This Life, I'm Raising the Right Man

As the Shen hour arrived, the number of customers at the marketplace dwindled, and they began to pack up after sending off the final patron.

Chun E approached with a smile to help clean up.

”You two sisters are really capable,” Chun E praised, ”I saw you didn’t rest at all from the moment you started setting up your stall. Also, the outfit you paired for me helped sell all my stock, a total of thirty-five sets. Had I not run out of stock, I’m sure we could have sold another dozen. Sister, I keep my word, here’s your bonus, take it.”

Su Yaoguang took it graciously with a smile, ”Then I won’t stand on ceremony, thank you, Sister Chun’e.”

”It’s me who should thank you. Are you free now? Can you help me pair a few more sets, I’ll still give you a tenth share.”

”Of course.” Su Yaoguang hoisted her basket onto her back.

As soon as she lifted it, Zhou Wangshu took it over.

Chun E grew fond of Zhou Wangshu the more she looked at him and said to Su Yaoguang, ”Your sister is not only pretty but also diligent. How about letting her stay to work for me?”

”Of course not, she’s my only helper, and you’re trying to take her.” Su Yaoguang joked, ”But if you offer ten taels monthly silver, I’ll consider it.”

”I can’t afford that.”

Su Yaoguang took a tour around the Clothing Shop and said to Chun E, ”Get out those goods you stashed at the back.”

Chun E replied, ”These are my new arrivals. If even these can’t sell, there’s no hope for those old stocks.”

”Just move them out, Sister. If I can’t help you sell them, I won’t boast like this again.”

Chun E agreed with a nod and led Su Yaoguang to the storeroom in the backyard.

”All my stocks are in the storeroom, Sister, feel free to choose whatever you like.”

”Time is limited today, I’ll pair three outfits for now.”

Su Yaoguang picked out Chun E’s oldest clothing styles. They were in fashion five years ago but have since been boxed away. The clothes were well-preserved but too old-fashioned, unlikely to even appeal to the older generation.

”You need to change the lining to silver, and make the outer layer of tulle irregular. I’ll sketch it out for you; just trim it accordingly.”

Zhou Wangshu, like a little tail, followed Su Yaoguang closely. Chun E watched him behave and liked him more with each look.

”This set needs adjustments too. Change the neckline to a round one, shorten and narrow the sleeves for ease of movement.”

After pairing three sets and sketching their modifications, Su Yaoguang shared her thoughts with Chun E: ”Sister Chun’e, we only come to the city during market days, otherwise we stay home prepping new items. I still have over forty bottles unsold that I’d like to leave here on consignment. I won’t take up space for free; I’ll give you a share, how’s that?”

”Sure, why not? Your little jewels can display on my shelves; I’ll keep samples out and store the rest. If a customer wants one, I’ll fetch it for them. But you have to label their prices because I’m worried I might mix them up.”

”No problem, I’ll put price tags on their lids.”

Su Yaoguang helped Chun E pair the clothes and made her arrangements, then left the Clothing Shop with Zhou Wangshu, heading to the pork stall to buy meat.

After buying the meat, they also purchased some rice, flour, various seasonings, and bottles they’d need soon.

The village’s ox cart had long returned by then, so they rented another. Despite starting a business, they tried not to be too conspicuous. The cart didn’t enter the village; instead, it left after reaching the neighboring village. Su Yaoguang carried a basket full of rice and flour, while Zhou Wangshu used a new basket for other items.

”Yaoguang is back. What are you carrying? Looks heavy,”

Auntie washing clothes by the river peeked curiously, seemingly wanting to see through their baskets.

Zhou Wangshu had already changed back into his clothes.

Su Yaoguang had him switch back at Chun E’s changing room. Upon seeing Zhou Wangshu in men’s attire, Chun E didn’t find it odd and praised Su Yaoguang for her attentiveness. She thought Zhou Wangshu was too attractive to safely wear women’s clothes, necessitating his disguise as female even though Chun E first saw him in men’s clothing, yet still mistook him for a ’sister’ upon seeing him dressed as a female.

Su Yaoguang didn’t explain, and Zhou Wangshu felt no need to explain to strangers.

Su Yaoguang had paired two outfits for Zhou Wangshu as well. Those men’s apparel hung on the racks of Chun E’s Clothing Shop as samples.

”On our way back, we passed a meat stall and saw a big bone, bought it for five cents,” Su Yaoguang said, taking out an extremely large bone from Zhou Wangshu’s basket, stripped clean of any meat.

Typically, people lacked greasy food, preferring fatty meat, and avoiding even lean meat, let alone a bone devoid of any meat residue.

”You really are... thrifty,” Auntie instantly lost her interest in chatting.

Their family was so impoverished; what was she expecting?

Today, not seeing her and her young husband in town made Auntie assume they were living luxuriously in the city, only to find she was waiting for a discarded bone.

”No choice, only my mom earns money at home, supporting the three of us. How else do we manage if not to save?”

”If you had Huan’s embroidery skills, you wouldn’t be so tight.”

”Everyone has their own fate. She lives her way, I live mine,” Su Yaoguang said, ”Auntie, take your time washing clothes, I’m heading back to make bone broth.”

The aunt sighed as she washed clothes: ”Women are different, Huan is pretty and has a skill to earn money. Just look at this Yaoguang girl, with her dark skin, yellow and sparse hair like bean sprouts, incomparable.”

Su Yaoguang fiddled with her hair, recalling how she changed her appearance in her past life. Back then, she was already an official’s wife, starting skin and beauty care in her twenties, yielding small results within a year. But no matter how much effort she put in, it was only for blind eyes.

Now at fifteen, still able to grow, she believed regular skincare would eventually rid her of her current awkward appearance.

”Don’t mind her,” Zhou Wangshu said, ”You’re ten, a hundred times prettier than Jiang Yihuan.”

”You don’t have to comfort me, Wang Shu,” Su Yaoguang laughed, ”I know I’m not as pretty as Jiang Yihuan, but those are changeable. Looks can change, but once the heart rots, it can’t heal.”