Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 103: Chapter 104 Each Has Their Own Thoughts_1 Chapter 103: Chapter 104 Each Has Their Own Thoughts_1 Just a few days ago, he had someone check into this Muniang and her supposed fool of a husband, only to find out that their marriage was non-existent. This man, standing over a latrine without defecating, had no right to glare at him with such insolence!

Er Liang glared at Wu Haoli, this man always gave him an uneasy feeling, his eyes shining whenever he looked at his wife, as if this wastrel dared to covet his precious daughter-in-law!

While the two men seemed to be engaged in a staring contest, Muniang was completely oblivious, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of her shop.

“Let’s hurry up then, we should go take a look at the shops, or else we won’t have enough time.” Everyone had agreed to meet in an hour, and they couldn’t keep the others waiting.

Wu Haoli was efficient in handling matters, knowing that Muniang only wanted to rent a small shop, he led her directly to several small storefronts in good locations. There were only a few empty or available storefronts on this street, and after quickly inspecting them, Muniang finally settled on one opposite Dongxing Building.

Now, Dongxing Building was thriving, and though it wasn’t initially located in the busiest part of Chatu Town, the area had become bustling because of Dongxing Building. Muniang had full confidence in her cooking skills, certain that Dongxing Building’s business would only improve further, which in turn meant more foot traffic for this location. She saw this area as a potential stock ripe for appreciation.

“This one! How much is the rent?”

A hint of amusement flashed in Wu Haoli’s eyes, having anticipated that this cunning girl would choose this place, “This is just the end of Zhongan Street, not the most prosperous place, so the rent will be much lower. The last tenant paid thirty silver a month, but today is your lucky day. I’ll speak on your behalf and get you this place for twenty-five silver. How does that sound?”

Muniang looked around; the shop was about fifty square meters. It was indeed not very big, but more than adequate. She had inquired about the general rent prices before coming, and this price was indeed reasonable. The main reason was that this location wasn’t the most prosperous area. If it had been in the middle of Zhongan Street, even a small shop like this would cost forty silver.

But Muniang was not so easily contented. This prodigal son so easily knocked off five silver from the asking price, and if she didn’t negotiate for a better deal, it just wouldn’t be her style.

“I always thought Mr. Wu had a lot of clout. Earlier you said you had good relations with the owners on this street, even at gambling you’ve let them win before. But now, you’re only reducing the rent by five silver for me. Alas, it seems you’ve been merely placating me,” Muniang said with a touch of disdain in her tone.

Wu Haoli raised an eyebrow; she was playing a game of challenge with him. He intentionally climbed along the pole she had proffered, “My connections are indeed powerful. It’s just a small shop; how could the landlord not show me face?”

Muniang chuckled silently before speaking, “Then ask him to make it twenty silver a month for me, otherwise, I really won’t believe in the status of the Wu Family’s eldest son in Chatu Town.”

Wu Haoli replied, “It’s possible, but—”
“But what?” Muniang interjected eagerly, seeing that the fish was about to take the bait. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip. Saving five silver every month might not sound like much, but it would amount to a substantial sum over time.

“But since I’m helping you out this much, how are you going to thank me?” Wu Haoli’s eyes were smiling, a genuine warmth devoid of his usual pretense and distance, causing Muniang to pause.

“How do you want to be thanked?”

Wu Haoli lazily waved his fan, blinked his eyes, and said, “Let’s put it on your tab, and we’ll talk about it later!”

Muniang pursed her lips, thinking that if it came to it later, it was his business to bring it up, but whether she agreed if he went too far was entirely up to her!

“Deal! Twenty taels, remember that.”

Wu Haoli’s lips curled into a smile, “Definitely.”

Mrs. Liang saw that everyone was heading towards the market and stealthily, with her basket in tow, made her way to an embroidery house in Chatu Town. Before entering, she couldn’t help but look around furtively, obviously feeling guilty like a thief.

As soon as the shop assistant in the embroidery house saw someone coming in, he was eager to warmly greet the newcomer, but as he noticed Mrs. Liang’s shabby clothing, he immediately put on a cold face. Such a person definitely couldn’t afford the embroidered goods. They were likely there to either gawk or to sell their own embroidery, and the assistant didn’t think much of either type, hence he brushed her off indifferently.

Mrs. Liang approached the assistant with a pleasing smile, “I was wondering if you accept embroidery here?”

“We do accept, but we have to inspect the goods first. For good quality, one wen per silver,” the assistant said impatiently, “but don’t bother bringing out anything shamefully bad.”

Mrs. Liang then took out the two new embroidery patterns Muniang had given her, featuring a cat and a mouse, “These designs are really unique. How much would you give me for them?”

The moment the assistant saw them, his eyes lit up. He examined them carefully for quite some time. They had accepted embroidery like this once before, sold by Madam Liu. Those patterns had been extremely popular; the shopkeeper had taken a fancy to them at first sight, and without hesitation, agreed to the asking price of two taels of silver each. He had been worrying about not having any fresh designs, and it was as if someone brought him a pillow just as he felt sleepy. Such good items were certain to fetch a high price.

The assistant’s attitude completely changed as he hurriedly said, “Oh, so it’s these designs! How many do you have? We’ll take all of them at the Embroidery House!” This time, he was smarter and decided to take everything.

Mrs. Liang said with a smile, “I only have these two for now, but maybe there will be more in the future. If you’re interested, I can bring them later!” Seeing the assistant’s reaction, she felt confident about the deal, but she also felt annoyed with Madam Liu for only letting her have two patterns to sell. If she had more that day, she could have sold several more.

Mrs. Liang didn’t realize that giving them only two patterns was a way to guard against the cunning.

However, Mrs. Liang was not in a hurry; since she was still working there, Madam Liu would undoubtedly provide them with new patterns in few days. Then she could come back to sell them!

“Young man, how much do you think these patterns are worth?”

The assistant, observing Mrs. Liang’s demeanor, saw she was entirely different from the woman who had come in before. That one had looked shrewd and assertive, while this one, clearly, was an easy target for bullying, certainly not one to find a low price objectionable. This country bumpkin would surely be easy to deal with.

Thinking this, he coughed lightly and said, “The embroidery is nothing special, but the design is intriguing. At most, one wen per silver piece.”

Mrs. Liang’s heart leaped with joy. One wen per piece meant she had just earned two wen of silver in one go! She hurriedly agreed, “Alright, alright, alright! Thank you, young man, you really have an eye for quality!”

The assistant inwardly laughed at the naivety of this country woman, feeling pleased as well, knowing that the markup on these two new patterns went straight into his pocket.