Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 27 Wu-bearded Woodcutter
Upon learning that the other party was his boss, Shopkeeper Du bowed with neither servility nor arrogance: "This is my first time meeting a new boss, and I am sorry that I didn't recognize you. I hope you won't be offended, Madam."

Tan Huaike said, "That's all right. I came here today just to check out the shop's situation. I happened to meet Shopkeeper Du, who was so eloquent and negotiated a big deal, so it was worth the trip. But don't worry, Shopkeeper Du, I won't scold you for cutting prices for customers. I believe you will never do business at a loss."

Shopkeeper Du waved his handkerchief and said angrily, "Oh, madam, please stop making fun of me..."

She could hardly hide her joy. The new boss seemed to be knowledgeable, capable of running a business and willing to delegate power. This was a blessing for them as shopkeepers.

"Now that I've taken over the shop, I won't sit idly by and watch the difficulties here." Tan Huaike pointed out, "I want to bring the cloth shop's account books for the past three years back to the mansion for inspection. Can Manager Du help me with this?"

"It's convenient. What's inconvenient about it?" Shopkeeper Du said generously, "It's just that there are too many account books and they are too heavy. I don't think you can move them back by yourself. I will sort them out right away and have a few employees deliver them to Shentu Mansion for you later."

"Good work."

Before leaving, Tan Huaike gave Manager Du ten cents.

Shopkeeper Du quickly refused: "No, no, you are using our own cloth, why should we pay for it?"

She refused to take it, so Tan Huaike placed the money on the counter: "Even in our own shop, we have to settle accounts clearly. If the cloth for making clothes is not purchased, this bundle cannot be given away for nothing. The money should be collected. It will be the same in the future. Whether it is the Tan family or the Shentu family, anyone who buys cloth or ready-made clothes from Zhiyun Cloth Workshop must settle the account clearly."

She wasn't just saying this. Leveraging her family's wealth, Tan Anfu constantly requested the Zhiyun Textile Workshop deliver her the latest and finest fabrics and garments, claiming it was to clear out unsold inventory. She'd never been seen to post or pay for anything. And when Shentu Ji disparaged her at the wedding ceremony, he clearly knew the shop's plight. Tan Huaike wouldn't believe her if she didn't try to profit from it. She'd be left to shoulder the losses, truly being the unfortunate victim.

Shopkeeper Du knew very well that her boss' order to do this was actually to relieve her of a burden, so that she would have the confidence to deal with those social interactions.

She complied respectfully.
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Tan Huaike and Pei'er left the cloth shop and asked the woodcutter where to sell firewood, while visiting the surrounding merchants.

She asked a waiter at a teahouse, "Your shop looks brand new, did you just open recently?"

The waiter replied, "Yes, we just opened last month. The boss even hired a storyteller, and the shop is busy every day... Sir, would you like to have some tea?"

Tan Huaike went to visit a jewelry store again. It looked similar to the cloth shop, with few customers.

Going further ahead is the street where restaurants and hotels are concentrated. Pei'er found out that the lame Hu woodcutter often stayed at a small intersection, selling some leftover firewood.

When we found Zhali, he was leaning against the eaves. He was a sturdy man with a worn straw hat covering his face. His reddish-brown hair and beard were matted, and he looked very unkempt. At his feet were four piles of firewood, neatly arranged.

Pei'er stepped forward and said, "Hey, Uncle Woodcutter, wake up, there's business coming."

Zhali reluctantly stood up and took off his straw hat, revealing a tough face that was completely different from the poor and frugal look they had imagined. He said in a strong Hu accent, "What firewood do you want to buy?"

Tan Huaike said, "We cook at home and don't know much about how to choose firewood."

"Huh, you look like a clueless young lady." Zhali looked at them with disdain. "You don't even know how to choose firewood, and you still want to cook?"

"How can you talk like that?" Pei'er couldn't help but say. The second young master was right. This man really had a bad temper. He could make people angry to death with just one word.

"Not being able to choose firewood doesn't mean you can't cook, right?" Tan Huaike retorted in a gentle voice. "Not being able to choose firewood means you don't know how to control the heat. If you can't control the heat well... humph, nothing you cook will taste good."

"The Wuxu people's forests have been seized and occupied by the Tiluo Kingdom. It's hard for them to even get enough to eat. Why would they care about what kind of firewood to use or whether they know how to cook a fire?"

laugh--

Pei'er suppressed her laughter, as if she heard the sound of a sharp arrow piercing the chest of the black-bearded woodcutter.

"..." Looking at the thin, delicate, yet sharp-tongued young lady in front of him, Zhali slowly asked, "Are you also a Wuxu... No, are you a Mohe?"

"I'm a customer who's here to buy firewood." The woodcutter had a keen eye. Tan Huaike dodged the question and asked him again, "I run a small stove in my yard. On weekdays, there are only two or three people eating. I need a long-term supply of firewood. What kind of firewood is best?"

Frustrated, Zhali responded honestly, pointing to the pile on the far left. "Of course, the best is He wood, or Shi grouper wood. I sell He wood here. It's straight, burns well, and produces a lot of charcoal. As the saying goes, 'burn He wood and eat white millet.' It's perfect for cooking in the yard. But it's expensive, so ordinary people can't afford it."

He pointed to the pile of firewood next to him and said, "Next is pine branches. They are used for the big stoves in restaurants and hotels. They burn loudly and produce a lot of smoke, so you can't use them... This pile is rafters. The branches are not thick, so they are easy to split. They start a fire quickly and are cheap. However, the wood is very loose and not very durable... Finally, this pile is duck feet. The fire is dim, not durable, and the price is the cheapest.

"It's up to you to decide which one to choose. If you're well-off, go with spruce wood. If you want to save some money, go with rafter wood. I think if you two or three people cook two or three dishes at most, rafter wood will be enough. It would be a waste if you don't burn all the spruce wood."

After listening to his detailed explanation, Tan Huaike also made a decision: "Then let's do the firewood. I'll give you this as a deposit first, and deliver it to the east side courtyard of Shentu Mansion once every ten days."

"Shentu Mansion?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

Zhali's expression changed over and over again, but he didn't say anything in the end. He counted the silver and said, "Alright, I'll send you this ten-day supply of firewood tomorrow morning." The discussion was supposed to end here, but he couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph, you're the wife of the Shentu Mansion, and you still have to go out and buy firewood yourself? Don't wealthy families have people who provide you with the best firewood?"

Tan Huaike said, "I live my own life and don't mix with them."

"Oh, about a split up..." Zhali stroked his curly beard, "Then why did you think of buying firewood from me? I usually only do business on Xiangling Street and Yunhexiangjie."

"It was the second young master in the mansion who recommended you to me. He said your firewood is good and the price is fair." Tan Huaike heard the hidden meaning in his words and asked, "I guess you know Shen Tu Zhuo?"

"I...he..." Zari gritted his teeth, "He is the one who crippled my leg!"

"Ah?" Such a big grudge? Tan Huaike couldn't help but ask, "Then are you still willing to send me firewood?"

"Never mind, let's put things aside. Besides, he..." Zari covered his face with his straw hat and said irritably, "Oh, I'm so annoyed. He always causes me trouble!"
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　Next chapter: Bold moves.

　　【Double update in progress, scroll back.】

　　
　
(End of this chapter)