Chapter 62: Craftsmanship Is Truly Sturdy
Lu Chengjing said wistfully, “Actually, Master originally wanted to give you a B-plus. I happened to be consulting Master about a problem at the time, and Master asked me how your article was. For the sake of our fellowship as fellow students, I put in a good word for you.”
“What did you say?” Yan Rui’s mind went boom; the one time he matched Lu Chengjing was thanks to Lu Chengjing’s charity?
Yan Rui didn’t want to believe it, but there was no reason for Lu Chengjing to lie about something he could verify by asking Master.
After the minor examination results came out that day, he had even specially gone to mock Lu Chengjing in front of him, excitedly framed the article and hung it in the study room, happily hosted relatives and friends for three days, and… Thinking of all he had done, Yan Rui couldn’t take the blow, rolled his eyes, and fainted.
“Brother Yan!” The crowd of students hurriedly caught him and awkwardly carried him to the medical hall.
Shang Wan pursed her lips; this person’s tolerance was too poor.
The people in the shop had watched a free show and were still not quite satisfied, their gazes occasionally falling on Lu Chengjing.
So the rumors were true; the Lu Family Third Young Master had truly been struck from the family tree and was no longer a Lu Family child.
The shop assistant’s smile froze on his face. He had originally seen that although Shang Wan’s group arrived by ox cart, they were dressed well and seemed to have some family wealth, but now he was unsure.
He had also heard the rumors about the Lu Family; a young master kicked out of the family, sent away with nothing—not even enough to afford a wheelchair?
While the shop assistant hesitated, Shi Tou had already carried Lu Chengjing onto the first wheelchair.
Shang Wan called to the shop assistant, “Little brother, how do you use this wheelchair? Give us an explanation.”
Since they had already been moved out, the shop assistant collected himself, put on a smile again, and stepped forward to explain how to use the wheelchair.
The usage was actually very simple: nothing more than being pushed by others or pushing oneself, and when stopping, there were small mechanisms on the wheelchair armrest and the back of the chair back; flicking them would lock the wheels so it wouldn’t slide even on a slope.
After test-sitting four wheelchairs, the one custom-made for the noble person, crafted from yellow pear wood, was the lightest to use, and its carving was exactly magnolia.
The wheelchair armrest had several mechanisms: not only could it open the internal storage on the right side, but the left could shoot short arrows for self-defense; turning the armrest to unfold it could splice into a small table board for simple writing and drawing—a veritable multi-function wheelchair.
The more Shang Wan looked, the more satisfied she was. Asking the price—well, one wheelchair cost three hundred taels of silver, and that was after discount; originally it was to sell for five hundred taels.
The shop assistant smiled and explained: “An ordinary circle chair made of yellow pear wood costs dozens of taels of silver, let alone a complexly crafted wheelchair. This wheelchair has built-in mechanisms, and the six short arrows inside are complimentary from the shop, not included in the cost.”
Shang Wan knew this wheelchair was worth the price, but she just didn’t have enough money.
Xiao Huan tried bargaining with the shop assistant, who smiled and pushed forward the wheelchair beside it.
“Customer, if you think the price is too high, how about this wheelchair? Only one hundred twenty taels, equally sturdy and durable. If the customer is sincere about buying, the shop can lower the price a bit.”
The attitude was clear: no bargaining on the expensive one, the cheap one could be negotiated.
Lu Chengjing didn’t care which wheelchair; given the family situation, even the cheapest one was too expensive. Compared to buying him a wheelchair, he hoped the family would build the new house first.
He said, “Still no…”
“We’ll take the expensive one.” Shang Wan decided, telling the shop assistant, “I’ll pay ten taels deposit first and come pick it up later.”
The shop assistant was stunned and kindly reminded, “Customer, once the deposit is paid, the shop doesn’t refund it.”
He worried Shang Wan was pretending to be rich despite being poor.
Shang Wan directly had Shi Tou give ten taels of silver to the shop assistant. The shop assistant got a note from the shopkeeper, stating that before tomorrow the wheelchair wouldn’t be sold to a second person, with the wood workshop’s seal at the bottom of the note.
