Chapter 11: Just Beating a Dog
After leaving the academy, Xingnong said she was hungry and wanted to eat something before going back.
Xinghui agreed.
It was already past noon, and they still had to buy rice. Moreover, it would take almost half an hour to get back by ox cart. By the time they got home, it would be afternoon.
It was fine for her to go hungry, but Gu Dage had just helped them, so it was only right to treat him to a meal.
Gu Zesen said there was a noodle shop near the academy that was cheap and delicious, so the three of them went to eat noodles.
A large bowl for five copper coins, with eggs and meat, was indeed very affordable.
In other places, noodles with eggs and meat would cost at least eight copper coins.
When Gu Zesen took out the copper coins to hand to the shopkeeper, Xingnong reached out and clasped his wrist through his clothes, preventing him from extending his hand, “I’ll pay.”
“…”
Unable to move, Gu Zesen glanced at his wrist being held. A faint blush crept up his fair and delicate face, and he didn’t dare to move again.
The noodle shop owner took Xingnong’s copper coins, and she let go of his hand, “Let’s go.”
~
After eating noodles, Xingnong went to the grain store to buy rice, while Gu Zesen went to the bookstore to get a book to copy.
Whenever he had a day off, he would copy books to earn some silver, enough for his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, lessening his family’s burden. He could also practice his calligraphy and improve himself, killing two birds with one stone.
He was a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations, with a good reputation and excellent calligraphy. He could earn one tael of silver for copying a book.
Xinghui was envious.
Xingnong didn’t want to go into the bookstore again. Her reason for understanding arithmetic was already far-fetched, and the original owner’s handwriting was atrocious. She wanted to avoid the bookstore owner exposing her, so it seemed she would have to remind Xinghui to keep it a secret next time.
Besides, she needed to practice calligraphy. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to take out her silver in the future.
Xingnong knew there was a grocery store on that street that also sold grain, so she said to the two, “I’ll go buy rice across the street. Xinghui, you and Young Master Gu go to the bookstore.”
Xinghui really wanted to go and have a look, so he nodded, “Then we’ll go to the grain store to find you later.”
“Okay!”
~
This grocery store was the largest in Futai County, with all sorts of things inside.
Xingnong stepped inside.
At that moment, a young mistress and her servant emerged from a jewelry store across the street.
The young girl had beautiful features, rosy cheeks, and fair skin—a natural beauty.
As soon as she stepped out, the eyes of the people on the street couldn’t help but fall upon her.
“Miss, look.” The maid in the emerald green dress pointed at Xingnong.
Shen Mingzhu looked over and saw Xingnong carrying an empty chicken cage as she entered the grain store.
A look of disgust flashed across her eyes.
It was that bastard again?
Yesterday, she had thought that this bastard would report to the authorities, and her family would be able to rightfully reclaim the house. Unexpectedly, she didn’t report it and almost ruined her reputation! If she hadn’t made her maid silence a few villagers with silver, using both threats and bribes, her reputation would have been ruined today!
How could she participate in the imperial selection then?
An idea came to Shen Mingzhu. She whispered a few words into her maid’s ear. Then, she adjusted her dress, touched the hairpin on her head, and glanced at the newly bought pink gemstone bracelet, “We seem to be out of refined rice in the small kitchen. Go buy some. I’ll head back to the residence first.”
She wouldn’t step foot in a lowly store like a grocery store. It would dirty her embroidered shoes and be beneath her status. After all, that was the kind of store her family’s servants would go to.
She usually only frequented jewelry stores, embroidery shops, Welcome Inn, bookstores, and the like, and they had to be the biggest and best in the city.
Besides, she had to go back to the residence and urge her mother to seize the opportunity to return to the village and take back the house.
She really couldn’t wait a moment longer. It would be a huge loss if she missed such a good opportunity.
“Yes!” The maid hurried over, and the carriage quickly drove away.
~
Xingnong stood beside the bags of grain, examining the prices.
Grain was very expensive in this dynasty, divided into many grades, with quite a significant price difference. Carefully selected top-grade refined rice cost fifty copper coins per jin, refined rice thirty-five copper coins per jin, and ordinary rice fifteen copper coins per jin, but it was mixed with many broken grains.
