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Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
“It’s settled, I’ll take this bed. Get me two more just like it and set them up nicely, then we can look at other things!” Lin Zaozao waved at the shop assistant and turned to examine other furniture.
“How much for this set of table and chairs?”
“Five taels.”
“Then I’ll offer one tael and twenty wen! That seems like a fair price to me.” Lin Zaozao gave the table and chairs an appraising pat and said gleefully.
The shop assistant: “...”
“How much for these six wardrobes?”
“Two taels each, so twelve taels total.”
“One tael each, so six taels for all six! Though that’s still a bit steep, so throw in a kang table as well!”
“You...” The shop assistant glared at her.
“Now, now, don’t get upset! Remember, harmony brings prosperity. Harmony brings prosperity.” Lin Zaozao raised her eyebrows at the shop assistant and smiled brightly.
“Oh look, a wheelchair! Not bad quality either. How much?”
“It’s not for sale!”
The shop assistant snatched the wheelchair from Lin Zaozao’s hands and glared at her.
“Why isn’t it for sale? I’m willing to pay!”
Lin Zaozao took the wheelchair back from the shop assistant and looked it over carefully.
Hmm, not bad workmanship or functionality, much better than the rickety one in Gushan at least. Sturdy construction and all the features seem to be there.
“Another customer ordered this custom-made but later cancelled. The materials were expensive and the work intricate. Our cost was already ten taels. If you force the price down we’d be taking a loss, and we don’t do trades like that.”
Seeing the shop assistant about to grab it again, Lin Zaozao used her plump body to shield the wheelchair.
“Fine, ten taels it is. I won’t haggle, alright?”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. No more haggling. But since I’m buying so much from you, you’ll have to deliver it all.”
“Deal. As long as you don’t try to knock down the wheelchair price, we guarantee neat and timely delivery right to your home.”
“Great. Oh, and bring that convenient chair I saw at the entrance too.”
“No problem. Good silver means good service from us.”
After taking Lin Zaozao’s payment, the formerly surly shop assistant was all smiles.
Hmph, discounting what this fat lady peeled off, he still cleared two extra taels in profit.
With that bonus he could treat his darling Mei Xiang to dinner and drinks tonight, and some quality time together...
Ignoring the smirking shop assistant, Lin Zaozao gave him a look of faint disgust and headed for the clothing shop with Nan Yu in tow.
The man was rather handsome but laughed like a halfwit.
Gross.
Who knew how much silver she threw away with that drastic haggling? She ought to march right back there and squeeze some more.
But one glimpse of the shop assistant’s face—eyes narrowed to slits with mirth—made her decide against it.
Oh let it go. He’s just trying to make a living, how could he possibly sell at cost to her?
At the clothing shop ahead, it was high time she bought herself some new outfits. Wearing practically nothing at her size was just indecent.
And she should pick up some clothes for the Gushan fellows too.
Newly married and still rotating the same set of clothing day and night...they looked pretty pitiful.
These couple windfalls were pocket change to her. It was no trouble to kit the men out in new gear.
Thus when Lin Zaozao stepped into the clothing shop, an epic spree ensued. Five robes each for her husbands, two sets of cotton sleepwear per person, a couple sets of everyday clothes all around, bedding, blankets, pillows, shoes et cetera.
The only difference was the colors. For herself Lin Zaozao chose mainly black.
After all, dark colors slimmed down her bulging figure—wasn’t that right?
She stroked the brightly colored dresses with yearning. One day when she shed all this weight, she would drape her then-gorgeous self in the loveliest outfit.
But for now her tent-like physique meant men’s wear, plus a shameful 500 wen upcharge courtesy the young sales lady.
Recalling her abnormal rotundness, Lin Zaozao didn’t dare haggle over that 500 wen. She would die of embarrassment!
What kind of young woman bought menswear and paid extra on account of her obesity?
It was mortifying.
“Miss, altogether your large order of fine fabrics and accessories comes to five taels. Can you afford that?”
“I can.” Lin Zaozao briskly paid the bill then smiled at the kind sales lady.
“Since I’ve bought so much, might you throw in some handkerchiefs as a gift? Plain ones would do.”
“Of course!”
The sales lady returned Lin Zaozao’s smile and added several colored handkerchiefs along with a sewing kit.
After conveying her thanks and leaving her address for delivery, Lin Zaozao hoisted her bulging bags and packages and tottered outside.
Altogether far too heavy to lug personally.
Glancing around at her purchases, Lin Zaozao marveled inwardly—the nouveau riche treatment felt fantastic!
All said and done she hadn’t even scratched two taels off her starting fifty.
Forty taels could go to the bank, the rest left as pocket money.
Emerging from the money exchange, Lin Zaozao found the daylight beginning to fade. Her poor little legs were also protesting violently.
She mopped sweat from her brow and tried to massage some feeling back into her limbs. But before she could take another step, Nan Yu suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
“Lin Zaozao, there’s still plenty of time. Why not rest a while and get something to eat first?”
“Good idea. It’s almost noon and I’m starving.” She turned towards the nearest food stall. “Please, let me treat you all to a quick bite.”
The noodle shop enjoyed brisk business and looked adequately clean at first glance.
But the moment Lin Zaozao sat down and reached for some water, a sudden warmth at her feet made her jump.
She hastily swallowed the water and looked under the table. Clutching feebly at her pants legs were two filthy, monkey-like children.
They couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. Their wild, matted hair partially obscured their emaciated bodies. Too much accumulated grime made their faces indistinguishable. But their golden blue eyes were so dazzling that Lin Zaozao gasped out loud.
Heterochromia! No cosmetic lensing required, the natural effect was spellbinding.
Before she could fully take them in, the noodle stall owner slammed a bowl in front of Lin Zaozao. Then he aimed a vicious kick at the children on the ground.
“Get lost, you little plague rats! Quit begging for food here!”
As the children tumbled backwards from the force, Lin Zaozao immediately stood up to shield their bodies with her own bulk.
“Hey, hey! They’re just kids, how could you kick them like that? A blow that hard could kill them!”
Seeing Lin Zaozao’s furious expression and Nan Yu’s silent presence at his stand, the stall owner sensed he shouldn’t offend this fat woman. So he bent deferentially and explained:
“Madam clearly doesn’t know. These brats are born jinxes. Their whole migrant family used to be quite well-off before they came along.
However, when these two little devils were born, not only was their father killed by someone while he was away, but their mother also died from difficult labor. Thus, a once happy family was ruined just like that.
These two fatherless and motherless brats didn't only not know how to speak, but they also loved to bite people very much.
Growing up without anyone taking care of them, no one would believe that they could still be alive now if they didn't have ghosts in them.
That's not all. Look at their eyes - one blue and one gold, just like ghosts'. People in town said that some even saw their eyes glowing in the night, which was too creepy.
After listening to the stand owner's explanation, Lin Zaozao only felt somewhat distressed.
The deaths of these children's parents had nothing to do with them. But people around them put the blame on their heads.
She grew up in a place with rule of law and open-mindedness, so people around her did not believe in such superstitions at all.
Now looking at the two children curling up in a ball and hugging each other tightly, Lin Zaozao's kind heart couldn't help but overflow.
Although it might not be good to be overly kind in an unfamiliar era, what harm could these two children, as thin as kittens, bring her!
Oh well, she had come upon a fortune unexpectedly and could afford to raise these two children.
After her five husbands recovered and left, she would live with and depend on these two children!
Because they were all orphans in this world.