Chapter 512: Washerwoman
Seeing the confusion on Wan Lao Er's face, Jia Yanbing knew what he was thinking, and did not play dumb any more. Instead, he said directly, "The cheapest thing in the capital is labor. Food, drink and entertainment are very expensive, but it doesn't cost much to hire someone to do this kind of rough work. Why should Brother Wan worry about this?"
Wan Lao Er asked in surprise: "Is there anyone helping with the laundry?"
Wan Laoer had never lived in the city, so of course he didn't know that there are always jobs in this world as long as there are people who need them.
Moreover, competition is fierce in jobs like laundry, sewing and mending, so the prices are low.
Jia Yanbing had already figured out Wan Laoer's background along the way. He knew that he used to be a farmer, had escaped famine and been exiled, and had experienced quite a few hardships. He had never had the chance to come into contact with the life of city people.
He patiently explained, "The capital is divided into the outer city and the inner city. The closer the inner city is to the imperial palace, the more noble one's status and family background are. We are now in the outer city, which is divided into four areas. Our area is a gathering place for small vendors. The area directly to the north is inhabited by officials below the fifth rank. Their salaries are not high, and in this capital full of nobles, they can't get a place at all, so they can only buy houses in the outer city."
"In the southwest corner of the outer city are slums. Some of them have several generations living in one small courtyard. To be honest, although they live in the capital, their lives are not as good as yours. They rely on going out to work and taking on some jobs in the city. Women earn a living by doing handicrafts, or helping people mend clothes, and washing clothes. However, most wealthy families in the capital have maids and old women who specialize in washing and mending clothes, so the jobs they can get are nothing more than those small merchants who have some money but can't afford to support servants."
"Pack up all these clothes and give them to the waiter. I guarantee they will be taken away soon. They will be delivered to you neatly and cleanly in a few days. The price is not expensive. As far as I know, it only costs one cent to wash a piece of clothes. It shouldn't cost more than thirty cents for such a pile of clothes."
Wan Lao Er was shocked by what Jia Yanbing said. This...
"Mr. Yan, are you serious?" Of course he was happy to be freed by Wan Laoer for a few dozen coins. The most important thing was that he was afraid that he could not wash Fubao's clothes cleanly. Every piece of Fubao's clothes was dirty before he took them off. If Wan Er's wife found out that Fubao's clothes were all dirty when he got home, he would definitely be criticized.
Jia Yanbing did not comment and let Wan Laoer try it himself.
Wan Laoer immediately wrapped himself in all his clothes and ran downstairs like a gust of wind.
"Boss, is there anyone here to help with the laundry?"
The shopkeeper was counting on an abacus. Hearing the voice, he looked up at Wan Laoer. Seeing that it was a big customer, his attitude immediately became enthusiastic.
"Sir, do you have any clothes to wash?"
Wan Laoer bent down and picked up the bundles at his feet to show them to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper's face turned pale. How many days has this man been saving clothes? Fortunately, it is winter now, otherwise they would have gone bad.
But the shopkeeper immediately said, "Yes, yes, just give these to me."
But Wan Laoer wanted to see how they operated, so he was unwilling to hand it over to the shopkeeper. He was very curious and wanted to go over to take a look. He also wanted to know if the laundry work was really so cheap.
"Shopkeeper, these clothes belong to my daughter. I am worried and need to explain some things to her in person. Can I trouble you..."
The shopkeeper immediately understood what Wan Laoer meant and said quickly, "Okay, no problem, come with me."
The shopkeeper brought Wan Laoer to the back door of the inn. Behind the inn was an alley. At the entrance of the alley stood a few children wearing patched clothes. They played around from time to time and looked eagerly to see if the back doors of the houses in the alley were open.
Just as the shopkeeper opened the back door, several children immediately ran over and surrounded the back door.
"Boss, is there any business?" A boy of eight or nine years old was the first to ask.
"This guest needs to have his clothes washed because they belong to his children. I have something to tell you."
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, the children immediately looked at Wan Laoer who was standing nearby.
Their eyes were all focused on the bundle in Wan Laoer's hand, and there was only one thought in their minds, so much!
"Uncle, my mother is famous for her laundry skills. The clothes are clean and fragrant, and she is also good at sewing. If you give your clothes to us to wash, I guarantee that you will be satisfied."
It was the little boy who spoke first.
But this time the other kids immediately spoke up to grab the business.
"Uncle, my mother's is the best. If you don't believe me, ask the shopkeeper."
A little girl had two pigtails and her face was red from the cold. Her top and pants were obviously ill-fitting and were half too short. Her little hands were covered with frostbite.
Wan Laoer couldn't help but feel sympathy. If it was her own daughter, she would be heartbroken.
Wan Laoer glanced at the shopkeeper.
"Boss, this... you deal with a lot of people, how about you recommend one?"
If Wan Laoer had known this earlier, he might as well have handed the clothes directly to the shopkeeper. As he also came from the bottom of society, he certainly knew what it felt like to be poor.
For a moment he didn't know who to assign this job to.
The shopkeeper smiled and asked, "You haven't raised the price yet, have you?"
The children quickly shook their heads, "How can that be possible? The price won't increase, and even if it does, it won't be increased for your customers."
This is what the little girl said.
Wan Lao Er was curious about the price, so he asked, "How much does it cost to wash a piece of clothing in your family?"
"Winter clothes cost one penny each now. If you give all these to my mother to wash, I can give you a discount."
Wan Laoer couldn't help but take a deep breath in his heart. This is already cheap enough, how can it be cheaper? It seems that this business is really not worth the money.
Seeing that Wan Lao Er was quite concerned about the little girl, the shopkeeper said, "This child and her mother depend on each other for survival. Her mother became a widow at a young age, and her father died in the war. Fortunately, the neighbors help them and they are not bullied. But what can a woman do? Just some manual labor."
After hearing this, Wan Laoer gave the clothes to the little girl without hesitation.
When the other children saw that there was no hope, they said goodbye to the shopkeeper and ran away. They were already used to it, and others should not be jealous of whoever got the order by luck, because in the end everyone had the same chance.
Wan Lao Er wanted to count the clothes in front of him and pay the money, but the girl smiled and said, "Uncle, there's no need to count and you don't have to pay now. You can pay me after you receive the clothes and feel they are good."
Wan Laoer packed the clothes again, but looking at the little girl's small body, he felt that she would definitely not be able to carry so many clothes.
"How about I send it over?" Wan Laoer felt a little embarrassed.
But the little girl quickly waved her hands. She had worked so hard to get the order, and she couldn't mess it up again.
"No need, uncle. I can carry it."
I saw the little girl carrying a bag on each arm, two on her back, and one in her arms. Her already thin body was completely buried by the bags, with only half of her face, the size of a palm, exposed.
"Uncle, you see, I can do it." The little girl showed a pure smile on her face, blinked at Wan Laoer, and left with slightly heavy steps.
Wan Laoer looked at the small figure's back and felt an indescribable feeling in his heart, a little uncomfortable and a little sympathetic.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
