Chapter 3, Who Will Share the Splendid Years
"Young master, you have a keen eye! This brocade is the leftover material specially produced for the Crown Prince's wedding this year, and I am the only one in the entire capital selling it!" The shopkeeper proudly puffed out his chest.
Boss, I also run a store, let's do wholesale! You have a low profit margin and high sales, how about this, I will take a step back, how about twenty taels?
Ah! Xiushui Street?! Isn't it just the renowned counterfeit market in Beijing?! What a great place! I must say, the emperor of Xiangze Country has a talent for naming; first it was "Limao" and now we have "Xiushui Street" emerging here. Truly remarkable!
"Shopkeeper, how much is this brocade?" I raised my voice by an octave again, but the owner seemed lost in thought, looking like a silly panda.
Bargaining is a unique nature and hobby of women, and it is certainly also my specialty
Yun Siru: = = , feeling dizzy, did not understand anything except for the last sentence @ @
"Shopkeeper, how much is this brocade?" I casually pointed to a pomegranate red woven brocade that was in the middle of the display.
I have heard! It is said that there is a madman who spends money like dirt, and whenever he reaches out, it is either gold or silver ingots, or silver notes. He is probably someone who does not know the value of money... In this day and age, there truly are all kinds of strange people!
Have you heard? Today, two crazy people from the countryside arrived. No matter which shop they entered, one of them would immediately ask if something was for sale at ten taels, and also mentioned something about 'farting'. A passerby on Xiushui Street excitedly pulled another passerby to gossip.
The small boat glides slowly along the narrow river. The forsythia is planted by the water, its slender flower branches gracefully drooping, with shy, pale yellow petals blooming abundantly along the branches. As the gentle breeze brushes over the water's surface, it resembles a young girl admiring herself in a mirror, wanting to speak yet feeling bashful. The bright sunlight filters through the blooming cherry blossom trees, casting kisses like scattered gold, with dappled shadows of the trees rippling on the river. A wisp of light spring breeze lifts the snow-like cherry blossoms, swirling and dancing in the air. The bright sunlight filters through the blooming cherry blossom trees, casting kisses like scattered gold, with dappled shadows of the trees rippling on the river. A wisp of light spring breeze lifts the snow-like cherry blossoms, swirling and dancing in the air. They flutter in the sky, finally drifting reluctantly towards the distance. A faint fragrance wafts through the air, evoking thoughts; the melodious and clear bird songs are hidden among the shadowy clusters of trees and flowers, transparent and joyful; at the stern of the boat, the boatman gently rocks the oar, creaking and groaning, harmonizing playfully with the birds' chirping. Fortunately, I drank two large bowls of the special medicine prepared by Master Fang this morning, otherwise I would surely be sneezing continuously.
Suddenly, the scenery before me changed, and I entered a vast body of water, where the number of boats around increased significantly. Most of them were black canopy boats like ours, but there were also many ornate pleasure boats interspersed among them. On both sides of the embankment, crowds of people surged and bustled about, with shops lining the streets and customers coming and going, presenting a vibrant and bustling scene reminiscent of the Qingming Shanghe Tu before my eyes
"Hehe, yes, yes, yes, Ronger is the most beautiful." Xiaobai finally put away her expression of adoration, and her bright smile made me momentarily lose my way.
Only the gold was confiscated, and I am unaware that Xiaobai still has silver ingots and silver notes. This fellow is too wasteful! I must ensure to educate him properly later!
Oh! The boss gasped in astonishment, goodness! Who bargains like this? If one were to say this person is poor, they exude an innate air of nobility; if one were to say this person is wealthy, their attire is not made of silk or satin, yet they immediately demand a return of ninety taels from him, leaving him hesitating on how to respond.
"Xiao Bai, shall we go out to have some fun?" Pulling on Xiao Bai's sleeve, shaking it, shaking it, shaking it.
Xiao Bai: This is a huge embarrassment
Having martial arts skills is advantageous, as Xiaobai easily subdued the two maidens by pressing their sleep points, and they are unlikely to wake up before nightfall. Xiaobai took me and flew over the wall, finding a small black canopy boat, and thus we set off on our journey
Haha! Brother is the best! Muah! I excitedly smeared a mouthful of saliva on the little white face's cheek
Store: ... ...
