Chapter 123: Speak Up When You Should
Sister-in-law Lu carried four bolts of fine cloth and sold them to Li Xiaonan.
After counting and stringing the copper coins and putting them away, Sister-in-law Lu hugged her bundle tightly and said to Li Xiaonan with a smile, “Young shopkeeper, you only deduct ten copper coins per bolt for loom fees. It would take two or three years to deduct all the loom fees.”
“The business has just started, so let everyone see the money first. Later, when we offer looms on credit, we can’t deduct like this anymore. You can earn sixty to seventy copper coins per bolt of fine cloth, and even more if it’s jacquard. Then, we’ll deduct half the profit for loom fees.” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“Half is very generous, young shopkeeper is a kind person.” Sister-in-law Lu said, shaking out half a bolt of fine cloth from the old bundle that had wrapped the four bolts and presenting it to Li Xiaonan. She smiled, “This was woven when we were testing the loom. The first half is really unusable, but this second half, although it has some loose and tight spots, can still be made into an inner lining for clothes. If you don’t mind, young shopkeeper, please take it for lining.”
“Thank you very much, then I won’t be polite.” Li Xiaonan accepted the half bolt of fine cloth and handed it to Wang Yuting.
“I have to hurry now, I still need to get to Pingjiang City to buy thread, as it’s needed at home. Goodbye.” Sister-in-law Lu bid farewell to Li Xiaonan and hurried towards Pingjiang City.
Li Xiaonan, Wang Yuting, and A Wu came out together. A Wu carried the four bolts of fine cloth, constantly glancing at the half bolt of fine cloth in Wang Yuting’s arms.
When they reached the town entrance, A Wu couldn’t hold back any longer and called out to Li Xiaonan, “Someone gave you half a bolt of fine cloth, and you just took it back with a thank you?”
“Huh? What else?” Li Xiaonan asked, looking at A Wu.
“You can’t be like this. If someone is kind to you, you should be even kinder! You can’t just take things from others for free! Besides, you’re richer than Sister-in-law Lu anyway, you can’t be like this!”
“Then what do you think I should do?” Li Xiaonan asked, hands on her hips, looking at A Wu.
“They gave you half a bolt, you should give them a whole bolt back! That’s…”
Before A Wu could finish speaking, Li Xiaonan took the fine cloth from Wang Yuting’s arms and shoved it into A Wu’s arms, “It’s yours, give me a bolt of fine cloth!”
“I don’t have any fine cloth! It’s not like you…” A Wu quickly pushed the fine cloth back into Li Xiaonan’s arms.
“Shut up!” Wang Yuting stepped forward, snatched the fine cloth, and casually slapped A Wu’s arm.
“You eat and drink at our house for free all day. This vest you’re wearing, Mei Jie made it for you, right? The shoes on your feet, Mei Jie made them for you too, right? The cloth is ours, the thread is ours, why haven’t I seen you return any gifts?
“Also, when my third sister got married, you two ate and drank for free for four or five days, and then you took bags and bags of things when you left. You didn’t return any gifts then either, did you?
“Tell me, how do you conduct yourself as a person?” Li Xiaonan pointed her finger at A Wu.
“We… forget I said anything, I’ll go get the horse!” A Wu turned around and ran off.
“Hmph!” Li Xiaonan put her hands on her hips and snorted forcefully, then glanced at Wang Yuting, who had a smile on his face, “Is this how you two lose your copper coins?”
Wang Yuting nodded, “A Wu is loyal. That’s how it is in the martial world.”
Li Xiaonan looked at Wang Yuting sideways, then let out a long sigh.
These two can’t be paid wages, not even a single copper coin!
Li Xiaonan brought the four bolts of fine cloth and the half bolt back to Cai Lian Lane.
This business has already begun, and she needs to tell her eldest sister.
After dinner that evening, Li Xiaonan stood up first, helped Mei Jie clear the table, grabbed a rag to wipe the table, and took the teapot and teacups to make tea for her eldest sister, second sister, and brother.