The poorest people could only afford the lowest grade of brown rice, which cost only five copper coins per jin, but this type of rice was very coarse and contained chaff. It was the kind where the good grains were picked out, leaving the unwanted ones behind. The original owner’s family had always eaten this type of rice.
The shop assistant in the grain store stood by, waiting patiently without urging her.
He had seen many children from poor families.
They would stand there, drooling over the refined rice and white flour, looking at it for a long time, but only buying a few jin of brown rice to last them for ten days or half a month.
His family’s situation used to be similar.
✿✿✿
Xingnong: “Shop assistant, I want th”
At that moment, a maid walked in and deliberately pushed Xingnong aside with her body. She said arrogantly, “Shop assistant, I want twenty jin of top. grade. refined. rice.”
She deliberately emphasized the words “top-grade refined rice.”
Seeing this maid, the shop assistant immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll weigh it for you right away, Miss.”
In this dynasty, people were divided into social classes, and even rice had grades. Refined rice was something only wealthy families could afford. Top-grade refined rice was even more exclusive, enjoyed only by the extremely rich and noble!
See, when maids from these wealthy families came to buy rice, they wouldn’t even bother looking. They would just directly ask for tens of jin of refined rice.
And this maid was from the Shen Family Winery. The Shen Family Winery was a major customer of their grain store, and he couldn’t afford to offend them. He was about to tell Xingnong to wait a moment.
Unexpectedly, Xingnong grabbed the maid’s collar, lifted her entire body, and moved her to the side, “Get in line!”
Her voice was cold and haughty!
Maid: “…”
Shop assistant: “…”
Xingnong calmly returned to her original spot, “Shop assistant, thirty jin of refined rice, thirty jin of fine white flour, ten jin of oil, one jin of salt, one jin of soy sauce, one jin of white sugar, two jin of malt sugar and one jin of vinegar.”
In her past life, she sometimes had low blood sugar and always carried a few candies in her pocket to eat whenever she had a moment, developing a habit of eating sweets. So she planned to buy some sugar and make some candy to eat.
Shop assistant: “…”
What was this girl saying?
Refined rice? White flour? Oil? Sugar… Why was she listing things that only wealthy families bought?
Was he hallucinating?
The maid, who had been lifted like a puppet by Xingnong, was stunned. When she came back to her senses, she almost jumped up and started cursing, “You bitch! What did you just do to me? You dared to grab my clothes! Do you know this outfit is worth one tael of silver? Can you even afford to compensate me if it’s damaged?”
She looked down and vigorously smoothed out her clothes. Seeing the wrinkles, she felt distressed.
This was a gift from her mistress after she had worn it a few times. It cost one tael of silver for a set!
She angrily raised her hand.
Xingnong grabbed her hand with one hand and swung the other, “Slap!”
Xingnong let go of her hand.
The shop assistant’s eyes widened.
The maid’s ears were buzzing, and she was completely dazed!
A sudden hush fell over the surroundings.
After a long while, the maid finally snapped out of her daze. Holding her face, she asked in disbelief, “You dared to hit me?!”
Xingnong looked at her expressionlessly, her voice cold and indifferent, “Just beating a dog.”
A person must first humiliate themselves before others will humiliate them.
Xingnong only recognized this person as Shen Mingzhu’s maid after she yelled “bitch.”
This maid seemed to be called Xiaoxi.
The servants of the Shen Family’s eldest branch were all named after 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 older woman servant named Chun Niang.
Gu Shi’s name was Gu Yuchun.
Wasn’t this deliberately disgusting?
When Gu Shi heard it for the first time, she was furious.
The maid’s face flushed red and white with anger upon hearing these words. She wanted to retaliate but didn’t dare. When Xingnong had grabbed her hand earlier, she couldn’t move at all, “Pah! Don’t flatter yourself. What kind of master are you?”
Xingnong sized her up with a smile.
Then she turned to the shop assistant, “Shop assistant, please weigh my things. I’m in a hurry.”
She had always disdained verbal disputes.
Maid: “…”
For the first time, she felt deeply insulted!
And it was by a look.
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