Chapter 716: Chapter 716 Bargaining
Lian Wanzhen stretched out her arms, protectively hovering around Su Ran and Lin Yuejuan.
Gazing at such a bustling and prosperous scene, Su Ran couldn’t help but sigh and exclaimed, “It’s been over twenty years since I’ve been to Capital City, and now it seems so prosperous.”
Such a scene was even rare when Emperor Taizhong himself went on his imperial tours, back then, most commoners walked with their heads down, all hurriedly on their way for the sake of livelihood.
Nowadays, there are people everywhere, markets everywhere, with jugglers, acting troupes, cosmetics, snacks, cakes, small stalls, and shops spread all over, the public walks with their heads held high, a celebratory mood on their faces, very leisurely.
At a small stall, Lin Yuejuan felt a piece of fabric and said upon hearing this, “Sister-in-law, you don’t know how much better the lives of the people have gotten these recent years. Every household has some spare cash; they can afford enough food and warm clothing, so naturally, they have the leisure to come out.”
The stallholder chimed in, “This big sister is right. It’s exactly that reasoning. His Majesty is an enlightened ruler like no other, treating us so well. Not only has the rent for our fields been significantly reduced, but every village has had land allocated for distribution. As long as you pay some silver, the land is measured and divided among us. This registration fee is much cheaper than the price of buying land outright. Even poor families with not enough silver aren’t a problem. They can register first and pay the fee gradually once their fields yield a harvest. Now every household has a few strips of thin field.”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Su Ran inquired, “When did all of this happen?”
Farmland is the lifeblood of local gentry, wealthy families, and noble families. Through the ages, any attempt to touch the interests of these people would provoke strong resistance. Achieving this has never been easy.
It appeared that while she had been exiled, drastic changes had taken place in the outside world.
The stallholder thought carefully, “It began around the Capital a bit earlier, seemingly right after that accursed Rebel Prince caused upheaval. In other areas, I heard it started later.”
His tone grew gradually more cheerful as he continued, “It wasn’t like it is now at the beginning. It’s been some changes over the years, and little by little, we common folk began to own more land. Life has been getting rosier, and many people, like me, found the inspiration to ponder over doing some small business to make a living.”
Su Ran understood. Her son-in-law was nothing short of remarkable; it seemed he was gradually carving up the interests of the local gentry and noble families bit by bit, region by region, year by year.
In the Capital, the influence of noble families was strongest. During the subduing of the Rebel Prince, they were made to trade privileges for safety—a hard bargain to refuse during such extraordinary times.
Once the noble families in the Capital had been pruned, the other local gentries naturally dared not resist, nor could they, otherwise the noble families who had been cut would not sit well with it. The noble families alone would be enough to overpower the local gentry.
By observing part of it, you can understand the whole. From just this glimpse, one can see how wise His Majesty is; no wonder the people hold him in such high esteem.
A ruler with grand aspirations and ambitions typically prioritizes the art of war and statecraft over personal sentiments, and seldom entertains romantic feelings. As for her own daughter…
Su Ran sighed softly to herself, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the Imperial City, where the tide of people surged in a dense mass, unable to make out anything specific, while the voices of the stallholder and Lin Yuejuan bargaining reached her ears.
“Big sister, this fabric is of excellent quality. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied. This color suits you best. How about buying a length to take home?” the stallholder addressed Lin Yuejuan.
“How much silver?” Lin Yuejuan asked for the price.
“Eight pieces of silver for one length.”
Lin Yuejuan’s brow furrowed, and she let out an incredulous hiss, “That’s so expensive! The fabric that my old man brought home before was only worth one or two pieces of silver. Yours is overpriced. Make it cheaper, five pieces.”
The stallholder cried out with a drawn-out tone, “My good sister, look at what kind of fabric this is. There is fabric for one or two pieces of silver, but I don’t carry that. The fabric I sell is of high quality, and you can’t get fabric like this for five pieces of silver…”
Su Ran turned her head and saw Lin Yuejuan haggling with the stallholder.
Lin Yuejuan argued that the fabric wasn’t worth so much silver, perhaps only three or four pieces of silver as the cost. Earning a single piece of silver as profit would be reasonable. They should meet in the middle, five pieces.
The street vendor shook his head, refusing to compromise further and said that the lowest he could go was seven wen, claiming it was already a loss-making price. It was only because he took a liking to the older sister’s amiable appearance that he offered such a price, and he couldn’t decrease it anymore.
She glanced at the fabric Lin Yuejuan fancied, which for an ordinary family was considered quite decent.
She didn’t speak up because she wasn’t adept at such matters and was likely to make things worse; it was better to stay silent.
That’s what Su Ran thought, but Lian Wanzhen was very enthusiastic.
Distracted by a juggling act before, he overheard Lin Yuejuan haggling over three pieces of silver with the street vendor and couldn’t help but interject, “Clan Aunt, I have plenty of silver. If it’s seven wen, then let it be seven wen.” He would just pay the amount.
Upon hearing this, the vendor repeatedly agreed, stating it indeed was seven wen and that he really couldn’t lower the price anymore.
Lin Yuejuan had been mid-bargain, almost reaching her target price, when her efforts were thwarted. She couldn’t help but glare at Lian Wanzhen. Was her nephew such a fool? There was still room to haggle, so why did he give in so quickly?
As a grocery store owner, she knew the trade inside out. She was aware that five wen was an unrealistic target, but she aimed to cut it down to six wen, which she believed to be within the vendor’s acceptable range.
With Lian Wanzhen’s interruption, Lin Yuejuan had no choice but to purchase the fabric for seven pieces of silver in the end.
After they left, Lin Yuejuan rambled on to Lian Wanzhen, who was carrying the fabric, about how to haggle properly: start by slashing the price harshly, then raise the offer slightly, and if necessary, add a little more.
Lian Wanzhen never cared for such trifling matters. He half-understood what was being said but thought the small amount of silver saved wasn’t worth the effort—it was simply too bothersome.
Lin Yuejuan felt uneasy watching his indifferent attitude and said, “It’s rare for us to come out like this, Wan Zhen. You can’t be so reckless with money. No amount of silver is enough if you spend like this. Today, your Clan Aunt will insist on teaching you how to bargain. Come, see if there’s anything you like, and try out the method your Clan Aunt just taught you.”
“Clan Aunt, do we really have to…” Lian Wanzhen didn’t want to try, finding it bothersome.
He carried the fabric over his head to make way through the crowded street, avoiding bumping into people, making it easier to walk. Su Ran followed behind the two.
Lin Yuejuan, with a look of disapproval, said, “If you don’t learn now, how will you manage your household after you get married? Go on.”
Su Ran chuckled softly and encouraged her son, “Listen to your Clan Aunt. Give it a try, it’s alright.”
Having some experience and fun wouldn’t hurt either.
With both his mother speaking up and considering how it was related to his future married life, Lian Wanzhen immediately became willing.
No sooner had he said this than he briskly walked a few steps up to a vendor surrounded by children selling candied haws and asked, “Sir, how much is a skewer of candied haws?”
His younger sister loved to eat them, and he did too.
Taking advantage of his height, he towered over the other children.
The candied haw seller, while handing out skewers to the children, replied, “Two wen each.”
The business was good, and in the midst of speaking, the man had already sold four or five skewers.