novelraw Chapter 226 Grandma and Aunt are plotting against you!
Chapter 226 Grandma and Aunt are plotting against you!
Chapter 226 Grandma and Aunt are plotting against you!
The young waiter responded loudly and nimbly ran to get the clothes.
Upon seeing this, Madam Feng and Old Master Gu hurriedly stepped forward and instructed the shopkeeper: "My son gave us five taels of silver! You can't try to fool us with inferior goods, nor can you arbitrarily raise the price. The extra silver must be returned!"
The shopkeeper's smile vanished this time. "Oh! What are you saying? You should just ask around at other shops. Recently, the price of fur coats has risen sharply."
In previous years, your five taels of silver would have been enough to buy just three fur coats made from scraps of leather. This year, you can only afford the lowest quality, plain, unblemished ones.
Is the whiteboard hairless?
"How can a fur coat without fur be called a fur coat? Shopkeeper, are you deliberately trying to cheat us because we are old, weak, sick, and disabled?!" Madam Feng's voice was sharp and her face full of disbelief.
Gu Liansheng didn't believe it either. He tugged at his clothes and said, "This fur coat of mine is made from a whole rabbit skin. Other cloth shops only quote one or two taels of silver for it. How come you're offering the lowest grade for five taels of silver?!"
In the end, he even resorted to threats: "There are constables from the yamen outside! If I report you to the yamen for maliciously inflating prices, they won't tolerate it!"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper became angry and took out the five taels of silver he had previously collected and stuffed it into Gu Liansheng's hands.
"This business is all about mutual consent. If you think my prices are too high, then take your money and go find someone else to buy from!"
"If you can use these five taels of silver to buy three fur coats made from whole hides, you can choose any three fur coats from my shop, and I won't charge you a single copper coin!"
"You!" Gu Liansheng was all bluster to outsiders; he would wilted as soon as someone got angry.
Clutching the silver, his face flushed, he glared at the shopkeeper, no longer daring to utter another boast.
Seeing her son being humiliated, Madam Feng became angry. With a long face, she immediately went to the shopkeeper and started arguing, shouting and yelling around, saying that the shopkeeper was bullying her family of old, weak, sick, and disabled people and was maliciously charging high prices!
"...Five taels of silver! My son gave her five taels of silver! He asked her to bring out three fur coats, but she said she couldn't afford them! She could only buy the plain, un-haired ones!"
The customers and shop assistants in the shop all fell silent, while the shopkeeper looked on with disdain, not at all afraid of Feng's shouting.
When Madam Feng saw that no one spoke up for her, her face darkened. She wanted to continue shouting, but was sternly rebuked by Chief Gu.
"What are you shouting for!"
Upon hearing the clan leader's voice, Madam Feng froze, unable to utter the curses that were on the tip of her tongue.
Grandpa Gu was a little angry, feeling that the clan leader was helping outsiders bully their own clansmen.
He said, "This is clearly the cloth shop's fault..."
"Didn't you inquire about prices before you came?" Chief Gu interrupted him impatiently.
"The snow has been slow to fall this year, and people inside and outside the city are saying that there might be a snow disaster. In the past few days, the price of warm clothing has skyrocketed. With your five taels of silver, you can't even buy one decent fur coat, let alone three!"
Old Master Gu's face turned pale, clearly not expecting this.
In previous years, the second son's family would take care of these trivial matters. This year, the second son's family was adopted, and he and his wife were both ill, so they really hadn't paid attention to these things.
He glanced at his wife, who looked panicked and even more helpless than he was.
After reprimanding the family, Chief Gu ignored them and continued discussing with his fellow clansmen the purchase of warm clothing.
Madam Feng snatched the silver from Gu Liansheng's hand, her face pale as she forced herself to remain calm: "Let's go ask around at other places!"
Gu Liansheng was so engrossed in the words "snow disaster" that he seemed to have lost his soul and showed no reaction whatsoever.
Still looking flustered, Gu Zhier pulled him along and followed behind Madam Feng outside.
Gu Qing and her two siblings wanted to go with them, but Grandpa Gu kept them behind: "You three stay here and don't wander around. I'll come back to pick you up later."
Gu Qing and the other two didn't care; they were happy to be free from the crowds.
There are many people from the same village in the shop on both sides, and they are all familiar with each other, so they don't need to be afraid.
After leaving the cloth shop, Madam Feng did not look for other cloth shops, but instead led her family to a teahouse on the side of the street.
"Mother, what are you doing here?!" Gu Liansheng asked anxiously as he came to his senses.
The clan chief said there might be a snowstorm. Weren't we supposed to go buy fur coats? Why are we at a teahouse?
