Li Miaomiao looked at He Yue with a faint, inscrutable smile, wondering if the girl was truly dim-witted.
He Yue then added, “You’re not even as pretty as my maid, Xiaomei.”
Right, she thought. She really is completely oblivious.
Liu Youxing noticed that while Li Miaomiao was smiling, the expression didn’t reach her eyes. He suddenly felt a strange, nagging sensation that this woman was not someone to be trifled with. He turned and flicked He Yue on the forehead, chiding her like an older brother. “He Yue, do you have any idea how to talk to people?”
He Yue covered her head and pouted, shouting indignantly at Liu Youxing, “Why are you hitting me? I’m not wrong! She doesn’t look like much.”
Shopkeeper Wang was left speechless. He was hoping to maintain a long-term business relationship with Li Miaomiao, and He Yue’s insults were purely counterproductive; he desperately wanted to usher this little ancestor of the He family out of his shop as quickly as possible.
He offered Li Miaomiao an apologetic look. “Miss Li, please don’t take it to heart. Miss He is a good person; she’s just… remarkably blunt.”
Li Miaomiao’s smile didn’t flicker. She wasn’t the least bit bothered by He Yue’s remarks. Attacking someone’s appearance is the most common way to strike at their confidence, but if she were being honest with herself, confidence was the one thing she possessed in abundance. Furthermore, she was long past the age of feeling inferior because of a stranger’s petty remarks. When it comes to making money, taking a few jabs from a client was hardly a tragedy.
“Shopkeeper Wang, you worry too much,” she replied smoothly. “Miss He comes from a prominent background. She’s naturally accustomed to seeing beauties everywhere—even her servants are likely exquisite. It’s only natural she’s never encountered someone as unrefined as myself.”
Had she suppressed the subtle smile playing on her lips, the words might have sounded sincere. But with that glint of amusement in her eyes, Liu Youxing caught the biting irony clearly. She was effectively mocking He Yue for her lack of upbringing. The latter, however, lacked the mental acuity to pick up on it.
Hearing the “praise,” He Yue chuckled happily. “Exactly! I’ve seen everyone, but you’re the first one I’ve seen who’s this ugly.”
Li Miaomiao’s eyes narrowed into delicate crescents, her smile deepening. “Miss He… you’re absolutely right.”
She drew out the last three words in a crisp, clear tone, sounding entirely agreeable to a casual listener.
Seeing that He Yue was about to say something else, Shopkeeper Wang, terrified she would ruin his partnership with Li Miaomiao, immediately pivoted to business tactics. “Miss He, why don’t we go and take a look at the merchandise?”
Interrupted, He Yue immediately forgot what she had been about to say. She tried to recall it for a second, gave up, and simply followed the shopkeeper to look at the goods.
Li Miaomiao’s smile faded, and she noticed Liu Youxing scrutinizing her. She donned a standard, professional expression and spoke with perfect courtesy.
“Young Master Liu, weren’t you interested in those boxes earlier? Shall we go have a look together?”
She gestured politely.
“After you, Miss Li.”
Liu Youxing had a refreshing appearance that matched his voice, though he couldn’t help but lace his speech with a touch of levity. He Yue, on the other hand, was far from the typical refined lady of the house; she was boisterous and hopelessly thick-headed, though with the backing of the He family, she had little to fear from offending people.
Li Miaomiao had been swamped for the past two weeks and had only managed to finish two wooden boxes this time. One was based on a plum blossom motif, and the other on bamboo. Liu Youxing set his sights on the bamboo one, but decided he wanted to buy the plum blossom one as a gift for his younger sister as well.
“Miss Li, name your price for both. I’ll take them off your hands.”
Li Miaomiao took the wooden boxes out of her basket and placed them on the counter. She said in a steady, unhurried tone, “Since Shopkeeper Wang gave me the opportunity to sell my woodwork here, you two should discuss the price with him.”
Shopkeeper Wang quoted a price, and the two immediately began to bicker over it. Taking advantage of the distraction, Wang led Li Miaomiao to the back office, where he paid her the one tael of silver per box they had previously agreed upon.
“Miss Li, here are two taels of silver. Please, check it.”
Li Miaomiao accepted the purse, felt the two silver ingots inside, and gave him a slight nod. “Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang.”
“Not at all, Miss Li. Trust is the foundation of any partnership. Since you are willing to trust me, I naturally would never betray that trust.”
She took the pleasantries of the business world for what they were worth. “Shopkeeper Wang, you’re quite right. I brought a new item today. Would you mind telling me if you think it has any market value?”
“By all means, show me.”
Li Miaomiao went to the front to retrieve her basket. Seeing Liu Youxing and He Yue still arguing, she figured it would be at least another hour before they finished. She carried the basket to the back courtyard and pulled out the hanger to show him. “Shopkeeper Wang, take a look.”
Taking the strange object with its hook, Shopkeeper Wang studied it for a long time, completely unable to discern its function. He shook his head repeatedly and handed it back to her. “Miss Li, this is quite a novel contraption, but I truly cannot fathom its use.”
Li Miaomiao took it back, hung it onto a tree branch in the courtyard, and explained calmly: “This is a hanger. You can hang your clothes on it and then place them inside a wardrobe. It saves space, and you won’t have to iron your clothes every time you want to wear them.”
“It’s also perfect for drying freshly washed clothes. In the past, people would drape clothes over ropes, which often leaves the place cluttered with lines everywhere and clothes bunched up. Sometimes, you even run out of room for all your washing. A hanger solves all those problems.”
Shopkeeper Wang took the hanger back from her hands. While the object looked ingenious, it was made of simple materials, and its practical use was something that young masters and ladies would likely scoff at—after all, they lived in sprawling estates and never had to wash their own clothes.
Seeing him frown in silence, Li Miaomiao had a good idea of what he was thinking.
After a few minutes of contemplation, Shopkeeper Wang offered an apologetic smile. “Miss Li, while your hanger is certainly a clever invention, ordinary families could figure out how to make one themselves with just a glance. Furthermore, the young masters and ladies around here prefer luxury and novelty; an item like this holds no allure for them.”
“Most importantly, they have lived in the lap of luxury since birth. They have servants to wash their clothes; they never have to lift a finger. I fear this item will…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but Li Miaomiao understood. Shopkeeper Wang was right. She took the hanger back, placed it in her basket, and offered a soft, gentle smile. “Shopkeeper Wang, you make a valid point. It seems I didn’t think this through properly.”
Watching her remain calm and composed, with that slight, unfazed smile still on her lips, the shopkeeper couldn’t help but be impressed by her resilience. “Miss Li, why don’t you go back and think of something truly rare or exotic? Something that would capture the interest of the wealthy and satisfy their taste for the unique?”
“You are right. I shall go home and think it over.” She bowed to the shopkeeper. “Farewell, Shopkeeper Wang.”
Li Miaomiao shouldered her basket, bowed politely, and exited through the back door of the courtyard.
Just then, someone who had been lurking behind the doorway stepped out and headed toward the front.
He Yue saw Liu Youxing returning from behind the curtain and laughed mockingly. “You call that ‘going to the restroom’? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d fallen into the latrine.”
Liu Youxing was long accustomed to her barbs. He gave an indifferent laugh, his tone laced with levity. “With your unfiltered tongue, the poor man who eventually marries you is going to be in for a heap of trouble.”