"Yuan Niang! Is Yuan Niang here?"

Wang Yuanniang was settled in the house when she heard someone calling her outside the door, and she responded quickly.

"I'm here! It's Mrs. Xu, come in quickly."

Mrs. Xu was in her early thirties and looked like a woman in her fifties, looking old.

She looked dirty and had a sad expression. She lowered her head, crossed the threshold, and walked into the small home of Wang Yuanniang and Brother Chen.

The room was a little dark. Mrs. Xu adapted for a while before she could see clearly Wang Yuanniang sitting at the table.

Wang Yuanniang asked her to sit down and poured her another cup of coarse tea.

Mrs. Xu said, "Your life is so good, and you can afford to drink tea."

Wang Yuanniang quickly explained, "How can we afford to drink tea? The manager gave me a little tea foam that I had given to me. After soaking water, it had a bit of tea flavor. If Mrs. Xu didn't dislike it, taste it."

Mrs. Xu picked up the stone pottery bowl and drank it in big mouthfuls. It tasted tea, and it was indeed better than boiled water.

She sipped the remaining tea and felt so comfortable.

Wang Yuanniang poured her another cup.

Mrs. Xu finished drinking in one sip, without a drop left.

Wang Yuanniang glanced at Mrs. Xu and began to wonder in her heart.

I won't drink my own tea on purpose.

Despite her worries, she filled the stone pottery bowl again.

Moreover, before Mrs. Xu drank water, she said first: "Sister Xu should not just drink water. You should go to the cottage later. It's not easy to sit in the cottage in such a cold day. Sister Xu is looking for me today, but is there something wrong?"

After saying that, she quietly glanced at the sackcloth pocket at the foot of Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu was reminded by Wang Yuanniang, and she was indeed not in a hurry to drink tea. She felt a little embarrassed and gritted her teeth. Finally, she spoke:

"Yuanniang, I heard that you have cloth at home. I want to exchange grain for three-foot linen cloth. Is it okay? The children's pants at home are worn out and they can't even cover their butts. Such a big guy can't show his butts outside, which is a joke. However, there is no suitable cloth head at home. After thinking about it, it's better to pull three-foot linen cloth and sew a pair of pants for the child. The original pants were not only torn, but also shorter. I was originally picking up his father's pants, but he was one head taller than his father and couldn't wear them."

At the end of the day, Mrs. Xu's tone was faintly filled with pride and pride.

Their children are tall and tall, and they are handsome and talented, and many girls are rare in their homes.

This is enough to make parents feel great pride and enough to make them show off repeatedly when they go out.

I was afraid that outsiders would not know that their children were good.

Wang Yuanniang hesitated, and she asked curiously: "Why didn't Mrs. Xu go to the Four Seasons Clothing House to change the cloth? The Four Seasons Clothing House is fair and can still choose."

Mrs. Xu shook her head repeatedly, "It's expensive! The price of the Four Seasons Clothing House is unfair, it's very expensive. Yuan Niang, you see, we have been old neighbors for many years, and we know each other well. Can you exchange your linen for me a little cheaper, as long as it's a little cheaper than the Four Seasons Clothing House."

It turns out that I am here to take advantage.

Wang Yuanniang was unhappy.

Mrs. Xu likes to take advantage of her, but Wang Yuanniang looks down on her a little bit.

On weekdays, she doesn't care about some small gains.

But the cloth...

Such expensive cloth, please let her change it cheaper...

She glanced at the linen bag at the feet of Mrs. Xu, and wanted to change the food to three feet of linen, but she really regarded her as a sucker.

She smiled and apologized: "Sister-in-law Xu came unfortunately. I did have a few feet of linen at home, but I had arranged to deliver it to my parents' home. My parents' home was worried that there was not enough cloth this year, so I had already promised my parents' family that I would go back tomorrow."

Mrs. Xu looked disappointed and then said, "Yuanniang, you see, I am in a hurry to use cloth, and I sincerely ask you to change it. I just agreed to your parents' home. Before I set off, I can wait for you to save more cloth before sending it back later."

"Sister-in-law Xu, it's not that I don't help you. I really have difficulties. Now I have less work and the price is low, but the price of cloth is ridiculously high. My family and I have been together for a month, and we don't eat or drink, and we may not be able to get a piece of cloth. As the Chinese New Year is coming, both families are counting on us to open fire. If I exchange the cloth for you, I will be gone! I have to pay extra money and go to the Four Seasons Clothing House to buy it."

"It is easy for you and Brother Shen to make money, but it is easy for you to go to the Four Seasons Clothing House to buy cloth..."

Wang Yuanniang quickly interrupted the other party, "Sister-in-law Xu, you can't say that. It's not easy to make some money from my family. Everyone is sad this year, so you can understand me, okay? There are still some tea leaves left in my house, why don't I decorate you."

Mrs. Xu was a little confused, "I can't change it?"

