Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 37 - 36 All the Trouble Caused by Fruit

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: All the Trouble Caused by Fruit

Chapter 37 -36: All the Trouble Caused by Fruit

Opposite the junk shop was the Wenyuan Bookstore.

Xiao’er remembered that she needed to buy some paper for accounting.

“Father, I want to buy some paper to keep our accounts.

Please wait for me.” Having said that, she ran over to the bookstore.

As Xiao’er entered the bookstore, the shop assistant saw her in her coarse clothes and seemed a bit disappointed.

But he still greeted her, “Little girl, you want to buy books?”

“Do you have any enlightenment books?” Now that they had silver, Jinghao and Jingrui could learn to read without any problems.

She planned to invite Shen Zixuan to teach them during the New Year holiday.

Moreover, Shen Chengyao was also literate, so he could also teach when he had time.

“Yes, we have the ‘Three Character Classic’ and the ‘Thousand Character Classic’.

These are both for starters.

They cost one tael of silver each.” The shop assistant did not rush to find the books because he thought Xiao’er might not have enough silver to afford them. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

He decided to wait for Xiao’er to hear the price and decide for herself.

“I want those two books.

And where do you keep the inksticks, brushes, paper, and ink stones?

I want to go pick some.” Xiao’er took out ten taels and put them on the counter.

The shopkeeper immediately stood up and glared at the shop assistant, “Well, don’t you hurry to get the books?” Then he turned to Xiao’er with a full smile, “Young lady, let me show you where the inksticks, brushes, paper, and ink stones are.”

Xiao’er set the silver down and followed the shopkeeper to the section where the stationery was kept.

She picked up some moderately priced writing brushes, ink sticks, papers, and ink stones.

Three sets of each, along with the two books she had ordered, came to a total of eleven taels.

It was quite expensive!

The cost left her momentarily tongue-tied.

When they got home, Mrs.

Liu had already removed all the fuzz from the golden cherries.

After rinsing them clean, she placed them in the backyard to dry.

The wine jar also was delivered and she just finished cleaning it.

Every time the father-daughter pair went out, they brought back a bullock-cart full of products, which caused Mrs.

Liu to get a headache.

‘With the way they were spending, what would happen to their silver?’ She worried.

“Chen, don’t you know?

Xiao’er buys things out of inexperience, but shouldn’t you be more sensible?

The house isn’t short of anything at the moment, so why did you buy so many things again?”

“Mother, I bought these fruits for brewing wine and vinegar.

Once it’s brewed, I can sell them and earn money.”

Mrs.

Shen came out from the main room just in time to hear this conversation and burst out laughing.

“I have heard of brewing wine with grains, but I have never heard of brewing wine with fruit.

It’s a laughing stock!

Wait till you spend all your ten taels and can’t even afford a meal, don’t come to me!”

Mrs.

Liu also had never heard of fruit being used to brew wine.

However, remembering that Xiao’er had a mysterious master, she became half trusting, half doubting.

Upon hearing Mrs.

Shen’s words, Xiao’er didn’t get angry.

She picked up a basket, carefully selected a few of each fruit, and filled the basket.

Handing it over to Mrs.

Shen, she said, “Granny, these fruits are for you and grandfather to taste.

I know that grandmother is worried about us going hungry in the future.

We will definitely be careful in the future, not to spend our silver extravagantly.”

Xiao’er thought that the best way to deal with Mrs.

Shen was to go with the flow and cater to her.

It would make things much easier.

When Mrs.

Shen heard Xiao’er’s words and accepted the basket, her expression and tone softened considerably: “As long as you’re aware.

Don’t experience a loss because you didn’t listen to your elders.”

“Right.

That’s why they say, ‘Having an elder at home is like owning treasure.’ Grandfather and grandmother are our two treasures.”

When Mrs.

Li heard the commotion, she pulled Shen Jingzhi out with her.

Seeing the courtyard full of shiny, fresh fruits, she couldn’t help but to swallow, “The fruits Xiao’er buys can be used for brewing wine!

That’s being too wasteful and regretful.

How about sharing some with my second sister-in-law?

I bet you can’t finish these fruits!”

“Mother, I want to eat that fruit.

I have not tasted such big and beautiful fruits before.”

Mrs.

Shen was still quite happy as she had just indulged Xiao’er.

Now, seeing her disliked Mrs.

Li putting on a show, she simply spat, “You are such a wastrel, always eating and sleeping.

