Chapter 44 Sheepskin
Aman left the beauty salon, but the makeup trial session at the entrance was still ongoing.
However, Ah Man was still shaken and had lost all interest in watching, so he rushed home.
In the Wutong Garden, Fu Yunxiu was pointing out the pictures that were being framed.
The painting "Spring River Flower Moon" for Wu Dao was finished. Since it was a gift to a kindred spirit, it was naturally to be presented with great care. Therefore, Fu Yunxiu specially asked Mantou to go to the bookstore to select the best mounting paper available at the time for mounting.
The door wasn't bolted, and Aman pushed it open with a loud bang, startling Mantou so much that he almost tore the painting apart.
Mantou cursed inwardly and turned to see who was being so rude, only to see Aman enter dejectedly.
"Why are you back now?" Mantou asked.
"Don't even mention it." Aman walked into the pavilion sullenly, put down the basket in her hand, picked up the water jug on the table, poured two large cups of water and drank them down before speaking, "I went to Lirenfang to watch the makeup trial today and got caught."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yunxiu also stopped what he was doing. "You? What's going on?"
“I go to Lirenfang every day to watch makeup trials, but I only look and don’t buy. After a while, people see that I also sell rouge and think that I might have some bad intentions.” Aman sighed. “It’s strange, the shopkeeper didn’t give me a good look at first, but later he actually said that he wanted to cooperate with me and asked me to send all my rouge to Lirenfang in the future. I don’t know what he meant.”
"So you agreed?" Fu Yunxiu continued what he was doing.
“No,” Aman said, holding the corner for him. “His change of heart was too sudden. I was afraid there was something fishy going on, so I didn’t agree.”
“Not really,” Fu Yunxiu said. “Actually, Lirenfang was part of Madam Liu’s dowry, and it’s usually managed by the second son.”
"Second Young Master?" After he said that, Aman suddenly understood the key point. "So it was the Second Young Master who instructed Manager Wang to cooperate with me?"
Ah Man recalled that when she was halfway through her conversation, the waiter came in to serve tea and whispered in Manager Wang's ear.
At that moment, Manager Wang looked at her with great surprise.
That must be the reason.
Aman's silence left Fu Yunxiu unable to guess what she was thinking.
"But do you regret it?" he asked.
“Luckily I didn’t agree to his request,” Aman said.
"What do you mean?" Fu Yunxiu asked. Logically speaking, compared to others, Fu Changze was at least someone you knew well, and with Lirenfang backing him up, Aman wouldn't have to work so hard, and she would even get paid.
"I dare not cooperate with the Second Young Master. Although you trust him, what about the Second Madam? She's always trying to find ways to torment you. If I really cooperate with Lirenfang, what if one day she uses these things to coerce or bribe me into doing something detrimental to you?"
She prefers self-reliance to cooperation, at least it gives her freedom and prevents her from being controlled by others.
Aman didn't consider herself a smart person, so she decided not to get involved in this mess.
*
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble, from that day on, Aman rarely went to Lirenfang to try on makeup.
If I happen to pass by and happen to see it, I only glance at it briefly and never linger.
He would parade through the streets selling rouge every day without fail, and over time, young girls would come up to him to inquire about it.
She was timid and hesitant; it was obvious that this was her first time using rouge.
Aman herself hasn't spent much time doing her own makeup, so she naturally understands what the other person is thinking.
With her silver tongue and the skills she learned from the beauty salon, Aman offered to help her with makeup trials, and in the end, she actually sold a box.
The little girl looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, and was extremely satisfied. She even said she would introduce her best friend to the mirror.
Aman was naturally happy to accept, and before leaving, he even gave her two pieces of lip balm that he had just developed, as a treat for her first customer.
From then on, Aman's rouge business finally opened for business. Perhaps it was a lucky start, but for several days in a row, Aman had customers whenever she went out.
Although there are only two or three people involved, and the cost is only enough for about a pound of pork, Aman is still very happy doing it. Every day before going out, he is full of energy, like he's been injected with chicken blood.
Busy days always pass quickly, and soon, Yongzhou was in late autumn.
As the weather grew colder and leaves began to fall, Master He picked the frost-touched flowers and gave them to Aman, telling her that these were the last batch.
Aman knew that her rouge business was probably not stable enough before she had to suspend it.
Now that it's cold, almost all the flowers outdoors have withered. If you want to buy fresh flowers, you have to go to the greenhouses outside the city. However, the flowers in the greenhouses are all for people to admire, and a single stem is quite expensive. Only wealthy people can afford them; it's not something an ordinary person like Aman can afford.
