Chapter 31 - 31 31 It seems we both have good luck

Words : 1489 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

31: Chapter 31: It seems we both have good luck 31: Chapter 31: It seems we both have good luck Ming Zhu followed the owner into the store and only then took out her package, unveiling it, “Shopkeeper, I’m not here to look at fabrics today, I have some handkerchiefs and pouches to sell, I wonder if you’re interested?” The shopkeeper’s face darkened, his business hadn’t even started for the day, why would he buy handkerchiefs and pouches, essentially handing out money? Wouldn’t that be bad luck? As a result, his tone was not very pleasant, “Go, go, go, we don’t take these. Such bad luck early in the morning, I can’t even sell all of my own handkerchiefs, and I certainly don’t have the spare cash to buy others. Hurry on your way, and don’t block my business—” Ming Zhu wasn’t angered and simply smiled, “Shopkeeper, don’t be upset, listen to me—” Seeing that Ming Zhu wasn’t offended by his words, the shopkeeper felt a bit embarrassed to drive her away, as doing business required goodwill for wealth. He ended up listening to Ming Zhu talk about her upcoming wedding, how she found the bridal clothes prepared at home not to her liking, and wanted to exchange them for better fabric. However, she didn’t have enough money, which is why she had embroidered some handkerchiefs to sell for some cash to make up for the fabric cost. If the shopkeeper could buy the handkerchiefs, he could make a profit, and she could ensure that she had enough money to buy new bridal fabric here. It was a win-win situation; the shopkeeper wouldn’t lose out, he could make money from the handkerchiefs and from the fabric. And if there was a time crunch, he could even make money from the bridal gown’s labor costs. With her eloquent persuasion, and the handkerchiefs really being quite exquisitely stitched, he could make a large coin off each one sold. Considering that embroidering handkerchiefs himself would take time and effort and only earn so much, he might as well make an easy profit by flipping them. Thinking so, the shopkeeper readily counted out twenty large coins for Ming Zhu; she gave him two patchwork pouches as a bonus. Although the fabric of the pouches wasn’t fine, they were cleverly pieced together into a ‘five blessings’ pattern, quite intriguing. If he found someone who liked it, selling them for five or six large coins would be easy. Appreciating Ming Zhu’s consideration, he generously gave her a small package of fabric scraps, inviting her to piece together some more pouches, which he would buy next time. Ming Zhu hadn’t expected this unexpected joy but accepted the fabric scraps without demur, repeatedly thanked the shopkeeper, and left the tailor shop. Not far out, there was a tavern ahead. Ming Zhu thought about her Yellow Pine Mushrooms; ordinary folk couldn’t afford them, and she didn’t know any wealthy households, so she might as well try her luck at the tavern—perhaps, she could sell some. She walked a few steps forward. Just as she was about to enter, she spotted a familiar face. It was Song Chongjin again, speaking with someone that seemed to be the tavern’s shopkeeper, holding several pheasants and rabbits in his hand. He handed them to the shopkeeper, who seemed quite acquainted with him, and pulled out some silver pieces to give to Song Chongjin. Song Chongjin didn’t even look, just pocketed them, and the two appeared to exchange a few more words; Ming Zhu overheard snippets like “deer... birthday... reward silver...” and so forth. Her heart stirred, but she didn’t rashly approach, planning to wait until Song Chongjin left before she made careful inquiries. Unexpectedly, Song Chongjin turned around and saw Ming Zhu, his eyes flickering for a moment before he turned back and said something to the shopkeeper. Then he walked over very uprightly, stopping when he was still a few steps away, “Are you here to ask if they buy Yellow Pine Mushrooms?” Although Ming Zhu was surprised at how Song Chongjin knew she was going to ask about the Yellow Pine Mushrooms, she didn’t question it, just nodded, “I want to ask the shopkeeper if he buys Yellow Pine Mushrooms.” Song Chongjin didn’t say a word, turned around, and walked to the shopkeeper’s side, whispering a few more words. The shopkeeper glanced up at