Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 99

The melon seed husks in Shopkeeper Li’s mouth hadn’t even been spat out when he first spotted the wardrobe. At first, he was inwardly sneering, after all, this design had long since been sold in his own shop. 

But very quickly, he froze, inhaled sharply, and almost choked on the husks. He coughed so violently he nearly passed out, and his clerk had to pat his back in alarm.

Li Mao’s face flushed red as he finally hacked up the husks. He stomped toward the wardrobe and stopped in front of it. Staring at the mirror that reflected a person with startling clarity, he pointed at Li Dalang in disbelief.

“You… you… where… where did you people get this thing? What… what is this?” Li Mao asked in utter shock.

Liu Chuncao gave a smug smile. “Never seen one before, have you? This is a mirror! A dressing mirror!”

Li Mao was still dazed, struck down to the core. “This… this is impossible… bronze mirrors can’t reflect a person this clearly!”

“Of course a bronze mirror can’t! Who said ours was bronze? Now please step aside! Don’t get in the way of our business!” For the first time, Liu Chuncao finally felt she could raise her chin proudly. She shoved Li Mao out of the way with a smile.

The clerk hurried to support his shaken master, murmuring comfort, “Shopkeeper, don’t take it to heart. This Weixuan Shop is always coming up with strange novelties. Give it some time, our shop will have the same soon enough.”

Li Mao finally snapped out of his daze, nodding repeatedly, though his eyes never left the mirror. He kept muttering, “You’re right, soon our shop will have it too… we will… we will…”

The clerk quickly chimed in to flatter him, speaking with indignation, “Across the street is just a little widow and a mud-legged country bumpkin, how could they compare to us? Ours is an ancestral woodshop! Let’s head back, Master!”

Li Mao’s face was wooden, dazed, his lips murmuring, “Ancestral shop… ancestral shop… but it can’t compare… can’t compare…”

Seeing his master so bewitched, the clerk dared not say more and carefully guided him back inside.

But Li Mao’s eyes lingered on those two wardrobes. Suddenly, realization struck, and he muttered aloud, “No wonder! No wonder… No wonder those blueprints looked so strange! The furniture we made always seemed incomplete. So that’s it… they’d held back, kept their trump card for this!”

He nearly coughed up blood in sheer frustration.

From the moment the wardrobes with dressing mirrors were put on display, a crowd gathered at the shop’s entrance. Word of Weixuan Shop having mirrors that reflected even the finest hair as clear as day spread like wildfire.

What had been a deserted storefront was suddenly teeming with life. Li Dalang and Liu Chuncao were grinning ear to ear, busy welcoming customers.

Then, in the distance, came the booming sound of drums and gongs. A dragon dance and lion dance troupe was marching down the southeast street. The crowd quickly made way, murmuring, whose wealthy household was celebrating today?

Li Dalang and Liu Chuncao, busy entertaining customers and repeating the sales lines Ying Su had taught them, didn’t pay the noise any mind.

The drums grew louder, until they stopped right in front of the shop. Out from the crowd stepped a burly, fierce-looking steward. Shi Fei, who had been drawing customers outside, stiffened in alarm. Could it be someone had come to cause trouble now that the shop had reopened? He rushed inside to report.

But the man’s booming voice called out first, “Brother, please pass a message to Miss Shen. Our Lord Ba has sent us to deliver congratulations!”

Shi Fei froze in confusion but nodded stiffly. “Alright!” He hurried to relay the news.

Ying Su came out herself. The visitor was none other than Da Lu, grinning broadly. He cupped his fists toward her. “Miss Shen, I congratulate you on behalf of Lord Ba! Our master had intended to come himself, but something came up at the docks and he couldn’t leave. So he asked Young Master Yuan to bring you this plaque!”

Da Lu stepped aside, revealing a refined, handsome youth behind him. Ying Su’s eyes narrowed slightly, she hadn’t expected such a clean, elegant young man to come from among Wang Ba’s band of rough men.

Wang Yuan flushed under her gaze. His long green robe emphasized his tall, lean figure. He bowed gracefully. “On behalf of my father, I deliver this plaque to you. May your business prosper and flourish without end.”

Ying Su nodded, lips curving into a faint smile. “So Brother Wang is your father? How interesting.”

Wang Yuan’s blush deepened. What does she mean by interesting? Was she amused by his words, or by the fact that Wang Ba was his father?

Da Lu pulled away the red cloth, revealing the plaque beneath. Grinning widely, he said, “Miss Shen, take a look. Lord Ba had this made especially for you, gilded in pure gold.”

The crowd gasped. People whispered that the plaque was striking and costly. Some street ruffians even recognized Da Lu and exchanged questioning looks.

“Who on earth owns this Weixuan Shop? If Da Lu’s calling him Lord Ba, could it really be that Lord Ba?” One muttered.

Another rolled his eyes. “Who else in Shili Town could command Da Lu? And didn’t you see? That’s Lord Ba’s son, Young Master Yuan!”

Across the street, Li Mao stood frozen. The sunlight gleamed off the massive golden plaque, stabbing his eyes with pain. He felt suffocated, pounding his chest desperately for air.

Ying Su glanced at the plaque and nodded slightly. “Please thank Brother Wang for me.”

Li Dalang and Liu Chuncao were completely dumbfounded by the scene. Questions filled their minds. Li Dalang muttered, “Since when did Cuihua know people like this?”

Liu Chuncao shook her head. “How should I know? But… this has to be a good thing! Go on, hurry and greet the guests! It’s improper for Cuihua, a young woman, to entertain them alone.”

She gave him a push, sending him stumbling forward until he stood beside Ying Su. Li Dalang smiled awkwardly, utterly flustered, unsure what to do with his hands or feet. Cautiously, he addressed Wang Yuan, “Little brother, please come inside! Have a cup of tea!”

Wang Yuan looked him over curiously. This rough, clumsy man, timid in manner, seemed worlds apart from Ying Su. Who exactly was he?

As if sensing his thoughts, Ying Su’s lips curved in a knowing smile.

“This is my eldest brother-in-law. Go have a look around the shop. If you see something you like, consider it a meeting gift from me to my nephew.”

Wang Yuan’s refined face flushed scarlet. His eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Ying Su.

“You… you…” he stammered, unable to form a full sentence.

Ying Su laughed lightly, lips curving again. “What? Did I say something wrong, nephew?”

Wang Yuan’s complexion shifted from red to white, then back to crimson. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, “No, you didn’t!”

But in his heart, he was dying of mortification. That old man! Why did he have to call this little girl ‘sister’? Now I’ve been taken advantage of instead!