Chapter 15
The woman was a receptionist at the fabric shop, in her early twenties, and you could smell her strong perfume even before you got close.
She yawned lazily and picked up the mirror to admire her freshly applied makeup.
Yu Wan looked around the shop at all kinds of fabrics, silks and satins, in all colors and patterns, with a complete range of styles.
She had already inquired about it and found that Wanshun Cloth Shop was the most famous cloth shop in the county. It was indeed much better than those cloth shops in town that only sold coarse cotton and linen.
However, small shops don't sell these expensive fabrics well. One reason is that not many people buy them, and another is that people only wear them during the Chinese New Year and are reluctant to get them dirty or damaged at other times.
Small towns are not comparable to county towns. There are many poor people, and most of them are concerned about food, which is the most important thing. As for clothes, they need to wear durable fabrics such as cotton and linen, which are convenient for working and not easy to tear.
Yu Wan's gaze fell on a batch of satin fabrics, the texture of which was smooth and lustrous.
"Sister, how much is this satin per bolt?"
Madam Wan applied powder in front of the mirror, glanced at her, and said, "It's very expensive."
She added, "Don't touch me like that."
Yu Wan smiled slightly. This familiar scene truly proved the saying that no matter what era, some things will never change.
If it weren't for the fact that this is the only store in the entire county with such a wide variety of products, she would have turned around and left by now.
She took her mother's arm and said softly, "Mom, which color do you like? There are so many colors here: vermilion, royal blue, willow green, eggplant purple. Pick whichever you like."
Mother Yu was so dazzled by the sight that she unconsciously took a step back, afraid of bumping into the valuable fabric.
“Awan, this is too expensive. I don’t want it. You can pick one yourself. Don’t buy it for your little brother. He’s just a playful kid. Wearing this would be a waste.”
Yu Wan knew that her daughter was stingy with money and afraid of spending it all, but she didn't know that her daughter already had several hundred taels of silver, enough to afford a few decent outfits.
"It's okay, just pick a color. We didn't wear any new clothes for the New Year, and the weather will be getting warmer soon, so it's a good time to make a set of clothes for the changing season."
Madam Wan scoffed, her face full of disdain, cracking sunflower seeds. She'd seen plenty of people like this who came in to browse even though they had no money, and then pretended they didn't want to buy anything.
Yu Wan glanced at her coldly and asked in a low voice, "Where is your boss?"
Madam Wan rolled her eyes. "Our boss is out. He's not here."
Yu Cheng was focused on eating the candied hawthorns; there were four skewers in total, and he got three.
Neither his mother nor He Jing ate any. When they left, they stuffed the candied hawthorn into Yu Cheng's hand.
"Snap!"
Half a hawthorn fell on the floor.
Madam Wan cried out in surprise, stepped forward and pushed Yu Cheng, and quickly wiped the area clean with a rag.
"Be careful not to dirty our shop floor. A distinguished guest is coming in soon, and you don't want to soil their shoes!"
At this moment, a middle-aged woman rushed into the shop and excitedly grabbed Wan Niangzi's hand.
"It's settled! My husband has agreed!"
Lady Wan beamed with joy: "Really? Then we can go to Yu's Restaurant for a delicious meal tomorrow? But your husband really agreed? To pay off his debts as soon as possible, he pulls your family's carriage out to work every day, never resting even during holidays. By the way, I heard he's going to Yu's Restaurant on New Year's Eve to pick up that famous young lady?"
Lady Liu laughed and said, "Isn't that right? What a coincidence!"
Yu Wan recalled the terrifying events of New Year's Eve, but had not yet had the opportunity to investigate who was behind it.
However, there were too many people around to ask, so I could only secretly remember the woman's appearance.
Wan Niangzi wanted to have a private chat with her best friend, but when she glanced at the few people who hadn't left, they looked at her with disdain and impatience. The two of them could only whisper to each other, telling each other their little secrets.
Just then, an older man and a younger woman arrived, dressed in gorgeous clothes, adorned with gold and silver, ostentatiously and extravagantly.
The woman was in her early twenties, with a waist as slender as a willow branch. She walked with a swaying gait, as if she had no bones.
She linked her arm with the man's, her movements intimate, her voice sweet and soft.
"Sir, the weather is getting warmer and warmer, and people don't have any decent clothes to wear anymore."
The man addressed as "Master" was a wealthy man in his fifties who affectionately tapped the tip of her nose.
"You little devil, how come you have no clothes to wear? Didn't I just make you three sets a couple of days ago?"
The woman huffed, "How come it's been two days? How many days has it been? It was made during the New Year, and now it's already past the first month of the lunar calendar. Master, I won't accept it! I want to have new clothes!"
The two of them talked back and forth, completely ignoring the stares of others.
Yu Wan had originally wanted to discuss a collaboration, but after waiting for a long time, the shop owner still hadn't shown up, so it seemed like they weren't meant to be.
Madam Wan forced a bright smile and stepped forward to greet them, saying, "Oh, Master Zhang, Madam Hua, you two have arrived so early. Madam, what do you like? My boss just received a new batch of goods yesterday, let me show them to you."
Master Zhang chuckled and said, "Madam Wan, where did Boss Chen go so early in the morning? Isn't he always in the shop serving customers? Why are you all alone today? Doesn't he worry that you'll scare away all the customers?"
