Manager Liu was so furious that she gnashed her teeth.
She inwardly cursed the crafty peasant woman, yet when her gaze fell upon the rabbit pelts in her hands, she had to admit—this material truly had the capital to make people fight over it!
The fur was silvery and lustrous like frost and snow. If taken to the county town and crafted by an old hand into a neck warmer or a hand muff, it would surely outshine all others when worn!
She pursed her lips, forcibly suppressing the anger in her heart, and squeezed out a smile. "Little miss, name your price."
Jiang Wan extended one finger and said calmly, "Ten taels."
"What?" Manager Liu's voice shot up an octave in shock. "Ten taels? You—you're asking for the moon!"
The women nearby also stirred with commotion.
Ten taels for a single rabbit pelt—they'd never even heard of such a thing!
Even the finest red fox fur could hardly fetch such an astronomical price.
But Jiang Wan remained unhurried.
She reached out and gently stroked the snow-white rabbit pelt. "Manager Liu, you can see the quality of this fur for yourself. If it were made into a few cloaks and sold to the noble ladies of the great households, wouldn't it fetch more than this price?"
Manager Liu gritted her teeth, her heart locked in a fierce battle.
She knew Jiang Wan was right—this fur was truly beyond reproach.
But the price was simply too steep!
Yet if she let this fine merchandise slip by, and Wu's Shop across the street or Ma's Shop next door snatched it up first, what would become of Liu's reputation?
After agonizing for a long moment, Manager Liu twisted her handkerchief hard. "Little miss, you wouldn't find a single soul in all of Twin Stone Town who'd dare take this price. Let's speak plainly—if you're truly sincere about selling, I can offer you at most two taels and five maces for this pelt. Any more than that, and I truly cannot…"
Jiang Wan's brows twitched violently, her eyes nearly popping wide as she barely managed to keep her expression under control!
Heavens above—she'd originally planned to sell all eight pelts for ten taels!
The price for naturally colored fur wasn't high to begin with; the one Madam Li had collected cost only a little over a hundred coppers. She'd deliberately gathered a few mixed-color pelts to muddy the waters, just as filler.
Otherwise, if all eight were top-grade pure-colored rabbit pelts, word would spread and the entire Twin Stone Town would be in an uproar.
Who would have thought this Manager Liu actually believed… she was asking ten taels for a single pelt!
From Manager Liu's pained yet reluctant-to-miss-out expression, Jiang Wan could tell she genuinely wanted to buy.
So she licked her lips and, feigning hesitation, cut off Manager Liu's words. "Manager Liu, as for this price… well, it's not entirely out of the question for discussion. How about this! First, take a look at the remaining pelts in my basket, and then we'll discuss the total price. What do you say?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "total."
One was eager to sell; the other was eager to buy.
Through this twist of fate, Jiang Wan was even more afraid than Manager Liu that the other party might back out.
Manager Liu was overjoyed at this and immediately confirmed the arrangement to discuss the price with Jiang Wan in the back courtyard.
She handed the shop over to the head seamstress for temporary care and eagerly led Jiang Wan toward the back courtyard…
Eight rabbit pelts were laid out one by one on the embroidery frames in the middle of the courtyard.
The dazzling sunlight streamed through the skylight, making the furs gleam with iridescent luster.
Manager Liu knitted her brows, held her breath, and carefully examined each pelt one by one before offering a high price of eleven taels!
Jiang Wan nodded immediately, crisp and decisive.
Just as Manager Liu turned to fetch the silver notes, a sudden commotion erupted from the front of the shop.
A young man in satin clothing swaggered toward the back courtyard with a jaunty, swinging gait.
"Manager Liu! Manager Liu! I heard you got a good haul today, so I came specially to take a look!"
"Master Ma'er, what are you doing! The back courtyard is off-limits—you can't go in there!"
The head embroiderer broke into a sweat from anxiety and reached out to block him, but Master Ma'er nimbly sidestepped her.
Left with no choice, the head embroiderer hurried off to fetch Manager Liu.
Master Ma'er stepped into the back courtyard and immediately caught sight of the rabbit pelts on the racks. "Oho! So these are the furs Liu's shop took in today! Not bad at all!"
He strode over to the embroidery frame, casually picked up a smoke-gray pelt, and gave it a shake. "Nice color—steady and grand. Just right for a great cloak for this young master."
He clicked his tongue in admiration, holding the pelt up against himself to measure it, preening like a peacock with its tail spread wide.
Just as Jiang Wan was watching him with a baffled expression, he suddenly turned his head, held the pelt up to his cheek, and gave her a leering wink. "Little miss, tell me—does this look good?"
He wasn't pleasant to look at.
His narrow eyes slanted upward, and his features were plain and sparse.
His sinister looks, paired with his frivolous manner, came across as somewhat perverse.
Jiang Wan frowned slightly and couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
She simply thought the man had a screw loose and didn't bother to reply.
Manager Liu came running over at full speed and, without a word, sidestepped to block herself in front of Jiang Wan.
A smile plastered on her lips, she said, "What wind blows Master Ma here? Do wait a moment—let me see off my distant relative from the countryside, and I'll be right back."
With that, she gave Master Ma'er no chance to react, grabbing Jiang Wan by the arm and dragging her out.
"Hey? Hey! Why are you leaving… I wasn't finished talking!"
Master Ma'er tried to chase after them, but this time the head embroiderer was ready and blocked his path, leaving him so furious he flung his sleeve with a sharp snap, inwardly annoyed that he'd arrived too late.
Only after seeing Jiang Wan out of the shop did Manager Liu raise her arm to wipe the fine sweat from her brow.
