Chapter 12: He truly is a hardworking and capable shop assistant.
The shop assistant was completely intimidated by Xingnong’s aura. He nodded blankly for a long time before realizing that Xingnong wanted to buy things. However, she had listed too many items, and he hadn’t been paying attention, so he couldn’t remember.
Embarrassed, he said somewhat uneasily, “Miss, what did you want just now? You listed so many things, I’ve forgotten.”
“Thirty jin of refined rice,” Xingnong repeated.
Generally speaking, if others treated her with a good temper, she would also be quite good-tempered.
This time, the shop assistant heard clearly. But seeing Xingnong’s worn-out clothes, he worried that she was just trying to show off in front of the maid. So, he tentatively asked, “Miss, you’re asking for quite a lot, and I’ve forgotten again. How about I weigh twenty jin of top-grade refined rice for this young lady first, and then weigh yours?”
If he weighed the rest of the items and she didn’t have the silver to pay, wouldn’t she lose face in front of the maid as well?
A poor person shouldn’t make things difficult for another poor person. He should help this girl save some face and dignity!
The maid had been covering her face from behind, glaring hatefully at Xingnong. If looks could kill, Xingnong’s back would be riddled with holes!
A fatherless, illegitimate child, born from her mother’s illicit affair with who knows who, dared to act like the master in front of her and call her a dog?!
She was fuming: Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!!!
However, hearing the shop assistant’s words and remembering her mistress’s instructions, she said sarcastically, “No need. First come, first served. You should help her weigh her order first! She is the eldest young miss of the Shen family’s second branch. Don’t worry about her not having the silver to pay.”
The maid recalled that the wild child seemed to want thirty jin of refined rice, thirty jin of white flour, and also oil, salt, sugar, and the like?
Heh, she didn’t even need to use any schemes. This wild child, in order to put on airs as an eldest young miss in front of her, was buying so many good things, she was digging her own grave.
Could refined rice and white flour be something a bastard child of a lowly woman could afford?
Those were things only wealthy families could afford!
She waited to see her unable to pay and then resort to buying on credit at the grain shop.
That way, the task her mistress had given her would be accomplished.
Her mistress had told her to find a way to make this bastard buy more things at the grain shop, on credit, the more the better.
As long as she bought on credit at the grain shop, she would immediately pay the silver for her and get the loan note. Then, she could go to their house with the loan note to collect the silver. If they couldn’t pay, they would have to sell their house, or even sell themselves into servitude, becoming a dog like her!
Her family had also sold her back then in order to buy land and build a house for her eldest brother to marry a wife.
The maid glanced at Xingnong and then turned her face away. In a place where Xingnong couldn’t see, the corner of her mouth twitched, her eyes filled with disdain and hatred.
Let this little wild child be smug for now!
The shop assistant looked at Xingnong in surprise. Someone from the Shen family’s second branch? No wonder she had the guts to call the maid a dog.
Well said!
One could be poor, but they shouldn’t lose their backbone and dignity, otherwise, they truly have nothing left.
He hurriedly went to weigh the items for her.
He had made up his mind. If this girl didn’t have the silver to pay, he would have her write an IOU, leave an address, and he would go to her house tomorrow to take the goods back.
Xingnong calmly and leisurely surveyed the items in the grocery shop. Seeing the walnuts, she thought of buying some to nourish Xinghui’s brain.
Sesame seeds, she needed to nourish her hair.
She said to the shop assistant, “Shop assistant, I also want two jin of walnuts and one jin of sesame seeds.”
“Right away, Miss~”
The shop assistant quickly weighed out all the things Xingnong wanted.
Thirty jin of refined rice and white flour were already pre-packaged. He then took a ten-jin ceramic jar of peanut oil, a one-jin bag of salt, and a bottle of soy sauce.
“Oh my, you’re buying quite a lot! Shop assistant, how much silver is it?” the maid said sarcastically.
The shop assistant glanced at Xingnong before starting to work the abacus. As he calculated, he said, “Refined rice is thirty-five wen per jin, so this comes to two thousand nine hundred and thirty wen. Since Miss didn’t bring bottles for soy sauce and vinegar or a jar for oil, these will be charged separately. A bottle for soy sauce or vinegar is five wen, a ten-jin oil jar is twenty wen, and a cotton bag for rice and flour is ten wen each. In total, it’s two thousand nine hundred and eighty wen.”
