Making A Fortune Through Hunting To Support My Wife - Chapter 25

The next day, both Xu Jing and Song Yu needed to head to the county town. They ate an early breakfast and headed to the village entrance to wait for the ox cart.

As they passed through the village, the early rising villagers had already finished their morning meal and were heading out to work. Naturally, there were others also heading to the town for the grand market.

Seeing the two waiting at the entrance, some villagers couldn’t help but call out.

“Oh, Jing-ge, Jing-ge’s wife! Are you two heading to the market, or somewhere else?”

Others noticed something else, specifically the brand-new clothes on their backs. The sourness was practically dripping from their words.

“Has Jing-ge struck it rich? It’s not a festival or a holiday, yet you’re both wearing new clothes.”

Xu Jing ignored the petty remarks and replied to the friendly villager, “Just heading to the county town on some business.”

As they spoke, the ox cart appeared at the end of the road. Once the two had boarded and departed, the friendly villagers turned on the one making sour comments.

“Li Lao Si’s wife, why are you staring so hard at someone else’s new clothes? Go ask your own husband to buy you a bolt of cloth.”

Another woman laughed and chimed in, “Oh please, Li Lao Si wouldn’t buy cloth, but he’s plenty good at getting drunk and hitting people.”

“Truth be told, who in this village doesn’t envy Jing-ge’s wife? Her man protects her. Even if they have to eat husks and wild greens, one would be willing.”

“I’ll pass on that. I prefer an easy life. Jing-ge might be better now, but look at their family, hardly any people, just a few broken shacks, and very little land. Life is hard over there.”

“That’s true. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.”

On the ox cart, the two could no longer hear the villagers’ gossip as they drifted further away.

From daybreak until the sun was high in the sky, roughly two hours later, they finally reached the county town. The town was bustling with people, protected by city walls and guarded by soldiers. The entry fee was two copper coins.

Avoiding the main flow of people, they stepped into a quiet corner.

“I’m going to the livestock market first to look at donkeys. It’ll take some time. Why don’t you go wander around on your own for a bit?” Xu Jing suggested.

Song Yu bit her lip and shook her head. “I haven’t been to the county town much…”

Sensing the young girl’s nervousness, Xu Jing smiled. “Alright then, come with me to the livestock market first. There are a lot of animals there, so the smell is quite… pungent.”

Song Yu felt that this person sometimes talked to her as if coaxing a child. “It’s fine.”

Xu Jing nodded. It was better for the girl to follow her, the county town was much larger than Plum Blossom Town, and it would be a hassle if something happened.

Having settled their plan, they headed straight for the livestock market.

The market was indeed smelly, a mixture of cow, horse, and donkey manure. Despite the shopkeepers’ efforts to clean, the animals were eating and relieving themselves constantly.

“Sir, are you looking for an ox or a donkey? Ask around, our shop’s livestock has the best reputation in these parts. We never sell sick animals to customers.”

A shop assistant saw Xu Jing looking at the donkeys and approached with a smile.

Xu Jing noticed that this shop was the cleanest in the vicinity, though it had fewer customers, suggesting the prices might be slightly higher. She pointed to a large black donkey with shiny fur and asked, “How much for this one?”

“Oh, guest, you have excellent taste! This black donkey is the best in our shop. Look at its teeth, its coat, and those strong hooves. Whether it’s pulling goods or traveling, it has immense strength, and its temperament is gentle. It’s only fourteen taels of silver.”

As the assistant showed off the donkey, Xu Jing raised an eyebrow. “This is two taels more expensive than the average donkey. I’ll take it for twelve and a half taels. How about it?”

“Guest, you must be joking. A good donkey naturally fetches a good price. Don’t tease me with that offer,” the assistant replied, his smile unchanging.

Xu Jing had walked through several shops with Song Yu but liked this black donkey the best. “Then what’s the lowest you’ll go?”

“Thirteen taels and eight mace at most.”

As the assistant gave the price, he saw Xu Jing turning to leave with Song Yu. He stomped his foot and called them back. “Guest! Thirteen taels and six mace. Not a penny less, or I won’t be able to face the boss.”

Xu Jing turned back, but instead of looking at the big black donkey, she pointed to a slightly leaner one next to it. “And this one?”

Seeing she had switched targets, the assistant felt it was a pity but answered, “Twelve taels and seven mace.”

“Ah, I’m a bit short on funds. By the way, I see you sell carriage frames here. What are the prices?”

The assistant didn’t get annoyed. “We sell three types. Large carriages are five taels, suitable for oxen or horses. Medium ones are two and a half taels, suitable for mules or donkeys. Small ones are for donkeys only.”

“I’m just a farmer,” Xu Jing said. “I plan to use the donkey to transport grain and for travel.”

She turned to Song Yu, who had been listening quietly, and asked softly, “Xiao Yu, what do you think? Which one should we buy? After all, this is a major item for our household.”

Song Yu was stunned, she hadn’t expected Xu Jing to consult her. Seeing the genuine sincerity in Xu Jing’s eyes, she felt a strange sensation. This was a look she only received from family… no, in her family’s eyes, she was just a daughter, a sister…

Suppressing the odd feeling, Song Yu spoke up, “The medium one. It’s bigger and better for carrying things.”

“Alright, the medium one it is. Look, I’m buying both a donkey and a carriage. If you include the harness and some fodder for sixteen taels total, we have a deal,” Xu Jing told the assistant.

The assistant grimaced, looking genuinely pained. “I’ve never met someone as good at business as you.” Then, his tone shifted as he gave a thumbs-up. “The Master and Madam have such a good relationship. You care for your wife so much, you truly are a well-matched couple. You are a lucky man, sir.”

