Chapter 28 Night Market

It’s not Qian Miaoer’s fault.

She is the daughter of Mrs. Zhao who was born in her old age and is favored in the family. The family is in this situation now. Her mother is in good health and can take care of her two nephews. Her sisters-in-law are all making fans, but the whole family relies on this little income and life is very difficult.

Today's opportunity is so rare.

Six hundred wen is enough to cover a family's living expenses for a month.

Song Xirong didn't expect that Mrs. Huo would use this method to bring Jun Shuwan into the house. What happened today was really unexpected.

If a wealthy family really wants to hire a maid to serve the old lady in the family, then it depends on each person's ability. Even if Qian Miaoer is chosen, they will only be truly happy for Miaoer.

But the problem is, they had almost already made an agreement with the General's Mansion, so Qian Miaoer was left empty-handed.

Song Xirong pondered for a while, "Perhaps Madam can take them both back together and let the master take a look and confirm."

Mrs. Li's eyes lit up. This was indeed a good idea. "Would you two ladies be willing to go? If the master is interested, you can go home, pack your things, and then return to sign the contract."

After a pause, he said, "Don't be afraid, young lady. We are a respectable family. If the village head is worried, you can go with me to take a look."

Such a big thing has alarmed half of the village, and the head of the village will definitely come to see what's going on.

Ma Zhong said: "That's fine, after all, she is a girl from our village."

After Mrs. Li took the person away, Mrs. Zhao hurried to find Song Xirong.

"Mrs. Song, has my little daughter ruined your plans?"

Song Xirong was at a loss for words and sighed, "Wan'er is in the village, and we're really worried about her. That's why we've tried to find a way out for her. She's working as a tea-serving maid for Madam. Maybe she's afraid of being linked to us, so she found this excuse to come and pick her up."

Madam Zhao heaved a sigh of relief. "In that case, it seems that Miao'er is accompanying Miss Wan'er on this trip. It's not a big deal. I'm just worried that it will delay your business."

The deposed prince and his family have already helped them a lot.

They also knew in their hearts that this family saw them as women and children and non-threatening, and helped them so that they could have someone to look after them in this place.

But people must know how to be grateful.

Song Xirong: "I hope the old lady can understand."

Madam Zhao smiled and said, "We are the ones who caused this trouble. Madam Song is being too polite by saying this."

Old Madam Zhao chatted with Song Xirong for a while.

Unexpectedly, the two girls went together, came back together, and then said that they were both selected.

After Qian Miaoer got on the carriage, she saw that the old woman treated Jun Shuwan with some courtesy, and she had some guesses. She thought she was too impatient and didn't think of this.

It is a fairy tale that a woman from a wealthy family wants to choose a maid and not sign a contract to sell her.

Besides, if you just need to be literate, you can probably find one among your children at home, so why should you come to the village to look for one?

Thinking of this, she felt a little embarrassed to face Jun Shuwan.

The two of them would get together all day to do embroidery and chat, but today's opportunity was really rare. Even for the sake of her family, she had to fight for it. Unexpectedly, she got into trouble.

Seeing that she had buried her head, Jun Shuwan thought that she must have guessed something.

This matter was really embarrassing, so she pulled Miao'er's hand.

Miao'er shook her head slightly to indicate that everything was fine.

As soon as they arrived at the house, Mrs. Huo personally met the two girls.

The old woman also explained, and Mrs. Huo nodded thoughtfully.

Jun Shuwan didn't need to say much, and Mrs. Huo asked her some basic questions.

Qian Miaoer naturally kept her head down and didn't say much. She had originally thought it was a wealthy family, but she didn't expect it to be a general's mansion.

Mrs. Li leaned over to Mrs. Huo's ear and whispered a few words.

Mrs. Huo thought about it for a moment and asked Qian Miaoer a few questions alone.

Qian Miaoer answered honestly.

She is a smart, capable girl who knows how to advance and retreat.

