Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Stone Shopkeeper Who Struggled to Speak Hard

It is easy to say, and Chunying, who must chase books, thought about it carefully and found that it is not easy to make money.

Her daily time is basically occupied by housework, and she can only help Aunt Cheng in her free time, although the shopkeeper and Aunt Cheng did not prohibit her from going out, but as soon as she goes out, she will definitely be discovered. The residents on Funing Street are familiar with each other, and no matter what she does outside, someone will tell the shopkeeper Shi siblings.

Besides, she has neither money nor time now, what else can she do to make money? Unless...... Do needlework?!

She is still a little confident in her current craft, and it may not be possible to take on large embroidery work, but embroidering small items such as handkerchiefs, purses, belts, fan covers, and shoes is not a problem. However, people outside know that she works under Aunt Cheng, and usually she will not look for her beyond Aunt Cheng, but once Aunt Cheng knows, no matter how hard she works, the money will only fall into Aunt Cheng's hands, at most, there are two more pieces of meat left for her to eat when eating. After getting along for a few months, she already has a deep understanding of Aunt Cheng's money-greedy and stingy nature.

If...... She privately did a good job of consignment of the finished product? She usually buys some needles and threads for Aunt Cheng, and she also knows that a few women can help people sell embroidery work, and only charge 20% of the commission, because there are also girls from rich and noble families among the people who ask for it, and their mouths are relatively tight, so it should be quite stable to find them, right? Handkerchiefs and purses, things are small, but easy to do, as long as the embroidery is delicate, it is still easy to sell, although the money is small, it is better than nothing.

But here comes the problem again - the material is not easy to handle. In addition to doing some trivial work for Aunt Cheng, in order to improve her skills, she also practices in private, but Aunt Cheng looks at the needlework and fabrics very closely, and if she makes a little mistake and wastes some materials, she will scold, and the larger materials will be put away, saying that she will keep them for her son to make hats and uppers. Therefore, Chunying usually only uses some threads or rags to practice, and is best at small area patterns, and the accuracy of cutting has also greatly improved.

In this case, she can only find another way. I bought the materials. The few coins of silver she carried in her pocket had to ask the stone shopkeeper to help exchange them into copper coins before she could use them to buy these small things, otherwise she would ask the needle and thread seller to find a way to exchange them, and if the quality was worse, she would suffer a big loss. I can only quietly ask the shopkeeper for help in this matter, otherwise Aunt Cheng will know...... Chunying shivered, remembering that in the past few months, every time she went to the street to buy groceries and shop, she had to calculate carefully, racking her brains to bargain with others, otherwise Aunt Cheng would always find fault with her for spending more money, and always complained that she wanted to ask Xiao Chen for her to come back, in case the other party knew that she had money in her hands, who knew if she would find a way to be greedy?

What should I do when I buy the materials?.Take some muslin or tulle and embroider some small flowers to make a veil? It's hot now, it's the time when handkerchiefs are prevalent, but it's a pity that people rarely buy shoes and socks nowadays, and purses have some different meanings, and few people sell them on the street, but ...... She seems to have seen someone chewing betel nut a few days ago, maybe she can make a few betel nut bags to try?

Chunying thought carefully in her heart, made up her mind, and lent out to buy vegetables. At the right time, he asked the shopkeeper for some change, and then went to a safe grocery store to buy two feet of fine white cloth and a bag of needle and thread, went back and hid in the room, and quickly did the housework every day, so he hid in the house and worked in the dim light. She could only squeeze out a limited amount of time during the day to do it, and although progress was slow, she was very happy watching those beautiful handkerchiefs take shape little by little.

Just when Chunying was doing her private work in the dark, Aunt Cheng was not idle. Make move. After she finished the work at hand, she stopped picking up new ones—which made Chunying much easier—and focused on preparing for her husband's return.

For example, she was very active in making new clothes, new shoes and socks for him, and bought them again. Not only did he go back to his own courtyard every day to cook, but he also told his two sons to come home every day when they came back from school to see if their father was back, and repeatedly reminded them what to do when they saw their father. Cheng Suluo and Cheng Suyi were afraid of her verbosity, and as soon as they came back, they couldn't see anyone, she had no choice but to make new clothes while chattering to her younger brother. Chunying swept the floor on the side, feeling that her ears were about to become calloused.

