A set of clothes cost two or three taels, and dozens of sets of clothes were sold out in no time. Hundreds of taels of silver poured in. Zhao Fang was so busy collecting silver behind the counter that her hands were sore. Her ability to collect money and calculate accounts was the result of a month of careful teaching by Qin Xiaozhou. But now, looking at this heavy stack of silver, she was still trembling with fear, afraid of making a mistake. This would not only leave a bad impression on the customers, but also affect the store's business.
Unfortunately, she was too busy today. Although Qin Xiaozhou was in the store, she was constantly being called away for various reasons. She was so busy that she had no time to rest, so she had no choice but to take on this job.
Lu Yan was already overwhelmed with joy, flitting around the shop like a little swallow. She was witty, generous, and eloquent, winning the hearts of all the ladies and young women. Her face was flushed and glowing.
Several large vats of cool well water were placed in the four corners of the shop, firstly to cool off in the summer heat, and secondly to prevent water damage, as the fabric of clothes could not withstand even a spark, and the presence of the water vats provided reassurance.
Where there are people making money, there are bound to be others who are envious. Qin Xiaozhou had Lu Yunfeng guard the store entrance early on. Even the yamen runners, upon hearing that a new store had opened today and that their county magistrate's daughter highly recommended it, sent a few more people from the county government to ensure everything went smoothly.
The area outside the shop was crowded with onlookers. For many people in the county town, a piece of clothing costing two or three ounces was a luxury. They would just watch the spectacle and leave it at that; they couldn't afford to buy it.
A girl dressed in patched clothes peered into the shop. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, she was just beginning to experience romantic feelings and was also interested in fashion. She couldn't help but glance at the bright and beautiful clothes in the shop a few more times, but the woman grabbed her arm and said, "Hurry up, they're too expensive. Mother can't afford them."
Two taels of silver! That's enough to buy a big, fat pig, enough to feed seven or eight people in the family for a year!
The man next to him cursed, "What kind of clothes do you buy with two taels of silver? I only spent two taels to marry your mother! If you dare to wear clothes like this, I'll beat you to death!"
A man sneered, "It's such a waste to kill him. Sell him to a brothel where everyone is naked."
The others, hearing this, felt that it was immoral for this person to say such things in public, and changed the subject, saying, "They're all spendthrift women who don't know how to manage a household. I wouldn't want a woman like that even if she begged me to marry her!"
After saying that, he even spat on it!
The maid behind Shen Panyun was carrying three or four bundles, all of which were clothes that had just been paid for. Zhao Hanping had been confined to the courtyard for many years, working hard on the affairs of the Shen family. It had been a long time since she had been so dedicated as she was today. It was only past noon, and she was still very much in the mood and did not want to go back to that cold courtyard so early.
"Now that we're out here, let's find a place to rest."
Shen Panyun was also happy today. She pulled Qin Xiaozhou aside and told her to prepare more clothes, "I haven't picked out enough yet, and the clothes are all gone. I'll come back in three days, so please stock up."
The other girls chatted in the shop until the afternoon heat became unbearable before they agreed to go out. They heard comments at the door about not wanting to marry, being wasteful, and being unwanted even if they paid someone to marry them. The faces of the dozen or so girls turned pale instantly.
Marriage is a lifelong event. If it is delayed because of two or three pieces of clothing, wouldn't you regret it to death?
Suddenly, the clothes in my hands became a hot potato!
Qin Xiaozhou was always paying attention to the situation inside and outside the store. When she heard the noise, she rushed out to see what was going on.
Those sleazy men, dressed in patched clothes and with yellow teeth, saw that the girls and ladies who were usually too high-class to even see turned pale because of their words. Their vanity exploded instantly, and they started talking incessantly about marriage, insulting and scolding them.
Even scholars began to shake their heads and sigh, "The world is going downhill, and if the extravagant trend is not changed, at the very least, families will fall into ruin, and at worst, like ants eating away at a dam, they will erode the foundation of the country. This is unacceptable, unacceptable!"
Scholars held high social status and were the ideal husbands for these young ladies. If a scholar were to be rejected by these students and marry a commoner, his social standing would plummet.
Shen Panyun was currently arranging a marriage with Li, a scholar from the county town. If the relationship fell through, she would be unable to marry for a year or two and would have to wait for the government to arrange a marriage for her! So, she secretly gave a wink, and her clever maidservant quietly stepped back, squeezed into the crowd, and placed the clothes on the counter.
Shen Panyun had been keeping an eye on what was behind her. When she saw the maid slip through the crowd empty-handed, she quickly grabbed Zhao Hanping and ran away. After finally squeezing through the sea of people, she hurried to a less crowded street. Zhao Hanping was still confused. When she saw the maid's empty hands, she was even more confused. "Yun'er, what are you doing? You're in such a hurry. Where are your clothes? Did you forget them because of the crowd?"
Zhao Hanping was born into a wealthy merchant family, but her life in the Shen household was not as luxurious as that of a young lady. She would feel heartbroken if the clothes she bought for more than ten taels of silver were gone! Besides, those clothes were beautiful, and she still looked charming in them. It would be even better if she could use the opportunity to win over the master's heart.
The Shen family was wealthy, so they naturally had embroiderers who specialized in making clothes. Unfortunately, the styles they made were outdated and the colors were dull, entirely based on the old lady's preferences. Although Zhao Hanping had sons and daughters, she was only thirty-five or thirty-six years old and didn't really like those somber colors. However, she was not favored and naturally dared not offend the old lady, so she could only live like an old nun outside the city every day.
She had finally found a fashionable and beautiful outfit that suited her status, and her long-dormant heart was stirred up again. In the blink of an eye, the outfit was gone, and her eyes were red!
"Go back and find it! You must find it." He then instructed the maid.
Shen Panyun grabbed her arm. "Mother, I told her to put it back. Let's hurry up and go."
Zhao Hanping glanced at the crowded entrance of the shop, where male students were passionately arguing and attacking each other. She quickly realized that no matter how beautiful the clothes were, they couldn't jeopardize her daughter's marriage. She turned and walked away quickly, not forgetting to remind others, "Don't tell anyone that you were here today."
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