She pressed the money pouch into Jiang Wan's hand, her tone carrying a hint of apology. "Keep it safe, miss. Today was an unexpected situation—otherwise, I would have insisted you stay for lunch."
With that, she tilted her head toward the back courtyard. "That's Master Ma'er of the Ma family. He's already a married man, but he still loves to chase after every skirt he sees. Don't let him scare you."
Jiang Wan put away the silver, opened it to check—the amount was right!
She nodded repeatedly and replied, "In that case, Manager Liu, until we meet again!"
The words had barely left her mouth before she turned and ran.
"Hey? Little miss, what's your surname! This, this…"
Manager Liu's voice chased after her from behind, but Jiang Wan just kept running ahead.
She wasn't running from that Master Ma'er—she was running from Manager Liu…
Only after she'd dashed out of North Street did Jiang Wan slow her pace, swinging her backpack basket as she turned toward West Street with light, brisk steps to the Ma Family Grain Shop.
The grain shop was empty, save for a single hired laborer bent over, hauling sacks of grain.
Jiang Wan asked where the manager had gone. The laborer said he'd gone to the countryside to collect grain. She left word that she'd stopped by, then turned around to meet up with Zhou Xianggui and Xiao He.
The two were still sitting at the tea stall by the alley entrance of the medicine hall, though their expressions were far more relaxed than before.
Seeing Jiang Wan return drenched in sweat, Xiao He quickly pulled out the small fan at her waist and started waving it.
"Sister-in-law, you must be boiling hot! Quick, have some water and rest!"
Jiang Wan plopped herself down, picked up the chrysanthemum tea that had been set out to cool on the table, and gulped it down.
The pot of flower tea had been steeped with boiling water several times already, so the bitter taste had faded considerably, but the floral fragrance had grown even stronger.
"What did the doctor say?" Jiang Wan set down her teacup and asked.
Zhou Xianggui picked up the teapot and refilled her cup.
"The doctor prescribed seven doses of medicine, costing two hundred and forty wen. He said the illness is no longer serious—she just needs to rest and recuperate for a while."
"That's good to hear."
Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief and told Zhou Xianggui about how she hadn't run into Manager Ma at the grain shop today.
Zhou Xianggui's expression showed nothing unusual. Instead, he said with a spirited look, "Once I've recovered my health, it won't be too late to go pay a visit then."
The three of them sat together for a while longer. Jiang Wan remembered the small beads that the pawnshop manager had picked over and left behind, so she took them out and handed them to Xiao He to play with.
Xiao He accepted them joyfully, cradling the pouch of tiny beads in her hands, unable to put them down.
Once Jiang Wan had rested enough, the three of them gathered their things and got up to find Xu Lutou.
Xu Lutou was hunched over a bowl of plain noodle soup, slurping it down with great gusto. The steam from the hot broth had flushed his face bright red, and sweat poured down his forehead in steady streams.
The three of them were famished as well. Seeing this, they ordered a few bowls from the stall next door, squeezed in at the same table as Xu Lutou, and buried their heads in their food.
The noodle soup had no fancy additions—the seasoning was nothing more than a simple pinch of salt and some lard.
But as it went down, all you tasted was the honest, wholesome fragrance of wheat, and the portions were generous.
A single bowl of noodle soup was enough to fill even a hardworking laborer like Xu Lutou to a round belly.
Just as Jiang Wan and the others were eating with great relish, Xu Lutou pulled a letter from inside his robe and held it out. "This letter came through the courier station. When I was looking for my boy's mail, I spotted one addressed to your Qi Shan, so I brought it along too—saves you an extra trip."
Jiang Wan paused mid-swallow. Under Zhou Xianggui's gaze, she reached out and took the letter.
The envelope was sealed with wax and felt somewhat thick between her fingers—probably several pages of writing, sent to ease a family's longing.
Though she wasn't well acquainted with the man, she still hoped that he, like all the soldiers at the front, would return home safe and sound.
After the Zhou family finished their midday meal,
Xu Lutou stood up, patted himself off, and called out, "Let's go!"
The three of them wiped their mouths and followed.
Under the harshest glare of the noonday sun, the four of them set off on the road back…
The sun gradually slanted westward, and by the time orange-red rays of dusk painted the sky, the dust-covered donkey cart finally came to a stop in front of the familiar general store.
Twilight was settling in, and wisps of cooking smoke were already rising from neighboring homes here and there—only the Zhou household showed no sign of activity.
Xu Lutou pulled on the reins and turned back. "We're here. Take your time getting off."
Jiang Wan shouldered her basket, picked up the bundle of medicine, and paid Xu Lutou the remaining fare.
The shop's front door was wide open. At this hour, Madam Yu would normally be leaning against the doorframe, watching for their return—but there was no sign of her at the doorway today.
A faint sense of unease stirred in Jiang Wan's heart.
After bidding Xu Lutou farewell, she hurried across the threshold.
No one was in the shop. No one was in the courtyard either. Only the main room's door stood ajar, from which came the sound of intermittent, muffled groans of pain.
"Mother? Are you in your room?" Jiang Wan called out.
A rustling sound of hurried tidying came from inside, followed by Madam Yu's voice, barely concealing her anxiety and fluster. "I'm here, I'm here! Xiao Wan, wait a moment—I'll be right out."
Before long, Madam Yu emerged, straightening her rumpled collar with one hand while walking with an unsteady, faltering step.
Her hair bun was loose and disheveled.
Her right foot was turned with toes pointing up and heel touching the ground—clearly sprained. Combined with the red welts on her neck, one glance was all Jiang Wan needed to know that Madam Yu had been bullied.