The stone shopkeeper was sister. Wrapped tightly, I couldn't help but say: "My sister really feels sorry for my brother-in-law, so don't let him go out again!" He only stays at home for a few days all year round, and no matter how much he makes, what's the use? ”

"What stupid things are you talking about?" Aunt Cheng glanced at her younger brother disapplauded, "If he doesn't go out to do business, wouldn't our family want to drink the northwest wind?!" ”

The shopkeeper Shi hurriedly said: "My sister also underestimates my brother-in-law." He went out to do business for more than ten years, didn't he save any money? My sister is alone at home with the children, and she does embroidery work all day long, how can she ever be tight on hand? Take some silver out and open a shop, isn't it good for my sister to be a comfortable boss? ”

Seeing his sister carelessly, he simply leaned in front of her and whispered: "I have thought about it for my sister, the water shopkeeper of Fumanlou, and occasionally I am a middle-aged person, I said that there is a prosperous shop on the east street to sell, only one hundred and twenty taels, if my sister wants to buy, I will negotiate with him again." There is also a warehouse behind the store, not far from my sister's house. I have a friend who is in a hurry to get rid of the cloth in his hand, and my brother-in-law buys it at a low price, and it won't take a month to open it. At that time, my brother-in-law went to the store every day to do business, and hired a guy, my sister took care of the housework at home, and bought a little girl to do some chores - not that I said, my sister also saved too much on weekdays, and she didn't want to buy someone to call her so much work at home before, and she was all covered by herself, and she had to do needlework for others every day. The Sulosui brothers, simply change to a better school......"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, but before he could finish speaking, Aunt Cheng was already staring at him with apricot eyes and interrupted him: "How much silver does this cost?!" Still buy people, hire people?! Our family of four has hands and feet, what can't we do?! When you buy a girl and come back, you have to take care of her food and clothing, and you have to prevent her from being greedy for the master's money. You don't want to think about it, Koharu eats and lives here for nothing, how much silver does it cost us?! And what can she do?! I'm so much better than her! Also, why should we buy a shop? It's not worth spending so much money at all! ”

Chunying couldn't help but roll her eyes, sneering in her heart, and simply took a few steps away, not wanting to listen to her anymore. Shopkeeper Shi glanced at her a little embarrassed, and persuaded in a low voice: "Sister, what she said is really ...... How much can a person as young as Koharu eat? It's a house we don't use...... She has also done a lot of work, so it's not a matter of eating for nothing, right......" he cleared his throat, and he pulled back to the topic: "I'm all planning for my sister and brother-in-law's family." Think about it, my Yunxiang Pavilion is taken care of for the owner, and the money I earn every year, in addition to the dividends I pay, I can also save one or two hundred silver. Even if my sister's shop is a little smaller, it will be enough for your family. Isn't it far better than the separation of my sister and brother-in-law's family, and I can't see each other a few times a year? ”

"It's easy to say!" Aunt Cheng couldn't help but retort to him, "How can the shop go so smoothly?" Is the store bought or rented? How much does it cost? Where does the goods come from? Can I sell it? Who knows if it's going to be a profit or a loss? Yunxiangge is not yours, and we can't lose money to you, but we have to take risks when we open our own shop, where can it compare to your brother-in-law who is now selling Songjiang cloth outside, it is a profitable business?! ”

"But my brother-in-law is out all day long, and it's too hard, how many times have the two nephews grown up to see their father? My sister feels sorry for her brother-in-law here, so it's better to let him stay at home for a few more days to save him from running around! The shopkeeper said that his saliva was dry, and he hurriedly went to find tea to eat, "It's not that I'm too careful, my brother-in-law is out all year round, in case I have other thoughts, my sister can't find a place to cry and ......."

Aunt Cheng was stunned, her face became solemn, but she returned to her original state after a while: "He's not that kind of person!" Put a hundred and twenty hearts on me! After that, he glanced at his younger brother again: "Don't say anything else, just your brother is enough to make ** heart, a lot of age, and there is no confidant by your side." I can still take care of you here, but if I move back home, who will take care of you? I can rest assured that I can come back as soon as possible by marrying a daughter-in-law who satisfies my sister! ”

The stone shopkeeper sneered, muttering in his heart, "It's hard to satisfy you", and then left the backyard in a hurry under the pretext of greeting guests.