After some thought, Mrs. Huo decided to accept all the money, which was six hundred coins per month, and three days off per month.

The two girls are both literate and can help with housework, which is great.

That's how it happened.

When Song Xirong talked about this matter when she went home to pack up, she thought it was a good thing.

"You two girls can usually play together. Now that you're at the General's Mansion, it's good for you to have company."

Madam Zhao felt embarrassed, but also felt relieved: "I'm lucky to be with you again this time."

Qian Miaoer said shyly: "Mrs. Song, I will take good care of Miss Jun."

Jun Shuwan waved her hand. "What's the use of young lady or not? You and I will be sisters from now on, both serving as maids in the General's Mansion. Let's not talk about this anymore. Madam Huo is willing to keep Miao'er because she's smart and capable."

Qian Miaoer couldn't help laughing. Although she was a daughter of an official family in the past, she was still far from being a princess like Jun Shuwan. She didn't expect that they would become good friends in this place.

Song Xirong held their hands and warned them, "Although you have used connections to enter the General's Mansion, you must know what you should and shouldn't do."

"Mother, I know I will not let my father and brother down."

While the mother and daughter were chatting, Qian Miaoer and Old Madam Zhao went back next door to pack their things.

Jun Shuwan packed all her things and took two sets of clothes with her.

But she held the small table lamp and refused to let go. She liked it so much, but it was not convenient to take it with her.

She still has some sense of propriety. If she rashly takes out something that doesn't belong to this world, it might bring disaster to the family.

Song Xiren couldn't help but be amazed, "Put this lamp at home, you can still use it when you come back."

"Mom, I know." It was the first time that Jun Shuwan parted with her family, so she couldn't help feeling sad.

Song Xirong touched her daughter's head. Her son had not grown up with her, but she had raised her daughter by herself. If they had not had to, how could they bear to send their daughter away?

"Mom, take good care of yourself at home. I have three days off every month and will come back with Daddy then."

"good."

…

The mother and daughter talked in a low voice for a while, and Jun Qiulan just happened to come back.

He contacted Liu Yue today and planned to set up a stall today.

"Mom, little sister."

Song Xirong told the general that he had come to pick someone up and took the girl next door with him.

"Mother, don't worry about this. With the blueprints we gave out and the white folds, it won't be a problem for the general's mansion to hire two maids."

It’s not about enjoying yourself in the past, you have to work hard.

"Little sister, if anything happens to you in the General's Mansion, please ask someone to pass a message to Dad."

"I know. Just be careful over there, brother. I'll leave the house to you."

He is not very old, but he speaks in an old-fashioned tone.

Jun Qiulan laughed, "Wait for me for a moment, I'll go over there again."

There was no rush to leave over there. Mrs. Huo said that we just had to get home before dark.

Jun Qiulan quickly went back to the modern era and hurried out to the supermarket to buy a bag of candy for her younger sister. The packaging was the simplest kind so it wouldn't be too conspicuous when taken out.

Then I bought some women's things.

I bought it once before. Although my mother told him not to touch these things, according to what my father told him later, my mother felt it was very good when using it.

These are relatively private things, so Wan'er took them away and hid them, so that other maids would not rummage through the girl's bag containing her menstrual cloths.

I also bought some paper towels, in rolls, which are more convenient.

When I passed by the scrap yard, I saw another pile of books.

He had promised to buy a tablet computer for his younger sister, but he hasn't done it yet. He is the brother who broke his promise.

Jun Qiulan thought about it and picked out a few more books, one on knitting, one on cooking desserts, and two miscellaneous books.

Keep it hidden and take a look at it occasionally when you have free time.

He also saw that day that the general's mansion was well managed by Mrs. Huo.

Jun Qiulan walked back with the bag, thinking about this problem. If they were discovered, these books could still be considered collections.

Fortunately, his father's reputation as a book lover had spread.

It’s hard to think of other things to bring with you during your exile, but it seems reasonable to bring a few books. These books happen to be quite old.