As for renting a greenhouse, not to mention that the rent for the greenhouse itself is very high, the flowers and plants inside are also a considerable expense.
Ah Man has only earned less than one tael of silver since she started selling rouge. Including what she earned from selling vegetables before, she only earned four taels. She simply doesn't have that kind of money.
After much deliberation, Aman decided to take a break and resume next spring.
The autumn wind was bleak, and the once bustling Changqing Street had lost some of its liveliness.
Fewer peddlers were hawking their wares along the streets, replaced by various roasted nuts and seeds. A large pot was placed on a hot stove, where fine river sand was roasted until it turned black. A bowl of beans was poured in and stirred, and soon a crackling sound could be heard, accompanied by the aroma of beans that made one's mouth water.
Aman, with his sleeves tucked in, lingered around for a long time before finally giving in and buying a small bag.
These beans taste best when eaten hot, Ah Man thought, glancing at the rouge in her basket. Autumn had arrived, and with fewer flowers, even fewer peddlers selling loose rouge. So Ah Man's business had been pretty good these past few days. She'd made over twenty boxes of rouge from the last batch of flowers, but in just two days, half was gone.
At this rate, they'll be sold out in less than three days.
Let's go back first; it won't make a difference if we go back in a day or two.
It's so cold today.
A cold wind swept in, stinging his face. Aman tucked the beans into his bosom to warm them, pulled his sleeves tighter, and hunched his shoulders as he headed home.
Back at Wutong Garden, Aman first went to the east wing to see Fu Yunxiu.
Pushing open the door, the warmth of the room immediately enveloped him. Fu Yunxiu was leaning against the soft couch reading a book. Beside his feet were two huge floor heaters, with charcoal fires burning brightly inside, glowing red and looking very cozy.
Aman first took out some beans from his pocket and placed them on the small table on the soft couch before reaching out to warm his hands by the fire. He said, "This is the best-selling roasted nuts shop on Changqing Street. It's packed with people, and they're still warm. Please have a taste, young master."
Seeing Aman's travel-worn appearance, Fu Yunxiu knew that she was afraid the beans would get cold and not taste good, so she ran all the way here, and couldn't help but chuckle.
It seems that ever since Aman came to Wutong Garden, he has eaten all sorts of strange things that he had never tried before.
Mung bean cake, rice cake, beans—those things the Marquis's mansion had once considered vulgar—Aman let him try them all. And it must be said, they tasted really good.
Fu Yunxiu reached out, picked up two beans, and put them in his mouth. They were crisp and fragrant, with the unique aroma of beans, and were warm and delicious.
"It's really good."
"Right, right?" Aman squinted his eyes happily, only to realize that Mantou was not in the room.
"Where's Mantou? He's nowhere to be seen."
“It’s in the backyard,” Fu Yunxiu said.
"Then I'll go check on him."
Fu Yunxiu wanted to tell her to warm up before going out, but before he could finish speaking, Aman had already disappeared.
Only the slightly trembling screen and the aroma of beans emanating from the small table suggested that someone had been here.
Fu Yunxiu chuckled helplessly.
This girl is always so restless.
Aman went back inside to change into some lighter clothes, then went to the backyard to look for steamed buns.
Stepping through the moon gate, one could see thick smoke billowing from the backyard in the distance, and even the air smelled of burning.
Walking into the backyard and pushing open the door, Aman saw Mantou standing with his hands on his hips next to a pile of firewood. Beside him was a large, closed iron box, from which thick white smoke was billowing out.
“They’re burning charcoal again,” Aman walked up and pointed towards the stables. “Haven’t they already burned a lot?”
This method of burning charcoal was something Mantou learned from Aman.
Fu Yunxiu was in poor health and was sensitive to cold and wind, so when the weather got cold, he would turn on the underfloor heating in the house.
Previously, the charcoal for Wutongyuan was all bought from outside. Not only was it expensive, but the quality was also very poor. It would often produce a lot of smoke when burned, which was very unpleasant.
Aman had seen his neighbor's old man burn charcoal before, so he asked Mantou to make a metal box for burning charcoal, just like he remembered it.
The storage room in Wutongyuan was full of scrap iron, and apart from the blacksmith's labor fee, it didn't cost much.
As for firewood for charcoal making, the orchards in the backyard are excellent sources.
Ever since I learned how to burn charcoal, I've been burning two charcoal heaters in the east wing of the house, day and night, making the room as warm as springtime.
Logically speaking, after burning charcoal for so many days, the fire should be enough to get through the winter. But who would have thought that the steamed buns would become addicted, running to the backyard every day and staying there for most of the day.