Ming Zhu and nodded. Song Chongjin nodded at Ming Zhu, signaling her to come forward. Ming Zhu approached the shopkeeper and heard Song Chongjin introduce, “This is Shopkeeper Wu, the most knowledgeable about goods. There is hardly a rare and unusual item under heaven that he hasn’t seen. Go on and bring your Yellow Pine Mushrooms, let the shopkeeper have a look to see if they’re suitable.” Ming Zhu was momentarily stunned. Song Chongjin’s intention was to set her up, to have her sell the Yellow Pine Mushrooms to Shopkeeper Wu. The implication being that, in this town, perhaps only Shopkeeper Wu knew how to appreciate them. She immediately grasped Song Chongjin’s kindness and, without saying much, simply nodded gratefully. Then she respectfully said to Shopkeeper Wu, “Could Shopkeeper Wu please wait a moment? I will fetch the Yellow Pine Mushrooms right away.” Shopkeeper Wu, a man who had seen much and knew a great deal, although noticing Ming Zhu’s figure was different from that of the young ladies of the time, did not show it on his face, only stroking his beard and nodding, “Indeed, indeed.” Ming Zhu then turned and walked out, still hearing Song Chongjin’s voice, “She is a villager of ours, who found some fine Yellow Pine Mushrooms in the mountains the other day. The country folk, unfamiliar with the wider world, didn’t know where to sell them, and so they waited in vain, guarding their precious find, unaware of how to proceed. It’s their good fortune they knew to come to you—” She got back to Old Granny Zhang’s stall as quickly as she could, and sure enough, not a single Yellow Pine Mushroom had been sold, but all the eggs she had brought were gone. Old Granny Zhang sat there with a worried frown, guarding the precious Yellow Pine Mushrooms, unsure what to do. Although always assertive at home, Old Granny Zhang was at a loss when she came to town. Ming Zhu didn’t say much, just squeezed up to Old Granny Zhang and said, “Mother, pack up the stall, and come with me.” As she said this, she began to pack up. Old Granny Zhang panicked, “Zhuzhu, the mushrooms haven’t been sold yet, where are we going? If you want to buy something, Mother will give you money. Can you go buy it yourself?” Ming Zhu squeezed Old Granny Zhang’s hand and whispered, “Mother, someone wants it. Hurry and come with me.” Old Granny Zhang’s eyes lit up, and without asking further, she quickly packed up the stall, safely placing the Yellow Pine Mushrooms back into the basket, and the mother and daughter, guarding the basket, made their way through the crowd. They reached the restaurant all the way, and upon entering, they saw Song Chongjin still talking with the shopkeeper. When he saw Ming Zhu and Old Granny Zhang arrive, he stopped talking. But it was Old Granny Zhang who, upon seeing Song Chongjin, wanted to spit in disgust. Yet seeing the restaurant was so grand and clean, she restrained herself, acting as if she hadn’t seen him at all. Ming Zhu carefully took out the Yellow Pine Mushrooms from the basket and placed them in front of Shopkeeper Wu, “Shopkeeper Wu, please have a look.” Shopkeeper Wu carefully unwrapped the Yellow Pine Mushrooms from their pine needle packaging, sniffed them, and looked at them against the light. He did not say they were good, nor did he say they were bad, only stroking his beard in contemplation. Ming Zhu was fine, she had seen a lot of these business tactics with her parents and was confident about the Yellow Pine Mushrooms, so she wasn’t flustered. On the contrary, Old Granny Zhang had been uneasy because no one wanted to buy the mushrooms all morning. Now that there seemed to be interest, but the great shopkeeper wouldn’t give a straightforward answer, she couldn’t help but speak up, “Sir, these mushrooms weren’t easy for us to find. We country folks, encountering such a precious item—” She showed her nervousness as soon as she started to speak. Ming Zhu quickly grabbed Old Granny Zhang, cutting off her words, and said with a smile, “We don’t know goods well, but Shopkeeper Wu, having seen much and knowing a great deal, certainly recognizes them. Such fine items aren’t commonly seen; it all depends on luck to come across them. It seems we’re both fortunate today, aren’t we, Shopkeeper Wu?”

Chapter 31 - 31 31 It seems we both have good luck

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