"Master Qiulan."

Jun Qiulan looked up suddenly. Why was it him again?

Yan Jing looked at the plastic bag in Jun Qiulan's hand with a slight scrutiny.

The plastic bag is transparent and the contents inside can be clearly seen.

"Does Taoist Qiulan have a worldly connection?"

Jun Qiulan: "You think too much. I brought it for someone else."

Yan Jing nodded thoughtfully, "Will you respond to my calligraphy and painting?"

Oops, I forgot.

Jun Qiulan remained calm, "Mr. Yan, you're not in a hurry, are you? I'll definitely give it to you within three days. I have to get busy now. Goodbye, Mr. Yan."

Yan Jing looked at his back as he left, and the clothes that were extremely inconsistent with his temperament. He always felt that there was something contradictory about this young Taoist priest who came down the mountain.

Jun Qiulan felt Yan Jing's gaze on him again.

This kind of gaze was observing and scrutinizing, but there was no malice in it. It was just that Jun Qiulan inexplicably felt that this person was very dangerous.

Back in ancient times, Jun Yu also packed up his stall and came back.

The letter-writing stalls in the city have several orders almost every day. They don’t make much money, but at least they have a job.

Jun Yu was quite melancholy as his daughter was about to go to the general's mansion.

"If you have any problems, come to the alley to find dad."

Seeing that her whole family cared about her so much, Jun Shuwan's sadness of separation dissipated a lot.

"Dad, Mom and brother have all said this."

The whole family couldn't help laughing.

"It's not convenient to bring the small desk lamp, so you take these things with you." Jun Qiulan stuffed all the things to her younger sister.

Jun Shuwan's face turned slightly red when she saw what was inside.

"I'll just take this month's supply, and leave the rest at home."

Jun Qiulan also agreed, "If you need anything else, send me a message and I'll buy it for you from over there."

"good."

The family is full of affection, and the time is almost up.

It’s time for Jun Shuwan and Qian Miaoer to set off for the general’s mansion.

The usual chirping sounds disappeared, and the three people in the house felt a little melancholy.

Jun Yu changed the subject: "I said I wanted to visit Mr. Su before. When is Lan'er free? It's time to go and see him."

Jun Qiulan pondered for a moment and said, "I'll sell the fan tonight and buy something suitable tomorrow. I'll go over the day after tomorrow."

It’s never a good idea to go to someone’s home empty-handed.

"That's fine." Jun Yu sighed, "Back then, at the age of seventeen, he was the top scholar in the imperial examination. He was famous throughout the capital and enjoyed unparalleled glory. But now he lives in obscurity in this place."

After saying that, he was stunned again.

Aren't they in the same situation?

"Dad, no matter where you are, everyone has their own way of living. According to Master Qingheng, if we are not living well, it is because someone is unlucky for us, not our fault."

Jun Yu was so happy, "Okay, the fan is packed, hurry over and don't keep the girl waiting for too long."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Jun Qiulan didn't know what to say.

In this world, there are differences between men and women. No matter whether they are girls from wealthy families or ordinary girls, they will not get too close to men, especially men of marriageable age.

But it’s different in another world. Normal friendship between men and women is the most normal thing.

When he mentioned before that there was a girl who set up a stall with him, his parents showed an expression as if their son had grown up.

He gave a few explanations, but it didn't seem to be of any use.

How should he explain that he should not marry a woman and have children in this life?

This topic seemed a bit heavy, and Jun Qiulan had no choice but to remain silent until she found a solution.

This time, there are a few fans with simple carvings. We are still in the initial trial stage, and only these few are qualified.

night market.

After planning, it looks much neater and cleaner.

The stalls are arranged in an orderly manner.

"Come on, hurry up, I've saved a spot for you." Liu Yue had already arranged the things. "You know what, this plan makes it look much more comfortable."

Jun Qiulan also thought it was a good idea. "Will our stall be fixed here from now on?"