Have you seen this fruit?

Do you recognize it?

You don’t even know what it is!

Do you know that they can’t be used to make wine?

Don’t add to the chaos.

Go and cook.

I’m hungry.”

Xiao’er then took another basket, filled it with fruit, and handed it over to Mrs.

Li, “Here, second aunt, please try these with your sons.”

Mrs.

Li found that this basket of fruit was much less than Mrs.

Shen’s and wasn’t satisfied at all.

After all, her household had many more people than the two elders.

“Why is it so little?

It’s not enough!”

Upon seeing that Xiao’er had passed some fruit to his mother, Jingzhi immediately reached out for an apple.

He bit into it without peeling or slicing it, swallowing it without even chewing, and then continued to bite.

“If you think it’s too little, then don’t take it, give it to me,” said Mrs.

Shen, reaching out to take a bunch of grapes.

Upon seeing this, Shen Jingjie started to cry on the spot: “You heartless, despicable person, give me back my fruit!

If it weren’t for my father going out to work to earn silver, and farming the land, I wonder where you’d get all this silver for your spending and have food to eat!

In the future, I’ll tell my dad not to give you any more silver.”

Upon hearing these words, Mrs.

Shen became angry, raised her hand, and slapped Mrs.

Li.

She snatched the basket from Mrs.

Li’s hand and said, “Go, take this wolf cub and get out of here, go back to your mother’s home.

The Shen family doesn’t need you, we dare not have you!”

“Mother, listen to me…”

“Get out, go now!” Mrs.

Shen yelled with all her strength, her face turning the color of pork liver.

Mrs.

Li, scared, dragged Jingzhi and ran back into the house.

Shen Chengyao and Mrs.

Liu were also frightened, they hurried to soothe Mrs.

Shen’s anger.

Xiao’er ran to the kitchen, fetched a bowl of water and said, “Grandma, don’t be angry.

Drink some water first.”

Mrs.

Liu took the water and brought it to Mrs.

Shen’s mouth.

As Mrs.

Shen took a sip from the bowl, she felt better and ended up drinking the whole bowl of water.

Old Mr.

Shen heard the commotion and came out.

He looked at his wife worriedly.

At this point, he also had a strong dislike for Mrs.

Li; she had led his good grandson astray and got his wife so angry that she almost fainted.

After drinking the water, Mrs.

Shen looked much better.

Shen Chengyao and Mrs.

Liu helped her back to the master bedroom to lie down, while Xiao’er ran to call the doctor.

Doctor Luo’s house was at the foot of the mountain.

His house, made of green bricks and tiles, was the biggest and best in the village.

Xiao’er knocked on the large vermilion door.

An old woman’s voice came from inside, “Who is it?”

“I am the granddaughter of the Shen Rengui family.

My grandmother is sick, and we would like to ask Doctor Luo to come and take a look.”

With a creak, the heavy door slowly opened a crack, revealing a spirited elderly woman with white hair, “Oh, it’s Xiao’er.

Wait a moment, I’ll go and call the master.”

Xiao’er, through the crack of the door, could see that the front yard of the house was filled with rows and rows of neatly grown herbs.

It was clearly very well maintained.

While Xiao’er was admiring the scenery, Shangguan Xuanyi, tersely dressed in a silver robe adorned with clouds and patterns in brocade embroidery, was observing her from the second-floor window.

Feeling as if she was being watched, Xiao’er looked in his direction.

Upon seeing him, she was not surprised and simply bowed politely.

Shangguan Xuanyi nodded in return.

The hidden guards in the shadows, upon seeing this, were extremely surprised.

Their master seldom responded to commoner’s salutations.

This occurrence was more surprising than a rain of silver.

Doctor Luo came out shortly after that.

Xiao’er relayed Mrs.

Shen’s condition to him, upon which he re-entered the house to gather some herbs and silver needles.

When Xiao’er looked up again, she found that Shangguan Xuanyi was no longer by the window.

When Doctor Luo came out again, they briskly headed for Shen Manor.

Shangguan Xuanyi, at his desk on the second floor, opened the note that had arrived via Pigeon Post that morning.

It read, “Do not surveil, do not investigate, just protect, fully cooperate.”

Shangguan Xuanyi then summoned a hidden guard, and instructed him to protect the young girl at all costs.

“Yes.” The guard immediately departed upon acknowledging the order.