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墨書 Inktalez
The young woman was quite talkative, and they got along well. While speaking, she raised her hand holding a basket: "I just finished some embroideries and thought I should quickly sell them on the street to buy more thread. But with the kids at home, I’m worried about leaving them alone, so I want to hurry back."
It turned out that she was just an ordinary person. Her lifestyle in the capital was similar to that in the countryside. Women with some needlework skills often relied on this talent to supplement their household income.
Her husband had gone out to work, leaving early and returning late. They had two children at home; the older one was six years old and the younger one was three. She locked them inside while she went out, fearing she couldn't keep an eye on them.
"That sounds quite tough. By the way, sister-in-law, do you know any places worth visiting in the capital? We are newcomers and don’t know much about this place."
The woman smiled: "There are many places to see, but I'm a bit busy right now. Otherwise, I would take you around. After all, I’m not at ease leaving my kids at home."
Liu Qingxi noticed that she was an open and hospitable person. After thinking for a moment, she suggested, "Sister-in-law, how about this? You bring your kids out, and I’ll have my maid help watch them while you show us around."
She paused briefly before continuing: "Don’t worry about wasting your time; I’ll pay you for your help as if you were guiding us to get familiar with the capital."
The woman looked at them a few times and clearly saw that Liu Qingxi and Wen Family were of higher status. Looking back at her four maids, although they couldn’t compare to those from noble families, they were certainly better off than many others in the neighborhood.
Seeing Liu Qingxi's demeanor didn’t seem like that of a scammer—after all, one must be cautious—she felt reassured.
"Hey, what do you need money for? We’ll be neighbors from now on; it’s only right to help each other out. Let me go back and bring the kids out; please wait a moment."
A short while later, the woman returned with her two children. The older one was a boy who stared curiously at Liu Qingxi and the others, while the younger one was a girl who looked confused at the group before her.
"The kids aren’t used to seeing strangers," the woman explained with a smile.
"It’s fine, sister-in-law. Let the maid help hold them; it must be tiring for you alone."
Spring Willow and Summer Lotus stepped forward to take the children from the woman.
As they walked along, the woman introduced each street. They lived on Maple Lane, which was an ordinary residential area where some people ran small businesses while others worked in shops along the street.
This was their means of making a living. Although life wasn’t particularly good, it wasn’t bad either; they had enough to eat but weren’t very well-off.
From their conversation with the woman, they learned that her surname was Zhou and that her husband worked at a grain store on the street. He left every morning and only returned after closing time in the evening.
Every month, the wages are just a couple of taels. Although this is significantly higher than what the villagers from Ten Li Pu earn, it is barely enough to make ends meet in the capital, where every inch of land is precious.
As a result, she often does some embroidery work to supplement her household income. "From your accents, you must not be from near the capital. Where are you all from?"
Liu Qingxi replied, "We are from Linyi County in Lingjiang Province. You might not have heard of it; it's several thousand miles away." Thus, her group had a noticeable accent.
"No wonder! Ah, here we are. This is Azure Dragon Street, the most bustling street in the capital. The shops here sell more exquisite items, but of course, they are also expensive. I sell my embroideries at that shop over there."
She pointed to a nearby store that looked quite large from the outside, with a steady stream of customers coming and going, indicating a thriving business.
The woman wore a hint of pride on her face; those with poor skills would not even be accepted.
"It's because the embroideries inside are of good quality that wealthy people love to come here. Every month, I sell the handkerchiefs I make there and can earn several hundred wen. If I encounter big embroidery orders, I can earn even more."
Zhou felt proud of her skills, and Liu Qingxi couldn't help but admire her. "Sister-in-law, you are truly amazing!" She had no choice but to rely on others for sewing clothes since she couldn't pick up a needle herself.
Thus, she genuinely admired how lifelike these women's embroideries were.
"Not at all! Occasionally helping out makes it easier for the men at home. How about this: I'll exchange my items first and then take you around?"
"Sure thing! Sister-in-law, go ahead. We'll check out the clothing store to see if there's anything we need and join you afterward."
The group headed straight for the clothing store. As soon as they stepped inside, they felt a noticeable difference in temperature compared to outside.
Liu Qingxi glanced over and saw several ice basins placed in the corner. No wonder it was so hot outside with the autumn heat; it felt so refreshing inside.
Indeed, this clothing store was quite impressive. In ancient times, summer ice was a luxury; it was all stored deep underground during winter for summer use.
No wonder the people coming in and out were dressed so elegantly; just the cost of maintaining such ice would be enough for an ordinary family's living expenses for a month or two.
Clearly, Zhou was familiar with the people in the store. Upon entering, she directly approached one of the attendants: "These are my embroideries this time; could you take a moment to calculate them for me?"
"No problem, just follow me," the clerk said politely, as Zhou's embroideries were of high quality. Items like handkerchiefs were particularly popular with customers during the summer.
Moreover, her prices were reasonable, allowing the shop to earn a good profit each time, which naturally resulted in a more courteous attitude towards her.
A moment later, Zhou happily emerged with an empty basket, her steps noticeably lighter. Upon seeing Liu Qingxi, she quickly walked over.
" Miss Liu, Madam Wen, how are your selections going? If you're buying, I know the clerk well enough to see if we can get a discount." This time, due to high demand for the embroideries and having gathered five hundred coins, she was quite pleased.
Liu Qingxi thought it was a good opportunity to pick some fabric for her family to make new clothes and was discussing with the Wen family about which would be best.
Seeing Zhou so enthusiastic increased her fondness for her: "Great, thank you so much, sister-in-law. I'll take these pieces of fabric and also get some material for a few outfits." She pointed to the fabrics she had nearly chosen.
Some of those fabrics were for the household servants, while the remaining ones were for Yang Yichen, Liu Qingyan, and themselves.
Zhou was surprised that they wanted to buy so much and paused for a moment before calling over the clerk who had just helped her with the payment: "This is my new neighbor; could you possibly give us a little discount?"
In the end, thanks to Zhou's persuasion, the clerk agreed to lower the price by a couple of silver coins, which made Liu Qingxi raise her eyebrows in surprise.
Although one or two silver coins didn't seem like much compared to dozens of silver coins worth of fabric, for someone in business, saving even one or two coins was significant.
"Sister-in-law, thank you for helping me save so much money."
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