Almost three taels of silver! Heh, enough!
The maid leaned against the table, looking at Xingnong smugly, “Eldest Miss Xingnong, hurry up and pay!”
Xingnong didn’t have a pouch; she kept her silver in her pocket. The bookstore shopkeeper had given her adorable silver ingots, each worth one tael.
Xingnong casually pulled out three ingots, but unexpectedly, she also pulled out the golden bead.
The maid: “…”
The shop assistant’s eyes widened, and he rubbed his eyes again.
Xingnong stuffed the golden bead back into her pocket and then pulled out a silver ingot, placing it on the table. “Settle the bill.”
The maid: “…”
✿✿✿
The shop assistant: “…”
The shop assistant couldn’t help but pick up the silver ingot and bite it.
~
With the shop assistant’s enthusiastic farewell and the maid’s bewildered expression, Xingnong, carrying her back basket, two bags of rice and flour, and the chicken cage, walked out of the grain shop.
The shop assistant happily sent Xingnong off and walked back to the shop, humming a tuneless song.
Haha… that girl’s demeanor just now was truly satisfying!
Heehee… the expression on the arrogant, snobbish maid’s face was as if she had eaten shit, it was simply too delightful!
The shop assistant returned to the shop. The maid had already recovered, but her face was still ashen, as if she hadn’t relieved herself in ten years.
“Miss, here’s your twenty jin of refined rice.”
The maid couldn’t help but spit, “Ptui! It’s just a few taels of broken silver, what’s so great about it!”
Any piece of jewelry her mistress wore was worth more than ten taels of silver.
The shop assistant: “That girl seemed to have a golden bead as well.”
The maid glared at him, “Have you never seen gold in your life? That golden bead is so small, how many taels could it be worth!”
The shop assistant: “Do you have a golden bead then? I certainly don’t.”
One tael of gold was equal to ten taels of silver!
The maid: “…”
“I won’t come to your shop to buy rice ever again! What a terrible shop!” The maid stomped her foot angrily and left!
The shop assistant: “…”
Oh no, he seemed to have driven away a customer.
What to do?
Would the shopkeeper scold him if he found out?
Hmm, luckily the shopkeeper wasn’t here today, so he wouldn’t know.
But, last time the shopkeeper had said he didn’t want to do business with this maid. She was just a maid, but she acted as if she were the county magistrate!
Most importantly, every time, even though he had weighed the correct amount, she would still demand an extra half jin of rice, simply greedy!
That was top-grade refined rice! It was worth a lot of silver.
Now, he had done the shopkeeper a big favor, right?
Hmm, he had definitely done the shopkeeper a favor!
He truly is a hardworking and capable shop assistant! ╮（╯▽╰）╭
The shop assistant picked up the feather duster and began sweeping the dust and organizing the goods. He hummed happily as he moved around the grocery shop, like a busy little bee…
~
Futai County, Shen Residence
Upon returning to the residence, Shen Zhiyuan recounted the events at the academy with some reservations.
“… It’s my fault too. I suspected Xinghui had seen the problems I was working on, that’s why he could solve that problem. I didn’t expect it was Xingnong who taught him. Master Zhang is probably disappointed in me. The chance to become the headmaster’s personal disciple is probably gone.”
After hearing his son’s words, Shen Shihua slammed the table angrily, “This is outrageous! One is a sweeper at the academy, the other can’t even write. How could he solve it if he hadn’t peeked at your problems?”
Yao Shi was also furious, “Zhiyuan is trying to become the headmaster’s personal disciple, it’s a crucial time, how could they cause trouble! Even if they really know how to solve those problems, can they take the imperial examinations? Do they have the silver to take the imperial examinations? Since they can’t bring honor to the family, can they just not add to the chaos?”
At this time, Shen Mingzhu walked in excitedly. Seeing the tense atmosphere, she restrained her smile. “What happened?”
Yao Shi: “Your elder brother’s chance to become the headmaster’s disciple is probably ruined by that bastard Xinghui and Xingnong. The fortune teller’s words were indeed true. Those vile bastards living in the ancestral home have ruined our family’s feng shui. Look, they’ve started to bring misfortune upon us!”
Shen Mingzhu looked at Shen Zhiyuan in confusion.
Shen Zhiyuan recounted the events once again.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhu smiled, “Mother, don’t be angry. I’ve thought of a way to make that family get out of the ancestral home and have a hard time.”
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