After leaving the academy, Xing Nong said she was hungry and wanted to eat something before heading back.
Xing Hui agreed.
It was already past noon, and they still needed to buy rice. Furthermore, the ox cart ride back would take nearly an hour, meaning they wouldn't arrive home until the afternoon.
It was fine for her to go hungry, but since Brother Gu had helped them earlier, it was only right to treat him to a meal.
Gu Zesen mentioned a noodle shop near the academy that was both cheap and delicious, so the three of them went to eat.
At five wen for a large bowl with egg and meat, it was indeed very affordable.
Elsewhere, noodles with egg and meat cost at least eight wen.
As Gu Zesen took out the copper coins to hand to the shopkeeper, Xing Nong reached out and gripped his wrist through his sleeve, preventing him from extending his hand. "I'll pay."
"..."
Unable to move, Gu Zesen glanced at his held wrist. A faint blush crept up his fair, delicate face, and he dared not move again.
Only after the noodle shop owner accepted Xing Nong's coins did she let go. "Let's go."
~
After eating, Xing Nong went to the grain store to buy rice, while Gu Zesen went to the bookstore to pick up a book to copy.
Whenever he was on break, he would copy books to earn some silver, covering the costs of his own brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to lighten his family's burden, while also practicing his calligraphy to improve himself—killing two birds with one stone.
As a *linsheng* (stipend student), he had a reputation, and because his handwriting was excellent, he could earn one tael of silver per book.
Xing Hui was filled with envy.
Xing Nong did not want to go into the bookstore again. Her excuse about knowing arithmetic was already far-fetched, and the original owner's handwriting was atrocious. She didn't want the bookstore owner to expose her, so she decided she would have to remind Xing Hui to keep it a secret next time.
Besides, she needed to practice calligraphy; otherwise, she wouldn't know how to handle money in the future.
Xing Nong knew there was a general store on that street that also sold grain, so she said to the two of them, "I'm going across the street to buy rice. Xing Hui, you and Young Master Gu go to the bookstore!"
Xing Hui did want to take a look, so he nodded. "Then we'll come find you at the grain store in a while."
"Alright!"
~
This general store was the largest in Futai County, and it had everything one could imagine.
Xing Nong stepped inside.
Just then, a young mistress and her servant emerged from a jewelry shop across the street.
The young lady had eyebrows like paintings and cheeks like peach blossoms—a natural beauty.
As soon as she stepped out, the eyes of everyone on the street couldn't help but fall upon her.
"Miss, look." The maid, dressed in emerald green, pointed toward Xing Nong.
Shen Mingzhu looked over and saw Xing Nong walking into the grain store carrying an empty chicken coop.
A flash of disgust crossed her eyes.
It’s this bastard again?
Yesterday, she had assumed this bastard would report them to the authorities, allowing her family to reclaim the house openly. She hadn't expected the girl to drop the matter, which had nearly ruined her own reputation. If she hadn't had her maid use silver to bribe the villagers and resort to threats and inducements, her reputation would have been destroyed today!
How would she be able to participate in the selection then?
Thinking of something, Shen Mingzhu whispered a few words into her maid's ear. Once finished, she smoothed her dress, touched the pearl hairpin in her hair, and glanced at her newly purchased pink gemstone bracelet. "It seems the small kitchen is out of fine rice. Go buy some; I’ll head back to the manor first."
She would never step foot in a low-class place like a general store; it would dirty her embroidered shoes and was beneath her status. After all, that was a shop for servants.
She usually only frequented jewelry shops, embroidery houses, the Yingbin Restaurant, and bookstores—and only the largest and best ones in the city.
Besides, she had to return to the manor and urge her mother to seize the opportunity to go back to the village and reclaim the house now.
She couldn't wait a moment longer; if she missed such a good opportunity, it would be a huge loss.
"Yes!" The maid hurried over, and the carriage sped away.
~
Xing Nong stood beside the sacks of grain, weighing the prices.
Grain prices in this dynasty were very high and divided into many grades, with significant price jumps. Selected top-grade fine rice was fifty wen, fine rice was thirty-five wen per catty, and ordinary rice was fifteen wen per catty, though it was mixed with many broken grains.