“Mrs. Li is waiting for us at the teahouse!” A sinister glint flashed in Madam Feng’s eyes. “Let’s send a message to Mrs. Li first, tell her to get ready, and also get the remaining ten taels of silver.”
If five taels of silver can't buy a decent fur coat, then add another five taels!
If there is a snow disaster, without a fur coat, she might not be able to withstand it with her frail body.
The Li family...
Is this a prelude to taking action?
Gu Liansheng felt a surge of excitement.
After that brat Gu Tang was kidnapped, he glared at the second son and cried!
The family entered the teahouse and found Li Shi in a corner of the lobby.
Ms. Li came alone today. Her husband stayed home to help her deceive the family and prevent them from knowing that she had met with the Gu family.
Kidnapping relatives' children and selling them outside is a sensitive and unpleasant topic, and the fewer people who know about it, the better.
Besides, Gu Lao Er's daughter is definitely going to buy it at a high price. If her family finds out, they'll all want a share of the money she has!
"Brothers and sisters."
Gu Zhier quickly stepped forward and gently patted Li's shoulder.
Li was startled, turned her head to look, felt a sense of relief, and then a hint of anger appeared on her face.
"Second sister-in-law! Why are you so late? I've been waiting for an hour!"
"Sister-in-law, I'm so sorry, my second brother's family are all lazybones! They only just showed up!"
Gu Zhier apologized while helping her mother sit down.
Li composed herself, smiled, greeted the elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Feng, and Gu Liansheng, and called over a waiter to bring four cups of hot tea.
"It's cold outside, so I'll have a cup of hot tea to warm myself up. This teahouse's tea-making skills are pretty good, and the tea tastes delicious!"
The waiter brought up four cups of hot tea and then quickly left.
Madam Feng picked up her teacup and took a sip. She knew whether it was good or bad. She was just an ordinary person and didn't know anything about tea. She could only secretly glance at her son and wait to hear what he had to say.
Her son was an educated man, so he must understand these things. If her son said it was good, she would agree.
Feng really overestimated Gu Liansheng.
Gu Liansheng also didn't know much about tea and had never tasted any good tea, but he was concerned about his image, so he took a small sip and savored it carefully.
Under Li's gaze, he nodded calmly and said, "Indeed, it's quite good."
Mrs. Feng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as she spoke to Mrs. Li: "I enjoyed the food too. You really know how to find a place that can brew tea so well."
With a smile on her face, Li nodded and urged them to have some tea, saying that the waiter could add more if they wanted more.
In reality, she rolled her eyes inwardly and cursed the mother and son for being such an eye-opener!
Although this teahouse seems to be doing good business, in fact, its tea-brewing skills are notoriously bad!
The tea leaves used were all broken tea leaves, and one copper coin could buy one bag, which could be used to brew about ten pots of hot tea.
Anyone who frequents Bei'an City for tea and shopping knows this teahouse is low-class. Its popularity stems from its cheap prices; for two copper coins, you can eat until you're sick of it!
If I hadn't made an appointment with the Gu family today, I would never have come to a teahouse like this.
Unaware that Li was secretly criticizing them, the Gu family mother and son, along with Old Master Gu and Gu Zhi'er, finished their tea in one go and arrogantly called over the waiter to refill their teacups.
Li watched them patiently, and after finishing a cup of tea, she ate it all in one go, then turned to ask the waiter to refill it.
After drinking three cups in a row, the Gu family was finally full and stopped asking the waiter to refill their tea.
Li's patience was about to run out, and she asked, "Has that girl shown up yet?"
Madam Feng nodded: "He's at Xu's Cloth Shop. Hurry up and have someone keep a close eye on him so you don't lose him! If you miss this good opportunity, it will be hard to find another one later."
This time, Mrs. Li smiled sincerely: "I'm coming right now!"
"Wait!" Madam Feng grabbed her arm and stared straight at her: "Now that you've lured the person out, you should pay the remaining five taels of silver."
After we leave this teahouse, if you don't look for me and I don't look for you, no one will suspect you.
Li hesitated for a moment, but then she thought that now that the person had appeared, she would definitely kidnap him, so she would have to give him the remaining silver sooner or later.
Since that's the case, I might as well give it to them now and do them a favor.
Li sat back down, took out a silver coin from a hidden pocket in her sleeve, and discreetly pushed it to Feng.
"Auntie, please take this. We're even now."
As her rough hands rubbed the silver in her palm, the pent-up frustration that had been weighing on Feng's heart instantly dissipated.
"That's right, we're even!"
