Chapter 23: Are you telling me if this shopkeeper is a human or a ghost?
Madam Zhou glared at her, "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"
Madam Kong glanced around and asked, "Where is Madam Zhao? And Madam He isn't here either?"
Madam Song said, "I heard that Madam Zhao and Master Zhao had a fight last night about taking a concubine! I guess she won't be coming out today. Although Madam He didn't come, she sent a maid over early this morning. She only left when she saw that the shop wasn't open."
Women in this era relied on their husbands for survival, and their husbands' affection was paramount.
Yesterday, while boating on the lake, they overheard Master Zhao preparing to take in new concubines. Even though it wasn't happening to them, they couldn't help but feel a sense of shared fate and nervous for their own sake.
The reason these ladies have been trying to curry favor with Madam Chen these past few days is simply because of the intoxicatingly fragrant soap she wears.
Last night I suddenly heard that she bought the scented soap from this grocery store, how could I possibly let this opportunity slip by?
"It's already this late, why isn't the shop open yet?" Mrs. Deng looked at the tightly closed wooden door.
She's young, just entered the household, and is currently being pampered; it doesn't matter if she doesn't need it.
However, she was obsessed with fragrances, which is why she came looking for them.
Madam Song fanned herself and said coolly, "I arrived early. I heard from the villagers nearby that this shopkeeper is no ordinary shopkeeper. He opens the shop entirely depending on his mood. If he's in a good mood, he'll open for half a day; if he's in a bad mood, he may not open for ten days or half a month."
"Oh?" Mrs. Deng's face fell. "Then we've made a wasted trip? We won't be able to buy any scented soap?"
They all came for the scented soap, without any attempt to hide it.
"I heard that Sister Wang knows this shop owner. Will she ask the shop owner not to sell to us?" Mrs. Deng was simple-minded.
Madam Zhou scoffed, "Merchants are all profit-driven. Why don't you just offer more money and sell it? Do you think these spineless people would just leave their doors wide open and never do business?"
Madam Song frowned and glared at her; her family were businessmen.
"Madam Zhou, you're standing right in front of someone's shop, so please watch your words. If you offend the shopkeeper, they might refuse to sell to you, but don't drag us all down with them!" She still wanted to buy scented soap.
Madam Zhou coughed lightly. The shop wasn't open, so there was no need for her to linger.
"These are just some country stuff, is it really worth all this fuss? Forget it, I'm afraid I'll cause problems if I use them, I'll just go to Xiangbaoge to buy them."
After saying that, he didn't even look at the crowd, and with the help of his maid, he got into the carriage and drove away.
Madam Song watched her departing figure and said bitterly:
"What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for! Your mouth is practically drooling, and you're still acting all high and mighty!"
The remaining three ladies chatted idly and then strolled around the neighborhood.
It was past noon, and the shop still hadn't opened, so we had no choice but to leave disappointed.
Jiang Ling, fast asleep, had no idea that she had only sold a few bars of scented soap, yet it had attracted a large number of wealthy women from Ping'an County to come and buy her products.
As evening falls, wisps of smoke rise from the village chimneys.
The sunset glow and the lone wild goose fly together, a scene of perfect tranquility.
Jiang Yi remained under the shade of the tree as always.
The villagers who were passing by greeted him.
"The delivery guy is here again!"
"Brother Zhao, it's really frustrating! My horse only likes to eat grass in this area; it won't eat anywhere else. It's really worrying!"
After several days of frequent stays, he became familiar with the villagers in the vicinity.
Two days ago, Aunt Zhao from the end of the village lost her sheep, but Jiang Yi helped her find it.
Yesterday, Uncle Chen's roof at the village entrance leaked, and Jiang Yi helped fix it.
Today, Aunt Qian's dog had a difficult birth and couldn't give birth to puppies. It was Jiang Yi who helped with the burial.
This dog meat—no, this mutton—smells delicious!
However, there was another figure under the shade of the tree today.
Cheng Fang squatted under the shade of a tree, slurping up the piping hot meat stew.
"How much dogwood did you put in?! It's so spicy!"
Despite saying that, Cheng Fang's hand holding the chopsticks never stopped moving.
"Don't eat if you can't finish it!" Jiang Yi slurped as well.
After a satisfying meal, the two rested against a tree trunk.
The sun had completely set, and the sky was dotted with stars.
Jiang Yi stared at the tightly closed wooden door with a worried expression.
"Do you think this shopkeeper is a human or a ghost?"
Cheng Fang rolled her eyes at him, "Can you catch a ghost for me to see?"
"Didn't you see that shopkeeper before? What does she look like?"
"The appearance of a human!"
Jiang Yi was puzzled.
"You say the shopkeeper is a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, which is quite common. It's one thing that she runs the shop sporadically, never worrying about making a living. And another that she casually gives away whole bags of pastries and whole bags of rice during lean years! But the real problem is that she actually possesses elixirs that can bring people back to life! And what's most surprising is that this shopkeeper even saved His Highness's life!"
Cheng Fang grew impatient. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"You're saying all these things are connected... Don't you ever have any other thoughts?"
"You're just ignorant! Making a fuss over nothing!" Cheng Fang plucked a dry foxtail grass, took out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and used it to drive away the mosquitoes around him.
"The shopkeeper said from the beginning that her father was a traveling merchant. It's not uncommon for traveling merchants to have a few life-saving medicines! Sending pastries and food was just their kindness. Saving His Highness was just a coincidence. I told you not to read so many storybooks!"
Upon seeing the black, cold-glowing tinderbox, Jiang Yi completely forgot what he had just intended to say.
"Hey, can I borrow your black tinderbox?"
Cheng Fang has been in charge of lighting the fires for the past few days. Although the army has a sufficient supply of fire starters, Cheng Fang still takes them out to show off from time to time.
When Jiang Yi first heard that it was just a fire starter made of iron, he didn't take it too seriously.
Only after seeing Cheng Fang use it in person did I realize how amazing this thing was.
With just a light press, you can generate a flame the size of a thumb anytime, anywhere; it's even said to be windproof.
The box can be closed to prevent rain and moisture.
This is incredibly convenient for military personnel!
Jiang Yi was itching to try it.
"No way! I only have one child, I won't even give him to my own father!"
Zhao Jingxing has already handed over his tinderbox to the Crown Prince.
He has to protect himself.
"Stingy!" Jiang Yi glanced at the wooden door. "I'll wait for the shop to open and then go buy a better one!"
However, after so many days of suspicion, he began to wonder if the shop could remain closed.
————
Jiang Ling was very tired, but she didn't sleep well.
She had a nightmare, dreaming of her father struggling in a fire, and of the injured workers grabbing at her, begging her to save them.
She woke up with a start, but couldn't fall back asleep.
After a quick wash, I organized yesterday's earnings.
She took the ancient costume out of the dryer and changed into it.
When I opened the wooden door, it was already broad daylight.
Roughly calculated, two and a half days have passed in this world since she left.
The morning mist slowly dissipated, leaving a slight coolness in the air.
Seeing that there weren't many customers, Jiang Ling picked out a pack of instant noodles that was about to expire and went to the kitchen to cook them.
"Long time no see, shopkeeper!"
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