Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 483 - 457: The Boy Who Voluntarily Came to Help (1)_2
"Hmm, got it. I’ll ask Second Brother if anything’s unclear." The Second Princess beamed, "Mom, can Second Brother and I go to the market now? If we delay any longer, it’ll be dark and there’ll be no one at the market."
"Go on, go on, and come back early," the Princess Consort Luling waved at her second daughter.
The Second Princess happily ran outside, calling out to Li Xingsheng, "Second Brother, let’s go to the market."
"Coming," Li Xingsheng waited in boredom, standing at the flower bed in front of Prince Luling and his wife’s house, admiring several chrysanthemum plants.
Golden or crimson flowers had a thin layer of snow settled on them, looking particularly lovely.
The Second Princess hopped over, her grey cloak bouncing with her movements, resembling a chubby rabbit.
Li Xingsheng sighed, earlier she was crying her eyes out about no man liking her, yet now she’s joyfully bouncing like a rabbit.
That heartless girl.
"More ladylike!" Li Xingsheng couldn’t help but remind her, "Think about how your elder sister and younger sister walk!"
The Second Princess quickly restrained her steps and walked slowly towards Li Xingsheng, "Oh." She started walking earnestly.
Li Xingsheng sighed and shook his head, hoping that some blind guy would take this silly girl away.
The Princess Consort Luling came out of the house, advising Li Xingsheng to keep an eye on the Second Princess.
"You’re her brother, teach her a bit more," the Princess Consort Luling said.
Li Xingsheng nodded, "I know, Mom."
The two of them reached the courtyard and boarded the horse-drawn carriage pulled by Li Xing’an’s big black horse.
Uncle Gui, unaware of what’s happening in the Li Family, smiled and asked, "It’s already noon, are you still going to the market?"
Li Xingsheng smiled and said, "Yesterday, it was too windy and snowy to go out. Now that the wind and snow have lessened a bit, we need to check it out. Business at the market has been good these days, we’re aiming to make some money before the New Year."
Uncle Gui, having lived in the village for years, was familiar with the village’s situation. Every December, regardless of how much money a family might have, they would all go to the market to buy some goods to take home for hosting guests during the New Year.
Those with money would buy more dried goods from various regions, such as pine nuts, almonds, candy, or a variety of pastries and good tea leaves.
Those without much money would buy cheap dried dates, melon seeds, chestnuts, and scones.
Thus, Uncle Gui laughed and said, "Exactly, big profits before the year ends."
Li Xingsheng waved him off and drove the carriage away.
Once they left the house, Li Xingsheng began to nag like a mother, advising the Second Princess on how to speak to men at the market, telling her not to be so brash.
In the carriage, the Second Princess found a box of crispy candies that the Great Princess had forgotten to take, she grabbed a piece and stuffed it in her mouth, mumbling, "Alright, Second Brother." The candy had sunflower seeds inside, very fragrant and tasty.
Hearing her unclear voice, Li Xingsheng’s face turned dark with anger, "..."
A journey of ten miles with the carriage carrying just two people zipped through the distance in two periods.
Though it was already afternoon, the market was still bustling with people.
The day after tomorrow was the Laba Festival, people were out shopping for materials needed for the celebration. Shopkeepers placed various beans and grains on the street to attract business.
Even shops not selling food rushed to do some business, quickly stocking goods to sell on the street.
Moreover, nearby villagers brought all sorts of beans to sell on the street, hoping to earn money and exchange it for other goods to take home.
The jars filled with grains occupied the already narrow street, making it even narrower.
Li Xingsheng drove the carriage, squeezing through the crowd for two whole periods before reaching their shop.
Since there were so many people, the carriage couldn’t stop in front of the shop as usual, so Li Xingsheng parked it in a nearby alley. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
If anyone needed it, he would move the carriage.
Since they hadn’t opened the shop in the morning, people assumed it was closed. At that moment, several passersby were resting on the empty space in front of the shop.