Aunt Cheng continued to sew new clothes for her husband, as if she didn't take her brother's words to heart at all, Chunying finished her work, and while she was unprepared, she shrank back into the room and was secretly angry.

She keeps doing it all day long, eating their family's leftovers, only the stone shopkeeper is kind, and will occasionally add meals to her, is this also called eating for nothing? !

She took a deep breath and pulled out her needlework, working hard to embroider it.

After another two days, Aunt Cheng called Chunying again and went back to her house together, planning to clean the house again. Unexpectedly, when I arrived at the door, I found that the door lock was missing, and an old carriage was still parked in the courtyard. Aunt Cheng was suddenly overjoyed: "Master, are you back?!" ”

A male voice came from inside the house, and Aunt Cheng's eyes turned red: "You are an enemy, since you are back, why don't you go looking for me?!" With that, he took out a handkerchief and covered his nose and cried.

A middle-aged man walked out of the room, tall and thin, with an unexpectedly white complexion, with good facial features, a goatee, and a cloth coat, which was slightly narrower and did not fit well. He doesn't look like a businessman, but like a scholar, but the light in his eyes reveals a bit of his businessman's nature. As soon as he saw Aunt Cheng, he smiled slightly: "I just came back, I haven't had time to freshen up, and I'm planning to take a break and look for you again." ”

Aunt Cheng burst into tears and smiled: "Let's go into the house and talk." He turned around and instructed Chunying: "Go and scrub the carriage and get some hay to feed the horses." Then he pulled Uncle Cheng into the house.

Chunying pursed her lips, fetched a bucket of water, took a rag and wiped the carriage, but found that the carriage was much more gorgeous than the outside, and there were small tables and cabinets made of wood. After wiping two handfuls casually, she felt that there was something under the rag, and when she dug it out, it turned out to be a gold earring, which was sandwiched in the gap in the floor of the carriage, and the fire of gossip suddenly ignited in her heart.

It's a woman's thing, right? How could it fall in Uncle Cheng's carriage?! Could it be that he also committed the common problem of men, hiding from his wife and raising concubines outside?!

Chunying was looking at the earrings, but she heard someone calling her outside the door, and when she turned her head, it turned out to be a woman she had seen once that day, waving to her. Chunying walked over suspiciously, and the woman pulled her out of the door, looked back and forth on the steps, and whispered close to her and asked, "Did you come back from the house?" ”

Chunying thought that what she said might be Uncle Cheng, so she nodded: "Uncle just came back." ”

The woman looked back and forth again, and lowered her voice a little more: "My man came all the way back with him, but he came a day before him. You reminded your aunt and told her to be careful that Cheng Da was outside...... With people! ”

Chunying blinked, and was about to ask more clearly, but she heard a squeak at the door, and the mustache walked out, and when she saw them, she was stunned, so she lowered her head and handed over a bowl: "Auntie, thank you for your meal." ”

The woman smiled and took the bowl: "No thanks, no thanks." The mustache glanced at Chunying carefully, and then turned around and went back to the courtyard a little uncomfortably. Chun Ying stepped forward strangely and called him: "Master Hu? The mustache ignored it and closed the door.

Chun Ying was puzzled, so the woman asked her, "Do you know this little brother?" Chunying hurriedly said: "I've seen it a few times before." ”

"That's right." The woman sighed. "If you have time, persuade him, the old man's future affairs have been done, and it is not a way for him to stay at home every day. Although there are a lot of food for him in our family, he always has to think of ways to make a living. Originally, we heard that he had studied, so we asked him to help in the school, but who knew that he could not do chores, and the husband thought that he was from a merchant family. Mr. has been teaching for many years, and we don't want to offend him, but fortunately, Uncle Zhiliang at the entrance of the alley found an errand for him, and asked him to go to the second floor of Fuman Building to run the hall, and he couldn't pull it off, and then went to the tea shop as a buddy, and almost didn't make the guests angry. We know that he is the young master of a rich family, but this is really not good. ”

Chunying opened her mouth and said busily: "I will find an opportunity to persuade him, he ......" Before the words fell, Aunt Cheng's scream came from the courtyard: "What is this?!" Isn't it a vixen?! Then there was another loud bang.

The woman quickly dropped a sentence of "persuade more" and ran away, Chunying looked at the courtyard and suddenly felt a little headache...