When Li Menglan heard Zhao Qingyun's words, she didn't stand on excessive ceremony. Uh... there was no helping it; who asked Big Sister to be a poor person right now? Furthermore, after all, the other party was still charging her the cost price and wasn't giving it to her for free; therefore, Li Menglan managed to remain fairly composed and thanked Zhao Qingyun quite graciously.
"Brother Zhao, then thank you very much." Li Menglan tilted her head and gave Zhao Qingyun a sweet smile. "Brother Zhao, I wonder what the original price of this coarse cloth is per chi? Also, is that cotton very expensive?"
With the money on hand not being much, Li Menglan had no choice but to learn to be meticulous and calculating; after all, there were still many things at home that needed money spent on them. If she truly had money... the thing Li Menglan wanted to do most was build a new house. This was also the goal Li Menglan would strive for in the future.
Hehe... what an interesting little girl. "Lan'er, you needn't worry. The original prices of this coarse cloth and cotton aren't expensive; you can definitely afford them." A hint of a shallow smile appeared on Zhao Qingyun's face. Such a little girl was truly rare.
Li Menglan caught the teasing in Zhao Qingyun's words, and her face immediately flushed as she lowered her head in embarrassment. Uh... he must be laughing at her for being greedy, right? Li Menglan thought dejectedly. Thinking about it, indeed... he had already said he wouldn't earn her silver, yet she was still being picky; he should be getting impatient. Li Menglan couldn't help but smile self-mockingly; as expected, people were born to different fates!
"Customer, the original price of this blue and bluish-green coarse cloth is five wen per chi; the original price of cotton is sixteen wen per jin. Of course, what I'm referring to here is the purchase price for top-grade cotton." Although the clerk in blue didn't know what relationship the little girl before him had with his family's young master, he still introduced everything to Li Menglan with a beaming smile.
"Then what about this floral fabric? How is this sold?" Girls all liked pretty things. Although she wasn't wealthy; nor was she some great beauty? Li Menglan still stared eagerly at the two fabrics on the counter—the white with blue flowers and the pink with faint butterfly patterns. The reason Li Menglan had asked was that these two fabrics were both placed on the left side. Since they were placed together with the coarse cloth; they shouldn't be too expensive.
Zhao Qingyun had initially found Li Menglan's words somewhat amusing, but when his gaze touched the old garment covering her body, covered in patches and washed until it had faded white; only then did he understand the meaning behind her words. For some reason, he suddenly felt an uncomfortable, astringent sensation in his heart.
Taking advantage of the moment while Li Dazhu and Li Menglan were looking at the cotton, Zhao Qingyun shot a look at the clerk in his shop. That clerk was quite astute and immediately understood, saying to Li Menglan, "Customer, the original prices of these two fabrics are also the same—eight wen per chi."
"Eight wen." Li Menglan did a quick calculation in her heart. Uh... with her small frame; a set of clothes would at most require four or five chi of cloth, so she would buy ten chi of each....
"Brother, I'll take ten chi of each of these two floral fabrics; and also half a bolt each of the blue and bluish-green ones. I'll take thirty jin of this cotton. How much altogether?" Li Menglan gave a rough estimate as she spoke.
As soon as Li Menglan finished speaking, the clerk in blue already picked up an abacus and began calculating with rapid clacks; very quickly he arrived at the answer: "Customer, the total is one thousand one hundred and forty wen."
"Oh...." Li Menglan felt her heart ache! She had finally earned a bit of money with great difficulty, and now... before it had even warmed in her hands, she had to dig it out of her purse again.
"Lan'er, wait." Zhao Qingyun didn't miss the fleeting heartache in Li Menglan's eyes. He said gently, "We'll waive the remainder. Lan'er, just give me a round number of one thousand one hundred wen!" This was still Zhao Qingyun holding back for the sake of the other's self-esteem. This fellow was worried that Li Menglan would feel embarrassed.
Brother, can I say a word of fairness? You're really overthinking too much. If you gave all the things here to Li Menglan... believe me, she would be extremely happy.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat. Li Menglan immediately gave Zhao Qingyun a brilliant smile without reservation: "Brother Zhao, you're truly a good person. Thank you."
And so, our classmate Zhao spent forty wen to receive a Good Person Card issued by little lolita Li Menglan.
"Girl, how are you going to carry back so many things you just bought?" Li Dazhu looked at his family's little shopping fanatic with a worried frown, speaking vexedly.
Uh.... that was true. Li Dazhu's words woke Li Menglan from her delight; she still had other things to buy, so.... what should she do now? Li Menglan also frowned in distress.
"Uncle Li, Lan'er, if you don't mind, I'll have our family's carriage send you back." Zhao Qingyun, who was at the side, once again extended a helping hand.
"Really? Brother Zhao, you're truly a great good person." Zhao Qingyun's words made Li Menglan jump up with joy, and unsurprisingly, he once again received a Good Person Card issued by the other party.
"By the way, Brother Zhao, do you still want these fabric scraps?" Li Menglan simply took her shamelessness to the extreme, generously pointing at the several bags of fabric scraps at the foot of the counter.
A faint flush appeared on Li Dazhu's dark, aged face. Faced with his daughter's thick-skinnedness; Li Dazhu was truly speechless. But their family's situation was right there; this matter really couldn't be blamed on his daughter. If anyone was to blame, it could only be this useless father of hers.
"By the way, Lan'er, what are you buying so much cotton for?" Zhao Qingyun was very curious what use Li Menglan had for so much cotton without any particular reason?
"To make quilts, of course!" Li Menglan wore an expression that said this was only natural.
"Make quilts?" Zhao Qingyun couldn't help but be somewhat dumbfounded. Why would someone not buy ready-made cotton wadding to make quilts; instead buying raw cotton that hadn't been processed into wadding... Or could it be that this girl truly didn't know?
"You, come over here for a moment." Seeing the jubilant Li Menglan, Zhao Qingyun didn't say anything. He simply called a clerk from his cloth shop to his side and softly gave a few instructions: "In a while, just do it like this..... understand?" Zhao Qingyun lowered his head and spoke by the other's ear.
"Don't worry, Young Master. This small one knows what to do."
"Go!" Zhao Qingyun waved his hand, indicating for the other to go attend to his own tasks.
"Lan'er, Brother Zhao still has matters to attend to and must leave first." Zhao Qingyun gave Li Menglan a faint smile. "I've already given instructions. After you've finished purchasing the things you need shortly; the carriage from my residence will send you back to Shangliang Village."
"Thank you, Brother Zhao." Li Menglan smiled brilliantly. Mm.... this guy was not only unreasonably handsome; how could even his heart be unreasonably kind? Was he going to let others live! Though she thought this way, since Zhao Qingyun's service was directed at herself; Li Menglan's mood was still soaring as she smiled happily.
"Young Master Zhao, thank you; I'm truly sorry for troubling you so much." Li Dazhu, this honest and simple man, said with an embarrassed expression.
"It's fine, Uncle Li. In the future, just make a bit more rare food or snacks to sell to me." Zhao Qingyun noticed the unease in Li Dazhu's eyes and deliberately said with a smile.
"Certainly.... certainly...." Once again, Zhao Qingyun received another Good Person Card. Only this time, the presenter had changed from the daughter to the old man.