Liangyue Farm Gate

Chapter 53
On the second day, Li Xin talked to Guanshi Cui, looked at the free time in the morning, asked about the shops where those things were bought, and headed there.

Guan Wen planned to finish his work in the morning and squeeze in some time to go to his aunt Guan's house.Those who work together know that Guan Wen has a lot of things to do at home, and are willing to help him share some of the work, telling him that if he hasn't returned after work starts, they will be there, so there is no need to worry.

The couple went to work on Guan Si's marriage separately like this, but they divided the labor and cooperated without delaying each other.For the first time, Li Xin felt a sense of pride as a sister-in-law.

She used to stay with the two sister-in-laws of her husband's family. Axiu was sensible, and Amei was timid but not fussy. She just learned what to teach them. After a while, Li Xin felt that there was nothing to be proud of.It was the first time she got married and had to do big things at home, and the burden fell on her. Although it was a bit heavy, it was undoubtedly an important step for her to integrate into the family.

What's more, once the marriage is done, Guan's fourth daughter-in-law enters the door, and there will be two daughters-in-law in the family.I heard that the girl from the Hu family is ingenious and able to take care of things. I think I can share some of the housework with her in the future.Help her get married properly, if the fourth daughter-in-law of Guan accepts her love, she will also have an extra help in her husband's house.

Guan Wen then handed over the two taels of silver that Li Xin got to Li Xin, and asked her to watch the dowry. Before leaving, Li Xin said: "I guess I will buy it today, and the two taels of silver will cost almost the same." .”

After all, things in the town are more expensive than those in the country.Guan Wen waved his hand, "You can do it as you see it. Buy more practical things. The fourth daughter-in-law passes through the door, and there will only be a blind father left in her natal family. Miss Hu's family must be worried."

Li Xin nodded, took the money and rushed to a larger grocery store in the town, looked at the things he had calculated in his heart, chatted with the store clerk, and bargained for the price.The owner of the shop seemed to be a shrewd person. He looked 40 years old, and he was a little bit bald. He flipped his abacus and said, "Big girl, you want to ask me to raise the prices of all the things in this shop?"

Li Xin smiled and said: "The boss said that, when buying and selling, you have to shop around, right? Everyone wants to buy high-quality and low-cost products. I also came to buy things from you because of your large shop and good reputation. I just don’t know, if I buy more, will the boss give me a discount?”

The boss is a fine person. Hearing what Li Xin said, he got down from the counter and walked up to Li Xin and said with a smile, "Big girls are big customers, so the small shop will naturally take care of them."

Li Xin didn't make any fuss, and pointed to the cotton pads and red cloth in a corner of the shop to ask the price, then looked at the larger lacquer box, as well as some dry biscuits and candies.The boss has been in business for 20 years, so he can see a thing or two naturally, and asked with a smile: "Your sister is going to have a big event at home? I see you are doing a wedding, but the red cloth is for the bride? "

"That's right, my younger brother is getting married, and he wants to buy a dowry gift in the town and go back. In the future, the in-laws will have more face."

The boss nodded and said: "That's the reason. Don't worry, big sister, the things in our shop are definitely good things! The price must be fair, and they are playing the signboard of being innocent. I can't tear down my own signboard, right?" ?”

As he spoke, he asked the waiter to pick up a cotton pad and motioned Li Xin to touch it, saying: "The cotton wool that I just took care of will definitely keep you warm under my back in winter. There is also this," and motioned Li Xin to put it on top One layer of cotton wool quilt lining, "This is also not long after it has been played. It is absolutely fluffy, long and wide enough, and weighs seven or eight catties. It is definitely enough for a couple to sleep in. If a big girl buys both of these , I’ll count 450 yuan for you. When the mat is sold alone, it’s [-] yuan, and the mattress is [-] yuan.”

This price alone looks very cheap, but the total sum is a bit overwhelming.If you buy it in the countryside from someone who knows how to play cotton, the two-piece set will only cost [-] yuan.The eight hundred dollars and some odds and ends can add up to almost a tael of silver.

Although Guan Wen said that you should look at the real thing to buy, but Sijing fruit and Sixi candy must be prepared, and these two count as one hundred yuan.Buy two or three lacquer boxes, dozens of dollars.She has to prepare two sets of clothes for the new daughter-in-law, and she has to pull two pieces of cloth. As a sister-in-law, she has to remember.The other is the jewelry for the new wife, regardless of whether it is copper, silver or gold-plated, you have to prepare the same, the Hu family is so poor, there must be no extra money to make jewelry for the girl, there is probably no one to help, and there is no age woman reminder.

Calculated in this way, there are really many places to spend money.A load of rice and noodles has to be allocated, and some dowry money has to be prepared, such as chicken, duck, fish, betrothal cakes, wine, tea, sesame seeds, and the same decent furniture has to be made for the Hu family to marry over...

At the beginning, Li Xin's marriage was all discussed by her natal family. She only heard about these things vaguely. She didn't experience it personally, so she really didn't know how to describe that feeling.

In comparison, when Guan Wen married her, the dowry list was really too thin.As far as she counts now, at least there are three or four loads of betrothal gifts.When Guan Wen hired her, he gave her a thin dowry box.

However, most of the betrothal gifts given to the Hu family will be returned as a dowry by the Hu family.

