Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 110

“Wait here, I’ll have them open the door for you,” Wei Shang says, heading up the steps to knock.

They don’t go straight to the house for sale but instead to where the family currently lives.

Linzi City is divided into several districts: the center, the south, east, north, and west. The city center houses the royal family and serves as the political heart of the city. The south is where most merchants reside, the commercial hub of Linzi.

Most noble families live in the north city, while the west city is the slum—though still better than the areas outside the city.

As they near the west of the city, the streets grow worse, the buildings more dilapidated, and the atmosphere more desolate.

Chen Shu realizes how poor this area is when they reach a broken door that hasn’t been repaired.

Wei quickly gets someone to open the door, but it isn’t a servant. It’s a young scholar, dressed in patched-up hemp clothes. The patches are clearly visible. He still holds a scroll in hand—he’s probably been studying just before this.

“Greetings, young sir,” Wei Shang says respectfully. “This young lady is interested in viewing your ancestral home. If it suits her needs, she may buy it.”

The scholar shows no expression and simply replies with a bow, “Please wait a moment while I ask my mother.”

Then he goes inside.

This house doesn’t have a courtyard. Chen Shu only needs a glance to understand the layout—one long rectangular space, like a modern studio apartment, with a curtain or folding screen dividing the living and sleeping areas.

“They probably sold off their servants,” Wei Shang sighs. “If they sold those, life must be really tough.”

Chen Shu says, “But they still have a scholar. Maybe they’ll make a comeback?”

Wei Shang shakes his head. “Without money, he can’t study under a master. Without a master, no one will recommend him. And if no one recommends him, how would the ruler even know he exists?”

Chen Shu replies, “That’s a pity. He looks like he studies well.”

Wei Shang laughs. “Hard to say. But these days, people with real talent are rare. Toss them into a field, and they can’t even tell wheat from millet.”

Soon the scholar comes back, scroll put away. Seeing that Chen Shu is a young woman, he seems a bit embarrassed and tries to hide his hands behind his back—the largest patch is on his sleeve.

Chen Shu notices and says casually, “No need to hide, young sir. Ambition doesn’t depend on age. And you’re still so young. What’s more, with poetry and books in your heart, you already wear the finest adornment. Why care about outward things?”

Both Wei Shang and the scholar are stunned.

Chen Shu adds, “Those aren’t my words. Just something I picked up.”

The scholar quickly bows. “May I ask, miss, you are…?”

Chen Shu waves her hand. “Just a shop assistant. I work for someone. Let’s go look at the house.”

The scholar nods dumbly and leads them toward his ancestral home.

Wei Shang usually doesn’t like dealing with scholars, but this one doesn’t look down on merchants, so he asks, “Does your household have any income these days?”

The scholar looks ashamed. “I read poems and books but can’t carry or lift. I only earn a little by copying texts to help support the household.”

Chen Shu asks, “In that case, why not open a small school? Poor children can’t afford noble tutors, but if you just teach reading and writing, that should earn more than copying texts.”

This time both the scholar and Wei Shang are stunned.

But neither agrees with her.

Wei Shang is only surprised. The scholar, however, is furious. “Miss, don’t say such things! How can commoners be allowed to learn reading and writing? The books of the sages—they are not worthy of them!”

Chen Shu is shocked. She stares at the scholar. “You’re not a commoner?”

The scholar looks utterly humiliated and can barely speak through his anger. “I—I—I am a member of the Yang clan! Born of a noble lineage!”

Chen Shu clicks her tongue. “That was your ancestor. You’re a commoner now. I’ve got another quote for you—also not mine, but it fits you well. Everyone has their moment of glory. Don’t mistake a moment for eternity.”

The scholar turns red with anger. His upbringing prevents him from pointing at Chen Shu.

After holding back for a long time, he finally utters, “Miss, please go back. We won’t sell this house! Although the Yang family may have fallen on hard times, we are not commoners. We cannot tolerate such humiliation from you!”

Wei Shang hurriedly tries to smooth things over. “Young Master, there’s no need for this. This young lady surely didn’t mean any harm…”

But Chen Shu interjects, “Don’t try to persuade him. The more people are obsessed with something, the less they can see through it. Do you think reading and calligraphy are noble? No, reading and calligraphy are monopolized by aristocratic families, which is why they seem noble. What’s the difference between aristocratic families and merchants?” Chen Shu looks at the merchants. “You hoard goods and seek greater profits through monopoly. Isn’t it the same for aristocratic families? They monopolize knowledge and writing, so only those from aristocratic families can become officials. So scholars who learn calligraphy will respect aristocratic families even more. They’re both doing business. Merchants are open about their pursuit of profit, while aristocratic families hide behind a facade, pretending to be something more virtuous than they really are.”

Chen Shu says seriously, “The day when everyone can read and write, when there are no more illiterates on the streets—that’s when the nation will be truly prosperous, and the people can live in peace and security.”

The young scholar’s face goes pale, but he doesn’t take in a word Chen Shu says. He just repeats, “Miss, please leave!”

Chen Shu raises an eyebrow, her tone taking on a sarcastic edge. “Are you sure? Can you really make the decision? Go ask your mother.”

The book boy can no longer contain himself, glaring at her. “I’m a man! Why wouldn’t I be able to make this decision?!”

Chen Shu smiles. “You really can’t make this decision. Let me tell you—your mother will never let you drive me away. Without me, no one will rent this house. And without rent money, you won’t have the means to find a teacher, and you’ll never become an official. You’ll be stuck here forever. So what if you can read and write? Will someone give you money just because you can read and write? Whether you sell it or not is not up to you,” Chen Shu says, crossing her arms. “Go, ask your mother.”