Bombing completed
"What nonsense! Young master, are you deliberately making a fool of me? We still have business to conduct, so I kindly ask you to go buy from another shop!" With that, the shopkeeper disdainfully raised his hand to have the attendant escort us out.
After strolling around Xiushui Street, I have become famous again
Indeed! It is Xiushui Street! The opening remarks are quite similar.
It seems you are a person of distinction; this brocade, although somewhat inexpensive, is priced at one hundred taels per foot. How is it that throughout history, all sellers have followed the same old routine, lacking any sense of innovation
The crowd estimated that this young boy was around twelve years old. Looking at another boy following behind him, they couldn't help but sigh again. Dressed in similar blue attire, this boy was different from the previous one, who was delicate and cute. This boy had a tall and upright figure, exuding an elegant and refined demeanor with every gesture. He carried an air of nobility, and like the first boy, he wore a hat that obscured his face, leaving onlookers in awe. Both boys were indistinguishable in terms of gender.
I have been stifled in the minister's residence for ten years, to the point where my feet are almost moldy and growing hair, yet my father refuses to let me go out to play. He delivered a lengthy discourse about how "words and actions concern the national system" to suppress me, and even assigned two maids, Sprite and 7-Up, to attend to me closely
"Hehe, what is Xiaobai afraid of! Besides, Father is in the palace today and won't be coming out anytime soon." Usually, I have Xiaobai practice martial arts with the two maidens, calling it sparring, but in fact, it is to test Xiaobai's progress in martial arts. Recently, I have noticed that Xiaobai's skills have clearly surpassed those of the two.
"Boatman, stop the boat, stop the boat! I want to go ashore!" Just the thought of being able to bargain and shop made me excited down to my toes. Before the boat had even steadied, I pulled Little Bai and stepped onto the shore, immediately rushing into the nearest silk shop. Light purple-blue, deep lake blue, field green, turquoise green, rose red, pomegranate red, primrose yellow, light orange yellow... floral plain silk, interwoven silk, cotton-silk blend, floral soft satin, plain soft satin, brocade satin, antique fragrant satin, horizontal gauze, vertical gauze, floral gauze. Light purple-blue, deep lake blue, field green, turquoise green, rose red, pomegranate red, primrose yellow, light orange yellow... floral plain silk, interwoven silk, cotton-silk blend, floral soft satin, plain soft satin, brocade satin, antique fragrant satin, horizontal gauze, vertical gauze, floral gauze... The various colors of silk and satin dazzled my eyes.
Xiao Bai: I will never go shopping with Rong Er again
Xiao Bai stood there for a full five minutes, with a suspicious flush on his face
"Xiao Bai, if you keep sighing like that, I might just get a stomachache. I may be better looking than you, but don't feel too inferior; hard work can make up for shortcomings. Remember to apply face masks a few more times in the evening." After saying this, she poked her own nose with her right index finger, then pulled her cheeks outward with her hands, stuck out her tongue, and made a pig face at Xiao Bai.
The boss secretly thought: It seems that they truly come from the countryside and have never seen the world
In those years, I carried a large snake-skin woven bag and swept through Xiushui Street. "How much is this dress?" "Miss, you have a good eye! This dress is the new spring collection from BUBERRY this year, I'll give you a discount, just one hundred yuan!" "That's a fixed price! Fifteen yuan!" "You see, you are making it difficult for me. I run a small business, and fifteen yuan is not even enough for the cost price. You are being too harsh. How about this, fifty yuan? At least let me make a little profit." "Boss, I also run a store and I'm here for wholesale! You should sell at a lower margin and higher volume. How about this, I will take a step back, how about twenty yuan?" The boss glanced at the large snake-skin bag on my wrists, and his eyes lit up, "Alright! I see you are a straightforward person! Just twenty yuan! How many pieces will you wholesale?" I happily put away the dress, took out my wallet, and tossed down twenty yuan, "Just one piece for wholesale." Under the fiery gaze of the shop owner, I proudly walked away. This tactic is my secret weapon, from Qipu Road in Shanghai to Xiushui Street in Beijing, I am invincible and always successful.
