However, a slightly deep voice suddenly came from inside the house: “A’Yu.”

Wen Yu was slightly startled before realizing that the scoundrel was calling her. This was the first time he had addressed her since she had told him her name.

Thinking she had been caught eavesdropping, Wen Yu couldn’t bother with that bit of discomfort in her heart at the moment. She waved the broom in her hands a couple more times before turning her head around, feigning complete ignorance, and said, “Yes?”

The light inside the house was too dim to make out the scoundrel’s expression at that moment. He seemed to pause for a brief moment before raising his hand and tossing her a string of copper coins, saying, “Go to Xu’s and buy a steamer of buns to bring back.”

The copper coins landed at Wen Yu’s feet, making a small crater in the snow on the ground.

This meant he wanted to send her away before continuing the conversation.

Wen Yu acknowledged, picked up the copper coins, and walked out.

Only after stepping out of the courtyard gate did her expression become thoughtful.

The trouble that Chen Laizi’s blunder had brought to that scoundrel was probably not simple. Otherwise, even if the gambling house owner made that scoundrel pay back Chen Laizi’s gambling debts out of his own pocket, he wouldn’t need to send her away to talk.

Exactly how many complications were involved in this matter should theoretically have nothing to do with her, but now that she had become the catalyst for this affair, it would likely be difficult to stay uninvolved.

Unless… she could quickly regain her freedom and sever ties with this scoundrel’s family.

But relying on the hidden insignia on the embroidered handkerchiefs to contact her trusted aides was ultimately just a matter of luck and couldn’t be entirely depended upon.

If she couldn’t contact her trusted aides, the only remaining way to regain her freedom would be to repay the thirty taels of gambling debt owed by Chen Laizi.

As Wen Yu pondered these matters, she had unknowingly walked out of the alley. With few people going out early on this snowy day, the sounds of an argument at the street corner reached Wen Yu’s ears particularly clearly.

“…That Chen Erlang used to collect handkerchiefs at ten wen each. How is it that you, young brother, are only giving seven wen?”

“If Chen Erlang collected your handkerchiefs at ten wen each, then go find Chen Erlang! Why are you looking for me?”

In the distance, Xiao Huiniang coughed a few times before continuing to address the fierce-eyed peddler: “It’s just that Chen Erlang’s whole family has gone back to the countryside for the New Year, so I can only trouble you, young brother. Please look more carefully. These are Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs with fine workmanship and new designs. Even if the price doubled, there would still be profit to be made selling them at the tile market. Never mind the other handkerchiefs, but how can these also be priced the same as ordinary embroidered handkerchiefs?”

The peddler said impatiently, “Suzhou embroidery or not, aren’t they all just handkerchiefs? I only have one price here. If you want to sell, be quick about it. If not, don’t delay my business!”

Though he said this, his shifty eyes were glancing sideways at Xiao Huiniang, and he had even counted out a string of copper coins, clearly meaning to hand over the money the moment Xiao Huiniang relented.

Who would have expected that after Xiao Huiniang looked at those exquisitely embroidered handkerchiefs in the basket for a while, she would shake her head and say, “Then I won’t sell.”

Having said this, she picked up the basket and walked back. When the cold wind blew, she couldn’t stop coughing.

The peddler had seen that her clothes were shabby and she had been coughing throughout their conversation, appearing sickly and weak. He had assumed her family urgently needed money, which was why he dared to cut the price so drastically. He never expected that she would just refuse to sell.

He called out a price from behind: “Fine, fine, I’ll give you ten wen each for those several Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs!”

As he spoke, he caught up in a few steps and forcibly stuffed a string of copper coins into Xiao Huiniang’s hands, then reached out to take the basket from Xiao Huiniang’s hands: “The New Year is hard for everyone. Once you sell these handkerchiefs, you can turn around and use the money to buy some New Year goods!”

Xiao Huiniang hurriedly blocked his hand reaching for the basket and pushed back the copper coins he had forcibly thrust upon her, shouting, “What’s wrong with you? I said I’m not selling!”

Seeing that they seemed about to come to blows, Wen Yu quickly called out, “What are you doing? In broad daylight, are you trying to force a sale?”

The peddler had only intended to urge Xiao Huiniang into reluctantly agreeing, and hadn’t actually wanted to force a sale.

Hearing these words now, he couldn’t help but turn his head to look at the speaker.

Seeing that the speaker was a woman with red rashes on her face, he was even less pleasant, saying, “What forced sale? Which of your eyes saw me forcing a sale?”

