BXBX NOVEL Chapter 018: Purchase (2)
Qin Mian said with a smile: “As shopkeeper said, we are taking care of your business. You see, we buy so many in one purchase, it’d be better to charge 250 wen. We will definitely come to patronize again when our oil, salt rice and flour are finished. Correct?”
Lei Tie’s eyes fell on Qin Mian, this teenager brought more and more surprises to him.
The shopkeeper was stunned and smiled helplessly. “Young man has the gift of the gab. But we are a small business and to cut down the price this way is too cruel. How about I cut another 5 wen, otherwise I will make a loss.”
“How so?” Qin Mian swiftly said, “You see the goods here are so complete, everyone who knows will come to your shop to buy things. You can imagine how prosperous the business will be. After I return to the village, I’ll help you to publicize, which will bring more money. Charge less will bring more repeat customers. It’s a good deal!”
The shopkeeper couldn’t help laughing, but there was a helpless look in his eyes. “Alright, alright, charge 250 wen is just fine.”
“Many thanks, shopkeeper.” Only then Qin Mian was satisfied, cupped one fist in the other hand towards the shopkeeper and then beckoned Lei Tie to pay the bill.
There was big pile of things; the plates, tea sets and porcelain cups which were easy to break were put in rice and flour, so not to be easily collided by pressure.
The shopkeeper nodded to himself, this young man is clever.
Fortunately, the basket was big enough to hold almost everything. The neck of the oil jar and the salt jar were tied with a rope and directly held in Lei Tie’s hand.
When they were leaving, the shopkeeper sent them off for a bit of a distance.
Qin Mian reached out. “I’ll hold oil and salt.”
“No need.” Lei Tie avoided his hand, “I will make more money in the future, so that you can buy whatever you want.”
“Cough cough!” Qin Mian pretended not to hear, “We have more things to buy. Do we hire a cart? Is it expensive to hire a cart?”
“Don’t know.”
“Don’t mind it. Spend on what should be spent; money can be earned.” Qin Mian went to a cloth shop with purpose. Because he had been wandering around before, he had already remembered it.
Lei Tie walked on the outer side of him as to avoid him bumping into people as he looked around.
Once arrived at the cloth shop, Qin Mian asked about the prices of various kinds of cloth before he directly chose the cheapest linen. When he asked what color Lei Tie wants, he got “you pick” as response, and so he chose blue and cyan for himself, indigo and black for Lei Tie. Each color was to be made into a set of clothes and would be picked up in a few days. After that, he asked for two pieces of gray cloth for window curtains. Four sets of clothes, two pieces of cloth, plus the labor cost of making clothes were a total of 285 Wen.
Qin Mian was flexible and knew what to say in different situations and to different people. He called the lady shopkeeper in her early forties ‘sister’ and got 15 wen cut down easily, which surprised him a bit.
But Lei Tie didn’t feel surprised. His wife of today was no longer the black, thin and cowardly teenager. In recent days, his recuperation had come into effect and in addition, he had been exercising. His skin was not only white, but his body was also stronger, especially the pair of bright eyes were spirited. His whole person was full of vitality and there was even a little ingeniousness. On top of his eloquence, it’s hard for people to dislike him.
Coincidently, the cloth shop sold cloth shoes. Qin Mian bought two pairs of cloth shoes for each of them and asked the shopkeeper for some odd bits of cloth. He planned to sew several pairs of socks to wear when he went back. Ah poor.
After leaving the cloth shop, the duo rushed to the food market. They didn’t have to buy vegetables as Lei’s vegetable garden had them. Qin Mian mainly bought meat; firstly, it was for entertaining guests and secondly, it was to eat to one’s heart’s content.
The shopkeeper of the butcher stall had a pair of keen eyes. When he looked at Qin Mian and Lei Tie, he knew that Qin Mian was the master of the two, so he took the initiative to say, “Young man, these are fresh pork. Which part do you want?”
Qin Mian’s eyes were drawn from the pieces of liver, spareribs, streaky meat, bone, lean meat and fat, “What are the prices?”
“2 wen for one jin of bone, 3 wen for liver, 10 wen for lean meat, 12 wen for spareribs, 14 wen for streaky meat and 16 wen for fat.”
Qin Mian took into consideration that he was still growing up, so bone soup was good for his health, “Two jin of bone, one jin of lean meat, two jin of liver, one jin of streaky meat and one jin of fat.”
Lei Tie said: “Can buy more fat.”
Qin Mian was taken aback, “Do you like pork fat?”
Lei Tie shook his head.
Qin Mian didn’t understand and it took a while for him to realize, did Lei Tie think the more expensive, the better? He smiled at Lei Tie and said to the shopkeeper, “Two Jin more fat.”
“No problem!” The shopkeeper picked up the butcher’s knife, skillfully chopped the meat and weighed it one by one.
“Young man, look at the scale. Bone is two jin[1] and two liang[2], consider two Jin for you; lean meat is one jin accurately; liver is two Jin and two liang, also consider two jin; streaky meat is one jin also accurately; fat is three jin and one liang, consider three jin. All total up to 82 wen, consider 80 wen for you.” The shopkeeper tied the bone and meat together with straw rope and handed it to Qin Mian.
