Chapter 97 Dowry

In June, the pomegranate flowers are in full bloom, shining through the curtains.

Flowers are blooming in the flower beds and skirts are flying on the campus.

Xiangbei stayed in Jiangcheng for more than ten days, and returned to the farm after arranging matters related to buying a house and setting up a construction team.

Tao Nanfeng worked on the house in Yuanhou Village himself and felt a great sense of accomplishment. Before, Tao Shouxin felt sorry for his daughter working on the construction site every day and getting covered in dust and dirt. Later, seeing that she was in high spirits and didn't feel tired at all, he let her do what she wanted.

When Tao Nanfeng came home that day, Tao Shouxin saw that her hands and face were covered in mud, so he brought her a basin of hot water and couldn't help but mutter, "This is the bad thing about living apart. I can't help you with things like house renovations."

Tao Nanfeng took the towel from the towel rack, dipped it and his hands into the basin, and burst out laughing.

"Dad, I like the feeling of being in charge. Even if Xiangbei is at home, I have the final say on infrastructure."

She glanced at her father and said, "Dad, we still need to buy furniture. When can we go to the trust store and buy some old stuff?"

Jiangcheng's Trust Store was transformed from the largest pawnshop during the Republic of China period, and it buys and sells second-hand items. During the previous campaign to destroy the four olds, the trust store collected a lot of antique treasures, including beds, wardrobes, tables, chairs, benches, calligraphy and paintings, bottles and jars... everything.

It’s just that ordinary people don’t have money. Who is willing to spend money to buy these old things? Therefore, trust stores are usually deserted and not many people visit them.

A few days before Tao Nanfeng took the postgraduate entrance examination, the article "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth" was published in the newspaper. The rules and regulations that have imprisoned people's thinking are gradually being broken, and trust stores are now much busier.

Because his home had been raided by young generals before, Tao Shouxin was a little cautious.

He whispered to his daughter, "There are quite a few good woods in the Trust Store, such as huanghuali, red sandalwood, and mahogany... But won't it be too conspicuous if we buy these?"

Tao Nanfeng said, "Dad, have you forgotten the dream I had? Starting this year, we will fully liberate our minds. These old items will become more and more valuable in the future. While we have money now, why don't we go to the trust store first?"

Tao Shouxin's mind suddenly became clear, as if the huge rock that had been pressing on his chest had been removed, and he became full of energy.

"Yes! We are not afraid of spending money now. Let's go now."

The Jiangcheng Trust Store is very large and has many tables, chairs and benches. Because the store is large, the ceiling height seems a bit low, giving people a depressing feeling.

"Comrade, what would you like to buy?" A woman in her thirties came forward.

Tao Nanfeng looked around and didn't see any big items like beds or wardrobes, so he asked, "Do you have a bed made of good wood?"

The clerk looked Tao Shouxin and Tao Nanfeng up and down, as if evaluating whether they were real buyers.

Tao Shouxin wore glasses, had an elegant appearance, and wore a cotton and linen shirt; Tao Nanfeng had fair skin and was pretty, but had been working at the construction site recently and was wearing old clothes.

At first glance, you can tell that he is a poor bastard. The clerk snorted coldly: "We do have beds, but... they are very expensive. Can you afford them?"

Tao Nanfeng was somewhat unhappy with the attitude of the shop assistant. It was an unpleasant feeling to have to be evaluated before buying something.

Tao Shouxin frowned and said in a deep voice: "We can afford it!" The father and daughter took out 500 yuan this time and kept it on them. What furniture can't they afford?

The clerk said impatiently, "The bed and wardrobe are in the warehouse. They haven't been taken out yet. I have a bed made of huanghuali wood. The bed board and bed cabinet are all there. I'm selling it for 100 yuan. Do you have it?"

To be honest, although Huanghuali is a good wood, it is really expensive to sell it for one hundred yuan.

In 1978, it was still a planned economy and people lived a hard life. When young people got married and bought furniture, a double wooden bed, a large wardrobe, and tables and chairs only cost a few dozen yuan. Who would be willing to spend a hundred yuan to buy an old bed?

Tao Nanfeng said: "We have to see the real thing before we decide whether to buy it or not."

The clerk rolled his eyes at her and said, "The warehouse is in the back. I still have to ask my boss for the key. Who knows if you have the money to buy it? Don't make me run around while you are being picky and not buying anything. Poor bastard!"

"You!" Tao Shouxin was a big professor in the school after all, and students were very respectful when they saw him. He never expected that he would be ridiculed by a salesperson here. He felt really bad.

The clerk simply didn't believe that these two people could afford a step-out bed.

This bed has been in the store for many years. Many people have seen it, but no one has been interested in buying it. The only reason is that the price is too high.

When the young soldiers who were confiscating the house carried the bed over, everyone in the store was stunned.

It occupies half of the room, with a bed within a bed, a cover within a cover, and a shallow corridor in front of the bunk bed. It is exquisitely carved and well maintained. If it were in ancient times, it would have taken three to five years of work just to build it, and it would have been very expensive.

But this is an old item from the feudal era, and is subject to the "Four Olds" campaign. Who would dare to buy it?

The store manager looked at it for a long time and finally sighed: "Let's set the price at 100 yuan. If it can be sold, then sell it. If it can't be sold, just leave it in the store and collect dust."

Now workers, peasants and soldiers are popular, while intellectuals have a low status.

The clerk thought to himself, how could these two people afford to buy things that have been on display for so many years and have not sold? So she acted arrogantly, intending to scare the two men away so as not to waste her time.

Tao Shouxin couldn't stand this kind of anger, so he turned around and wanted to leave, but was stopped by Tao Nanfeng.