“Big Sister already said she’s not selling, yet you’re still reaching out to take her things. If that’s not forcing a sale, what is it?”

“You!”

The peddler was momentarily at a loss for words. Those of them in business, when calling out prices and haggling in such situations, always handled it this way.

Now that someone had called him out on it, knowing he was in the wrong, he could only withdraw his hand.

When he was about to say something more, Xiao Huiniang on the side spoke first to Wen Yu: “Forget it, forget it. No need to argue with this person.”

She then looked at the peddler and said, “I’m not pretending not to sell to haggle with you. These Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs—if you don’t recognize their value, others will. Since you can’t offer a good price, we have nothing to negotiate.”

The peddler felt he had already compromised this much and was still being rejected, instantly becoming displeased. He only felt that the woman before him was too ungrateful. He laughed mockingly: “Fine! You just keep those few handkerchiefs of yours like they’re golden treasures and try selling them yourself. Let’s see who’ll buy them!”

Having said this, he picked up his carrying pole and strode away.

Only then did Wen Yu step forward to support Xiao Huiniang: “Big Sister, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Xiao Huiniang asked while coughing, “How did you come here?”

Wen Yu said, “A guest came to the house, and Second Master told me to go to Xu’s to buy buns.”

“Xu’s?” Xiao Huiniang frowned. “That’s in the east of the city. You’d have to cross half the city. How could he send you so far to buy buns?”

Xiao Huiniang thought her son was still taking out his anger over Chen Laizi’s matter on Wen Yu, deliberately making things difficult for her by ordering her around like this. She immediately cursed, “That troublesome brat!”

She patted her hand and said, “Don’t be afraid. When I get back, I’ll scold him. Chen Laizi is Chen Laizi, and you are you. Even if he holds a grudge against Chen Laizi, he can’t take it out on you!”

Wen Yu knew Xiao Huiniang had misunderstood, but this protection of her still moved her heart.

Thinking further about the trouble that scoundrel might be facing, she had originally only planned to leave as soon as possible after repaying the thirty taels. But now, thinking of Xiao Huiniang’s caring, if she could help in some way, she would naturally repay this kindness.

She smiled and said, “Perhaps Second Master likes the buns from Xu’s.”

Then her gaze swept to the basket in Xiao Huiniang’s hands and asked, “Since you’re not giving these embroidered handkerchiefs to that peddler, where do you plan to sell them?”

Xiao Huiniang sighed and said, “Chen Erlang, who usually collects my handkerchiefs, has gone back to the countryside for the New Year. He gives a fair price, so I can only wait until after the New Year to give them to him.”

Wen Yu had a thought: “Can’t we take them to an embroidery workshop or the market to sell ourselves?”

Xiao Huiniang shook her head and said, “Embroidery workshops have their own embroiderers, and their embroidered goods are already piled up unsold. Why would they buy more from outside? As for the market… only those peddlers would set up a stall, display various items, and slowly sell them by hawking. Selling on one’s own—how could it be so easy to sell them…”

At this point, she suddenly paused and lowered her eyes to look at those several Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs in the basket.

Other handkerchiefs might not work, but these several handkerchiefs were Suzhou embroidery, and the designs were new…

When she looked up at Wen Yu, Wen Yu was also looking at her.

Xiao Huiniang couldn’t help but laugh: “Look at my memory! These several handkerchiefs of yours succeed precisely because of their embroidery work and clever patterns. So let’s go to the tile market and try our luck!”

When the two arrived at the tile market, it had already been open for some time.

The snow on the ground had long been trampled into slush by passing pedestrians, a muddy mess. The sounds of hawking and haggling mixed with accents from all over intertwined together, creating quite a cacophony.

Using the wooden barriers placed in the center of the tile market as a boundary, the eastern market sold cotton, hemp, silk, satin, and various sundries and utensils, while the western market bought and sold livestock and animals.

Wen Yu and Xiao Huiniang walked around the eastern market, watching how those merchants hawked and conducted their business.

She also took this opportunity to very seriously memorize the prices of everything in the tile market.

The Late Emperor had no sons, so in earlier years, he had already selected her father prince from the imperial clan relatives as crown prince. The teacher her father prince had hired for her elder brother was Grand Tutor Yu, whose family had served as imperial tutors for three generations.