The scholar’s face shifts through several expressions. His shoulders slump, and his spirit seems drained. His pale lips tremble, but he says nothing, eventually leading Chen Shu and the merchant to the direction of the ancestral house.

The merchant, on the other hand, is positively glowing—this young woman has just compared merchants to aristocrats!

But even so, the merchant can’t help but admit, deep down, that Chen Shu has a point. They are all hoarding goods, so why are the merchants scolded and the aristocratic families praised?

The scholar remains silent during the walk, dejected, as if he’s been beaten down. He looks like a person being forced into disgrace.

Eventually, they reach the scholar’s ancestral home. It has once been a grand house with a covered bridge and a pond. Now, the pond has dried up, leaving only mud behind.

The house has been unoccupied for some time, with a layer of dust on the floor.

However, the house is well-maintained, covered with wooden boards, none of which are damaged, indicating that the family has taken care to preserve it.

The scholar asks them to enter and view the place themselves, stepping aside so they won’t see the pain in his eyes. He fears that seeing the house will remind him of better days gone by.

As the merchant and Chen Shu stroll around, the merchant can’t help but ask, “Miss, do you hate aristocratic families?”

Chen Shu shakes her head. “No. Aristocratic families are beneficial to this place. They pass down knowledge from generation to generation, and the wise ideas from their family are something that scholars from ordinary families can’t access. Without them, many things would be lost over time. They devote their efforts to raising their children and encouraging them to contribute to the country. Why should I hate them?”

The merchant is stunned. “But you said that aristocratic families monopolize…”

Chen Shu nods. “I’m not wrong. There are two sides to everything. You must look at both, not just one. But even with their good side,” she adds quietly, “they will eventually fade away.”

In her dimension, during the Warring States period, aristocratic families hold power, but after two dynasties, the emperor and empress wipe out the last remnants of those families. The disappearance of aristocratic families is inevitable with the progress of time, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t provided benefits.

The merchant looks at Chen Shu and can’t hold back a sigh. “Miss, you really don’t seem like an ordinary assistant. Are you perhaps from a noble family yourself? Or were you taught by a great master?”

Chen Shu smiles. “Neither. I’m simply standing on the shoulders of giants.”

“I think we’ll take this house,” she adds. “I’ll go negotiate the price with him.”

At the door, the young scholar keeps his head low, trying to keep passing neighbors from seeing his face. But there’s no escape—someone greets him, and he has to return the gesture. When asked where he’s moving to, he doesn’t dare say ‘the west side of the city,’ and just mumbles without giving an answer.

Seeing how awkward he looks, the neighbors don’t press further. After walking away, someone mutters, “What a pity.”

Once someone falls out of that class, it’s hard to climb back in.

Give it two generations, and he might become a true commoner.

The young scholar’s mind is a mess—full of indignation, but also unable to stop recalling what Chen Shu has said.

He thinks her words are absurd, yet he can’t refute them.

When he sees Chen Shu emerging from the house, he quickly steps back as though he’s seen a ghost.

Chen Shu waves at him, and the scholar reluctantly approaches, still keeping his distance.

Chen Shu says, “I’ve taken a liking to the house. Is monthly rent acceptable?”

The scholar immediately shakes his head. “Annual payment.”

Chen Shu thinks about Ye Zhou’s advice and nods. “Annual payment is fine. You name a price.”

The young scholar says, “Five hundred gold! Not a coin less.”

The merchant jumps. “Five hundred gold?!”

Chen Shu has already figured out what their ‘gold’ is—it’s really brass coins shaped like little cakes. They’re golden in color, though most have oxidized and don’t look it anymore.

At the supermarket, a single bag of sugar now costs fifty gold. So this price, in their eyes, isn’t just not expensive—it’s absurdly cheap.

The merchant immediately objects, “Miss, five hundred gold is no small amount!”

Plenty of people can’t earn even a hundred gold in their whole lives!

Renting for a year at that rate? Might as well be robbery!

He glares at the young scholar. “And you call yourself a scholar? Bullying a defenseless woman like this!”

Chen Shu raises an eyebrow. Defenseless woman? This is the first time she’s been called a defenseless woman. It feels novel—and rather fun.

The merchant continues, “Fifty gold for the year!”

Chen Shu nearly chokes.

She’s never seen someone bargain by just chopping a zero off.

The scholar, as if expecting this, says, “Two hundred gold. My house can accommodate a hundred people, the bridge is sturdy, the pond can be filled with water, and there’s a well.”

The merchant counters, “That’s not worth two hundred gold. Sixty gold!”

The two continue bargaining for a while, and finally, the merchant settles on a price of seventy-eight gold.

Chen Shu feels her head spin, thinking that without the merchant, she would probably have agreed to the five hundred gold.

“Alright,” she says, “Then let’s head to the supermarket to get the money.”

The young scholar has never been to the supermarket. Though the entire city has been buzzing about it, the shop has long declared that it only sells goods to nobles and aristocrats. He’s technically of noble birth, but has no money, so he never dares go and humiliate himself.

What if he runs into someone he knows? If they invite him in, what could he do—walk out empty-handed?

But this time, he’s going to collect money, not spend it. That should be fine… right?

Once he has the rent money, he can finally find a teacher.

If the teacher is willing to help him request a position from the ruler, he can become an official. Maybe even move back into the ancestral home. Then his children will still be born into a noble family.

As for what that girl says…

The young scholar presses his lips together.

It’s all nonsense. He’s not going to listen to any of it.