The poor could only afford the lowest grade of brown rice, which was five wen per catty, but this brown rice was very fragmented and full of chaff. It was clearly the leftovers after the good grains had been picked out—the kind the original owner's family had always eaten.
The grain store clerk stood to the side, waiting without rushing her.
He had seen plenty of children from poor families like this.
They would stand there drooling over the fine rice and white flour, staring for a long time, only to buy a few catties of brown rice that would have to last them ten days or half a month.
His own family's situation had been much the same in the past.
Xing Nong: "Clerk, I want three—"
Just then, a maid walked in, deliberately shoving Xing Nong aside with her body, and said haughtily, "Clerk, I want twenty catties of top-grade fine rice."
She emphasized the words "top-grade fine rice."
Seeing it was this maid, the clerk immediately said, "Very well, I'll weigh it for you, Miss."
In this dynasty, people were divided into ranks, and rice was graded too. Fine rice was something only wealthy families could afford. Top-grade fine rice was for the truly rich and powerful!
Look, when maids from wealthy families came to buy rice, they never looked at the price; they would just open their mouths and ask for dozens of catties of fine rice.
And this maid was from the Shen Family Winery, a major client of their grain store. He dared not offend her. He was just about to tell Xing Nong to wait a moment.
Unexpectedly, Xing Nong reached out, grabbed the maid by the collar, lifted her entire body up, and set her aside. "Wait in line!"
Her voice was cold and arrogant!
The maid: "..."
The clerk: "..."
Xing Nong stood back in her original position, calm and composed. "Clerk, thirty catties of fine rice, thirty catties of fine white flour. Ten catties of oil, one catty of salt, one catty of soy sauce, one catty of white sugar, two catties of maltose, one catty of syrup, and one catty of vinegar."
In her past life, she sometimes suffered from hypoglycemia, so she always kept a few candies in her pocket to eat when she had a moment, a habit she had developed. She planned to buy some sugar to make candies to take home.
The clerk: "..."
What did this girl say?
Fine rice? White flour? Oil? Sugar... why was she asking for things only wealthy families bought?
Was he hallucinating?
The maid, having been lifted aside like a puppet, was completely stunned. When she finally came to her senses, she nearly jumped up and cursed, "You bitch! What did you just do to me? You actually dared to grab my clothes! Do you know this dress is worth one tael of silver? Can you afford to pay for it if you ruined it?"
She looked down, frantically trying to smooth out her clothes, her heart aching when she saw the wrinkles.
This was a dress her mistress had given her after wearing it a few times; it was worth one tael per set!
She waved her hand in anger.
Xing Nong caught her hand with one grip and swung her other hand across. "Slap!"
Xing Nong let go.
The clerk’s eyes widened.
The maid’s ears were ringing, and she was completely dazed!
A pin-drop silence fell over the surroundings.
After a long while, the maid finally recovered from her shock, clutching her face in disbelief. "You dare hit me?!"
Xing Nong glanced at her with no expression, her voice cold and indifferent: "A master merely disciplining a dog."
A person must first humiliate themselves before others will humiliate them.
Xing Nong had actually only recognized that this person was Shen Mingzhu’s maid when she called her a "bitch."
This maid seemed to be called Xiaoxi.
The servants of the Shen family's main branch were all named using the last character of their family members' names.
Currently, their family had four servants: a manservant named Xiaohui, a maid named Xiaoxi, a maid named Xiaoxing, and an old woman named Chunniang.
Gu’s name was Gu Yuchun.
Wasn't this done on purpose to disgust them?
When Gu first heard it, she was furious.
Hearing this, the maid’s face turned a mixture of blue and red. She wanted to retaliate but didn't dare; when she had grabbed her hand earlier, she had been completely unable to move. "Pah! Don't flatter yourself. What kind of master are you?"
Xing Nong looked her up and down and smiled.
Then she turned to the clerk and said, "Clerk, please weigh my items. I'm in a hurry."
She had always disdained petty verbal squabbles.
The maid: "..."
For the first time, she felt deeply insulted!
And she had been insulted by nothing more than a look.
Lantern Festival, please recommend, add to your library, and give monthly tickets~
Thank you very much~
(End of chapter)