BXBX NOVEL Chapter 62 - 62: She Won’t Leave Empty-handed
The maids stood by the side, serving attentively. The three women climbed onto the warm bed, and before long, Fengyun arrived carrying a teapot and teacups.
“Hello, Aunties.”
Miss Wang opened her mouth in surprise as she looked at Qiao Mai. “Sister Qiao, your son has grown so big in just two months?”
“He’s adopted.”
“I see.”
Miss Wang quickly turned to Fengyun and said, “You too. Take care.”
Blushing, Fengyun poured the tea and left.
“The little one is quite clever,” Qiao Mai commented.
“He has a twin brother too. But before talking about them, why don’t you have some tea to warm up?”
“Hehe, after such a long journey, I am a bit cold, but there were charcoal braziers on the carriage too.”
“Let’s talk about you first. You must have come for a reason.”
“Not much, it’s just that my grandmother has been having a poor appetite lately. She can’t eat much, and I thought of getting some fresh things from you.”
“How old is she?”
“Over sixty.”
“That’s a bit tricky. As people age, their digestion becomes less efficient. If it’s cold, it’s not suitable; if it’s hard, it’s not either.”
“Exactly.”
“Can she eat hawthorn?”
“She doesn’t like candied hawthorn. She says it’s too hard to bite and it’s too sour and sweet. My grandmother prefers something light.”
“Then you could try medicinal cuisine.”
“Medicinal cuisine?”
“Yes, don’t we have it here?” Miss Wang shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s both medicine and food.
“There’s something like that?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have it?”
“I don’t have it either. You could ask a doctor or the imperial physicians in the capital. The emperor’s health is precious, and he usually consumes medicinal dishes.”
“Alright, I’ll ask someone to inquire and find two medicinal cuisine recipes.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help you with that aspect.”
“It’s alright, you’re not a deity. Tell me, what do you need help with?”
Qiao Mai opened the cabinet’s lock, took out an exquisite box, and placed it in front of Miss Wang.
“Could you open it and take a look?”
Miss Wang glanced at them both and then opened the box. Her eyes widened instantly.
“Goodness, such beautiful clothes!”
“You haven’t even unfolded them yet. How do you know they’re beautiful?”
Miss Wang nodded, “Let me tell you, I have a good eye for things. The fabric of these clothes is hard to find, and the craftsmanship, as well as the embroidered flowers, are exquisite. If worn, they would surely be stunning.”
Seeing her eyes glued to the clothes, Qiao Mai began explaining slowly.
“These clothes were left to me by my master. I want to entrust you with selling them, but under the condition that no one knows they belong to me.” “Why?”
“Because there’s only one of these, and I’m afraid someone might use it to manipulate me, forcing me to obtain more of these clothes. I don’t have the ability to do so.”
“How much do you plan to sell them for?”
“Miss Wang, with your discerning eye, you should have an idea of the price, right?”
“It’s hard to say. If a noble from the capital fancies them, they could be worth several thousand taels or even tens of thousands. But if a shady person is interested. they might not even give you a single silver tael.”
“That’s why I want to entrust you to get a good price.”
Miss Wang looked at the clothes and said, “Okay, but I have a condition.”
“Go ahead.”
Shopkeeper Lu grinned, “Aren’t you making things difficult for my sister? It’s winter, after all.’
“It’s fine if she wants fresh fruits and not exotic ones. Some fruit farmers know how to store fruits, so I can still buy them in winter. I’ll give it a try.”
Miss Wang took out the silver tickets she and her maid had brought and counted them.
“This is a deposit of 1,300 taels. Whatever price the clothes sell for, I’ll give you that amount. How about I don’t take a cut?”
“Deal!”
Qiao Mai really liked her approach. It matched her style.
“Before the new year, come to my house, and I’ll give you the remaining payment. You give me the fruits.”
“Agreed. By the way, there’s one more thing.”
“Go ahead. It wasn’t anything significant earlier.”
“I want to ask you to help me hire a scholar to come to our house, at least someone who is a provincial graduate.”