Xu Jing, being thick-skinned, just laughed. “You have a way with words. No wonder business is booming.”

Hearing the praise and seeing Xu Jing’s matter of fact response made Song Yu look away uncomfortably.

Once the donkey was harnessed to the carriage, Xu Jing led it by hand as they set off to buy more items.

“Xiao Yu, I plan to go to the fabric shop to buy some bedding. What do you need? If it’s on the way, we can get it together,” Xu Jing asked.

“I don’t know where the shops that buy embroidery are. I’ve embroidered some handkerchiefs in my spare time; they could be exchanged for some money.”

“Got it. I bet the people at the fabric shop will know where the embroidery shops are. I’ll ask then.”

Song Yu added softly, “I also want to buy some colored silk thread and some better quality fabric.”

Hearing the young girl’s rare request, Xu Jing smiled. She felt an urge to pat the girl’s head. “Do you like embroidery?”

Song Yu pursed her lips. “It’s alright. When I was at home, I often embroidered things to help with household expenses.”

Xu Jing understood. Song Yu didn’t necessarily love embroidery, she did it for the money. Interested, Xu Jing smiled. “Then what do you like? We’re in the county town and you have money on you, why not buy something that makes you happy?”

Song Yu’s eyes shifted away. She whispered, “There’s nothing in particular.” Then, as if worried the answer was too blunt, she added, “The jujube paste cakes you bought last time were delicious. Let’s buy some of those to take back.”

Xu Jing sensed something off in her tone but didn’t pry. “Sure, I’ll buy plenty of pastries. I think they’re delicious too.”

A faint smile touched Song Yu’s lips.

They headed toward the main street where the fabric shops were. The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and street vendors were already selling lanterns and mooncakes.

“Ah, the Mid-Autumn Festival is in two or three days. Time flies,” Xu Jing mused. “We’ll buy some mooncakes and some rice wine for the fifteenth.”

Song Yu seemed to think of something. She hesitated, weighing her thoughts before finally reaching out to lightly tug at Xu Jing’s sleeve.

“During Mid-Autumn… I want to visit my parents’ house…” Song Yu whispered, looking nervous.

Xu Jing realized that in this world, there was a custom of visiting in-laws and bringing gifts during festivals. “Sure. We should prepare properly and bring plenty of things. You know your parents best, tell me what we should buy for them.”

Hearing Xu Jing refer to her parents as “Father-in-law and Mother-in-law” made Song Yu’s cheeks flush. “It will be a lot of trouble for you to make the trip. If it’s not convenient, I…”

“I love visiting relatives and eating at banquets,” Xu Jing waved her off.

They arrived at a fabric shop. The shopwoman explained the options: “Guest, we have three types of bedding. A two catty cotton quilt for summer is six mace. A five catty quilt for spring/autumn/winter is one and a half taels. The thickest ten catty quilt is three taels.”

Cotton was expensive in this era because cultivation was difficult. Poor families often had to rent quilts for the winter and return them when it got warm.

After consulting with Song Yu, Xu Jing decided to buy three bolts of fine cotton cloth at eight mace each. For bedding, she bought three two catty quilts and four five catty quilts. If it got too cold, they could stack the five catty ones.

The shopwoman was beaming at the large order, until Song Yu began to haggle. After a few rounds of intense back and forth, Song Yu managed to get extra mats, cushions, and fabric scraps thrown in for free.

The shopwoman was no longer smiling.

Xu Jing, watching from the sidelines, was impressed. “My goodness, a master of haggling is right by my side. I’m a complete amateur compared to you.” She gave Song Yu a thumbs-up. “I admit defeat. Xiao Yu, you are truly a ‘Haggling Assassin’.”

This made the girl’s face turn bright red, though whether from embarrassment or annoyance, it was hard to tell.

Xu Jing checked her purse and winced. In a short time, they had spent nearly twenty-four taels. Money really didn’t last, and she still wanted to build a house.

Song Yu had tried to talk her out of buying so many quilts, but Xu Jing was adamant. “Money is meant to be spent. We’ll earn more. Spending it to improve our quality of life is using it where it counts.”

Nearby, they found a small shop where Song Yu sold her handkerchiefs for over two hundred copper coins. Xu Jing praised her skill sincerely, in modern times, such handiwork would blow away most influencers.

They then went to an embroidery pavilion to buy the silk threads Song Yu wanted. The pavilion was a place for wealthy ladies, and the prices were high. Song Yu spent all the money she had just earned.

“I think the patterns at that pavilion are quite valuable,” Xu Jing said as they left. “When we get back, I have some ideas. If you can embroider them, we might make a lot of money.”

Xu Jing thought of cartoon characters and plush toy designs from her past life. She had some basic drawing skills, mostly as a hobby and wanted to see if she could adapt them.

Song Yu was curious about what “ideas” Xu Jing could possibly have.

“Since we’re talking about drawing, we’ll need paper,” Xu Jing noted. “I also want to go to a bookstore to buy a copy of the Great Kang Dynasty’s laws. If I want to develop things or shake things up, I can’t be ignorant of the law.”

As for reading, the dynasty used traditional characters very similar to ancient Earth. Xu Jing could guess most of them, and if she got stuck, she could ask Song Yu.

She remembered that Song Yu’s family were farmers, but she thought they might have a scholar in the family. Perhaps her brother had taught her? Such a family shouldn’t have married Song Yu off to someone like the “original” Xu Jing. Thinking of that absurd marriage, Xu Jing sighed.

Hearing that they were going to a bookstore, Song Yu’s eyes lit up. She nodded. “Good.”