Li got up and walked outside again, and this time no one stopped her.
Tables were also set up outside the teahouse, and six tall, burly men sat around one of them.
As Li passed by them, she winked at them before heading towards Xu's Cloth Shop.
The six men calmly called the waiter to settle the bill, then got up and followed him without making a sound.
Before long, Li squeezed her way into Xu's Cloth Shop.
The men behind her stood at the door without going in, as if waiting for Li's instructions.
Upon entering the cloth shop, Li immediately spotted Gu Tang.
Gu Tang was simply too eye-catching in the crowd; it was hard not to notice her.
To avoid being recognized by Gu Tang, Li hid behind several burly women, pretending to buy cloth, but her eyes kept glancing at Gu Tang.
After glancing around for a while, she left the cloth shop as if nothing had happened.
When the men guarding the door saw her come out, the leader leaned forward and whispered, "How was it?"
"She was wearing a lotus-colored long coat and a blue long skirt. No one in the entire shop was wearing the same color clothes as her. You could spot her as soon as you went in."
The leading man nodded, whispered something to the other men, and then they took turns going into the cloth shop.
As Li suggested, they indeed found the person.
After they withdrew, he found Li and asked, "When will we make our move?"
"You all keep watch at the door, and make your move once they come out!" Li's tone was icy.
"to make!"
The leader called to his men, who stood guard at the entrance of the cloth shop. They would look up and scrutinize everyone who came out to prevent anyone from getting away.
Gu Tang was completely unaware of all this. She followed behind the clan chief's wife and selected thirty catties of kapok wadding, saying she wanted to learn how to make cotton clothes and quilts.
Third Uncle and Gu Lianshan completely indulged her; since the money was all in her hands, she could buy whatever she wanted.
After buying the cotton wadding, the women in the village discussed buying cloth.
Gu Tang had plenty of cloth, having bought a lot that she hadn't used yet, so she asked them if they wanted to buy bedding, fur coats, or charcoal, as well as that.
The women looked at Gu Tang with disdain, saying, "You've already bought cotton wadding, why do you still need to buy quilts and fur coats? Buy some cloth and sew your own quilts and cotton coats... What? You don't know how? No problem! When you get back to the village, just come to our house and ask us, and we'll teach you step by step!"
Gu Tang: ...Okay, compared to the aunties and grandmas, she is indeed not frugal enough.
If they won't buy bedding or fur coats, they certainly won't buy charcoal either.
Gu Tang tentatively asked again if anyone was selling charcoal, and as expected, she was once again reprimanded by the aunties and older women.
"Charcoal is expensive! It's not worth it! We all burn firewood. Tell your dad to go into the mountains and chop some before it snows. There aren't many people in your family, so he can chop enough to burn!"
Gu Tang: ...It's her fault, she shouldn't have asked. I'll have her father go to East Street to buy it later.
I also bought cotton quilts and fur coats on East Street.
While things weren't going well for Gu Tang, Gu Lianshan was reaping considerable rewards.
He discussed it with the villagers and they went together to buy some grain and pork and mutton.
If there is indeed a snow disaster, in addition to clothing to keep warm, food can also keep you warm.
He told Gu Tang about it, and Gu Tang gave him a money pouch containing more than ten taels of silver, and instructed him to buy less pork and more mutton.
Eating more mutton in winter can help keep you warm.
After taking the silver, Gu Lianshan parted ways with Gu Tang and the other two.
The women stayed here to buy cloth, cotton, and thread, while the men went to buy grain, meat, oil, salt, and other necessities—enough to last them the entire winter.
Gu Lianshan left the cloth shop alone with the men from the village, while Gu Tang, his third uncle, and Gu Ping'an stayed in the shop. After calculating the cost of the cotton, they found a laborer to carry their belongings, and the three of them planned to go home first.
Just then, Gu Qing and her two siblings, who had been silent with their heads down since they came in, separated.
The Gu sisters, Gu Qing and Gu Lian, went to the counter, seemingly wanting to buy fabric, while Gu Tianbao moved step by step behind Gu Tang!
Gu Tang: ...What are you trying to do?
Do you want to fight or ambush her?
Just as she was about to turn around, Gu Tianbao behind her suddenly told her not to turn around.
Gu Tianbao spoke in a very low voice; if Gu Tang hadn't had such sharp ears, she might not have been able to hear him.
Gu Tang didn't sense any malice from him. She paused, then looked ahead nonchalantly, and listened to his words without turning around.
Gu Tianbao continued in a low voice, "Be careful. When I was at home, I overheard Grandma and Aunt talking, and it seemed like they were plotting against you and Second Uncle..."