Chapter Twelve: Negotiations

Li Peach Blossom hesitated between the second and third options.

Qin Huiyin made the decision for her without hesitation. “Shopkeeper, ten jin of the unyellowed broken rice.”

Then she turned to Li Peach Blossom and said, “Mother, all this rice is good. It’s just cheaper by two coins because it doesn’t look nice. In the end, the food we eat is all chewed up anyway—appearance doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy.”

“You’re right,” Li Peach Blossom agreed. “Shopkeeper, ten jin of flour, ten jin of broken rice, thirty jin of peas—give me a good price.”

“Oh dear, young lady, we’re just a small business…”

“Don’t give me that. Yours isn’t the only grain store in town. If you can’t spare a little, we’ll just go somewhere else.”

“All right, all right, I’ll throw in two jin of peas for free, how about that?”

“Five jin.”

“Auntie, I’m hardly making anything as it is. If you insist, I’ll be losing money.”

While Li Peach Blossom was haggling with the shopkeeper, Qin Huiyin nudged Tang Luwu’s arm and said, “Did you learn something?”

“Huh?” Tang Luwu stared at her, confused.

Qin Huiyin rolled her eyes. “You’ve come to town today, you should at least gain something! My mother has demonstrated so many times—haven’t you learned anything? See, just moving your lips can save you a lot of money. When you’re out and about, you need a thick skin to live well.”

Tang Luwu blushed, stammering, “I… I can’t, I’m not good with words.”

“Then you need to practice! See over there? After we buy the rice and flour, we need to get some meat. You go negotiate the price for the meat.” Qin Huiyin pulled out fifty coins from her purse and pressed them into Tang Luwu’s hand. “All I need is two jin of meat, two pig’s trotters, one pig’s head, plus the heart, lungs, and offal. If you manage to get everything, whatever money is left is yours to keep.”

“I really can’t.” Tang Luwu waved her hands frantically.

“I’ll go with you,” Qin Huiyin said, and then turned to Li Peach Blossom, “Mother, we’ll go to the butcher’s and come back to carry everything once you’re done.”

With that, she dragged Tang Luwu toward the butcher shop. Tang Luwu was so nervous she didn’t even try to break free.

“Shopkeeper…” Qin Huiyin greeted with a sweet smile, “Last time we bought a jin of meat here, and when we weighed it at home, it was a tael over. We’ve never met such a generous person before.”

The butcher was a burly, fat man with a face full of flesh, looking rather fierce. As he chopped meat with his cleaver, the other customers kept their distance.

Hearing Qin Huiyin’s words, the butcher was momentarily taken aback, clearly caught off guard by the sudden praise.

“Sis, isn’t this the generous, honest butcher you mentioned, the one who never cheats his customers?” Qin Huiyin asked, shaking Tang Luwu’s arm.

Tang Luwu’s cheeks flushed red. Honest and guileless as she was, she caught on to Qin Huiyin’s hint and nodded stiffly.

“Good, I was afraid we’d come to the wrong place.” Qin Huiyin patted her chest in relief. “There’s another butcher shop over there, so if this isn’t the place, it must be the other one.”

At this, the butcher quickly protested, “No, you’re in the right place. I’ve never shortchanged a customer in all my years. Little ladies, since you’re old customers, I’ll give you a good deal today. What are you buying?”

“I want two jin of meat, two pig’s trotters, one pig’s head, plus the liver, lungs, and offal. How much is that?” Qin Huiyin asked.

Before he could answer, she turned to Tang Luwu and continued, “I just asked the boss at Yang’s Butcher Shop. He said pig’s trotters are mostly bone, not much meat, and he’d only charge us five coins. The head, liver, lungs, and offal together would be ten coins. Meat is thirteen coins a jin. Altogether, that’s forty-one coins, but he said he’d give it to us for forty. If your price is higher, we’ll just buy from the other shop instead. There are several weddings in the village soon—we’ll send those purchases to Yang’s too.”

“But this boss always gives us a generous measure. We just praised him, and if we go buy elsewhere now, people will think his meat isn’t good!” Tang Luwu glanced at the anxious butcher and pretended to be troubled. In truth, she didn’t need to pretend—she really was troubled. This was her first time telling a lie.

“We’re all poor folk. A single coin buys half a jin of cornmeal. We have to save where we can. With weddings in the village, saving money makes everyone happier.”

“Ladies, I haven’t even named my price yet—how do you know where’s cheaper?” The fat butcher patted his chest and said grandly, “I do honest business. My meat is not only fresh, but fairly priced. How about this: two jin of meat for twenty-five coins, the rest for thirteen, totaling thirty-eight coins.”

“Brother, really?” Qin Huiyin looked at him in delight. “You’re so generous! In the future, we’ll only buy from you—and when the villagers have weddings, we’ll send them your way too. Sis, you were right, he really is a good man.”

Tang Luwu could only gape in astonishment and mumble, “Mm…”

The butcher, flattered by their praise, appeared far less intimidating. The once-fierce man now seemed almost honest and simple. Seeing the two young women compliment him so effusively, he became much more approachable, and more customers began to gather.

Tang Luwu packed several dozen jin of meat into her basket and covered it with grass.

Qin Huiyin took out the twelve coins they’d saved and handed six to Tang Luwu. “We planned to spend fifty coins on meat, but we saved twelve. We’ll split it.”

“No, no, I can’t,” Tang Luwu refused. “I didn’t do anything. Besides, the family needs money right now—how could I keep any for myself?”

“It’s just a few coins. Keep them for emergencies. If you don’t need them now, just save them for the future,” Qin Huiyin said.

As she turned, she caught sight of a familiar figure leaving the butcher’s shop. The person moved quickly, and with so many customers, she couldn’t be sure it was him.

Just then, the butcher’s father hefted a wild boar out for everyone to see. “You’re in luck today—a wild boar was brought in, and we’re selling it cheap!”

Wild boar wasn’t as tasty as domestic pork, but for people who hadn’t had meat in ages, it was still a bargain.

Qin Huiyin saw the wild boar and was certain the person she’d glimpsed was Song Ruizhe. She had left abruptly yesterday, and Song Ruizhe had been both wounded and bitten by a viper. Who knew how he’d managed to bring the heavy boar down the mountain?

Qin Huiyin and Tang Luwu returned to the grain store. Qin Huiyin showed Li Peach Blossom what she’d bought, saying proudly, “Isn’t your apprentice ready to graduate?”

“Is this even edible? There’s hardly any meat or fat—might as well have bought another jin of meat!” Li Peach Blossom grumbled, though she still shouldered the heaviest basket.