C20 Someone Came to Rob Him of His Money!!

As soon as Luo Lingyan stepped out of the pharmacy, she couldn't stop her eyes from welling up with tears.

"Sis, we won't have to go hungry or cold anymore..." Luo Zixuan's voice had a hint of a sob. He had never seen so much money in his life!

"Yes, as long as we work hard and stick together as a family, things will keep getting better for us. One day, we'll live in a big house and own a carriage," Luo Lingyan said, clenching her fists with determination.

They sold the Russule mushrooms for $23, the dried fish for $14.30, and the herbs brought in $10.93. In just a week, the three siblings had earned $10.46. And to think, she'd only been here for twelve days!

"Okay," Luo Zixuan nodded. "Sis, can we buy some meat buns? I want three."

"Sure!" Luo Lingyan had planned to treat herself to a nice meal, but when she heard Zixuan mention meat buns, she couldn't help but feel deflated. Well, she wasn't in a position to splurge just yet.

After they were full and rested, Luo Lingyan was ready for a big shopping trip. "Xuan, what do you want to buy? I'll get it for you."

"Sis, why don't we save the money to build a house?!" They needed so many things, but he really wanted a big house. Otherwise, whenever there was a strong wind or heavy rain, their roof would leak or get blown off again.

"Buying some essentials won't cost much, and I promise you, within a year, you'll be living in a big house." If basic needs like food and clothing aren't met, how can she focus on working hard?

"Alright, shall we go buy some shoes and clothes?" This was their promise to their younger siblings.

"We have a lot to buy: oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, rice, noodles, and so on. Let's head to the fabric store first, then the shoe store, and finally the grocery store. Oh, and we should get some chicks and ducklings to raise..." Also, she needed to buy some paints, paper, and brushes. As an art major, she figured making a little money to support the family shouldn't be too hard.

"Alright, let's go."

As soon as they arrived at the fabric store, Mrs. Liu, the owner, greeted them warmly. "Are you looking to buy fabric or ready-made clothes?"

Lingyan set down her basket. "I'll take a look first."

Though the store wasn't large, it offered a wide variety of fabrics and a good selection of ready-made clothes.

Noticing Lingyan's bulging pocket, the owner brought over a few outfits. "You look so lovely; these clothes would suit you perfectly. Would you like to try them on?"

"How much are they?" She felt the fabric; it was nice and soft, pure cotton.

"The pink set is $35, the blue one is $33, and the purple one is $38."

"Okay." By this calculation, she could trade ten pounds of fish jerky for a whole outfit, right? Noticing Luo Zixuan's gaze on the orange fabric, she asked, "Do you like this color?"

"No, I'm just looking. Anything's fine," Luo Zixuan replied, shaking his head. His cousin had an orange long shirt that looked great on him, but this fabric seemed a bit pricey.

Luo Lingyan asked, "How much is this fabric per yard?"

"It's four coins per yard. With your height, seven yards would make a full outfit. Why not buy the fabric? You'll save a few coins that way," the shopkeeper suggested, pulling the orange fabric closer.

Luo Lingyan picked out a few more fabrics of similar quality: a simple blue, a white with purple flowers, a light gray, and a pink one. "Can you give me the best price for these?"

"You've got a keen eye, picking out the most valuable fabrics in my shop. The blue and purple flowered ones are five coins per yard, the orange is four, and I'll sell the gray for three coins per yard, just at cost," the shopkeeper said.

Hearing the high prices, Luo Lingyan lost interest. "If you're trying to drive me away, I'll just check out other stores."

"Please, I can't just turn away customers. How about this: if you buy a lot, I won't make any profit from you," the shopkeeper said with a smile that made her eyes nearly disappear.

Lingyan did some quick calculations in her head and said, "Eight feet of pink, twenty-one feet of orange, seven feet of gray, and fourteen feet each of purple floral and blue, totaling fifty feet."

"I haven't really quoted you a price yet. How about I give you a discount of one cent per foot?" The shopkeeper quickly worked the abacus. "That comes to 177 cents. My profit margin is razor-thin."

"Ma'am, we're both in business. I won't haggle too much. How about 110 cents?"

"110 cents? That's quite a cut! Add 30 cents more, or no deal." If she had offered 100 cents, the shopkeeper would have refused outright, but she added an extra 10 cents.

"No, I won't add even a cent. If you won't sell, I'll look elsewhere."

"Fine." The shopkeeper agreed, gritting her teeth. The total was significant, but the profit was so slim it hurt.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll pay half as a deposit now. You can start cutting, and I'll come back for it after I finish shopping. Please write me a receipt." Since she was the only one in the store, cutting fifty feet of fabric would indeed take some time.

"Alright." The shopkeeper put down the scissors and went to write the receipt.

"Xuan, move our baskets to the side so they don't get in the way of the shopkeeper."

"Got it, sis."

Just as Luo Lingyan was about to pay, her hand suddenly felt empty. She watched as a man dashed out of the shop. "My purse! Thief, stop the thief... everyone, stop the thief!"