Chapter 15.2

Translated by Aviana

Lin Qingwan was a little embarrassed and looked at Yang shi. At the moment, she was unclear about the situation. How could she even pick up work?

Seeing Lin Qingwan’s embarrassment, shopkeeper Su clapped her hands in sudden realization.

“Look what I am saying unclearly! Pardon me.” Shopkeeper Su slowly introduced it to Lin Qingwan, “I’d better introduce it to you. My shop is small, and there are only a few jobs which can be taken back home. One is making of Laozi, which is one yen per piece, if the pattern is complicated, the price might range from 2-3 wen, but it depends on the work. Then there is the embroidery purse, one kind is just like the one aunt Yang had done. We will also provide the fabrics and embroidery thread; you merely have to make a good embroidery purse. This one would be 4 wen. There is also another kind, in which you would also have to embroider on it. This one would cost 12 wen. If the work is good, the price could be increased.”

After the introduction, shopkeeper Su thought for a while and once again opened her mouth to say, “Of course, we also collect a few large embroidery products, but the price can only be bargained depending upon your work.”

Shopkeeper Su knew that Yang-shi was not the one to boast about a person. This being the case, if she said that her niece’s embroidery skills were quite good, then it indeed must be good. Thus Shopkeeper Su also didn’t want to miss this unexpected opportunity to collect few good embroidery products for the shop.

Lin Qingwan thought for a while and said to shopkeeper Su: “I want to take up a few embroidery purses to make and two purses to embroider to go back and try my hands. After all, I haven’t touched these for quite a long time. As for the big embroidery product you mentioned, I can’t do it at the moment, I can only put off this discussion for the future.”

Shopkeeper Su was also aware that the large embroidery products cannot be obtained easily. Without a few months or a half-a-year of effort, how can they be embroidered? She also didn’t care about them much.

She said in this way to Lin Qingwan to merely attract a few more potential customers to herself. After all, if she received a large embroidery piece and then resold it, the profit would definitely be high.

“Okay.” Shopkeeper Su agreed very straightforwardly, “You wait for a moment, I’ll go and pack the materials for you.” After saying so, she turned around and walked into the room.

After a while, shopkeeper Su came out with two packages; she gave one package to Lin Qingwan and the other one to Yang-shi.

“Since you are Auntie Yang’s niece, I will not take any deposits from you. When you finish the work, you can directly come to me and settle the accounts.”

“Thank you, shopkeeper Su.”

At this moment, Yang shi suddenly spoke, “Shopkeeper Su, In a few days my niece is going to get married, so I want to buy a few chi of fabric to take back home to make a bridal dress for her.”

Lin Qingwan was utterly surprised as she gazed at Yang shi,” Auntie——”

Yang-shi patted her hand as if placating her.

Lin Qingwan lowered her eyes, concealing the gratitude in her eyes.

Shopkeeper Su was aware of the financial conditions of the rural people; thus, she also didn’t show them any expensive fabrics. She took out a red-colored cotton thin silk fabric from the top of the shelf and showed it to them.

“How about this one? Originally it is 38 wen per chi, but I can give it to you for 35 wen.” Yang-shi touched the fabric before nodding with satisfaction and showed it to Lin Qing Wan.

T/N: The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length. Although it is often translated as the “ Chinese foot “, its length was originally derived from the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the forefinger, and is similar to the ancient span. In the People’s Republic of China, chi has been defined since 1984 as exactly 1/3 of a meter, i.e., 33 1⁄3 cm (13.1 in).

Lin Qingwan was grateful to Yang shi in her heart. Even though this fabric was not first-rate, it was more than enough for the rural people.

She looked at it and nodded.

When Yang-shi saw her nod, she asked shopkeeper Su to cut a few chi. She then pulled Lin Qing Wan to look at a few other fabrics; she chose cyan-colored and peach red-colored fabrics for her and took a few chi of each.

Afterward, she had shopkeeper Su pack them and had accounts settled. After taking the remaining copper coins, both of them left with their things.

Along the way, Lin Qingwan expressed her gratitude to Yang-shi, but Yang-shi denied saying that she ought to buy a wedding gift for her nephew and his future wife. At this, Lin Qingwan set her heart at ease.

Yang-shi also took her to the town’s market and bought some pork, salt, and other daily household items. Seeing that it was almost time, both rushed to the place where they got off from the carriage in the morning, with big and small bags in their hands.

Nevertheless, by the time they arrived, the ox cart was already waiting for them. It was the same ox cart they had taken in the morning.

After waiting for a while, when all the seats in the carts were filled by the people, the old man drove the ox cart to the outside of the town.

After sitting down, Yang-shi pulled her hand tightly. Lin Qingwan guessed that she must have come across an acquaintance from the village.

As expected, a middle-aged married woman started talking to Yang-shi.

“Oh, Sister Yang, who is this girl, so pretty?

Lin Qingwan glanced at Yang-shi and remained silent. Although she was a little awkward to meet people from Luoxia Village, she knew that this moment had to come; thus, she wasn’t flustered.

“This is a niece of mine. She came to live at my house for a few days. “Yang shi succinctly replied.

The woman rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

A niece? In Luoxia Village, who doesn’t know if you have a niece. Her parent’s family is in Luoxia Village. Her dead husband was a refugee who had escaped from a famine-stricken to settle in Luoxia village, and both his parents and brothers were all dead.

She had a niece, and a few of them from the Yang family; they were all familiar with each other. But this one appeared to be unfamiliar, tender, delicate, and fair-skinned and completely different from the young girls from the peasant families…

It was only then that the woman recalled the recent rumors in Luoxia Village. Her eyes shined and fell on Lin Qingwan’s body.

She carefully sized her over, appearing quite rude. She looked at her from head to foot, inch by inch, as if she wanted to pry her open, making Lin Qingwan feely uncomfortable.

Lin Qingwan slightly leaned against the Yang-shi. Yang-shi stoked her hand, comforted her, and meaningfully glanced at her as if saying to ignore her.

At this, Lin Qingwan finally set her heart at ease and sat there with her eyes looking at her nose and head hanging down, appearing bashful.

Upon seeing the ambiguous smile on the women’s face, Yang-shi understood that the family wouldn’t be calm in the upcoming days.

They cannot hide the matter for a long time. Lin Qingwan was living in her house. In the village, many people come and go, and all of them were aware of the relationship amongst each other. In a few days, the matter would spread throughout the village. And sooner or later, they would associate this matter with Yang Tiezhu buying a woman.

T/N: The original phrase used here was ‘躲得过初一躲不了十五’which literally means one could hide on the first day of the lunar month, but cannot hide on the 15th, meaning that even if one hides the matter for now, it would be revealed later and the matter cannot be hidden for a long time.

Especially this woman was famous in the village for chewing her tongue!

T/N: chewing her tongue is a phrase used to describe the people who like to gossip.

Yang-shi darkly glared at the women.

However, Yang-shi had also thought over. Rather than hiding it, they might as well be just and honorable and let people see. Anyway, there wasn’t anything shameful.

All the way, there weren’t any more words spoken.

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