Li Jinzhu and Li Yuzhu looked at the busy Li Xiaonan and exchanged glances from time to time. While Li Xiaonan was carrying water from the kitchen, Li Yuzhu patted Li Xuedong, who was watching with wide-eyed curiosity, “Did A Nan get into trouble?”
“No, it’s not that, it’s that I don’t know, I haven’t heard anything.” Li Xuedong’s heart sank.
With A Nan being so diligent, she must have done something wrong again!
Li Jinzhu snorted, scratched her scalp with her needle, and forcefully poked it into a shoe sole, “This wicked girl, I’ll wait until she tells us.”
Li Xiaonan poured the tea and brought a cup to her eldest sister, second sister, and brother. She bowed to her eldest sister and said, “Eldest sister, I have something good to show you.”
Li Jinzhu stopped what she was doing and watched as Li Xiaonan laboriously dragged an old cloth bundle from behind the grain barrel and placed it on a chair in front of Li Jinzhu, then opened the bundle.
“This is fine cloth? Where did you get it?” Li Yuzhu reached out to touch it, lifted a bolt, pulled out a section, and examined it carefully.
“What’s going on?” Li Jinzhu’s brows furrowed tightly.
“This is what happened,” Li Xiaonan sat down and explained everything she could about her fine cloth business from the beginning until now. “…And that’s how it is.”
Li Yuzhu and Li Xuedong’s eyes widened as they listened.
“Where did you get the capital?” Li Jinzhu glared at Li Xiaonan.
“I borrowed it from that Young Lord.” Li Xiaonan lowered her eyes and scratched her forehead.
“Aren’t A Wu and Yuting working at the tea house? Are they working for you?” Li Jinzhu continued to ask.
“Mm.” Li Xiaonan’s “mm” was light and airy.
“Does your third sister know?” Li Jinzhu asked again.
“She knows a little.”
“Kneel down!” Li Jinzhu slammed her hand on the table.
Li Xiaonan knelt down in front of Li Jinzhu with a thud, without hesitation.
“Eldest sister, A Nan is someone who does great things, you said that yourself. Back then, A Nan was the first to bring up the matter of the Xiucai scholar.” Li Yuzhu quickly stepped forward.
“Yes, yes, yes, Third Brother-in-law also said that. I’ll kneel with A Nan.” Li Xuedong knelt beside Li Xiaonan.
“Let them get up. The matter is already like this, kneeling won’t help anymore, right?” Li Yuzhu looked at Li Jinzhu, trying to persuade her while reaching out to pull Li Xiaonan up.
Li Xiaonan got up with the motion and was then guided back into the small bamboo chair by her second sister.
Li Xuedong stood up on his own, patted his clothes, and sat back down.
“I told you to kneel, not because you’re doing this business, but because you borrowed money from someone. How much money did you borrow?” Li Jinzhu’s tone softened slightly.
“One hundred taels.” Li Xiaonan glanced at her eldest sister and carefully added, “And A Wu and Yuting’s wages.”
Li Yuzhu and Li Xuedong both gasped.
Li Jinzhu remained calm. She had already anticipated that the loom and fine cloth business would require more than ten or eight taels of silver in capital.
“Does the Young Lord know what you borrowed the silver for? Does he know about this business you’re doing?” Li Jinzhu asked.
Li Xiaonan quickly nodded, “He knows. He even took me to the Pingjiang Weaving Workshop once.”
Li Jinzhu pursed her lips tightly, remained silent for a moment, and then looked at Li Xiaonan, asking, “What’s next? Have you made plans? Or can you not go on?”
“I have plans, but I can’t go on alone.” Li Xiaonan had a fawning smile on her face.
“Xuedong, go to the Hong Family and ask your third sister to come over. We can discuss it together.” Li Jinzhu thought for a moment and said to Li Xuedong.
“Okay!” Li Xuedong stood up and ran out.