Tao Nanfeng looked at the clerk and smiled: "If I like it, I will definitely buy it."

The clerk curled his lips and said, "Who knows if you can afford it?"

Tao Nanfeng's smile deepened, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes: "What if I can afford it?"

The clerk laughed dryly and said, "If you can afford it, I'll give you a 10% discount on the whole store!"

Tao Nanfeng interrupted her and said, "Okay! Once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back."

The clerk said, "Tsk!" and asked, "What if you can't afford it?"

Tao Nanfeng said: "I'll help you with your work for a day."

The clerk laughed and looked at Tao Nanfeng and said, "You are a pretty girl. If you help me here, maybe I can sell a few more pieces."

Tao Nanfeng raised his eyebrows: "Ninety percent off, don't forget."

Well, Tao Nanfeng has gained experience in betting now.

There was no other choice, Tao Shouxin had to accompany his daughter to the warehouse. As soon as he saw the step-out bed, his eyes became moist.

This bed is very similar to the wedding bed that Xu Xiqin brought as a dowry when she got married in her hometown.

Although it has been covered in dust for many years, it still looks magnificent.

The bed frame and bed height are both over two meters. The bed is placed on a wooden platform and pushed forward two feet to form a small corridor. A bed is placed in the middle of the corridor, and small tables, stools, dressing tables and lamps can be placed on both sides.

Huanghuali wood is golden in color, with clear and beautiful grain, smooth to the touch, and as warm as jade.

Tao Shouxin walked up to the steps slowly, wiped the dust off the bed frame with his palm, and carefully looked at the small drawers in the bed. Each drawer was carved with pictures inlaid with shells, such as magpies climbing plum trees, peonies in prosperity, and hundreds of children playing in spring...

This is an antique, made in the early Qing Dynasty.

Not to mention one hundred yuan, Tao Shouxin thinks it’s worth five hundred yuan!

Tao Shouxin said without a word: "I'll buy this bed."

Although Tao Nanfeng had never seen her mother's dowry bed, she liked it very much. She looked at the clerk without hesitation and said, "Make an invoice. Remember to give me a 10% discount."

The clerk stared at Tao Nanfeng blankly, unable to say a word for a long time.

Tao Shouxin became interested and searched around the warehouse, dragging out a dressing table, a large wardrobe, two stools, a stool, and two flower stands.

"This is a set, we want both."

The clerk was really panicking now, smiling: "Comrade, comrade, I was just joking just now, don't take it seriously. A 10% discount is definitely not allowed. We don't have such a rule in our store. I always sell according to the marked price. Whether there is a discount or a gift is up to the boss to decide."

Tao Nanfeng glanced at her sideways and said, "So, questioning whether a customer has the purchasing power or not showing the actual product if they can't afford it, is this the rule in your store?"

The clerk's eyebrows twitched when he heard her sarcastically. I used to think that intellectuals were all soft-hearted, but I didn't know this girl had such a sharp tongue!

The clerk knew that he had made a mistake today, so he had to bend down, bow, and try hard to smile.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. I looked down on others and my service attitude was not correct. I will reflect on this, deeply reflect on this."

When Tao Shouxin saw that the clerk admitted his mistake with a good attitude, the anger in his heart dissipated.

Tao Nanfeng smiled and said, "Review is review, but the 10% discount must be given."

How dare the clerk give a 10% discount? Nowadays, all stores are state-owned, and the clerks sell goods according to the marked prices. She receives a fixed salary, and her income is not linked to sales performance at all, and she has no right to give discounts.

Seeing Tao Nanfeng's resolute attitude, she knew she had met a tough opponent, so she had to say, "I'll ask the leader to see if I can give you some discounts."

When the store manager heard that a big customer had come and wanted to buy a step-out bed that had been unused for years, he came out to receive him personally.

Finally, Tao Nanfeng and his daughter picked out three rosewood beds, three wardrobes, two large desks, an octagonal table, and eight armchairs. The total cost of all the furniture, including those given away, was two hundred and sixteen yuan.

After paying the money, Tao Nanfeng negotiated with the store manager and agreed to have the goods delivered to his door one week later.

Tao Shouxin felt that it was a great deal to buy so many Ming and Qing furniture for such a small amount of money.

Tao Nanfeng felt that it was good to buy everything at once so as to save trouble and worry.

The leaders of the trust store were also delighted because this month's performance exceeded the target and they could get bonuses.

Only the clerk was scolded by the leader: Serve the People, these five big words are written on the wall every day, don’t you see it? If I find you putting on airs in front of customers again, I will deduct your bonus!

After buying the furniture, the father and daughter walked out of the trust store feeling refreshed.

I didn’t expect that all the furniture could be done at once. We only had to wait for the floor and walls of the bridal room to be completed before we could put the furniture in.

Tao Shouxin sighed, "In the past, when a wealthy family got married, the most important thing for the bride's dowry was a bed. From the age of twelve, when the daughter was about to get married, to the age of fifteen, when she was about to get married, it took three years to build a bed. Three years and three carpenters built this thousand-work bed.

Now that we have bought this bed, we now have Nanfeng’s dowry bed, and I feel relieved... ”

Tao Nanfeng was smiling and in a good mood, holding her father's arm and acting coquettishly.

"Yes, the dowry you gave is really generous. In addition to the bed, there are also furniture for the whole house. After the house is decorated, we will go to the department store to buy quilts, sheets, and pads... that's enough."

Tao Shouxin patted the back of his daughter's hand, but he was still reluctant to let her go. He really wanted to keep the girl for a few more years.

As soon as the two of them entered the campus, someone on the other side of Xiangzhang Road waved his hands excitedly: "Professor Tao, Professor Tao, good news..."