A Good Country Wife

"Indeed, absolutely outstanding. Brother Zhao, your art of curing fur has become even more exquisite. All these furs are of great quality, especially this piece of fox fur. Miss Qian will definitely be satisfied. This is truly like being offered a pillow as one dozes off—I've been worrying about where to find these past few days, and here you are, delivering right to my door. What price do you have in mind for these furs?" Manager Wang inquired as he looked toward Zhao Erhu.

"I'm not clear on the current market prices, Manager Wang. You can set the price as you see fit."

That was exactly what Manager Wang expected Zhao Erhu to say. Knowing him for so long, he understood that Zhao was a forthright person, and he enjoyed doing business with such individuals. To tell the truth, as the owner of a large fabric shop, he ran more businesses than this one, and his reputation was not worth compromising over such petty advantages. Sometimes, haggling was just a merchant's nature and a reluctance to come off worse in a deal.

"You're really a straightforward person, Brother Zhao. You always do this; aren't you afraid I might lowball you and skimp on your silver?" Manager Wang said with a chuckle as he collected the furs.

"You're jesting, Manager. We've known each other for so long, and I'm well aware of your character. When have you ever given me an unfair price or left me at a loss? I trust you, of course," Zhao Erhu replied smoothly, flattering Manager Wang while actually being aware of his character, which prompted his response. Rather than proposing a high price, which may come off as too mercenary and involve the hassle of haggling, or setting the price too low, which wouldn't be worthwhile, it was better to let Manager Wang decide. The owner of such a large fabric shop would hardly miss that small amount of silver.

Manager Wang felt pleased upon hearing Zhao Erhu's words, and his face showed a touch of pride. "Brother Zhao is an understanding man. Although I, Wang, am a profit-pursuing merchant, I never earn money against my conscience. Everyone who has done business with me knows this, and it is one of the reasons why I have managed to achieve today's success in my trade."

"Indeed, Manager Wang's integrity is worthy of respect," Zhao Erhu agreed with Manager Wang's words, noticing that Manager Wang seemed to be getting carried away with the compliments, which didn't cost Zhao anything to provide.

Realizing that he might have gone a bit too far, Manager Wang then stopped riding the wave of praise and moved on to the matter at hand. "With the onset of spring, the weather is getting warmer, and fur prices cannot compare to what they are in winter. Ordinarily, your furs would fetch at most five taels of silver, even with the exceptionally beautiful fox fur. But it just so happens that we have Miss Qian's business at this time, and since we have a longstanding relationship and you've helped me out in an emergency, I won't take advantage of you. Here's what we'll do: you wait in the shop for a bit, and I'll send the apprentice to deliver the furs to Miss Qian. Let's see what price she offers, and then I'll settle the silver with you. How does that sound?"

"That would be much appreciated, Manager Wang," Zhao Erhu said joyfully, clearly pleased at the prospect of earning more silver. Any extra money would be welcome since he now had a delicate and tender young wife to care for at home, and it was a time when funds were particularly needed. Today's trip had turned out to be an unexpected delight; he had conservatively estimated that the furs would sell for three to four taels of silver.

"Manager, while I'm here today, I also wanted to buy a couple of outfits for my wife. Do you have anything suitable?" Zhao Erhu asked, taking advantage of the waiting time to lead Lin Yue to the counter.

Manager Wang had noticed the little girl quietly standing by Zhao Erhu's side all along, initially mistaking her for Zhao's sister. When he heard Zhao introduce her as his wife, he was quite surprised. "So this is your wife? I thought... ahem, I didn't expect... Brother Zhao, your wife is so young. It's quite, rather unexpected."

In fact, Shopkeeper Wang was aware of Zhao Erhu's two previous wives, after all, Erhu's reputation for losing wives was notorious, especially the second wife who had such a reputation. The rumors at the time were rife, and as people dealing with others all year round, they are well-informed, so it was hard not to know. However, he didn't expect Zhao Erhu's new bride to be so young, still a half-grown child. Could she take care of someone? Wouldn't she cry when they... do that thing? Shopkeeper Wang thought somewhat wickedly, unable to help himself from sizing up Lin Yue.

It was normal for Shopkeeper Wang to be surprised, but Zhao Erhu still felt a bit uncomfortable. The look on Wang's face was pretty clear – wasn't it just saying that he was an old bull eating tender grass? Moreover, he did not like other men setting their sights on his young bride. Although he knew Shopkeeper Wang had no other intentions, he subtly moved his feet to shield Lin Yue behind himself.

"Shopkeeper, could you please find some clothes suitable for my wife to wear?"

"Alright, the clothes and materials in my fabric shop are the most complete. You wait, I will find some for you." Shopkeeper Wang was a shrewd man and naturally discerned Zhao Erhu's intention. Realizing his own forwardness, he withdrew his gaze and searched through the shelves behind him, selecting three or four ready-made outfits that were both affordable and suitable in style for Lin Yue to choose from.

"Your wife is petite and has not fully grown yet. These few outfits have nice fabric patterns, styles, and the sizes should be suitable. Why don't you let her try them on in the back room and see how they fit?"

Zhao Erhu nodded, took them, and selected a light aquamarine and a pink cotton outfit for Lin Yue to try on in the back.

Lin Yue took the clothes but didn't do as Zhao Erhu said. She first felt the fabric and looked at the seams of the clothes, which indeed were of high quality. However, such an outfit was likely to be expensive, just the labor cost alone would be significant. They weren't rich and didn't have money to spare. Instead of buying ready-made clothes, it would be more economical to buy some fabric and make them herself. Besides, as a farmwife now, why would she need such fancy clothes? It would be a waste.

Having made up her mind, Lin Yue looked at Shopkeeper Wang, "Shopkeeper, the colors of these outfits are nice and they feel comfortable too. How much do they cost each?"

"For someone else, it would be no less than two taels of silver each, but the relationship I have with Brother Zhao is different. If the lady finds these two outfits suitable, I'll charge you a total of three taels of silver," Shopkeeper Wang said cheerfully. He hadn't actually quoted this price to anyone before, as both the materials and craftsmanship were top-notch. Common families would usually make their own clothes, reluctant to spend money on ready-to-wear garments, which were mostly reserved for the wealthier folks who could afford the luxury. Thus the materials and craftsmanship of the ready-made clothes were extremely meticulous. Considering Zhao Erhu's family situation, the outfits he had chosen were already the cheapest available.

Once a person has suffered poverty, they become particularly sensitive to money, and Lin Yue, who had come from poverty, understood the importance of money even more.