Grand Tutor Yu had once assigned her brother a course of study, requiring him to thoroughly investigate market prices among the common people. Her brother had spent over a month with his study companions compiling a price registry. After submitting it to Grand Tutor Yu, however, the tutor wouldn’t even open it.

That day she happened to be looking for her brother and was hiding behind the door when she heard Grand Tutor Yu sigh and ask her brother, “May I ask, was everything recorded in this registry seen with your own eyes, Young Lord?”

A look of shame rose on her brother’s refined face as he bowed deeply to Grand Tutor Yu: “Teacher, this student understands your intention.”

It took Wen Yu a very long time to understand that day’s conversation between Grand Tutor Yu and her brother.

Behind those market goods and prices lay the people’s livelihood.

The last time, she had been brought to this tile market by Chen Laizi like an object. This time, she wanted to remember all the “objects” and suffering that didn’t belong here.

Only by remembering could she work to change things in the future.

After making this round, Wen Yu and Xiao Huiniang had already inquired clearly about the price of embroidered handkerchiefs. Merchants uniformly called out twenty-five wen per handkerchief.

But that was only the price for ordinary embroidered handkerchiefs. They had browsed the entire tile market and hadn’t seen any Suzhou embroidery silk handkerchiefs for sale.

After some discussion, Wen Yu and Xiao Huiniang conservatively set the price for the Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs at fifty wen each.

What the two hadn’t expected was that there were also quite a few old women or young wives in this tile market carrying baskets and hawking various embroidered goods. Thanks to them already calling out their wares, Wen Yu and Xiao Huiniang, with baskets hanging from their arms, didn’t even need to strain their voices—passing pedestrians already knew what they were selling.

But with so many sellers, attracting business wasn’t an easy matter.

Xiao Huiniang called out the name of Suzhou embroidery, which did draw several women over to look at the handkerchiefs, but when they heard the price was fifty wen each, they all shook their heads and left.

After several such instances, Xiao Huiniang lost confidence and discussed with Wen Yu: “If we price the handkerchiefs too high, no one will buy. Should we change it to thirty wen each?”

Recalling the goods stalls she had observed along the way, Wen Yu suddenly said, “Let’s go walk around near the cloth-selling stalls and see.”

Xiao Huiniang was somewhat hesitant: “Will this… work? I’m afraid the stall owners will chase us away…”

Those selling various small embroidered items all gathered in this area. They would never dare go near the cloth merchants’ territory and risk being driven off.

Wen Yu whispered something in Xiao Huiniang’s ear. Xiao Huiniang’s expression changed several times before she finally followed along.

When the two appeared at the cloth stalls again, Wen Yu used a Suzhou embroidery handkerchief with an elegant orchid pattern from the basket as a veil, covering the lower half of her face where the rash marks were most severe.

She pretended to select cloth. Because her figure and bearing were already outstanding, even though her face was now covered, she still drew frequent glances from women or young ladies selecting cloth.

The cloth merchant thought they had come to attract business and was about to drive them away when he heard that snow-veiled woman say calmly, “Shopkeeper, do you have this silk in other colors? Show them to me. I want to see which are suitable for making silk handkerchiefs.”

The moment they transformed into customers, the cloth merchant’s cold face instantly became a warm face. How would he dare drive them away from his stall now?

Wen Yu then took advantage of selecting cloth to take out those embroidered handkerchiefs with novel and attractive patterns, comparing one by one what designs matched what colors of cloth better.

In this way, even those beside them selecting cloth, who originally had no intention of buying handkerchiefs, would inadvertently glance over and catch sight of those novel patterns and exquisite embroidery, inevitably becoming tempted.

Having already spent several hundred or thousand wen per bolt on silk cloth, what was buying a handkerchief for a few dozen wen but a matter of convenience? They paid especially readily.

In less than two ke, the embroidered handkerchiefs in Wen Yu’s basket were sold clean out. Many who hadn’t managed to buy those fashionable handkerchiefs asked whether they would come to sell again at the next market.

Wen Yu estimated that the embroidery patterns of those sold today would soon be copied by others, which was something she was happy to see. But to retain some customer base, she still smiled and answered that she would bring new handkerchief designs next time.

When she handed the silk bolts she had selected to the cloth merchant and asked him to cut a few chi for her, he had obviously also discovered this business opportunity and smiled warmly at Wen Yu: “Young lady, would you like to do long-term business?”

Wen Yu’s lashes lifted slightly. Half her face was covered by the veil, and the smile in her eyes was so faint it seemed to be there or not: “That can be discussed.”