Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Properly Trained at Last
Phoebe Huxley helped Rosalind Green to her feet. Seeing her red-rimmed eyes and the tear tracks on her face, she scolded her irritably, "What’s the damn use in crying? If anyone talks smack about you again, you take a hatchet to them, just like you did now. You hear me?"
A strange feeling washed over Rosalind Green. She had never imagined a day would come when she would actually take down Mandy York. Of all the people on Millstone Peak, Mandy was the one who berated her most viciously. In the past, she would run and hide the moment she saw the woman, like a mouse from a cat. But today, she had dared to fight—and she had even won.
She suddenly realized that Mandy York wasn’t so scary after all. The moment she acted fierce, the other woman cowered. She had seen that scared-witless look on her face as clear as day.
"Mm."
Rosalind Green nodded and picked up the firewood hatchet from the ground. Between last night and now, she had already swung it at someone twice.
’The first time felt strange, the second time, familiar.’ Maybe by the third time, she’d be even more proficient.
Her hands were stinging. The skin was broken in several places, and she’d even cut herself with the hatchet, drawing a little blood. But deep down, Rosalind Green was overjoyed. She could finally stand tall and hold her head high.
"From now on, if anyone tries to smear my name again, I’ll fight them to the death!"
Rosalind Green clutched the hatchet, her voice low but firm. A new resolve hardened her gaze.
"Exactly! That’s the spirit! The tougher you are, the more they’ll back down. The more timid you are, the more they’ll bully you. Just take a hatchet to ’em. What the hell is there to be afraid of!"
Phoebe Huxley slapped her thigh, her face beaming with satisfaction. ’Looks like my coaching is finally paying off,’ she thought.
"Go on home and wash those cuts," said Fiona Rhodes.
Rosalind Green nodded and headed home, hatchet in hand. Her figure, seen from the back, was still delicate, but she now possessed a different kind of aura.
This little squall didn’t make huge waves on Millstone Peak, but fewer people were badmouthing Rosalind Green behind her back. The truth was, these gossips were bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. If Rosalind had taken a firm stance four years ago, the rumors would have probably stopped long before.
But in those four years, Rosalind Green had never fought back, only cried, so the rumors naturally snowballed. At the end of the day, you have to be strong to stand your ground. Rosalind herself was partly to blame.
「Meanwhile」 Goldie Thorne traveled back and forth between various towns and villages with the small clothes, and sales were unexpectedly good. Four yuan for a ready-made garment with good fabric and a nice style—and most importantly, no ration coupons were required. In less than three days, he sold out of all the children’s clothes. He even sold all the oversleeves. Adrian Hawthorne hadn’t set a price for them, so Goldie made an executive decision and sold them for fifty cents apiece, and plenty of people bought those, too.
All the clothes and oversleeves were sold out, and many people had missed their chance to buy.
"Don’t worry, we’ll have more in a few days!"
Goldie Thorne slapped his chest in assurance. Adrian Hawthorne had been gone for five days and should be back tomorrow or the day after. He could make dozens of garments a day; the work was quick.
"Will you really have more? You’re not just stringing us along, are you?" The villagers who had missed out were skeptical. It wasn’t every day you found clothes this cheap and well-made.
"Why would I lie to you? Let me tell you the truth, I have a relative who works at a textile mill and can get his hands on good fabric. Since we’re all neighbors here, I’m not even making a profit on these. In the city, I sell them for six yuan apiece, so don’t you go spilling the beans."
Goldie Thorne lowered his voice, putting on an ’I’m treating you like family’ expression. The simple-hearted villagers were instantly overjoyed, and their opinion of Goldie Thorne grew even better. They, too, lowered their voices.
"We definitely won’t say a word. Does your relative have any fabric?"
"Of course! In a few days, I’ll have both clothes and fabric. It’s all this same high-quality dacron. Seventy cents a foot, no coupons needed. That’s cheaper than the supply and marketing co-op, isn’t it? I sell it for eighty cents a foot in the county seat, but what can I say? I’m too soft-hearted. I can’t bring myself to make a profit off my own neighbors. I’m basically just breaking even."
Goldie Thorne looked utterly sincere as he spun his extravagant lies, moving the villagers so much they were nearly in tears. They could only think that Goldie Thorne was the best person on earth—he was handsome, kind-hearted, and knew how to get things done. They wondered if such a fine young man had a girlfriend yet.
Comments