Spring scenery in the fields

Chapter 252 Buying Cotton Shoes

"He can see the marriage tomorrow. The pain in my heart will fall, and it's time to show it to Xiaoya."

Shen Suya looked at the stalls on both sides with great interest, without saying a word.

Ji Wenhe walked around and came to her side: "It seems like we can get married this month or next month."

Judging from the previous examples, their family won’t take too long.

Lan Qiuhua nodded: "Let's see if the marriage is settled. We can get married within a month. Who knows what will happen? If we get married sooner, both families will feel at ease."

"Aunt Lan, here, if an elderly person dies in a family and the couple is planning to get married, do they have to observe mourning for three years?"

"No, we farmers don't have so many rules. We have to observe mourning for three years. What will happen to the children? Who will want them when they are old?"

"Whose son gets married at the age of fifteen? He has to observe mourning for three years. When he is eighteen, girls can't wait any longer. Which girl would be willing to marry him at this age?"

Turning to look at her, he asked, "Does your family have to observe mourning for three years?"

Ji Wenhe shook his head: "No, I just heard that in some wealthy families, when one of the parents dies, they have to observe mourning for three years."

Lan Qiuhua understood: "I've heard others say that, but those are in the big cities and the capital. We don't have so many rules here."

She stopped and said, "Wen He, do you want to buy meat first, or shoes? If you want to buy shoes, there is a shoe store just after we pass the alley in front. You bought cloth shoes from them last time."

"I have to go around a little bit after buying shoes and meat. Oh, Aunt Lan, there should be corn for sale in the vegetable market now."

"Yes, summer corn."

The villagers only grow corn for one season, and the rest of the time they grow cabbage, which is easier to store in the winter.

Ji Wenhe followed them through the alley: "I'll buy some corn later."

Pork ribs stewed with corn are really delicious, and they are also good with carrots, but she prefers corn.

To be honest, one pound of ribs is not enough for her to eat.

The three of them arrived at the shoe store and the clerk greeted them warmly.

Ji Wenhe asked: "Where are the cotton shoes?"

"Sir, please come this way." He took the person to the right and said, "Would you like to wear the new style yourself, or..."

"Myself, and my family." I told him three sizes. "No fancy stuff, just simple cotton shoes."

The shop assistant took out four pairs of cotton shoes and said, "Sir, please take a look at these four pairs. They are the best-selling shoes in our shop and the demand is far exceeding the supply."

"Hey." Shen Suya pointed at a pair of leather boots, "This pair of shoes looks good."

Ji Wenhe looked over and saw that there was embroidery on the shoe shaft. The embroidery was exquisite and it was obvious that it was very valuable. He definitely could not buy it for less than three hundred coins.

"Sir, you have good eyesight. This pair of leather and cotton boots costs 780 wen."

……

The three of them said in their hearts at the same time: It’s so expensive!

"How much is this pair of cotton shoes?" She looked at the cotton shoes in her hand, "I bought four pairs of cloth shoes from your house last time, and I'm buying four pairs of cotton shoes this time. Give me a discount."

"Thirty-eight coins a pair." The shop assistant said with a smile, "Sir, the price can't be any cheaper. We never quote false prices. This is the lowest price we can get."

Lan Qiuhua took the shoes from her hand and said, "We are all regular customers. People in our village buy cotton shoes from your shop. The price can be cheaper."

"Sir, we really can't go any cheaper. This is already the lowest price."

"Well, four pairs, one hundred and fifty-two, round it up, one hundred and fifty wen."

The shop assistant was silent for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "Okay, please introduce more business to our shop next time."

"No problem." She handed him the shoes with a smile.

A small piece of hemp rope was used to tie a pair of shoes together. After paying, the shop assistant placed four pairs of shoes on the counter and said, "Goodbye, my three guests."

Ji Wenhe nodded with a smile, and after walking out of the shop, he asked curiously, "Aunt Lan, can you read?"

"I don't know how to read. I only know how to write one, two, three."

These three words are the simplest, three horizontal lines.

"Then you are very good at calculating."

She also had to do the math in her head: 38 times 4, 48 times 32, write down 2 and remember 3…

Lan Qiuhua smiled and said, "Although we farmers are illiterate, we are no worse than the accountants in town when it comes to accounting."

"Sister-in-law, I know a few words." Shen Suya tilted her head, "I can write my own name. Jing Zhu taught me."

Before the war, she met him by a creek one day and casually asked him how to write her name. Shen Jingzhu then taught her how to write her name.

"Yes, you can write your own name, but if someone gives you a piece of paper and asks you to sign your name, you must not write it."

She was puzzled: "Why?"

Ji Wenhe replied: "Because it could be a document for borrowing money or selling one's body. Don't believe anyone in the village who asks you to sign it."

People’s hearts are hidden, and often the people who harm you are your relatives and acquaintances.

Shen Suya nodded in sudden realization.

When he came to the pork stall, he said, "Boss Xiong, give me two pounds of spare ribs, one pound of shank bones, one pound of fatty pork, and one pound of lean meat."

Xiong Yaoguang nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll give you the bone for free."

"Hey, thank you, Boss Bear."

"Boss, weigh me five ounces of fat pork, or one pound of spareribs." Lan Qiuhua turned to the man who had been shaking her arm and said helplessly, "Buy it, buy it."

Shen Suya was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling.

Xiong Yaoguang looked at the three people and asked: "Are you together?"

"Yes." Ji Wenhe replied.

"Okay, then I'll give you half a pound of bone marrow."

"Thank you, Boss Xiong." Ce Meng looked at the person next to him, "I am grateful to you today."

“Aunt Lan, don’t say that. Your family buys corn or stews it with beans.”

"Mom, I want to eat corn." Shen Suya pulled her sleeve.

"Let's go to the market later and buy two for cheap."

Shen Anguo didn't know how much betrothal gifts would be needed for his marriage, so he didn't dare to spend more money than he had.

After weighing the meat and paying for it, the three of them went to the vegetable market.

There were many people selling corn on the street. Ji Wenhe picked one with the largest corn, which was half a meter taller than the ones she grew at home. "Auntie, how much is the corn?"

The woman picked up the corn and lifted the cloth. There were corns of similar length in the basket: "One cent per corn."

"Give me five."

"Hey, you pick it yourself."

Although the corns are all very large, they are inevitably eaten by insects.

Lan Qiuhua also picked two.

After paying the money, the three of them walked back.

Shen Suya asked: "Sister-in-law, what else do you want to buy?"

"I don't have anything to buy, do you?"

"Neither did we."

"Then let's go to Zhou's Rice Shop." Shen Rongshan didn't know whether he went back or not.

Halfway through the journey, I suddenly remembered: "Aunt Lan, where can I buy a rolling pin and a dough board?"

"We only eat dumplings a few times a year. If you need them, come to my house. They are expensive in town. If you want to buy some, ask Rongshan to go to the carpenter's house and make them."