Embarrassed, I dropped a gold ingot. Xiaobai grabbed the brocade with one hand and took my hand with the other, pulling me outside! We ran for about fifty meters before he let go of my hand. "Yun Siru! Do you know that wasting is a shameful act? Who knows the food on the plate, every grain is hard-earned! Although my father is a prime minister and our family earns gold daily, we must not forget our roots; we need to save and be frugal! Moreover, neither of us has a formal job, we are just rice bugs at home. To put it bluntly, we are 'nepo babies', the very ones that are criticized every day, do you understand? Although my father is a prime minister and our family earns gold daily, we must not forget our roots; we need to save and be frugal! Moreover, neither of us has a formal job, we are just rice bugs at home. To put it bluntly, we are 'nepo babies', the very ones that are criticized every day, do you understand? Knowing shame is akin to bravery! Although I rely on my parents, I still know how to save; cutting expenses is the most effective way to make money. What about you? You don’t even think about finding a stable job in a public institution, just know how to spend money recklessly! Alas, I am ashamed, how did I raise such an ungrateful child? You don’t even think about finding a stable job in a public institution, just know how to spend money recklessly! Alas, I am ashamed, how did I raise such an ungrateful child? Money should not be given to unscrupulous merchants; do you know how many things a gold ingot can buy? It can buy two to three hundred packs of 'Hushubao', three to four hundred packs of 'Pampers', dozens of sets of 'Dai'anfen'... These are all essential daily necessities related to livelihood, do you know? In short: hand over all the gold you have on you to me; I do not feel secure with it on you!
Boss, trust me! I am truly in wholesale! Persistently persuading the boss
Fixed price! 10 taels! Are you selling or not? Responding to changes with consistency
This is the longest waterway in the capital—Jinhe, with streets on both sides named Xiushui Street, which conveys the meaning of 'beautiful splendor under heaven,' a name personally bestowed by the current emperor. Seeing me excitedly peering over the edge of the black canopy boat, Xiaobai took on the role of my tour guide.
Xiao Bai obediently handed over all the gold he carried with him. Weighing the gold in my hand, I smiled happily
"You little girl are quite calculating." Xiao Bai scratched my nose and said, "But remember, you must come back before dark!"
Sometimes we do not care about what we are buying; the enjoyment does not come from acquiring the product itself, but rather from the pleasure of successfully bargaining with our own eloquence
Recently, Xiao Bai has become quite sentimental, often gazing at me with a melancholic sigh, reminiscent of when I was in my second year of high school, when I plastered my room with photos of Yuan Longping and vowed to apply to China Agricultural University to major in rice breeding, aiming to achieve new heights for China's hybrid rice industry, much like the expression on my father's face at that time
It is not that I have never thought of sneaking out to play during a moonless night when the wind howls and visibility is zero, but unfortunately, Sprite and 7-Up are exceptionally skilled and often catch me before I even reach the courtyard gate. The next day, I have to endure my father's spiritual teachings and be punished to copy "Lessons for Women" N times. Of course, I generally do not keep such good fortune to myself; I always pass it on to Xiaobai. Why should he be the only one learning martial arts, coming and going freely? I am jealous! This year, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I will be entering the palace to become a child bride. If I do not take the opportunity to sneak out and have some fun now, it will probably be even more difficult in the future
With gold in hand, Xiao Bai and I set off on our shopping journey once again. Along the way, I was puzzled. Why did I fail to negotiate the price just now? Could it be because I didn't bring a snake skin bag? It doesn't seem like I am someone who deals in wholesale.
Aren't you afraid of being caught by Sprite and 7 Up?
Young master, you see, this is a tribute satin. Operating on a small scale, the wages for the ten skilled embroiderers are not even enough to cover the costs.
Uh... this is not how one should react!
A soft and melodious voice drew the attention of everyone in the shop, as they looked up to find the source of such a silver bell-like tone. There stood a young boy in blue attire, petite in stature, with a blood-red jade pendant tied around his waist, its intricate patterns captivating. His delicate fingers, pointing towards the brocade, were as translucent as water bamboo. However, he wore a veiled hat, obscuring his features, which only added to the allure, prompting speculation about the enchanting visage hidden beneath the veil.