Chapter 53 I'll rip you off without hesitation!

Things were a bit better in the northern border towns, where the barbarians often traded beef for rice and other grains. Xiao Xi had lived in the Jiang family for many years, but she had only ever eaten one piece of beef.

"It's delicious but hard to find, and the barbarians rarely used beef to sell their goods in the past."

He Xing finished speaking, then, seeing Jiang Baozhu looking over, he smiled slightly and said, "But this year is different. I heard that the barbarians also suffered a snow disaster and are even more short of food."

"I wish I had the chance to buy one."

Xiao Xi was still a little girl, and all she cared about was eating. Lin Yuesha, however, was different; she was perceptive enough to notice the hidden meaning in He Xing's words.

The snow disaster in the north was not a good sign, and the barbarians were not as easy to talk to as one might imagine.

The barbarians are warlike, with almost the entire population serving as soldiers. They frequently invade the northern border cities and harass some poor people.

With the economy in bad shape, friction between the two countries has intensified.

However, He Xing, a scholar, was not worried about any of this. These were things that officials should do. Only Lin Yuesha was thinking too much.

As the year draws to a close, people come and go in an endless stream. Horse-drawn carriages travel on the stone-paved road, occasionally having to stop to let other vehicles pass.

"Pickled walnuts, top-quality pickled walnuts, homemade candied fruit, if you don't like it, you don't have to pay!"

"Come and take a look! These embroidered purses, handkerchiefs, and sachets are all from the south—they're so fresh!"

Peddlers would occasionally pass by on the street, calling out their wares, and when they met a buyer, they would be incredibly charming.

Xiao Xi couldn't sit still any longer and started fidgeting. She lived in town and only went out once or twice a year; she had been wanting to go down and see the place for a long time.

Seeing this, Jiang Baozhu nodded and got off the carriage first when it stopped.

"Sister Lin, do you think this silk flower is pretty?"

Xiao Xi held up a large red peony and compared it to Lin Yuesha's head.

"Bright red is festive, but is this something a bride would wear?"

Lin Yuesha took the silk flower and examined it carefully. Unlike modern mass-produced flowers, the petals and stamens were all handmade, layered upon layered, and looked just like real flowers from a distance.

"Young lady, you have a good eye. This is the skill of embroiderers from the south. We can't make it like this."

The peddler laughed heartily. Indeed, young women in the south prefer simple and elegant colors, while in the north, simple and elegant colors are not easy to sell. There is a difference in aesthetics between the two places.

The border town is in winter for half the year, and apart from snow and gray houses and mountains, there are no other colors to adorn it.

"nice."

Lin Yuesha agreed with the peddler's words. She wanted to buy a silk flower for her second cousin, Chen Xiaohua, but unfortunately, the Chen family had just experienced a funeral, so buying a red one would obviously be inappropriate.

How much is this peony flower?

Lin Yuesha carefully selected a pale pink peony from her most treasured possessions.

"this……"

The peony flowers were an extra item he bought; they had been sitting in a box for months, untouched, until they were unexpectedly found today.

"Here you go, take it for twenty coins."

Other silk flowers cost fifty coins, but peony flowers at twenty coins is already a very reasonable price.

However, Lin Yuesha was still taken aback by the price. The silk flowers on the stall only cost three or five coins, while the goods from the south were beautiful but very expensive.

"Young lady, is there any need to hesitate?"

The peddler spoke eloquently, "From the north, all the way through the capital to the south of the Yangtze River, it's almost ten thousand miles. The journey is long and the waterways are wide. Food, clothing, lodging, and transportation along the way all cost money! They are all huge expenses!"

The peddler didn't need to travel south to transport his goods; he only needed to find a familiar escort team to carry them, but he still had to pay them.

"Looking at it this way, is twenty coins still expensive?"

If it were anyone else, the peddler wouldn't bother saying so much. He saw that nobody wanted peonies, and even when given away, people complained that they weren't festive enough.

"Not expensive."

Lin Yuesha was instantly convinced; she wasn't one to haggle. It was only because she was short on cash that she always wanted a lower price.

"Xiao Xi, Lin Meimei, do you see any others you like?"

He Xing took out his purse, intending to pay for the two of them, "Look at those hairpins and small mirrors, they're quite nice."

It's just an outdated style from the south, so outdated it's practically tacky.

He Xing didn't inquire about Lin Yuesha's identity. Judging from her attire, he assumed she was a distant relative of the Jiang family. He never expected her to be so stingy with money.

Twenty coins and you still want to haggle? This made He Xing's eyes show a hint of disdain, but he didn't show it.

Girls like this are extremely vain; a little sweetness is all it takes to make someone obedient.

Thinking of the peculiar habits of a powerful acquaintance he knew, a malicious glint appeared in He Xing's eyes. No rush, take your time.

"Young Master He, we are not related by blood or marriage, how could I possibly accept this offer?"

Lin Yuesha didn't want to owe anyone favors, and she thought back to how she always refused gifts from people around her in modern times.

Without the support of family, she is always very sensitive because she feels that she has to give something for nothing, and Lin Yuesha is always afraid that she will not be able to repay it.

Originally, she could have refused He Xing's offer to give her something; it was only twenty coins, and there was no need to have any dealings with him.

"Then thank you very much, Young Master He."

Lin Yuesha looked up and blinked innocently. She saw the malice in He Xing's eyes and felt even more ironic.

He Xing was unaware of what she was thinking; he was just plotting something. Since that was the case, and the other party was willing to play the fool, she couldn't very well refuse.

Sure enough, the peddler had quite a few good things hidden away. Lin Yuesha took a fancy to one of the silver hairpins, which cost two taels of silver. She pretended to like it, asked the price, and then, feeling it was too hot to handle, put it back.

"Miss Lin, don't be so polite with me. You stay with Baozhu, and I'll treat you like a younger sister."

He Xing thought Lin Yuesha was so stingy that he would surely be satisfied with a hundred or so coins, but he never expected her to be so greedy and go straight for the good stuff!

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