Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: ”Luo Shenyao” and ”Fragrance Comes” (Part 1)

”Bro, when you finish training later, pick up some nail polish on your way back. We’ve almost used up the last batch we bought. And don’t forget to go to the market to buy some pig trotters for Godmother. Today is our first day selling at the market, so don’t delay. I’ll go with Xiao Yu to the convenience store to pick up some foam boxes. They said they could give us some. We also need to buy some clean plastic bags and get some cardboard too. We need to make the sign this morning,” Luo Qianqian said distractedly as she performed her horse stance, instructing the very focused and sweaty Luo Shufan under the already high-hanging sun.

”Mmm-hmm, okay, be careful,” Luo Shufan said with a blade of grass in his mouth, his expression also one of excitement.

Seeing his sister work hard for so long, he had also put in his effort. Finally, they could prove that they were not just ordinary troublemakers, but troublemakers who could make money.

As soon as Luo Qianqian saw Mr. He coming downstairs in his changed clothes, she hurriedly fixed her sloppy stance into a serious one and said, ”Godfather, you’re off to work, right? Good luck.”

”Dad, have a good day,” He Wenyu said. Seeing Mr. He carry his tea cup down the stairs, he snapped out of his daze and instantly became alert. He turned and rested his chin on Luo Qianqian’s shoulder, ”Finally free, let’s go.”

”Brother, we’ll go first then. Remember all those things and come back early,” Luo Qianqian said. Seeing her shoulder suddenly burdened by an enlarged pretty face made her happy, ”Let’s go get the boxes.”

He Wenyu nodded, waved goodbye to the sweaty Luo Shufan, and pulled Luo Qianqian as they bounced excitedly across the street towards the convenience store.

”Uncle, Auntie, we’re here!” Luo Qianqian was dragged along in her bouncing steps into the store, smiling at the elderly couple who were old enough to be their grandparents.

”Xiao Yu, Qianqian, you’re here early. Have a seat, Auntie will get you some candy,” the woman said, ready to open the bubble gum box.

”Auntie, no need, thank you. We’ve actually come to pick up the boxes,” Luo Qianqian said sweetly, smiling at the couple as she firmly held back He Wenyu’s hand that was reaching for the candy.

”This box isn’t very sturdy, be careful when you play with it,” the husband said, handing over the box with a smile from behind the counter, ”Come back when you’re done playing, Uncle will get you some ice lollies.”

”Thank you, Uncle. We’re gonna go now, bye Uncle, Auntie,” Luo Qianqian said, finding it funny to see He Wenyu pouting as if he could hang a huge oil bottle from his mouth.

Luo Qianqian recalled that in her previous life, He Wenyu was a female knight, upright and kind, who could not stand to see bullying, never took advantage of others, and had such firm principles she could have been a soldier. In this life, since they met earlier, their values were not yet fully formed. Luo Qianqian couldn’t afford to let the female knight disappear and felt the need to establish the right principles: ”What’s wrong? Angry about the bubble gum?”

”Why wouldn’t you let me take it when it’s freely given? It’s candy, wouldn’t it be nice to eat it? Why didn’t you let me?” He Wenyu said, his voice full of a grievance that reached Luo Qianqian’s ears.

”Xiao Yu, take a look at the box Uncle and Auntie cleaned for us. It’s so clean and shiny, definitely wiped down and washed. Are you their relative? I guess not. Seeing how nice this box is, do you still have the nerve to keep accepting bubblegum?” Luo Qianqian stopped walking, turned around with the box in her arms, and stood opposite He Wenyu, staring intently at her.

”Well, my mom and dad often buy oil, salt, sauce, vinegar from their store to support their business,” He Wenyu argued defiantly.

