Qin San Niang tilted her head and saw that the fat girl's eyes were shining with gold, as if she had never seen the world before. She didn't mean to make fun of the child. In fact, she herself thought that the silk cloth was really too good. She originally wanted to touch it, but then she thought of the calluses on her hands and decided not to. Didn't she see that the young shop assistant was also very nervous?
Silk was not suitable for them; who would flee in wearing silk clothes? It was also very easy to snag, and it was really delicate. However, she still decided to buy a few feet of silk, which could be made into underwear that would be very comfortable to wear.
"Madam, look over here. Our linen is very sturdy and comfortable." Forgive the waiter for not having X-ray vision; he didn't realize this was a big customer.
Knowing that the waiter thought they couldn't afford silk, he specifically introduced linen.
Qin San Niang was not the type to be brave and fierce. Judging from their clothes, they did not seem to be from a family that could afford silk cloth, and even fine cotton cloth would be a bit out of reach.
The linen was all a dull yellow, probably collected from a peasant woman in the countryside. Although it wasn't pretty and was rather stiff after starching, making it uncomfortable to wear, it was sturdy and cheap. Don't ask her how she knew, because she was wearing this kind of homemade yellow linen right now.
In comparison, the cotton cloth was much more upscale. It felt fine and soft to the touch, and although it couldn't compare to the fine cotton cloth of later generations, it was still quite good.
"Hey waiter, how much is your cotton cloth? And what about this linen?" If the price was right, she planned to buy some of both. Linen could be made into outerwear or duvet covers, and it wouldn't be conspicuous.
"This linen is six coins a foot. As for cotton, the price varies depending on the color. Madam, the peach pink and light blue ones here are eighteen coins a foot, while the dark blue ones are twelve coins a foot."
The price was so high that Fatty clicked her tongue in disbelief. Steamed buns were only one coin each! This foot of linen could buy six steamed buns. She and her mother usually ate only three steamed buns a day; this would last them two days. As for cotton cloth, Fatty wouldn't even consider it; only the daughters of wealthy landlords wore that!
After a moment's thought, Qin San Niang realized that colors like peach pink were indeed pretty, but she didn't plan to buy them now.
"Waiter, what are you doing serving those refugees? Do you really think you can make a sale?"
The speaker was a girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a peach-pink cotton dress, with a pretty bun on her head. She was pouting and looking in this direction.
Just now, when the girl and her mother came in, they saw the waiter surrounding Qin San Niang and the other girl, completely ignoring them. He really doesn't understand!
The waiter was truly wronged. He hadn't seen two customers come in at all. There was another waiter in the shop, but he had disappeared sometime during the day; he probably went to the restroom because there weren't many customers. Actually, the waiters had a strict division of labor. Someone with less seniority like him could only serve customers in the linen area, which was why he had been so eager to sell to Qin San Niang.
"Here you are, Miss and Madam. May I ask which piece of fabric you have taken a fancy to? Let me bring it over for you to take a look!" The waiter dared not offend them, especially since Qin San Niang's business did not seem to be one that could make a big sale.
Fatty was a little unhappy. She was straightforward and didn't show it directly. "Hey waiter, we were here first, so you should let us finish buying first!"
The young woman in the peach-colored dress widened her almond-shaped eyes, seemingly surprised that this chubby girl with a round head dared to talk back to her. Seeing the chubby girl and her companion's patched-up clothes and straw sandals, she sneered, "Waiter, your shop really needs a good overhaul. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come in without even knowing if they can afford it!"
As a modern woman, Qin Sanniang really wanted to persuade her mother to send her back to school for a fresh start!
"You dress all high and mighty, but why can't you speak like a human being or act like one?! Whether we can afford it or not isn't something you can figure out just by talking. Besides, so what if you're a refugee? Maybe you'll become a refugee yourself soon enough!" She wasn't going to tolerate this kind of person; otherwise, she'd only end up hurting herself.
"You..." This girl was all bark and no bite, turning to look at her mother, "Mother, these vagrants and beggars are going too far!"
"Moon, why bother arguing with these lowly people? It's beneath you." The woman, addressed as Mother, said affectionately to her daughter, as she sent flying needles toward Qin San Niang, as if she wanted to nail them to death.
Qin San Niang rolled her eyes. Is this all the skill you have? This is all the level you're capable of? Trying to argue with people? You're too green!
"Waiter, could you please give me two bolts of dark blue cotton cloth, two bolts of linen cloth, and one bolt of gray silk cloth? Also, do you have any cotton here?"
When he saw Qin San Niang turn her head and ignore the mother and son, Xiao Erge breathed a sigh of relief. This mother and daughter were quite difficult to please. They were regular customers of the shop. Although they were dressed nicely, they always tried to take advantage of him. If he didn't round down the price for them, he probably wouldn't have a peaceful morning.
However, when he heard the items that Qin San Niang had mentioned, his first reaction was not surprise, but shock. He couldn't explain why, but he was very worried that the woman couldn't afford so much money, and he was afraid that she had only bought so much out of spite.
However, when she mentioned cotton, Xiao Er was stunned. He had heard of cotton, but had never seen it. They only sold kapok here, which was used by wealthy families to fill quilts and winter clothes. Ordinary farmers not only couldn't afford it, but they didn't even know about it.
"Madam, we don't have any cotton, but I don't know if you mean kapok, we do have that."
"Tch, doesn't even know what a kapok tree is, what a country bumpkin!" The woman opposite her had an arrogant air about her. She looked like she deserved a beating.
"Miss, we do have cotton, but it's all tribute. It's said that the western barbarian states send it to the capital every year," the waiter said respectfully, appearing completely harmless, as if he were genuinely explaining something to her.
Qin San Niang almost burst out laughing.
"Kapok is fine too, give me twenty catties." With a wave of her hand, Qin San Niang placed her order and didn't bother to compare prices with other vendors.
The woman was quite surprised; she hadn't expected this person to be wealthy. However, seeing the chubby girl's anxious expression, she figured they couldn't possibly have that much money. Otherwise, why would they be wearing straw sandals with patches on them?
Adjusting her mindset, the woman pulled her daughter to sit on a chair, ready to watch the show, and gently patted her daughter's hand, indicating that she didn't need to rush.
Fatty tugged timidly at Aunt Qin's sleeve. Wasn't this a bit too much? She didn't know how much it would cost, but that batch of silk fabric was very expensive; they hadn't been allowed to touch it earlier. She was worried that Aunt Qin wouldn't have the money!
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