Two basket-carrying women, seeing them come to open the shop, left voluntarily.
Two men with poles left as well.
Only a chubby boy with a backpack looked at them once and merely shifted his body but didn’t leave, still sitting on the steps in front of the shop.
The streets were packed with people today, everywhere was crowded, and as long as there was a place to stand, people were either standing, crouching, or sitting.
Normally no one would compete for his spot, Li Xingsheng didn’t say anything to the boy, opened the door, and called the Second Princess into the shop.
"Coming, Second Brother." The Second Princess entered the shop, rolled up her sleeves, and began moving the jars of scones outside.
While doing business, also keeping an eye out for suitable men, as Li Xingsheng had advised the Second Princess on the way.
A hardworking girl would catch a man’s attention, standing on the street gawking and giggling at men was the behavior of streetwalking brothel women.
Li Xingsheng and the Second Princess arranged the jars and set up the price signs, soon customers came to buy scones.
Their shop had been open for several months, having already established regular customers.
An old lady laughed and said, "Why didn’t you open this morning? What were you siblings up to?"
The Second Princess said, "Oh, there was something at home, we came late."
"I figured you’d come in the afternoon, and look, you opened just as I arrived. Quickly, pack twenty scones for me. Tomorrow, my children and grandchildren who work in other counties will all be home, I need to buy some snacks to take back."
The Second Princess’s scones were sold at friendly prices, common flavors costing three coins apiece, with deals for bulk purchases. During December, everyone bought dozens at a time, and the Second Princess could sell one or two thousand scones in a day.
After doing business with four customers in succession, the Second Princess finally had a chance to catch her breath.
She raised her hand to flick away a strand of hair that had been blown over her eyes by the wind, seeing that the boy resting at the shop’s doorstep had not left.
Curious, she asked, "Hey, are you going to buy some scones? The ones I make are delicious, buy five get one free, buy ten get three free."
The boy looked at the jars of scones and shook his head, "Not buying."
The Second Princess shrugged. Alright, not a scone buyer.
After a while, the boy said, "Do you guys need to hire some help? I can help you with work, and you can decide on the wages yourselves." He pointed to the returning customers, "You guys are so busy, surely you need help, right?"
There were usually three people working in the shop: the Great Princess, the Second Princess, and Li Xingsheng.
The Great Princess sold her embroidery, the Second Princess sold scones. Her embroidery products were expensive and had fewer buyers, while the Second Princess’s scones were cheap with many buyers, keeping her busy all day. When the Great Princess didn’t have business, she’d help pack scones and handle money.
But today, the Great Princess was at home making her wedding dress, and didn’t come, just as business was exceptionally good in the shop, leaving the Second Princess so busy she didn’t even have time to drink water.
She said, "I’ll ask my Second Brother."
Li Xingsheng was tending to the stove, as the Second Princess’s scones were almost sold out and needed to be made fresh.
The Second Princess tugged on Li Xingsheng’s sleeve, "Second Brother, do we need someone to help in the shop? That person said he wants to help and let us decide his wages."
Li Xingsheng turned around to see a chubby-faced, tall boy around thirteen or fourteen years old standing in front of their shop.
The boy had a large backpack slung over his shoulder and looked clever with his outfit in good condition, albeit grey and wrinkled, with a weary expression, not looking like someone likely to work.
Like a lazy lout sneaking out for fun.
Li Xingsheng was wary he might cause trouble and raised an eyebrow, "Our shop’s work seems simple but isn’t really. For instance, tending the stove, dealing with customers, quoting prices—do you know how to tend the stove? Do you know arithmetic?"
The boy glanced at the stove, bit his lip, and said, "I know how to tend the stove, and I know arithmetic too."
Li Xingsheng didn’t really want to tend the stove himself and said, "Then show us how you tend the stove first."
"Alright." The boy was delighted and walked into the shop.
He placed his backpack in a corner of the shop, rolled up his sleeves, and started tending to the stove.