"Yes, it also saves me from having to come here every day to find a stall like before."

This street is open to vehicles during the day and is closed at 6 pm to become a night market.

In other words, all the vendors have to squeeze into this street at six o'clock, and it depends on their own ability to grab a stall.

The street is long enough that you can still find a stall even if you arrive late, but the location is not very good.

It’s better to fix it like this now.

Liu Yue continued, "Last time after you sold the fan, I heard someone came to the night market the next day to look for you, but you didn't show up."

"I can't help it. Handmade fans are slow to make, and I have to film a movie."

"Oh, by the way, wasn't there a young couple filming a video last time? You even became a bit of a celebrity online, did you know that?"

Jun Qiulan was stunned for a moment, "I heard about this from a friend before, but I didn't pay much attention to it."

Liu Yue quickly found the video and said, "Look, they just filmed a travel vlog, and you only appeared for a few seconds, but the entire comment section is full of questions about you."

However, the speed of updates and changes in the Internet era is too fast, and this popularity did not last for a few days.

Before Jun Qiulan had time to look, the customer had already arrived.

"Are you the first person to set up a stall selling folding fans at the night market?"

Jun Qiulan was surprised: "It should be me. I decided to work in this industry because I saw that there were no peers in the night market."

"Then give me three fans, thank you." The customer was overjoyed. "I bought a fake one a few days ago. I waited here for a few days and finally found the real one."

Jun Qiulan became even more confused.

Liu Yue explained, "A few days ago, before the plan was finalized, some people came to the stall to buy fans, write inscriptions, and write couplets, but business didn't seem to be very good."

Everyone has aesthetic taste.

Take Liu Yue for example. She knows nothing about calligraphy, but Jun Qiulan's calligraphy is beautiful and can make customers willingly spend money on it.

It cannot be said that the calligraphy on the fans sold by others is bad. If they dare to set up stalls and do business, they must have some skills, but that's all they are. As for the calligraphy, as people say on the Internet, it lacks style.

If you really want to buy a fan, you can go to an ordinary cultural and creative store and buy a well-made fan for ten yuan.

She finally understood why Jun Qiulan didn't use wholesale fans.

Wholesale fans look soulless, like pre-prepared dishes. This handmade folding fan does not look so fancy, but has a simple beauty.

As soon as we sat down, three fans were sold.

The customer who bought the fan was very happy and said, "Your calligraphy is different from others. It looks very majestic."

Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing. He realized that this customer was also a layman.

Maybe you bought it for someone else?

He didn't think much about it, and the second customer came.

"Can we record a video?" They were two lovely little sisters.

Jun Qiulan nodded slightly, "What do you want to write?"

"I want to write this..." The young lady handed over the text she had prepared in advance.

Jun Qiulan took a look and thought, oh, it was something he couldn’t understand again.

Just write it down.

I don't know why, but these two little girls look very excited.

After a while, one of the girls asked again: "Little brother, why don't you wear the clothes you wore last time?"

The clothes from last time?

Those were all modified by my mother and younger sister based on the styles of clothes here. They are also very comfortable for him to wear. After buying clothes from here, he changes into them after washing them. Today he just happened to change into clothes from here.

The girl continued, "Last time I wore that dress, I looked more stylish when writing. Why don't you try wearing Hanfu? Maybe your business will get better."

Jun Qiulan thought about it and realized that the Hanfu and ancient costumes that people here talked about were somewhat similar to the clothes in his world.

The shapes may be slightly different, but the essence remains the same.

He thought about it and said, "Okay."

Judging from the situation tonight, I shouldn't have any trouble selling the fans I brought, and I'll have a little more money in my pocket.

There's no way. The money in my phone is almost not enough to buy a bunch of things for my little sister this afternoon.

I often laugh at myself for being poor.

There were people queuing behind and some taking photos and videos. After the two young ladies got the folding fans, they wanted to chat for a while, but they didn't want to affect the young man's business, so they had to leave with regret.

