Yang Chuxia had a good impression of this place and naturally agreed. She put away the banknotes and took out some broken silver, holding five taels herself and giving the other five taels to Yang Dachuan to keep on him. When they were both ready, she called out to Yang Dachuan, "Father, let’s go."
When the shopkeeper heard Yang Chuxia call Yang Dachuan "Father," he couldn’t help but take a closer look. Initially, he thought that the man was just a relative or neighbor who accompanied her, but it turned out he was her real father.
However, it was quite strange that her father was present, yet he left everything up to his daughter to decide.
Yang Chuxia saw the surprise in the shopkeeper’s eyes, but she didn’t bother to explain further.
After leaving Mu’s Clinic, father and daughter went to pick up the broad beans they had stored at the grain shop earlier. Then, they bought some spices that they couldn’t find in the town, before taking another carriage back to town.
It was already afternoon when they arrived in town. Half a day’s hustle and bustle had tired Yang Chuxia, but her good mood prevailed.
Thinking back to her visit to Cuijing Pavilion today, she was not allowed in simply because she was not dressed well enough, not looking like someone who could afford their merchandise.
However, it was her urgent desire to change her family’s situation that led to her hastiness in selling things, not paying too much attention to her appearance. In fact, when going out to deal with people, it was really important to tidy up oneself first, both to enhance one’s overall image and to show respect to the other party. Even if she hadn’t been wearing silk and satin today, if she had worn clothes made of fine cotton, the waiter would have respectfully let her in.
So, Yang Chuxia didn’t rush back to the village but bought several bolts of fine cotton fabric in the town’s cloth shop, intending to make two sets of new clothes for everyone in the family.
However, the experience with the snobbish waiter also left her with a lesson: if she manages to open her own shop in the future, she must train her waiters well and never let them be so snobbish. Otherwise, no matter how good the products are or how famous the shop, such behavior would eventually affect the shop’s business.
Previously, when she inquired at the grain shop, she had heard that Cuijing Pavilion had always had a good reputation, and the shopkeeper was fair and clear-headed, which allowed it to remain at the top among other jewelry shops. That was why she went straight to this shop and insisted on seeing the shopkeeper even after being thrown out.
Dealing with a reputable shop was supposed to be more reliable and worry-free. However, to her surprise, even in a shop frequented by wealthy ladies and young ladies, there would be such a snobbish waiter. In the long run, not only would Cuijing Pavilion’s good reputation be gradually eroded, but it could also lead to trouble if such a waiter were to offend some inconspicuous but powerful person one day.
After coming out of the cloth shop, she thought there was no shortage of silver for now, and it would soon be time to send her two younger brothers to school. So, she went to a bookstore next and bought three sets of stationery, one set for each of her brothers and Brother An.
Brother An had been teaching her two younger brothers to read these days, and she should thank him properly for that.
After buying these things, she remembered that she had only a few pottery jars left, so she ordered more. She also purchased more ingredients and other household goods, including rice, noodles, and vegetables, before renting another carriage to return to the village.
When she arrived home, it was just getting dark, and Ye Zi’an had just returned to the village as well. At this time, every household in the village had already had their dinner, so no one knew about Yang Chuxia hiring a carriage and buying a carriage full of things, and thus there was no gossip.