Chapter 133
In Huamei Alley, children played and laughed. Four or five-year-old toddlers, clad in red bellybands, ran around wildly. Some, finding the heat unbearable, even kicked off their shoes and scampered barefoot. Women and maids tasked with watching the children chatted idly by the door, occasionally calling out to keep the little ones from straying too far. They also had to retrieve the discarded shoes to avoid losing them.
Lu Gu entered the alley, striking up conversations while displaying several round silk fans. Since Shen Xuanqing was exceptionally tall and strikingly handsome, hard to forget after just one glance, and Lu Gu himself was quite good-looking, the maids recognized him as the pretty young fulang who had come to sell embroidered handkerchiefs last time.
Following Shen Xuanqing’s advice, Lu Gu raised the price of the fans to forty copper coins each. He felt a bit nervous quoting the price, afraid no one would buy them. After a bit of hawking, the idle folks at home came out to join the commotion, and soon a crowd gathered.
He took out all the fans from his basket, and Shen Xuanqing, ever perceptive, took the empty basket and stepped aside, keeping his distance from the group of women and fulangs. Even well-off families haggled when buying things. Amid the chatter and bargaining, Lu Gu, accustomed to small-scale selling, managed to hold his own.
Since all the fans were the same size, differing only in their embroidered patterns, the haggling grew intense. Eventually, Lu Gu settled on selling each for thirty-seven coins, letting the buyers pick their preferred designs. The three copper coin discount made the beautifully embroidered fans sell out quickly.
The maids couldn’t afford them but lingered to admire the vibrant designs, satisfying their visual cravings. One woman bought three fans in one go, paying without hesitation. She had two unmarried daughters at home who had just complained the day before that their old fans were no longer fashionable and would invite ridicule if taken outside.
The fan seller they usually summoned hadn’t arrived yet, so this timely purchase spared her the wait. Two new affordable and pretty fans would surely delight her daughters, and she could keep one for herself. As expected, this was the right place to sell.
After leaving Huamei Alley, Lu Gu wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. His money pouch, filled with copper coins, bulged conspicuously under his thin summer clothes. His eyes sparkled with joy.
Thankfully, Shen Xuanqing was by his side, or else anyone could tell he was carrying a small fortune. This was his first time selling fans. Initially, he hadn’t dared to ask for a high price, selling the first one for only thirty-five copper coins, and the remaining eleven sold for thirty-seven copper coins each, totaling four hundred and forty-two coins.
After deducting the three-hundred-coin cost, he made a profit of one hundred and forty-two coins, over a mace of silver. Turning to see Shen Xuanqing also wiping his brow, Lu Gu noticed their bamboo water tube was empty.
The jingling from his chest drew his gaze downward, the bulge from the money pouch was far too obvious. Embarrassed, he pulled out the pouch and placed it in the bamboo basket, covering it with a handkerchief. Since Shen Xuanqing walked on his left, he switched the basket to his left hand to deter thieves.
"Are you thirsty?" he asked, looking up. Shen Xuanqing nodded. "Very, I’ll go fetch some water." But Lu Gu said, "How about we buy a tube of plum wine? My treat."
Shen Xuanqing looked surprised. Glancing at his fulang's flushed cheeks and bright, shining eyes, he grinned, his star-like eyes crinkling. "Made some money, huh?"
"Mm." Lu Gu nodded emphatically, unable to suppress his smile. "I have money now. I can buy you food and drinks too."
Such a simple statement, yet Lu Gu delivered it with such earnestness, almost childlike in its sincerity, that warmth flooded Shen Xuanqing’s heart. He chuckled and nodded. "Alright, today’s treats are on you."
In the sweltering heat, chilled beverages sold like hotcakes. The plum wine stall was crowded. Once the line cleared, Lu Gu stepped forward and handed his bamboo tube to the vendor. "One tube, chilled in well water."
"Coming right up!" The vendor worked swiftly, filling the tube while saying, "That’ll be fifteen copper coins."
Well water was icy cold, making the wine from this jar more refreshing than the other, hence it was a bit expensive. Having overheard the price from the previous customer, Lu Gu didn’t question it and counted out fifteen copper coins. "Filled to the brim. Take a sip before capping it," the vendor said cheerfully, handing over the tube. Food and drink vendors prided themselves on honesty, what you saw was what you got. A satisfying experience ensured repeat business.
Lu Gu carefully accepted the tube, wary of spilling. The plum wine indeed reached the very rim. He took a sip, it was chilled, sweet, and tangy. He immediately passed it to Shen Xuanqing. "Not bad," Shen Xuanqing commented after tasting.
With the fans sold out, they headed to the herbal medicine shop first. Other beverages like dark plum soup and fragrant brews like fragrant osmanthus drink were also available along the street. The osmanthus aroma was unmistakable, but the price was steep. Besides, they already had the plum wine and no spare bamboo tubes to carry more.
[fragrant brews (香饮 xiāng yǐn): traditional Chinese floral/herbal infusions or beverages made by steeping flowers, herbs, or other aromatic ingredients in hot water]
After quenching their thirst, Lu Gu took a few more sips from the half-full tube before capping it. "What would you like to eat?" he asked earnestly. Shen Xuanqing chuckled at his seriousness. "Never mind. It’s too hot, no appetite. Let’s just go back for something light."
Lu Gu felt the same, so he dropped the idea. The medicine shop was busy. Shen Xuanqing asked a clerk for half a catty of lotus seeds. These were rare in their region, brought up from the south at a steep price, so they didn’t buy much. Since the family often drank mung bean soup, they’d try lotus seed soup a few times for variety.
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