Seeing Aman approach, Mantou dusted off his hands and then sighed deeply. "It's not enough. Mr. Cheng said that the young master's aversion to cold will worsen with age, and winter came early this year. I'm afraid..."
What's there to be afraid of? Mantou didn't say it explicitly, but Aman could guess the gist of it.
Aman, who had been all smiles, could no longer smile.
A year's growth might be a joyous occasion for others, but for the young master, it's a death knell.
"Isn't there any way at all?" Aman asked.
How could such a good person as the young master die so young?
Mantou shook his head. "Mr. Cheng's master was a well-known doctor in Dasheng. Mr. Cheng inherited his mantle and also served the emperor in the palace. He only retired because he got old."
When the young master was poisoned, countless doctors were helpless. The Marquis even went to the Emperor to plead for the Imperial Physician's help, but to no avail. In the end, it was only through great difficulty that they found Mr. Cheng, who saved the young master's life.
Originally, Mr. Cheng used silver needles to seal most of the poison in the young master's leg injury. With subsequent medication, even if he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he would still live to be fifty or sixty. However, when the young master was twenty years old, the Wutong Garden where the Marquis lived caught fire. The young master disregarded his leg injury and went in to save people, causing the silver needles to shift and the poison to spread.
Ultimately, the young master only had a few years left to live because of the fire, and the marquis also died less than a month later due to severe burns in the fire.
So if Mr. Cheng says there's no way, then there really is no way.
Aman sighed deeply and stopped disturbing the steamed buns and the charcoal burner.
The two remained silent, staring blankly at the smoking metal box. After a long while, Aman finally snapped out of it, exhaling a puff of white breath. "I'll go cook now."
In the afternoon, the weather grew even more gloomy.
Aman stood by the window, watching the frost fluttering outside, her worries growing stronger.
As early as autumn, Aman began preparing cotton-padded clothes and quilts for the winter.
She knew that winters in Yongzhou were cold, so she prepared all the thickest clothes she could find. But this winter seemed to be colder than usual.
Aman closed the window and turned to look back. In the basket on the table were a pair of sheepskin knee pads she had just made for Fu Yunxiu. Fu Bao was nestled on them, sniffing them intently with its three-lobed beak.
Aman stepped forward and picked Fu Bao up. She then picked up an unfinished knee pad.
The lamb's fur is very soft and warm, and it is very clean with no odor.
But Aman had seen how Fu Yunxiu's leg ailment flared up after catching a cold...
Not enough, still not enough...
Aman walked quickly to the bedside, pulled out a wooden box from under the bed, opened it, and found a few copper coins inside.
Aman poured all the copper coins onto the bed, then opened the hidden compartment underneath, where a few pieces of silver lay quietly on the red cloth.
This is the money Aman has saved up over the past six months by selling vegetables and cosmetics.
Aman counted it and found it to be about five taels.
Five taels of silver, even for the most ordinary fox fur cloak, would cost around thirty or forty taels of silver.
This amount of money is pitifully small.
Aman then took out another box from under the bed.
That's where the family's money is stored.
Some time ago, I spent some of the money making winter clothes, and now I have more than thirty taels left.
Thirty-odd taels of silver is enough to buy a fox fur cloak, but what happens when it's all gone?
Are you suggesting we make the young master earn money through painting again?
The other day, the young master was so engrossed in the final polishing of "Spring River Flower Moon" that he neglected to eat and sleep, and even lost weight. Now that the weather is getting cold, his spirits are even lower, and Aman really doesn't want that.
Well, if all else fails, I'll just get a sheepskin cloak. It doesn't sound nice, but it'll keep me warm just the same.
With this in mind, Aman made a point of inquiring about it at the clothing store when she was selling rouge for the next two days.
Those finished sheepskin cloaks cost at least ten taels of silver.
Originally, it wasn't worth that much, but winter came early this year, and some places were hit by snow early, blocking the mountain roads and making it impossible to enter the mountains and hunt. As a result, these clothing stores raised their prices, which in turn increased the price of sheepskin.
Aman visited several stores but couldn't find one that satisfied him.
Those cheaper ones were poorly made and even had an odor, while the better ones were beyond her budget.
Just as Aman was caught in a dilemma, pondering what to do, a middle-aged man furtively blocked her path, saying, "Young lady, let's talk over here."
Just as Aman was about to retort that she was not married and did not need to call her "little lady," she saw the man timid and hesitant, and subconsciously swallowed the words that were about to come out.