“To teach your child?”
“And also my husband.”
“You want to teach both the adult and the child?” “Yes, my husband is quite intelligent. It would be a waste if he doesn’t read.” “Do you have a place for the teacher to live?”
“We have a room in the west wing. As for the monthly salary, let the scholar decide.”
“Your place is quite small, isn’t it?”
“After the new year, I’ll visit the estate office and see if there are any bigger houses available, or maybe buy a piece of land and build a house. I’m just waiting for the money from those clothes.”
“Alright, I’ll ask around for you. We can discuss hiring a scholar after the new year.”
“Okay, when should I come to the capital to meet you?”
“Before the 25th of the twelfth lunar month.”
“No problem. Let’s settle on that.”
Miss Wang sat in her yard for a while. When she left, Qiao Mai gave her twenty boxes of sweet rice cakes and a few pots of roasted chestnuts, about twenty catties in total.
Every time this young lady came, she never left empty-handed. Qiao Mai was aware of that, so she put in some effort.
She even got some boiled peanuts and quail eggs from Qiao Mai’s stall, not to mention roasted sweet potatoes.
As she left, she waved goodbye through the carriage window, looking pleased.
Once Miss Wang had gone, Shopkeeper Lu grinned and remarked, “You can’t judge a book by its cover. She seems all smiles, but she’s quite the shrewd one.”
Qiao Mai chuckled as she handed over a thousand taels of silver. “Hold onto this money for now. I’ll split it with you once it’s sold over there.”
“Forget it. Those connections are yours, and the goods too. How can I bring myself to take a cut?”
“Alright then. As agreed, I’ll leave my embroidery work with you. We’ll split the profits evenly. You need to prepare a generous dowry for Ruxin’s marriage so her husband’s family treats her well. Let’s not be too polite. Take it.”
Tears welled up in Shopkeeper Lu’s eyes. “You might appear straightforward, but you have the most delicate heart. I’ll take it in advance.”
“That’s right. The folding screens will be ready soon. We can sell some of those too. No need to worry about her dowry.”
“To be honest, I haven’t made much profit from running this embroidery shop for years. If this weren’t my own shop, I’d probably be losing money. Ever since you came, my life has improved.” “Things will only get better.”
“Yeah.”
“Why not train some embroidery apprentices? Start them young so they can handle larger projects in the future.”
Shopkeeper Lu’s eyes widened. “You mean I should buy girls and train them from a young age?”
“Why not? Ruyi is growing up too. She’ll need to get married eventually.
Relying solely on me to do the embroidery won’t work. But don’t take on too many. Two or three will do. If Xiu Hong and Xiu Yu show potential, Ruyi can teach them.”
Shopkeeper Lu chuckled, “Are you willing to pass your double-sided embroidery technique to others?”
“Of course. Why should I keep it all to myself? Embroidery skills are also a matter of fate. Some people can study for a long time and not excel, while others grasp it immediately. So, don’t worry; not just anyone can master it in the Great Ming Dynasty.”
“Alright then. Once you agree, I’ll start organizing it after the new year. I’m hoping that the shop’s business will flourish even more. Rest assured, you will have a share from all my future businesses.”
“No need. I have enough with what I have, and the income from the stalls is sufficient to support my family.”
“That’s not acceptable. I must give you a share. Without you, I wouldn’t be here now. It’s what you deserve.”
“Up to you. I don’t want to keep pushing it back and forth. Also, I’ve thought of a few new embroidery techniques. I’ll teach them to Ruxin and Ruyi.”
“Great, competition between embroidery shops can be fierce. If I didn’t have some good friends supporting me, this shop would’ve failed long ago.”
“But I’m here, right? Let’s work hard together and make this shop’s business
more successful.”
“Yeah, let’s make it more successful.”
Shopkeeper Lu wiped away a tear and said, “Qiao Mai, being with you always motivates me. It makes me want to do well and expand my business.”
As for Miss Wang, once she returned to the Wang residence, she immediately instructed her servants to send all the things she brought to her courtyard.