The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 421

Chapter 421: 421

She didn’t refuse but simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Huzi and everyone for your trust. Please be assured, our Wang Family always conducts business fairly. The prices we offer for purchases will only be higher, not lower than others. We won’t let anyone suffer a loss!"

As soon as these words came out, the hunters were somewhat unaffected, but their wives couldn’t sit still any longer. If it was really as Wang Yongzhu said, with prices only going up, not down, that would be excellent indeed.

For a while, the women lost all interest in eating.

At this moment, the men were in high spirits, queuing up one by one to offer toasts to Song Chongjin.

The women, on the other hand, gathered around Wang Yongzhu to inquire about the market prices for mountain goods. Wang Yongzhu and Old Granny Zhang were so busy answering the women’s questions that they hardly had any time to eat.

It was Mother Liu and Liu Xiaoqiao who couldn’t stand it any longer and interjected, "Enough, enough, the Wang Family’s girl isn’t going anywhere. Let her at least eat a warm meal, right? After she’s done, what can’t you ask?"

The hunters’ wives sheepishly returned to their own tables to eat. The children had long since eaten their fill, their faces and hands all greasy, as they went off to play with their round bellies.

Wang Yongzhu and Old Granny Zhang, who didn’t drink, finished their meals quickly.

The men were still drinking and having lively discussions.

Mother Liu and Liu Xiaoqiao simply moved their stools aside, taking Wang Yongzhu and Old Granny Zhang with them.

The hunters’ wives crowded around, and Wang Yongzhu, who had some ideas while eating, was now even more energized in front of them. After all, these were potential customers.

Once Wang Yongzhu roughly quoted the prices for the mountain goods, the wives had a good idea of what to expect. These prices were indeed more generous than what outsiders offered.

They all felt relieved at once.

One of the bolder wives, eyeing the fabric Wang Yongzhu wore, couldn’t help but ask, "Your clothes look really nice, they must be expensive, right?"

Wang Yongzhu’s mind raced, and she came up with an idea, "Do you all like this fabric?"

"Of course we like it, but it’s a pity, we rarely go down the mountain, and when we buy from the town, we always get cheated. They sell it to others for ten coins, but to us, it costs at least fifteen. It’s a total rip-off!"

"That’s right, they just take advantage of us mountain folk."

...

The hunters’ wives all began to complain.

Wang Yongzhu smiled, "That’s easy to solve. If you like it, next time we come up to buy mountain goods, I’ll bring a few bolts with me. I’ll sell them to you at the same price they go for outside, how about that?"

"Really?" the wives exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course, for real! I dyed this fabric myself. I sold my dye workshop to the Auspicious Dye Workshop, and I dare not guarantee anything else, but providing fabric is no issue," Wang Yongzhu said with a smile.

"Girl, you’re really capable!" one of the hunters’ wives gave Wang Yongzhu a thumbs-up.

"Girl, I want some, I want some! Just like the color you’re wearing; I want my whole family to have a set made."

"Girl, do you have other colors? I want to make a set for my man!"

...

Even Mother Liu and Liu Xiaoqiao were tempted upon hearing this.

Mother Liu quietly asked Old Granny Zhang, "Sister Zhang, your daughter is really something, isn’t she? She can hunt, and she can also dye fabric!"

Old Granny Zhang smiled, her face blooming like a flower, "Indeed, not to boast, but in the ten miles and eight villages around, no one can compare to my daughter. Now, our Wang Family relies on her to keep everything afloat."

Mother Liu marveled to herself and inquired, "Sister Zhang, I also want to make a few outfits for my family. Do you know what colors of fabrics that Yongzhu mentioned the Auspicious Dye Workshop might have?"

Old Granny Zhang got excited when it came to this topic, "Big sister, let me tell you, you’re asking the right person. My girl has dyed several colors. They look smart and resist dirt when worn. They sell very well now. We have indigo..."

...

By the time the men had eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Yongzhu on her side had already registered the fabric needed by almost the entire village, with most people wanting indigo, a color that holds up well and resists dirt for those working in the mountains.

There were also a few who bought bright and colorful fabrics for the daughters in their family, and two families, with weddings at year’s end, had settled on crimson.

All in all, it added up to quite a few bolts of fabric.

Wang Yongzhu agreed to bring the fabrics with her the next time she went into the mountains for everyone.

The hunter’s wives then asked Wang Yongzhu if she was buying up mountain goods these days? Each family had some stock, and yesterday the men returned empty-handed, so there wasn’t enough food at home. They needed to sell some mountain goods to buy grain from nearby families.

Wang Yongzhu pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Wang Yongping who was dizzy from drinking, seemingly unfit for inspection.

"How about this? Everyone go home today and sort out what mountain goods you want to sell. Tomorrow morning, I’ll still be here waiting for everyone. But let me be frank, our family doesn’t purchase all kinds of mountain goods. We also look at the quality. Good quality fetches a higher price, while lesser quality naturally gets a lower price. If everyone agrees, bring your mountain goods early tomorrow morning. If not, I won’t force you."

"That’s just common sense. Goods vary in quality, and naturally, prices will too. We’re all reasonable people here. Sister, don’t worry! First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll bring my family’s mountain goods!" A straightforward woman immediately stated.

The rest of the group also voiced their agreement.

Having settled on that, everyone dispersed.

After everyone had gone, Liu Xiaoqiao looked at Wang Yongzhu admiringly, "Sister Wang, you’re really amazing, you know how to do everything!"

She was like an idol, skilled in killing wolves, dyeing fabrics, and doing business!

Wang Yongzhu looked at Liu Xiaoqiao, an idea forming in her mind: "That’s nothing, Sister Xiao Qiao, you could learn as well if you just observe more. Besides, there are things I don’t know either, like how to distinguish the quality of mountain goods. I’m certainly not as good as you at that. I have an idea; I wonder if Sister Xiao Qiao would be interested in hearing it?"

Liu Xiaoqiao eagerly responded, "What idea?"

Wang Yongzhu was thinking of leaving Wang Yongping behind to live in Chongzi Gou, buying up mountain goods. If there were any good items, they could get their hands on them first.

The Liu Family would act as the Wang Family’s collection point in Chongzi Gou. They could contribute some money, firstly, to rent someone’s house for storage.

Secondly, they could hire the Liu Family Siblings to help purchase mountain goods. With them there, no one in Chongzi Gou could hide any good items.

She saw the Liu Family as straightforward people. Firstly, she wanted to leverage their local reputation to fully control the business in the village under her own hands, and secondly, recalling Liu Xiaoqiao, a girl who didn’t even own a cake of soap and still used soapberries, it seemed too miserably frugal.

By getting the Liu Family to help, they could pay them wages and also provide Liu Xiaoqiao with some extra items that girls from outside the mountain might need in daily life.

Once Wang Yongzhu expressed her thoughts, Mother Liu immediately agreed even before Liu Xiaoqiao could speak.

Seeing how capable the Wang Family daughter was, Mother Liu couldn’t help but feel envious. Now that the Wang Family daughter was offering to give her daughter a hand, regardless of the reason, it was an opportunity.

If her own daughter could learn something by following her and one day stop hunting, getting married outside the mountains, taking the path provided by the Wang Family daughter would not be a disadvantage.

Liu Xiaoqiao herself was also quite tempted.