Liu Yue was amazed watching from the side. She always thought that Jun Qiulan could make a living just by relying on her looks.

Now it seems that she was too narrow-minded.

Even without this great face, he can still make a living with his calligraphy and painting.

After finishing the previous wave of writing, I have some free time.

Jun Qiulan counted and found that there were only a dozen fans left.

"By the way, Sister Yue, please choose one of these backpacks."

They were all made by my younger sister. They are more delicate and beautiful than the one he is wearing.

Liu Yue's eyes lit up. "Is this embroidery also handmade? It's so beautiful."

She likes all of them.

"How much are you going to sell it for?"

Jun Qiulan thought for a moment, "I'm not too sure about the market price of this type of product. What do you think is a reasonable price?"

Liu Yue pondered, "This is purely handmade, and there are so many embroidery. If I sell it cheap, it won't be worth it. Do you have a bottom line in mind?"

Jun Qiulan asked tentatively, "One hundred?"

Liu Yue said disdainfully, "If you were a little more famous, you could sell this bag for 1,000. Selling it for 100 is a waste of this craftsmanship."

But this is a night market, and most of the goods are not expensive.

She thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you ask for 300? The customer might bargain for it, but it won't be less than 200."

It's too expensive and there's no market for it here.

Jun Qiulan didn't expect that it could be sold at this price. She thought that the bag made by her younger sister with great effort was worth this price.

"Sister Yue, just pick one. This is just a thank you for taking care of me for so long. Don't be polite to me."

Liu Yue was a little surprised. "No, give me a discount and I'll buy one."

She really likes this bag.

"Then give me one hundred." Jun Qiulan felt that there was no need to force gifts, as it would also create a burden on others.

Furthermore, although it is normal for men and women to be friends in this world, there should be a sense of propriety.

Don't cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Liu Yue happily paid the money and took out a backpack embroidered with an orange cat, which she couldn't let go of.

"This cat is so well embroidered, even the fur patterns are so realistic."

This is Jun Shuwan's work, and her brother Jun Qiulan is also proud of it.

Liu Yue made room for the stall and said, "Put all your bags here. My small accessories don't need such a big space."

"good."

The folding fan business is back.

Jun Qiulan hurried to entertain the customers again.

It was not even 9 o'clock yet, and the fans that Jun Qiulan brought had already been sold out.

For the ones with carvings, he tentatively priced them at 50, thinking that if the customers bargained, he could lower the price to 38.

In the end, no one bargained for the price, and some people even came to ask about the carved model.

Only three bags were sold, the asking price was 300, the selling price was 280, and there are two left.

"Why don't you leave it with me?" Liu Yue said, "You've sold all the fans today, and you won't be able to come for a few days. Leave this bag with me. I can help you sell it. I'll give you whatever the profit is."

Jun Qiulan: "Alright."

He thought that after the item was sold, he would give Sister Yue a commission. It would be bad to let someone work for him for nothing.

If you have money in your pocket, you won’t be worried.

Jun Qiulan visited the supermarket again the next day. After all, Mr. Su had taught him for a year, and the teacher-student relationship existed.

They don’t dare to buy anything too eye-catching, and according to their status, it is not appropriate for them to buy something too expensive.

I bought some brown rice, food is the most important thing over there.

It's also strange that brown rice is much more expensive than polished rice.

But this brown rice is different from the brown rice they have there. It should be a mixture of several kinds of food, but it can’t be seen in its original form.

I picked out and bought some other things.

But he didn't expect that while he was still shopping here, Su Changxun had already found his way to their village by himself and was now sitting at home drinking tea.

Su Changxun and Jun Yu are old acquaintances, and he has also taught Jun Qiulan. Since the other party has come to him on his own initiative, Song Xirong must come out to entertain him.

However, both men in the family were not at home, which made Song Xirong even more anxious. What should she do if her son suddenly came back and ran into them?

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The author has something to say: There is one more chapter.