Chapter 116 Buying Rice and Cloth for One Coin
Jiang Ling didn't want to be a savior; it was just that the villagers had helped her a lot, and on several occasions, they had even saved her life.
In ancient times, winter was the most difficult season for ordinary people to endure.
Of course, she wants to do everything within her power to make everyone's life a little better.
After these words were spoken, the crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even louder discussions.
Nobody's stupid. One penny? What's the difference between that and giving it away for free?
Such fine material, such pure white rice, it's worth far more than a single penny!
As the most respected elder in the village, Grandpa Zhao was chosen by everyone to speak.
He walked up to Jiang Ling, his tone sincere yet disapproving:
“Miss Jiang, we all appreciate your kind intentions! But…this is too much! Absolutely not! It’s not easy for you to run a business, and you’re struggling to keep your capital flowing. How can we keep taking advantage of you? This gift is too generous; we cannot accept it!”
If it's just ordinary tea or beverages, or eating some fruits and snacks, I don't think it's a big deal.
But this time it's pure white rice and finely crafted fabric. Although Miss Jiang said she was paying for it, everyone knows the purchasing power of one coin. Isn't this obviously a free gift?
"Yes, Miss Jiang, we understand your kindness, but we cannot accept this gift!"
"This is such a waste! We're going to lose so much money!"
"We're all from the same village, helping each other is only natural, why be so formal!"
"Yeah yeah!"
The villagers all agreed, feeling that this would put Jiang Ling at a great disadvantage.
Jiang Ling had anticipated this, and she patiently explained with a smile:
"Uncle Zhao, fellow villagers, listen to me. This cloth is from a factory that's closing down and clearing out its stock; it's practically being given away for free. The grain is the same; there was a bumper harvest in the south this year, so the price is low, and I bought it in bulk, so it really didn't cost me much!"
Everyone has helped me so much lately, so I thought I'd bring something back as a token of my appreciation. Please don't be shy about asking for my help! Otherwise, I'll feel bad troubling you all again!
She tried her best to explain, repeatedly emphasizing that she hadn't suffered any loss, but was just lucky to find a bargain. She also appealed to people's emotions, saying that it was to thank everyone for their usual care.
The villagers looked at the tempting fabrics and grains, and they really wanted them, but they couldn't get over their mental block. Somewhat hesitantly, they looked at Grandpa Zhao.
Seeing Jiang Ling's sincere smile, Grandpa Zhao couldn't resist her insistence and finally agreed.
"We can't refuse Miss Jiang's kind offer, so let's accept it. On behalf of the villagers of Jishui Village, thank you very much, Miss Jiang!"
A joyous cheer and gratitude erupted from the crowd.
Everyone lined up and stepped forward one by one, solemnly placing a coin into the money box that Jiang Ling had prepared.
Some villagers who didn't bring any money didn't even bother selling their vegetables; they rushed home to get their money.
"Thank you, Miss Jiang! You have such a kind heart!"
"This fabric is so thick, it can be used to make new clothes for the kids for the New Year!"
"This rice smells so good! I'll steam some white rice for the kids tonight!"
Suddenly, a stranger walked out from the crowd.
It was Fu Chengze, Old Zhang's nephew.
He was carrying a rather large vegetable basket on his back, coming over to sell vegetables.
He had studied for over a decade, and even while doing farm work, he exuded a scholarly air. He stood out in the crowd.
The village road was uneven, and his eyesight was poor, so he walked extremely carefully, testing each step as he went. His body swayed slightly, and his back appeared somewhat hunched as a result.
Seeing this, the surrounding villagers subconsciously slowed down, and some even stepped aside to make way for him.
Accompanied by several well-intentioned reminders:
"Chengze, slow down, there's a small bump here."
"Come on, move closer to me, the road is smoother."
Upon seeing Fu Chengze, the nephew of Old Zhang, a faint sigh drifted through the crowd.
"Chengze was such a promising talent, how did he end up in such a mess!"
"That's right. If it weren't for this illness, he would have been a scholar by now."
"It's so nice to be a scholar, you can receive subsidies from the imperial court, and you don't even have to bow to officials."
"What you're saying, Sister-in-law Zhao, is it that Chengze doesn't want to be a scholar? It's just that he's not destined for it."
"That's right. Back then, many teachers praised him as a literary genius descended from heaven, having mastered hundreds of books at a young age."
"Perhaps he was too outstanding, and God was jealous, which is why he developed an eye disease."
"Look at him, he doesn't look like someone who does farm work at all. It's a shame that such a talented person is envied by heaven."
The villagers' discussion successfully piqued Jiang Ling's curiosity, drawing her gaze towards the person walking out from the crowd.
A young man was seen carrying a half-full vegetable basket on his back, walking slowly along the village road with some difficulty.
This was the first time Jiang Ling had met him. He seemed a little shy, with fair skin, and looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old.
In this dynasty, educated people were very noticeable because they possessed a special quality that made them easily recognizable at a glance.
He was slightly hunched over, and his eyes seemed to be straining as he looked at the obstacles on the ground.
Based on what the villagers had just said about their eye problems, Jiang Ling seemed to understand somewhat.
Just then, Old Zhang hurriedly squeezed through, clutching a single coin tightly in his hand, his face showing some embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Jiang. I didn't have any money on me when I was drinking soy milk, so I ran back to get it."
He carefully placed the copper coin into the money box on the table.
Xiao Ran handed him a bag of rice and a stack of cloth as instructed. "Uncle Zhang, take these."
"Good boy, you've become more and more energetic since you started working at the shop."
Old Zhang accepted it and repeatedly thanked Jiang Ling:
"Thank you, Miss Jiang! Miss Jiang is such a kind and benevolent person!"
Jiang Ling smiled slightly: "Uncle Zhang, you're too kind."
The villagers who had been discussing animatedly suddenly fell silent. Old Zhang glanced around and saw his nephew queuing up to sell vegetables.
I instantly understood what they had been discussing.
The smile on his face faded, turning into a deep sigh, his tone filled with helplessness and heartache:
"Alas! This child has bad luck. Just like me, neither of us is destined to become a scholar."
Although his words were self-deprecating, they revealed a deep sense of bitterness and resentment.
Who would want ten years of hard work to go to waste?
Yet, they felt a profound sense of powerlessness in the face of this unchangeable fate.
Thanks to the villagers' graciousness, Fu Chengze quickly sold his vegetables.
Even though his eyesight was poor, he could still keenly sense that many pitying gazes were focused on him.
He disliked this feeling; the pride of a scholar who had spent over a decade in the world drove him to desperately try to escape from here.
He was praised and held in high esteem from a young age, but now, having fallen from that height, he has lost all hope in life and is living numbly.
"Chengze, wait a moment."
At this moment, his uncle, Old Zhang, called out to him.
Before long, Old Zhang walked up to him, took his hand, and led him to the entrance of the grocery store.
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