After leaving the wood workshop and getting back on the ox cart, Shi Tou curiously asked, “Sis, where are we getting so much silver?”
Lu Chengjing and Xiao Huan also looked over.
Shang Wan said, “I have my ways. You all go to the rice shop on East Street to buy rice and flour first; I’ll find you in a bit.”
With that, she jumped off the ox cart, not giving Lu Chengjing and the other two a chance to ask more.
Lu Chengjing stared in the direction Shang Wan left for a long time before looking away, lowering his head to his legs, his eyes dark.
Yuan Yuan was pouting, unhappily drooping her little face; Mother wasn’t taking her to play again!
Shang Wan wasn’t not taking her, but the place she was going wasn’t suitable for children.
As for the fastest way to make money, that was of course the gambling house.
But this method could only be used occasionally for emergencies; after all, the gambling house’s money wasn’t easy to take.
After dealing with a few thugs who tailed her, Shang Wan pocketed three hundred taels in silver notes and re-entered the wood workshop.
The shop assistant’s eyes lit up, and he smilingly came forward to greet her.
Shang Wan didn’t waste words with him; money and goods exchanged hands.
The shop assistant’s face was blooming with smiles; selling this wheelchair would get him five taels of reward money.
He solicitously said, “Customer, it might be inconvenient for you to carry it yourself; I’ll arrange for someone to deliver it to your residence.”
“No need.” Shang Wan waved her hand, checked the wheelchair was fine, and directly shouldered it to leave.
The shop assistant’s mouth gaped round in shock.
The passersby on the road had about the same reaction as the shop assistant; Shang Wan had no awareness that parading through the streets shouldering a wheelchair was wrong—pushing it was too slow; shouldering was more convenient.
Two streets past the wood workshop was East Street, with shops full of dazzling arrays, goods of all kinds, various means to attract customers, very lively.
The bustling crowd spontaneously parted a path for Shang Wan, looking at her with eyes like she was a rare animal.
Shang Wan looked around and saw the Zhang Family’s ox cart parked at the doorway of a rice shop on the left hand side; right across, a pile of people surrounded the rice shop’s front door, noisy and clamoring, not sure what was happening.
Vaguely hearing a familiar voice, Shang Wan’s expression tightened, and she shouldered the wheelchair to squeeze into the crowd of onlookers.
“Excuse me, make way.”
Shang Wan used the wheelchair to clear a path, and looking up, she saw Shi Tou and Xiao Huan grabbed by two rice shop assistants; nearby, a disheveled woman sat on the ground covering her face and crying, while another rice shop assistant had pushed Lu Chengjing—who was holding Yuan Yuan—to the ground, bumping into the stone corner.
A nerve in Shang Wan’s brain snapped with a pop; without thinking, she swung the wheelchair and threw it at that assistant.
How heavy was the wheelchair; the assistant, caught off guard, was smashed flying by it, hit the wall, spat blood, and passed out.
As for the wheelchair, not a thing wrong with it; the workmanship was truly sturdy.
“Sis!” Shi Tou and Xiao Huan looked as if they had seen their savior.
Shang Wan casually snapped two pieces of wood from the door frame, accurately smashing them on the heads of the two assistants holding them; the two didn’t even hum before being knocked out.
“Mommy!” The soft childish voice was full of anxiety; Yuan Yuan struggled to poke her little head out from Lu Chengjing’s arms, waving her small hand at Shang Wan. “Daddy! Blood! Blood!”
Lu Chengjing had hit his head on the sharp corner of the stone to protect Yuan Yuan; his forehead was broken, bleeding a pool of blood.
Shang Wan quickly went over to pick him up, placed him on the wheelchair Shi Tou pushed over, and seeing Lu Chengjing’s deathly pale face, anger surged in her heart.
“Where did this shrew come from daring to cause trouble in Lufeng Rice Shop? Don’t you know whose territory this is!” The rice shop shopkeeper sternly shouted, “Men, grab them all and send them to the officials!”
