Chapter 162: The Unlucky Shopkeeper Qian
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The shopkeeper paused for a moment. “Later on, he fell ill. After he recovered, my reputation was already not good. Even if he wanted to help, he could not turn the tide. Fortunately, he ran around for me. Otherwise, with my legs…” Xiaoxiao only asked after he finished speaking, “What price are you going to sell the shop for?”
Before he could hear an answer, he heard someone laugh and walk into the shop. “Brother Qian, 1 brought you good news.”
The person who walked in with this voice was a middle-aged man who was about the same age as the shopkeeper. When he arrived, his face was red and he said energetically, “I’ve finally found a buyer for your shop.”
The shopkeeper also became happy. “Really?”
Although he was happy, he did not forget to cup his hands and greet Xiaoxiao first.
The person reported a number excitedly. “150 taels!”
Shopkeeper Qian’s expression immediately turned moody, and his tone was quite bitter. “Only 150 taels? I paid more than this when I bought this shop back then…”
Xiaoxiao was also very puzzled. Although the location of this shop was a little off from other bookstores, it was still near the academy. Why was it selling so cheaply? She had originally estimated that it would cost at least 300 taels. Why did it actually cost half? Did she misunderstand the prices of goods in the county so much?
His friend disagreed. “It’s already good enough that you can sell it at this price. Everyone on this street knows your bad luck now. Everyone says that this shop is unlucky. Whoever buys them will be unlucky too.”
The ancients believed in feng shui. Inexplicable bad luck would indeed make people back off. Xiaoxiao listened quietly. Seeing Shopkeeper Qian wavering, his friend started to get impatient. “This is already the highest price I can find for you. I can’t do anything if you don’t want to. However, if this drags on, we might not even be able to sell it for 150 taels.”
Shopkeeper Qian thought for a while but still couldn’t bear to part with it. “Let me think about it again.”
Then, he asked, “What did the middleman say?”
This friend avoided his gaze for a moment. “What else can I say? Because of your reputation as an unlucky person, who dares to take over? Only I kept working for you every day.”
Shopkeeper Qian said guiltily, “I can only blame my legs for making you suffer.”
Tong Bin, who was the friend, glanced at Shopkeeper Qian’s leg. He sighed and took out a jar of ointment from his pocket. He bent down to help him apply the ointment. “If you really want to thank me, don’t be stubborn anymore.
Sister-in-law is still bedridden. If you don’t sell the shop sooner, are you going to let your wife and daughter run around?”
At the mention of his wife and daughter, Shopkeeper Qian’s heart softened. Guilt, worry, and gratitude mixed together. He suddenly did not understand what he was insisting on. “Alright, then…”
Tong Bin’s eyebrows moved, but he heard a beautiful female voice say, “Wait, the shopkeeper is preparing to sell this shop for 150 taels?”
Shopkeeper Qian turned to look at Xiaoxiao, who was talking. The latter smiled and waited for his answer.
The shopkeeper said, “There… there’s no other choice.” He could not hide the disappointment in his tone.
However, Xiaoxiao said, “Who said that? I’ll pay 200 taels. Why don’t you sell it to me, Shopkeeper?”
The shopkeeper was puzzled and asked uncertainly, “You?”
Tong Bin’s expression changed slightly. “Why is this child spouting nonsense? 200 taels is not a small sum. Can you take it out?”
Ning Dalang also wanted to ask this question.
He knew that his sister had saved some money these days, but there should still be a huge gap between her and 200 taels of silver, right?
Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and pulled Big Brother over. “If I can take it out, will he sell this shop to me?”
Tong Bin’s hand trembled as he applied the ointment on Shopkeeper Qian. The jar full of ointment rolled to Xiaoxiao’s feet. She bent down to pick it up and was about to return it when she heard the system ding.
[Discovered ingredients: sea pepper, ginger, poisonous mushrooms…]
Putting aside the last few ingredients, could the sea pepper and ginger be used as medicine in Shopkeeper Qian’s situation? Moreover, the poisonous mushrooms sounded strange, okay?
[Are you sure poisonous mushrooms count as ingredients?]
The space was silent for a while, as if it was thinking. Then, it replied.
[Everything that can be eaten is considered edible. Poison mushrooms can be eaten, but… you’ll die if you eat too much.]
Xiaoxiao was speechless. Very good, the space’s identification ability was very strong.
The space obviously couldn’t perfectly understand the true meaning of its Master’s sarcasm. It even told her happily: [I’ll be even more powerful when I level up again! At that time, I can even analyze the characteristics and value of the ingredients, including the medicinal properties of the herbs and the toxicity of the poison!]
[Alright, alright, alright. You’re the best!]
Xiaoxiao looked at the obvious swelling on Shopkeeper Qian’s bandaged calf and the wound that was still bleeding and fell into deep thought.
However, Tong Bin took the ointment away impatiently and smeared a layer on Shopkeeper Qian’s calf. “Brother Qian, don’t be deceived. Look at this little girl. I don’t think she can even take out 20 taels, let alone 200 taels!”
Shopkeeper Qian glanced at Xiaoxiao’s simple clothes and then at Ning Dalang, who was similar to her or even simpler. He did not say anything, but it was difficult to hide his hesitation.
Tong Bin immediately emphasized, “As long as Brother Qian agrees, the person I found can pay the money today. Brother Qian, aren’t you in a hurry to sell your shop and go home to accompany Sister-in-law?”
Shopkeeper Qian was indeed tempted. Xiaoxiao beat him to it before he could speak. “It’s true that I can’t take out so much silver at once, but if Shopkeeper Qian agrees, we can sign a contract. I’ll pay 50 taels of silver first. In the next ten months, I’ll give you at least 15 taels of silver every month. If 1 can’t do it, 1’11 return the shop to you. You don’t have to return the silver. How about that?”
It was not that she could not take out 200 taels of silver, but the operation of the shop also required money. She could not empty her assets at once, right?
Whether it was Shopkeeper Qian, Tong Bin, or Ning Dalang, who was beside Xiaoxiao, no one had heard of this gameplay. Shopkeeper Qian calculated in his heart and asked in confusion, “How can you do this? Won’t you lose out?”
Xiaoxiao was amused by him. “Shopkeeper, you don’t have to worry. If 1 really can’t take out 200 taels of silver, you might be able to wash away your reputation as an unlucky person. Isn’t that a good thing?”
What she said made sense, but the shopkeeper did not want to take advantage of a child. Tong Bin sneered. “Do you think this is a child playing house? How can there be such a cheap thing in the world?”
Xiaoxiao sighed. She could only blame herself for being young, but she really couldn’t call her parents over for this matter. Other than Big Brother, who in the entire family could tolerate her like this?
She reached into the basket containing the sponge cake and took out an ingot of silver, another ingot, and another ingot. Then, she sat down in a row and pushed it in front of Shopkeeper Qian. “So it’s a bargain. Do you want it?”
She guided patiently, “Even if I can only take out so much, you’ll get 50 taels for nothing in a month. The shop will still be yours. Even if the price of this shop has to be reduced again, where can it go? Is it reasonable for it to be lower than 100 taels? So no matter what, you have 150 taels as a guarantee.. You won’t lose out no matter what, right?”
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