Yun Ruoxia became more and more animated as she talked, and even after arriving at Huafu Restaurant, she was still chattering away.
"The clothing store business is quite complex; the price of a single garment can vary depending on who buys it."
Wen Siqing responded with a very supportive "Oh?"
Yun Ruoxia then continued:
“When you go to a tailor shop to try on clothes, if your eyes light up, the price will increase by one guan. If you also add words of praise, then you are like a little piglet waiting to be slaughtered, and the price will be tripled. If you want to buy it as soon as you try it on, then you will not be able to pay even if you empty your pockets.”
"So once you see something you like, you put on a serious face, like someone in your family is having a funeral, frown, pull down your lips, click your tongue a few times, and say 'It's just so-so.' That way, you can usually get the price down."
This is the bargaining tactic that Wen Siqing often uses. Now that Yun Ruoxia has said this, he has finally found a kindred spirit and no longer feels like an oddball.
He even began to wonder if he would be too "ruthless" if he went to the clothing store with Yun Ruoxia to buy clothes.
Because there were few customers at Huafu Restaurant, the manager was incredibly hospitable to the new guests, treating Yun Ruoxia and Wen Siqing like goddesses, serving them side dishes and water to wash their hands—the service was impeccable.
"What would you and your wife like to eat?"
"I heard that the boiled fish fillets here are 20% off today. Is the fish fresh? How much does one fish weigh?"
"Fresh, of course fresh. If I weren't so overwhelmed by the business at Shengfu Restaurant lately, I really wouldn't have the heart to offer a discount. Brother, how about we get one? Three pounds is enough for two people."
Wen Siqing nodded.
"Then let's have a plate of boiled fish fillets. Can I take a look at the fish?"
"Of course, or you can go directly into the vat and pick it out; we can catch and slaughter it on the spot."
Wen Siqing indeed walked towards the water tank, picked up the net, and started scooping in the fish. The fish he scooped up were neither too big nor too small, and looked to weigh no more than five pounds.
"Let's take this one."
"Alright, alright, sir, would you like to take a look at today's special dish? Stir-fried chicken cubes are also 20% off today."
Wen Siqing immediately shook his head. The fish could be caught and slaughtered on the spot, and its freshness was visible. But the diced chicken was not necessarily so. He didn't know how long the chicken had been sitting before deciding to offer a discount. If it wasn't fresh and he felt uncomfortable eating it, wouldn't he be suffering for nothing?
He wouldn't do something so foolish.
"Let's see what dishes are available."
"Eggplant, green beans, spinach, lettuce, loofah, chives, or how about a spinach soup, or a loofah and mushroom soup? That way we can eat and drink at the same time, wouldn't that be great?"
"Do you have tofu?"
"Yes, how about a sweet and sour stuffed tofu? It's so hot, eating something sweet and sour can cool you down and whet your appetite."
Wen Siqing cracked his knuckles and replied:
Do you know how to make "loofah, tofu, shrimp, and egg soup"?
"Yes, of course."
"Then I'll have a bowl of loofah, tofu, shrimp, and egg soup, and two bowls of rice. Do you have any complimentary glutinous rice balls?"
"Yes, we've served each of you a serving of shaved ice dumplings to help you cool off in the summer heat."
Wen Siqing nodded in satisfaction after receiving the shopkeeper's confirmation. He returned to his seat and saw that Yun Ruoxia liked the pickled radish side dish on the table. He asked the shopkeeper to add another portion and then turned his attention back to Yun Ruoxia.
"Second Aunt said yesterday that she's been growing mushrooms at home. Has she been growing them for a long time?"
Yun Ruoxia estimated that Yun Ling was about seven or eight years old, and then replied:
"For about ten years, my family was not wealthy and I had no older brother to carry the burden, so I had to do everything myself and go out to do business and deal with people. But I was still not as quick-witted as my brother and was able to make a lot of money and gain a foothold in this county town by reselling."
If it were just ordinary people praising him, Wen Siqing wouldn't take it to heart; he would just think it was just common polite talk.
But Yun Ruoxia's praise was different. They were the same kind of people, so if she could say such things, it must be because she was genuinely envious.
Wen Siqing truly expressed to the person before him a feeling of regret for not having met him sooner.
"Over the years, I've made quite a bit of money through buying and selling, and also through reselling. Right now, besides the shop I sold to you, I have three other shops, and I live in a three-courtyard house. I have a stable job at the paper shop, but I just haven't been able to find a suitable young lady."
As Yun Ruoxia listened to his explanation, she couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for not having met him sooner. If she had met this man earlier and gone into business with him, she didn't know how much money she could have made, and she might have moved to the city much sooner.
"Young master, have you asked a matchmaker to come and discuss this with you? With your qualifications, it shouldn't be difficult for you to find a wife."
The boiled fish slices were served at the right time, and the sour and spicy aroma immediately filled the air. Wen Siqing used a spoon to scoop a few slices of fish into Yun Ruoxia's bowl, and then scooped up some fish slices and put them into his own bowl.
"Second Madam, you flatter me. With my conditions, I'm not good enough in the city. If I were like Young Master Lu, it wouldn't be difficult for me to find a wife."
Yun Ruoxia picked up a slice, blew on it, and put it in her mouth. The sour and spicy flavor immediately took over her taste buds, followed by the tender fish meat sliding across her tongue. There was no fishy smell. Not bad, this boiled fish slice was pretty good.
"Young Master Lu was born into a wealthy family, unlike us poor families. To put it bluntly, he is an orphan, so the young lady who marries into the family won't be bound by the rules of her mother-in-law. The couple can live together with money in their pockets and won't have to worry about making a living. That's a hundred times better than marrying into a high-class family."
Wen Siqing's heart started pounding uncontrollably again. Yun Ruoxia's words were something he had never heard before. They sounded somewhat rebellious, but they were also extremely comforting.
Since his mother passed away, everyone who knew him considered him a jinx, a bringer of misfortune, and wished to stay far away from him to avoid getting any bad luck on them.
Even the matchmakers who had arranged marriages for him in previous years said that the young ladies in the city didn't like someone like him. He had no parents, no one to rely on after marriage, and he had built up so much business all by himself. They couldn't imagine how ruthless he was. When asked, none of them were willing to marry him.
So he gave up on that idea. He felt that he already had a shop, a house, and a stable job. Even if he never got married, he wouldn't starve. So why should he bother?
But one day, he met Yun Ruoxia, and in just one glance, he knew that she was the one for him. Now, she and he were a perfect match in every way, and he could no longer control his feelings.
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