Aman ignored his request to step aside and instead asked directly, "What's wrong?"
Seeing that Aman wasn't going far, the man didn't press the matter. He said, "I've followed you to several places already, and I've noticed you've been buying sheepskin cloaks. I have some top-quality tanned sheepskin here. Do you want some?"
"Sheepskin?" Aman asked skeptically. "If it's top-quality, why not sell it to clothing stores?"
“Sigh,” the sheepskin buyer said indignantly, “Those bastards in the clothing store, even though their business is good every day, they’re stingy with us suppliers. The sheepskins they send us are always complaining about uneven thickness or irregular cutting. After all that picking and choosing, we don’t even get a few coins.”
They worked hard all year, and in the end, they only earned enough to break even. So, it was better for them to find a way to sell the goods themselves; although it would be more troublesome, at least they could earn more money.
When you're out and about, everyone's after money.
When Aman heard what he said, he realized that it made some sense.
But the other man was tall and strong, and she, a weak woman, really dared not get too involved with him.
"Then how about this, tomorrow at the same time and place, you bring the sheepskins over so I can inspect them. If they are indeed top-quality sheepskins as you say, I will take four."
With your size, four sheepskins should be enough for you.
Upon hearing this, the man's face immediately lit up with a smile. "Alright then, let's meet at this time and place tomorrow. I'll bring the sheepskin over, and if you really want it, I'll give you a discount."
After agreeing on their terms, the two went their separate ways.
With the matter of the sheepskin temporarily resolved, Aman felt a little more at ease. She continued selling rouge from door to door for a while before returning home.
After dinner, once Fu Yunxiu had gone to bed, Aman called Mantou aside and told her about it.
Although it's bright and clear now, Aman is still a little worried, so he plans to ask Mantou to keep him company.
When Mantou heard that Aman wanted to buy a sheepskin cloak himself, he couldn't understand it at all. "Why go through all that trouble? Wouldn't it be more convenient to just buy a ready-made one?"
After finishing speaking, Mantou noticed Aman's slightly troubled expression and realized what was going on, "Is it silver...?"
Aman glanced at him, nodded, and then shook her head.
"It's not entirely because of that. The main reason is that winter came early this year, and clothing stores took the opportunity to raise prices. Besides, you can't be sure what kind of leather the clothes you buy outside are made of, so it's better to make them yourself. They're cheaper and warmer."
Mantou knew that Aman was just being stubborn. Ever since the young master accepted Master Wu's painting, the family hadn't had any income. Although they had made some money from the previous paintings, they still had to spend money on food, clothing, and other necessities over the past few months.
He and the young master have really left themselves to their own devices, leaving Aman to handle all this.
"If all else fails, I'll burn more charcoal and sell it outside. Every little bit helps," Mantou said.
"Let's forget about it," Aman said outright. "Young Master hasn't been feeling well these past few days, and someone still needs to be at home. Besides, do you think you can hide your charcoal-selling business from him?"
At that time, the young master will inevitably become suspicious. With his intelligence, he'll surely realize the family is short of money, and if he then takes up his paintbrush again…
Although the paintings sold to bookstores don't need to be as exquisite as those of Mr. Wu, they still require a lot of effort.
Moreover, there are many charcoal vendors on the street these days, and the price of charcoal is low. Even if people burn charcoal all night long, they probably won't make much money selling steamed buns.
"We still have more than thirty taels of silver at home, which should be enough to get through this winter."
Mantou thought about it and it seemed that what Aman said made sense, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you tomorrow."
The next day, Aman arrived at the agreed location with Mantou at the appointed time, where the man was already waiting.
The man squatted listlessly on the curb. Beside him were two large baskets with lids on. Aman guessed that they contained the sheepskin the man had mentioned.
Upon seeing Aman approaching, he immediately stood up, a smile plastered on his face, "Oh, the young lady has arrived."
After saying that, he looked at the steamed bun next to Aman and asked, "And who is this?"
“Oh, these are the people I asked to help. Four sheepskins, I can’t lift them myself,” Aman said.
Upon hearing this, the man gave the steamed bun a deep look but said nothing. He then turned and opened the lid of the basket. "Look," he said, "these are all the best sheepskins I picked out for you."
The man took out the sheepskins that were tied together and shook them open. As he said, they were cleaned very well. Even after being covered for so long, Aman did not smell any strange odor.
Moreover, the entire piece of leather was intact, without any signs of repair, indicating that the person who skinned it must have been an experienced one.
The man took out all four pieces of leather, and Aman and Mantou carefully inspected them. There was indeed no problem at all.
