The calf had grown a bit. Lately, because of the heat, it often went to the river to soak. Da Hui accompanied it out the back gate, so no one needed to go with it. The calf would return on its own once it had had enough.
Da Hui never bit people randomly, but he was protective of the family’s livestock. Once, when a villager saw the calf drinking by the river and approached to pet it, Da Hui bared his teeth. The villager even mentioned it to Shen Yaoqing, saying he had almost been bitten.
When Shen Xuanqing found out, he didn’t scold Da Hui. Instead, he fed him a few extra pieces of meat. It was good to be cautious outside, especially with the risk of cattle thieves.
Wei Lanxiang had taken the ducks out to swim, and since she was outside, she could also keep an eye on the calf.
Lu Gu picked up a bamboo basket and went to town with Shen Xuanqing. Inside the basket were twelve silk fans, carefully covered with a cloth to keep them clean on the way.
As for Zhu furen, Shen Yaoqing said he would buy some from the neighboring village after gathering grass for the rabbits, so they didn’t need to worry about it.
A couple of days ago, the family had discussed buying a few Zhu furens, but they had been too busy with work and hadn’t gotten around to it. In the blink of an eye, the weather had turned so hot.
The sun was bright and glaring, so they both wore bamboo hats when they left the house to provide some shade and make it easier to see the road.
Carrying a bamboo basket on his back would have been too hot, as the trip would have soaked his clothes with sweat. Instead, Shen Xuanqing carried a single-strap bamboo basket slung at his side.
Finally, after braving the sun, they arrived at Fenggu Town. They stopped in the shade of a building, took off their hats, and used them to fan themselves. The breeze they created was quite strong.
"Here," Lu Gu handed over a bamboo tube, using his other hand to pull out a handkerchief and wipe the water from his lips.
Shen Xuanqing was also thirsty and took several big gulps.
This time, they had only come to town to sell the silk fans. Lu Gu suggested, "Why don’t we go straight to Huamei Alley and see if anyone there wants them?"
The bamboo tube was empty, and they had only brought one today. They would need to ask for more water later. Shen Xuanqing stuffed the lid back on and nodded in agreement, heading toward Huamei Alley.
It was already mid-afternoon, and the streets were gradually filling with people. As they walked, Lu Gu called out, "Silk fans, embroidered silk fans!"
He took two fans from the basket and held them up, showing them to the women and fulangs passing by. He shouted, "Fans for sale, thirty-five copper coins each!"
Before selling the fans this time, he had asked Aunt Gu in the village about the prices. In town, the cheapest embroidered silk fans sold for thirty coins, but those had fewer patterns. His fans had more intricate designs and colorful tassels on the handles. Though he said thirty-five copper coins, he was willing to sell them for thirty if someone bargained, as he wouldn’t lose money.
The colorful embroidery on the fan surfaces was vibrant and beautiful. After calling out for half the street, a plump fulang carrying a cloth basket stopped him. "What designs do you have on these fans?"
Lu Gu quickly handed him the two fans he was holding and took out four more from the basket. "There are many designs. Feel free to pick, Auntie."
"This 'Joy on the Branches' one is nice," the plump fulang said, picking up the fan embroidered with magpies and plum blossoms. After looking at it for a while, he asked, "Can you make it cheaper?"
[喜上眉梢 (xǐ shàng méi shāo): lit.Joy on the Branches; joy bird (magpie) perched on flowering plum branches]
Lu Gu didn’t agree immediately, smiling gently as he said, "Auntie, look at the design. It covers most of the fan, and there are tassels on the handle. Thirty-five coins is already a fair price."
The plump fulang turned the fan over in his hands. Living in town, he knew the market price. The intricate embroidery of flowers and birds was well done, and in a shop, it would easily sell for forty coins. But out of habit, since street vendors were usually from the countryside, he bargained a bit more. When Lu Gu didn’t budge, he finally took out his money.
As he paid, he put on a displeased expression, pouting as if he had been cheated. But once he turned to walk home, fanning himself with the new fan, he felt quite pleased. It was cheap, beautiful, and the "Joy on the Branches" design had a nice meaning.
The thirty-five copper coins clinked as they were dropped into the money pouch. Lu Gu smiled, carefully tucking the pouch into his pocket.
They continued toward Huamei Alley. Shen Xuanqing said in a low voice, "From now on, say the fans are forty coins each. That way, customers have room to bargain. If they only knock off two copper coins, they might still buy. If they insist, you can lower it to thirty-five. That way, you have some flexibility."
The fact that the plump fulang had been willing to buy even without lowering the price told Shen Xuanqing that the price of embroidered silk fans in town must be quite high.
After all, country folk didn’t use silk fans, they used palm-leaf fans. Such delicate items were mostly bought by town residents, and those who could afford them didn’t mind spending thirty or forty copper coins.
Lu Gu replied softly, "I thought about saying more, like if he bargained down to thirty copper coins, that would be fine too. I didn’t expect him to buy it outright. Aunt Gu told me that the cheapest silk fans in town are thirty copper coins, but those have fewer patterns."
He usually didn’t discuss embroidery much with Shen Xuanqing.
After hearing this, Shen Xuanqing glanced at the fans in Lu Gu’s hands and said, "Then selling them for thirty-five copper coins is indeed a good deal. Let’s stick to what I said, don’t go lower than thirty-five copper coins. You spent money on the embroidery thread and plain fans, and your work is just as good as anyone else’s."
That was true. The fan edges and handles were bought from Aunt Gu, and the plain silk and thread also cost money. The total cost for the twelve fans was about three hundred coins, with the fans and plain silk alone costing nearly two hundred coins. The embroidery thread had cost another hundred coins.
Lu Gu had worked on these in his spare time while doing other chores at home. Originally, he had thought thirty copper coins per fan would earn him a profit of sixty coins, a modest sum but still something to save. Now, hearing Shen Xuanqing’s advice, he nodded and took it to heart. Selling them for a few extra copper coins would be even better.
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