Madam Wan replied, "He went to the jewelry store next door. He heard that Boss Cui ate roast chicken this morning, and he rushed over because he was so hungry for it, afraid that Boss Cui would eat it all by himself."
Master Zhang was quite surprised and asked doubtfully, "Is it really that delicious? Even someone as picky as Boss Chen likes it? He used to be so arrogant as to say that none of the dishes at Fu Man Ju suited his taste."
Madam Wan laughed and said, "Who says otherwise? We didn't get to eat any."
Knowing that her three children were looked down upon, Yu's mother gently persuaded Yu Wan,
“Awan, you worked so hard to earn this money, so you should be more careful with it. It's not that I don't want you to spend it; you earned it yourself, so you can spend it however you want, but…”
Yu Wan understood her mother's meaning. She was afraid that her daughter was too shy and would feel slighted or looked down upon, which would make her uncomfortable. She wanted to give her a way out so that she could leave.
Mother Yu gently persuaded, "I don't ask for anything else. My greatest wish is for you and Acheng to grow up safely and healthily. Let's go see what's going on outside."
Yu Wan lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, "Never mind, let's go to another one."
Customers buying things is like giving away money, but this place treats customers differently, which shows a very narrow-minded attitude.
She remained calm and composed. There are always people like that, and getting angry with them would only drive you crazy.
Master Zhang and his concubine, Lady Hua, were walking and looking around when they reached Yu Cheng's side. Lady Hua's clothes were accidentally scratched by a bamboo skewer from a candied hawthorn.
Hua Niangzi immediately started shouting and looked at her clothes with a pained expression.
"Ah! This dress is very expensive, fifty taels a piece! I hope it doesn't get snagged, otherwise I won't be able to wear it!"
Yu Cheng's chubby little face turned pale with fright. He bowed deeply to her and said, "I'm sorry." He quickly hid behind his sister.
After examining the items carefully and finding no damage, Hua Niangzi rolled her eyes at him and then looked at Yu Wan and her mother.
“I’m being blunt, but I’m just trying to give you a friendly reminder. People like you shouldn’t squander a little money. Clothes and jewelry are just material possessions. What’s most important is having enough to eat and shelter from the wind and rain. Young ladies, don’t be so vain. Be aware of your place and don’t pursue these unrealistic and flashy things.”
Mrs. Yu looked terrified. "I'm so sorry, sir. My son, Acheng, didn't do it on purpose. Please check carefully. If there's any damage, I can mend it for you and make sure it looks exactly the same as before."
Hua Niangzi scoffed, "Mending? You want me to wear patched clothes? What a joke! This is a top-quality satin coat; I doubt you three would be worth this much even if you sold them all. You shouldn't have come to such a high-end shop. It's not good for you, and it's not good for anyone else. It's awkward for everyone. Why bother?"
Yu's mother usually interacted with people of the same social class as herself. This was the first time she had been publicly ridiculed by someone who thought himself superior. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.
Yu Wan's eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, "Madam, if your clothes were torn or dirty, we would accept the compensation. But they're neither dirty nor torn, so why do you have to be so hurtful with every word?"
Lady Hua was surprised that this girl dared to talk back, and glared at her, loudly rebuking her.
“I’m trying to teach you how to be decent human beings, and instead of being grateful, you’re biting the hand that feeds you. You’re lucky to have met me today. If you had encountered someone unreasonable, I would have beaten you to death long ago.”
Yu Wan knew that in this cannibalistic ancient society, it was common for people to treat human life as worthless, but she was not without temper.
“Even if my brother and I do something wrong, our own mother will discipline us, so there’s no need for you to worry.”
Hua Niangzi was publicly humiliated and lost her temper. "You brat, how dare you talk like that?" she said, and was about to rush forward to hit her.
Master Zhang quickly pulled her back, saying, "Look at you, what are you doing? Country folk aren't very educated, so what's wrong with speaking your mind? Calm down."
Lady Hua's face turned red with anger. "Let me go! I'll teach her a lesson today! She has to put up with your wife's temper at home, and now some poor girl dares to be rude to me outside. I'm going to get my revenge today!"
Yu Wan knew she shouldn't act impulsively. If the other party had a powerful background, she wouldn't care about herself, but she would implicate her mother and younger brother.
However, she had already made up her mind that if that woman dared to make a move, she would definitely roll up her sleeves and rush up to tear off her hair ornament!
Even a clay figure has a touch of earthiness!
Yu's mother and Yu Cheng were terrified, their faces pale, but they still held Yu Wan firmly behind them, pulling her back tightly.
Mrs. Yu apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my daughter didn't mean to upset you. I apologize on her behalf. Please don't take it to heart."
Just then, a man and a woman walked in from outside. They were Zhu Zhifeng and Jin Yifei, whom they hadn't seen for many days.
The two were chatting and laughing when they saw someone arguing. They wanted to watch the commotion, but then they spotted someone they knew.
They shouted in unison, "Madam Yu!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to this sound.
Madam Wan greeted them with a smile, "Miss Zhu, Young Master Jin, welcome, welcome! Is there anything you two need? Would you like me to help you make an introduction? The boss just received a new bolt of fine fabric yesterday, would you like some...?"
To her surprise, the two ignored her completely and went to the poor mother and her children.
Zhu Zhifeng looked delighted. "Madam Yu, when did you arrive in the county town? Why don't you come to my house for a visit?"
Yu Wan smiled faintly: "Miss Zhu, Mr. Jin, it's been a long time."
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