t as crowded as Northwest Street, but it was still lively. Clearly, the shops here were a notch more upscale than those up north, with many wealthy folk about.

Following Liu Chuncao’s directions, Ying Su soon found the workshop where they worked. Entering, she noticed the assistant only glanced at her once. He didn’t chase her out, but his attitude was still cold.

Ying Su strolled through the shop, carefully looking over all the wooden furniture.

The assistant, thinking she intended to buy, stepped forward and asked, “What would you like to purchase?”

Ying Su shook her head. “I’m here to see someone. Is Li Dalang here?”

The clerk clearly knew Li Dalang. Hearing her ask, he replied quickly, “He’s working in the back courtyard. Who might you be to him? I’ll let him know.”

“We’re from the same village,” Ying Su said.

The clerk lifted a curtain and went into the courtyard. Shortly after, he returned, bringing Liu Chuncao with him.

Liu Chuncao smiled broadly when she saw Ying Su. “You’re here already? Sold out all your fish?”

Glancing at the empty bucket by Ying Su’s side, now filled only with her shopping, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

Ying Su gave a faint smile. “I was lucky. Sold everything.”

Liu Chuncao didn’t think much of it, only assuming Ying Su had good fortune and met a generous customer. She stepped forward, took Ying Su by the hand, and said, “Come on, let’s go see the backyard.”