Li Xin sighed secretly, and negotiated the price with the store owner, and finally settled on 760 yuan to buy cotton-wool mats and quilts.Picked three more lacquer boxes, sixty dollars.A few dried fruit cakes and so on, eighty dollars.A piece of floral cloth and a piece of red cloth cost 230 yuan in total.It all adds up to more than one tael of silver.

Counting the copper coins the boss got back, Li Xin didn't feel very distressed.Speaking of which, the two taels of silver was also a windfall, and she didn't feel sorry for it.

After all, she still has private money, doesn't she?I kept some for myself, and her mother gave her some money when she returned home.

As long as she knows about her own private money, she has never told others.The big head was left to her natal family, and the small head was kept by herself, which is a kind of psychological comfort. Money always makes people feel more at ease.

She bought a lot, and the boss made a big deal, and it was rare for him to be generous. He asked Li Xin where he lived now, and sent a clerk to help her move her things back.

After thinking about it, Li Xin asked, "Where is there a better jewelry store?"

"Hey, big sister, you're asking the right person." The boss smiled and walked to the door, pointing to the west, "follow this road, and when you see a well, go to the north road. After a while, there is a 'Liu Zhen Fang', where the jewelry is all the best, definitely one in a million."

With such a good compliment, Li Xin wondered in his heart if the boss was the nurse of Liu Zhenfang.But it’s okay to go and have a look. It’s still some time before noon. Li Xin told the wife in the big kitchen to help her clean up the vegetables and meat. urgent.

After instructing the little boy to take the things to Guan Wen, a worker in Cui's house, Li Xin walked towards the place pointed by the store owner.

The appearance of Liu Zhenfang looks simple and elegantly decorated. Although it can't be said that it seems to be crowded with tourists, the source of tourists in twos and threes has not stopped.Li Xin stroked the coarse clothes on his body, straightened his temple hair, thinking that although he came from the countryside, he could not be looked down upon by the people here.With a faint smile on his face, Li Xin walked in calmly.

With less than one tael of silver on his body, it is impossible to say how good things can be bought.But no matter what, there must be one or two things at the bottom of the box, to let the Hu family know that the Guan family still attaches great importance to this marriage.

The clerk of Liu Zhenfang has good eyesight. When he saw Li Xin, he came up to meet him, and said "Please come to the guest officer", but his attitude was not very respectful. The wife of a rich family is not well dressed and goes out alone, even if she buys jewelry, she can't buy any good ones, so she put on a little perfunctory, just walking beside her, without saying a word to introduce her.

Li Xin didn't care, no one was talking about it, which was exactly what she wanted, and she walked around Liuzhen Square with her arms folded.

I have to say that the recommendation of the grocery store owner did not deceive her.The jewelry in Liu Zhenfang is exquisite in workmanship and unique in design, so that there will be no embarrassing situation of "smashing clothes".It would be a novelty to buy one or two items back home.Women in the village seldom wear jewelry. If a girl from the Hu family wears jewelry when she gets married, when someone asks, it is a dowry gift from the Guan family's betrothal.

But things are rare, and the price is definitely not cheap.

Li Xin only looked at the copper ornaments, but his eyes immediately caught sight of a pair of silver earrings, which were very small and carved into the shape of flowers, which must be very pleasing for the bride to wear.

After thinking about it, and seeing that Momo would not ask for her money, Li Xin called the clerk and said, "Little brother, please show me that pair of earrings."

The young man glanced at her indifferently, but did not refuse, and shouted at a middle-aged man who seemed to be in charge.The man was a bit fat, but he smiled like a Maitreya Buddha, with crooked eyes, "What does Madam want to see?"

"That pair of flower-shaped earrings." Li Xin pointed to the pair of earrings.The man smiled and said, "Madam has a good wink. This pair of 'Flowers Blooming with Two Stems' is in good condition. The workmanship is exquisite, and it is pleasing to look at. A young daughter-in-law like Madam is just right to wear it."

As he spoke, he held out the earrings with a sapphire blue handkerchief, and while gesturing to Li Xin, he said, "This pair of earrings is just too small, and many young ladies don't like to wear them. I can't see it, so I might as well not wear it. Compared with the other ones, the price of this pair of earrings is relatively low, and the ladies feel that they are not high-end."

As expected of a businessman, he revealed the advantages and disadvantages of the earrings in a few words, and the disadvantages in the rhetoric turned out to be Li Xin's advantages——girls with loose hair on the sideburns are usually girls without a bun. The married daughter-in-law wears a bun, so her ears will not be covered; the price is relatively low, judging from Li Xin's clothes, this "low" price may be within the range of this customer .

Hearing what he said clearly, without much exaggeration, and without nonsense, Li Xin took one and got up to study it, and asked with a smile, "I don't know the price..."

"A pair of half taels of silver." Maitreya Buddha said with a smile, "The price is very cheap, and the two earrings alone are worth three cents."

Li Xin put it on the line, if it was sterling silver, it would be true.

Just thinking about whether to give up this pair of earrings and choose another accessory, or to bargain with the steward, a slightly immature female voice suddenly came from upstairs in Liuzhenfang.

"It's just a string of gorgeous garlands inlaid with a red agate bead. It's everywhere in the capital. I don't want it anymore!"

(End of this chapter)