Xie Jinzhu had originally thought that Old Mrs. Xie would seize this opportunity to torment her and vent her anger—perhaps by forcing her to walk into the city carrying a heavy load, refusing to let her take even one step less.
However, Old Mrs. Xie changed her mind halfway.
Watching the straps of the carrying basket dig deeply into Xie Jinzhu’s shoulders, the deep-seated doting that had been ingrained in Old Mrs. Xie’s heart for so long surged back against her will.
It was true that the person had suddenly transformed from a Golden Grandson into a worthless girl.
But this was the face of someone she had cherished and pampered for over a decade, holding her close to her heart!
Seeing the sweat bead on Xie Jinzhu’s temples as she trudged forward with the basket, Old Mrs. Xie felt as though her heart had been twisted into a tattered rag, making it hard to even breathe.
In the end, Old Mrs. Xie gritted her teeth and called for a mule cart.
Only when it came time to pay the fare did her face darken unbearably: “What was the point of showing off by tagging along for no reason?”
“Not only did you waste money on the cart, but you also crushed my cabbage leaves!”
Rubbing her sore shoulders, Xie Jinzhu lowered her head and looked at the perfectly intact cabbage, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: “Old Madam, where is this cabbage damaged?”
“If I say it’s damaged, then it’s damaged!”
Old Mrs. Xie shot Xie Jinzhu a disdainful glare and motioned for Xie Wuni and Xie Xiao Qi to follow: “Hurry up.”
“Today is market day. If we’re late, we won’t get a good price.”
During this lean season, the vegetables from the fields were their only source of income.
Every single cabbage here was precious; if they earned even one copper coin less, Old Mrs. Xie would feel heartbroken enough to cry.
Xie Wuni rolled her eyes at Xie Jinzhu: “Aren’t you going to hurry up and follow?”
“If you get lost, we won’t come looking for you.”
Xie Jinzhu thought to herself that she knew the city far better than they did. Under Old Mrs. Xie’s glare, she snatched the carrying basket and hoisted it onto her back, giving it a few testing hefts before saying, “I’ll take you to the spot.”
“You sell the vegetables first. I’m going somewhere and will come back to find you soon.”
Old Mrs. Xie followed, clutching a cloth bundle, her expression gloomy.
Xie Xiao Qi suddenly spoke up: “Where are you going again?”
“If you cause trouble, or if…”
“I won’t cause trouble.”
Xie Jinzhu replied wearily: “You’ll know when I get back.”
“Is this the place?”
Seeing Old Mrs. Xie nod, Xie Jinzhu swiftly set down the carrying basket. After confirming once more that they wouldn’t change locations, she tucked the ink stick into her clothes and disappeared into the crowd.
Xie Wuni arranged cabbages on the spread-out straw mat while gritting her teeth: “She’s definitely off to fool around again!”
“She’s always been like this!”
“Whenever she enters the city, she keeps her distance from us, afraid people will find out she’s associated with us country bumpkins. She just thinks we’re an embarrassment to her!”
It had always been this way!
The Old Xie Family had nearly broken their bones and squeezed out every last drop to support Xie Jinzhu’s lavish lifestyle at the Academy, ensuring she ate well and lived comfortably.
Xie Jinzhu herself spent her days eating, drinking, and having fun, yet she always felt that none of them were wealthy enough, needlessly dragging her down and embarrassing her.
Xie Wuni wanted to say more but was tugged on the sleeve by Xie Xiao Qi.
Looking up and seeing Old Mrs. Xie’s cold expression, Xie Wuni faltered: “Grandma, I just can’t accept it. What right does she have…”
“If you have the energy to gossip about her, you might as well put it to use with your hands.”
Old Mrs. Xie said unhappily: “Is your work done yet? Why aren’t you hurrying up?”
The muttering at the small vegetable stall quieted down. Old Mrs. Xie sat on the ground, tidying the cabbage leaves used as padding in the basket, her old eyes silently reddening.
Xie Jinzhu knew nothing of all this.
With clear purpose, she walked up to the entrance of Fangyuan Zhai, her mind flashing with another foolish deed the original owner had committed, leaving her with mixed emotions.
Fangyuan Zhai was the most famous bookstore in the city, specializing in selling all kinds of high-quality scholar’s treasures.
Correspondingly, the prices were also exorbitant.
Those who studied at the Academy were, in principle, supposed to cultivate their character and immerse themselves in learning, not focus on such external things.