Wang Yuanniang focused on her head, "I can't change it!"

Mrs. Xu sighed, "Then let me decorate some tea leaves, can I fill half a pound?"

Wang Yuanniang's mouth twitched, "There are only one or two taels left in total, I'll fill you with five cents."

Five cents?

Very few!

Mrs. Xu secretly curled her lips, feeling a little disgusted.

When Wang Yuanniang saw it, she felt a sudden sigh of relief.

But I have already said that, and if I want to go back on my word, I have to argue for a long time.

Mrs. Xu has no other skills, and the ability to take advantage of small gains and argue is just one by one.

Wang Yuanniang had to take a deep breath, suppress the depression in her heart, and grabbed a handful of tea leaves for Mrs. Xu.

After getting the tea, Mrs. Xu left with satisfaction.

Before leaving, he said, "I'll come to chat with you tomorrow."

"I haven't had time these days, I'm afraid I'll have to wait until the first month of the day to get free." Wang Yuanniang reacted quickly and quickly refused.

Unconsciously, Mrs. Xu said happily: "I will come to find you in the first month of the year."

...

After sending the person away, Wang Yuanniang exhaled a breath of depression.

It's so depressed.

She used the key to unlock the lock and opened the cage. There were four pieces of cloth, two pieces of linen and two pieces of cotton inside.

There are still about ten kilograms of rice in the rice jar.

In the big jar, there were about 200 kilograms of millet and dozens of kilograms of wheat.

With her savings, she can definitely be called rich in this year.

Thanks to the couple who rely on their skills to make money and save money, they can save up this little property.

Compared with tenants who rent farming, they have a much better life this year.

No wonder the elderly like to say that if you have a skill, you won’t starve to death.

Farming may cause starvation to death.

The door opens from outside.

Brother Shen walked in with a cold air, stamped his feet, and shouted: "It's so cold!"

Wang Yuanniang quickly got up and poured him a bowl of hot water.

Brother Shen drank a bowl of hot water, then put his hands in the brazier and baked it, and finally felt much better.

He saw the bowl on the table, "Has anyone been here?"

"Don't mention it!"

Wang Yuanniang was full of resentment, "Just just now, the sister-in-law of the Xu family came to me and exchanged Chen Guzi for three-foot linen cloth. I guessed that the Chen Guzi she brought was definitely not twenty kilograms. Chen Guzi wanted to change to three-foot linen cloth, and even shouted that I was cheaper. How could I agree? It was hard to say that, so I had to grab a handful of tea leaves and dismiss her."

When Brother Chen heard this, he laughed, "Don't be angry! You know she loves to take advantage of her, don't be alone with her next time."

"Everyone has arrived at the door. In such a cold day, can I stop me from entering? I'm just blaming me for not being as thick-skinned as others..."

Wang Yuanniang snorted.

How could I exchange the cloth that I finally saved up for a little while?

The family is not short of those dozen kilograms of Chen Guzi.

Brother Chen took out a bag of copper coins from his sleeve, which cost more than a hundred quotas.

He was very happy, "I sold all the handicrafts and the prices were pretty good. The prices offered by the north and south grocery stores were very reasonable. I thought that as the end of the year approached, I would buy a lot of things, so I didn't ask for food, and all of them were converted into copper coins."

Looking at a handful of copper coins, Wang Yuanniang smiled happily.

She likes to count money the most.

"One, two, three...fifty-five...seventy-eight...99...one hundred and ninety-nine...one hundred and nine...one hundred and twenty-one. How could it be sold so much?"

Brother Chen smiled, "As the end of the year approaches, everything has increased in price. The purchase price of north-south grocery stores has also increased a little, which is very fair."

Wang Yuanniang was so happy that she said, "It's still fair to do business in the north and south grocery stores, unlike those traders who keep lowering prices. I really think we are country bumpkins and don't understand the market outside. You have such a good craftsmanship, and you can make at least two or three times the price when you ship goods out."

"You can't say that, merchants will definitely have to lower the price when getting goods. We just don't sell them, so there is no need to argue with them."

"You are right, you don't have to worry about it. This morning, I asked the manager, and more than half of the goods were sold in the warehouse. Before the New Year, you must start working all day."

"It may be difficult to start all-day work. Haven't you heard from the merchants? This year, there is a drought in various places, and the prices are out of stock, and the prices are extremely high. It has been a long time since the villa has not purchased cotton and linen thread. I think it will be difficult to start work and make a batch of goods before the end of the year."

Wang Yuanniang suddenly became worried again, "If the work is not started, how can we pass the New Year's Eve? Both families are waiting for us to get the food back and open the fire. I am so worried."

Brother Chen had an idea, "At the same time, I gave forty kilograms of millet and a piece of cotton cloth. The cotton cloth was expensive, so I changed the grain, which was enough to survive the months when the spring was in trouble."
To be continued...