The man wasn't annoyed. As he watched them inspect the goods, he kept saying, "Don't worry, it's all good leather. If the people at the clothing store weren't so unethical, we wouldn't have bought it ourselves."
Aman and the man exchanged a glance, and the man nodded in agreement. Aman put down the sheepskin, cleared her throat, and said to the man, "It's actually not bad."
“Hey, what are you saying?” the man said with an arrogant look, then added, “Since that’s the case, how about we talk about the price? I can see you really want it, so how about this: four sheepskins, I’ll charge you five taels of silver, isn’t that fair?”
The man smiled kindly, but after hearing the price he quoted, Aman turned and left.
This completely baffled Mantou, who stood there, unsure of what to do next.
The man had initially thought that at least there was someone else around and that there was still a possibility of talking, but when he saw Mantou's dazed look, he immediately realized who was in charge and hurriedly ran over to pull Aman away.
"Look at you, you were talking so nicely, why are you leaving now? We can talk things over."
"Discuss? This doesn't look like you want to discuss anything. Four sheepskins and you're charging me five taels of silver? Anyone who didn't know better would think it was some kind of dragon liver and phoenix gall." Aman looked displeased.
“Look at what you’re saying,” the man said, tugging at Aman’s sleeve tightly, afraid that she would leave again in a fit of anger. “I’m just discussing this with her. Besides, these sheepskins aren’t from young lambs; they’re from old sheep that are several years old. Tanning takes time and effort, and it’s a long way to transport them here.”
The man recounted the hardships involved, but Aman remained unmoved. "So, according to you, should I also include the cost of raising sheep in your calculations? I bought the sheepskin cheaply, five taels of silver. If you include the materials inside and out, the needle and thread, and all the effort I put in, it would be enough to buy a ready-made sheepskin."
Aman's voice was neither humble nor arrogant, but it was also firm and resolute. The man, who had originally wanted to try to fool her a little more, had no choice but to give up.
He softened his voice, "Then tell me, name your price."
Aman slowly extended three fingers.
"No, that's too little. How about four taels and eight hundred coins?"
"Then forget it." After saying that, Aman was about to leave again, but the man got anxious again and grabbed Aman's sleeve, "Oh dear, why are you so impatient, young lady?"
"At most three and a half ounces," Aman changed his mind again.
“No, at least four ounces.” The man quickly retorted.
“Alright, four ounces it is then.” Aman made the final decision.
man:"……"
When he arrived, he originally planned to sell these four sheepskins for at least four and a half ounces.
"Add some more, add some more," the man pleaded.
Aman turned to leave again.
"Hey, sell, sell, sell." The man tugged at Aman's sleeve, his dark face showing helplessness, and he was almost crying.
This young lady is too good at manipulating people's hearts.
"Then it's settled, four taels." After saying that, Aman quickly took out the money and then told Mantou to get the goods.
Even the steamed bun was stunned by his actions.
Is this even possible?
These four sheepskins are so big, and you only got them for four taels of silver?
Although sheepskin itself is not worth much, the price of tanned sheepskin is quite different.
Aman actually won him over just like that?
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and start pretending!" Aman stepped forward and nudged him with his elbow.
Mantou then came to his senses and put down the basket on his back.
The basket wasn't big; it could only hold three sheepskins. Aman rolled up the last one and carried it herself.
Although the man suffered a loss, at least he sold the goods. Seeing that Aman was about to leave, he said, "If you have any regular customers, please recommend me. I live on this street."
"Of course," Aman readily agreed, then left with a cold expression.
After the two had walked a little further away, Aman finally laughed out loud.
The trick she just used was one she'd seen her neighbor use before, and she hadn't expected it to work so well.
Seeing her laughing so hard she was shaking, Mantou couldn't help but ask, "Weren't you afraid that person would really let you go just now?"
Five taels of silver, to be honest, isn't a high price.
"Alas, your brilliant plan is beyond the comprehension of a mere mortal like you," Aman said, keeping the matter a secret and not intending to reveal it.
She knew perfectly well that five taels of silver was worth the price, but unfortunately, she was short of money and couldn't afford it.
Since the man had already carried the items out, he certainly wouldn't take them back. But if she didn't want them, it would be inconvenient for him to find a buyer while carrying the items. If the clothing store staff saw him, he might be kicked out and they wouldn't do business with him again.
In that case, it would be better to sell it to her at a lower price.
Although the method was a bit despicable, that person was bound to make a profit, just less.
With the one or two taels of silver she saved, she could buy the young master some better fabric.
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A message from the author: Happy New Year everyone!
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