But the original owner was foolish to the core, unable to learn from others’ virtues, only remembering what fine items others used.
The cheapest set of writing brushes and ink here cost at least ten taels of silver.
And the Xie family had bought exactly five such sets for the original owner.
Thinking of the items she had sold at half price, Xie Jinzhu twitched the corner of her mouth and walked in, addressing the clerk: “Is Manager Bai here?”
The clerk, recognizing who had arrived, immediately furrowed his brows into a knot.
“Why is it you again?”
Xie Jinzhu: “…”
“What are you here for?”
The clerk draped the rag he was using to wipe the table over his shoulder and said warily, “How many times have I said it? Our Fangyuan Zhai does not offer credit!”
“Even if you talk until your lips are worn out, credit is still not allowed!”
Xie Jinzhu thought to herself that the prejudices of the world didn’t matter, not to get angry or worked up, forcing a smile: “You misunderstand, I’m not here for credit.”
“I want to discuss a deal with your boss. Where is he?”
Boss Bai was standing behind the bookshelf. Seeing Xie Jinzhu, he let out a long sigh: “Scholar Xie, you…”
Halfway through his words, Boss Bai looked at Xie Jinzhu, still dressed in men’s clothing, his expression twisting: “You, a young lady, previously sneaked into the Academy to cause trouble, and now you still haven’t restrained yourself?”
The jokes Xie Jinzhu had caused at the Academy were already known to everyone.
If she kept causing trouble, wouldn’t it just…
“I said, I’m not here to pick a fight.”
Xie Jinzhu took out the ink stick she had brought and placed it on the table, unwrapping the cloth covering the box and getting straight to the point: “I’m here to sell ink.”
Fangyuan Zhai had its own purchasing channels, but it wouldn’t refuse good items from elsewhere either.
Boss Bai’s words were cut short by what he saw before him. He stepped forward, picked it up, and examined it, his face showing surprise: “Where did this ink come from?”
The Xie family absolutely couldn’t afford it!
Xie Jinzhu was invisibly struck hard by prejudice once again, her face wooden as she tapped the table: “I made it myself.”
Boss Bai replied without thinking: “How is that possible?”
“If you could make ink of this quality, then I…”
Boss Bai’s instinctive harsh words were forced to stop when he saw Xie Jinzhu’s cold expression. Carefully, he turned the ink stick over and over through a sweat towel, awkwardly changing the subject: “Are you sure you want to sell it?”
“Yes.”
Xie Jinzhu said bluntly: “I made this item myself. You can choose not to believe it.”
“But its origins are absolutely clean. You can accept it with confidence.”
As long as it wasn’t stolen goods that could be pursued, then only the quality of the item mattered, not the character of the person.
Boss Bai, speaking as a merchant, immediately said: “How much do you want for it?”
“Ten taels.”
“Ten taels for these two pieces?”
Boss Bai frowned and said, “Although this is pine soot ink, the moisture hasn’t dried properly, and it feels damp to the touch. Also, this…”
“Not ten taels for two pieces, but ten taels for one piece.”
Under Boss Bai’s stunned gaze, Xie Jinzhu said directly: “As the saying goes, one tael of fine ink is worth ten taels of gold. Pine soot ink has always been a top-grade ink. This price is not excessive.”
“Additionally, the moisture in this ink stick indeed hasn’t fully dried, as this is just a sample. I have eighteen more ink sticks of the same quality in hand, and I can deliver them all within five days at most.”
These twenty ink sticks were the result of Xie Jinzhu’s tremendous effort, each one hard-won.
She was also well aware of Fangyuan Zhai’s pricing, and ten taels per piece was quite reasonable.
When Boss Bai heard there were more than a dozen additional pieces, he quietly drew in a breath. Sitting down, he squinted at Xie Jinzhu and asked skeptically, “Do you really have that many?”
“Are you sure you made them all?”
Xie Jinzhu looked at him expressionlessly. “Who else would have?”
“If you don’t want to buy them, I can always ask elsewhere. The goods are ready, and I’m sure I’ll find a suitable buyer.”
Xie Jinzhu reached out to snatch the ink stick Boss Bai was holding in his palm.
Boss Bai hurriedly dodged and said with a bitter smile, “Business is about give and take. How could a deal be settled in just a few words?”
“If you truly have so many ink sticks of consistent quality, it’s not impossible to discuss further. However, the price you mentioned isn’t suitable.”