“Shopkeeper is a jolly man.” Qin Mian praised and waited for Lei Tie to give the money.
Lei Tie raised his hands, both holding the jars and motioned Qin Mian to his chest.
Qin Mian glanced at Lei Tie, speechless. He took the salt jar in Lei Tie’s right hand as he looked at the man smilingly and said nothing.
Lei Tie calmly took out the money pouch and handed it to him.
Qin Mian counted 80 coins before he paid the shopkeeper and returned the salt jar to Lei Tie.
After that, they went to buy two big items ——water vat and quilt. The quilt costed 120 wen without getting even a wen discounted. But this quilt was ten jin, very thick and worth the money.
At the entrance of the town, there was an open space where there were various kinds of carts, such as ox carts, donkey carts and horse carriages. This was where one hired a cart.
When they arrived there, it was not morning anymore.
Qin Mian asked how much it cost to Green Mountain Village. The old man who drove the ox cart said it was 2 wen per person. If too many things occupied a place, they needed to pay for a seat.
Qin Mian didn’t bargain this time. They got on the cart and went back home.
On the way from Running Water Town to Green Mountain Village, two women in their 30s were on their way as they chatted. One of them was Zhou Cuihua, the other was Fang Hongliu. Today, they went to town together to sell some insoles and own made luozi. They chanced upon a lion dance performance for the town’s newly open restaurant and came back late because they went to watch the bustling scene.
Hearing the sound of trod behind them, they hastily hailed.
“Cart driver, take us along!” After Zhou Cuihua finished shouting, she saw Qin Mian and Lei Tie sat in the cart and her wave slowed down.
Fang Hongliu didn’t care. She waved, “Stop, stop.”
The old man said, “Going to Green Mountain Village, right? 2 wen per person.”
“2 wen?” Zhou Cuihua raised her eyebrows. “It’s 2 wen from the town to our village. I’ve gone half way here and I still have to pay 2 wen?”
Fang Hongliu corresponded, “Exactly. Are you crazy to make profit?”
The old man waved the whip to make the ox go on and said in a low voice: “Haven’t reached half way. Either sit or not.”
Zhou Cuihua and Fang Hongliu had no other choice.
“Sit, sit.”
If it weren’t for eggs were on sale today and standing for too long watching the bustling scene, they would be reluctant to spend the money.
The old man stopped the cart and let the two get on.
“Sit still.” The old man yelled and the big yellow ox walked slowly.
Zhou Cuihua poked Fang Hongliu’s arm, motioned her to look at the back and whispered, “Look at how many things they have bought, are they really planning to live together? It doesn’t look probable no matter how you see it.”
Fang Hongliu came close to her. “Keep your voice down. I think Qin Mian is a schemer. He was picked up by Lei Family, penniless and helpless; won’t he starve to death without clinging to Lei Tie?”
Due to the spiritual spring water, Qin Mian’s five senses were very sharp. He was looking at the scenery and turned around when he heard that. In Lei’s house, he didn’t talk back to Du Shi besides not wanting to incite trouble, another reason was that he didn’t want to fuss with women, but now he didn’t want to be silent. Otherwise, wouldn’t others treat him as a soft persimmon?
“Aunt, isn’t it bad to mind so much about the family affairs of us men? Fortunately, we know etiquette, but if people who don’t know etiquette hear it, they will think you have some hidden motives.” Qin Mian’s tone was of console and concern.
Fang Hongliu was taken aback and followed by anger. She turned her head, “What did you say, stinky boy?”
“I don’t stink, but I smell a bad breath.” Qin Mian pointedly looked at her mouth.
“You!” Fang Hongliu turned her body around and raised her hand.
A shiny kitchen knife suddenly stood between them.
“Wife, this kitchen knife doesn’t look handy.” Lei Tie said.
Qin Mian almost laughed, Lei Tie was too cool. “Nonsense. Why is the new kitchen knife not handy? If it is cutting bone, it must be the same as cutting tofu.”
Fang Hongliu quivered and put down her hand as if it was electrocuted. She also turned around, back stiffened.
Zhou Cuihua also looked at Qin Mian in surprise. Seeing him looking at her lightly, she turned around quickly, her heart pounding.
Scared you guys not to death. Qin Mian chuckled and lay lazily against the basket behind him. He could eat meat tonight which made him in a good mood. This little episode had not affected his mood at all.
The old man who drove seemed to hear nothing. The ox cart walked slowly and left behind the green mountains on both sides.
Fang Hongliu and Zhou Cuihua didn’t talk again. As soon as the ox cart arrived at the entrance of the village, the two couldn’t wait to jump down, leaving four copper coins behind before they walked away in a run.
Qin Mian said politely, “Uncle, we have a lot of things, could you please send us to the door? Our house is not far ahead.”
“Sure.”
The ox cart took a turn and drove all the way to the entrance of their house.
They got out of the cart and paid the money with word of thanks.
Then, the old man drove away.
Note:
[1] 斤jīn = catty; weight equal to 0.5 kg
[2] 两liǎng = unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty (jin)