”Buying and selling is normal in business; nobody forced your parents to buy specifically from their store. Because your parents are regular customers, that’s why you could get this box. It’s because we asked politely and made a good impression that they cleaned the box before giving it to us. They just thought we were going to play with it and didn’t want us to dirty our clothes; this is a favor. You still take stuff they sell for money without paying, feeling okay about that? Besides, it’s not like this box can’t be sold for money,” Luo Qianqian paused, watching He Wenyu slowly lower her head and thought to herself that the kid must be inherently good after all: ”If you want candy, you can buy some. We don’t just take it for free. Later when you come back, bring a wind chime to give to Uncle and Auntie as a thank-you gift.”

”No way! Have you lost your mind? We’ve only made a couple dozen wind chimes after all this time, and you want to give them away before we’ve sold any? I don’t agree!” He Wenyu, who had been looking down, immediately snapped her head up and said sharply, ”I might as well stop eating bubblegum and ice pops then. I just don’t agree.”

”All you do is lose your temper, thinking that being loud makes you right,” Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes and continued, ”I’m not suggesting we give them away for nothing. Think about it, this is a small store with people coming and going. A wind chime hanging at the door would be seen by everyone, isn’t that free advertising? Do you know how much advertising costs nowadays? You’re not even happy when it’s free. And can’t you think long-term? Aren’t we going to grow bigger in the future, needing even more boxes? If today you take bubblegum for a little profit, how can you have the face to ask for boxes later? People might think you’re there to ask for bubblegum again.”

”Then you can give them bracelets or necklaces instead; one wind chime can make five bracelets,” He Wenyu still glared, unsatisfied, at Luo Qianqian who was half a head shorter than she was.

Hearing He Wenyu’s words, Luo Qianqian resisted the urge to roll her eyes again: ”As for bracelets, it’s fine for kids our age, or pretty big sisters in their teens or twenties to wear them, but Aunty is what, fifty? Wearing that? You’re not thinking straight, right? Plus, my previous point wasn’t finished. With all the people passing by, how do you know no one will like our wind chimes? How can you be certain they won’t ask where they can buy one? If someone wants to make a purchase, wouldn’t Uncle and Auntie ask you about it? Isn’t it good to make steady money without having to run around, not to mention without paying for advertising? Don’t you think it’s like us earning money?” No matter what, the Female Knight from her past life wouldn’t become greedy over a small amount of money – although Luo Qianqian herself now loved money and couldn’t wait to make it every day.

”Yeah, Qianqian, you’re so clever. I just learned to tie Chinese knots from my mom yesterday. I’ll go back and check if adding them to the wind chimes would look nice. They’re bound to look good and someone will surely ask about them. Money, here we come!” He Wenyu’s eyes sparkled as she lifted the half-person tall foam box with one hand and tugged Luo Qianqian with the other. They took off running toward the Luo Family’s home.

Luo Qianqian really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was it right or wrong to bring He Wenyu along? How did the righteous Female Knight from her previous life turn into a merchant so soon after meeting her?

Once at the Luo Family’s home, He Wenyu carefully placed the box aside and started going through her Hundred Treasures Box that she had brought. Fabric and ribbons were put to one side, lace and beads to another, as she pulled out colored ropes buried at the bottom: ”I brought these to learn to make bracelets and planned to make two for each of us, but making money is more important. I only have red, green, blue, and yellow ropes here, should be enough to make about a dozen. Tomorrow, I’ll bring more from home; we have lots of this stuff.”

Scraps of fabric? Pretty fabric? A lightbulb went on in Luo Qianqian’s head, and she thought of a new way to make money: ”Xiao Yu, does your family have a lot of these kinds of fabric scraps?”

”Do you even need to ask? With all the clothes my mom makes, how can we be short on scraps? But my house doesn’t have as nice ones as I have here. What’s up, you want some? I’ll share some of these with you. Mine all have patterns and the colors are pretty,” He Wenyu said, pushing the box into Luo Qianqian’s arms with a generous smile, ”If you like them, just take them. If we run out, I’ll just ask my mom for more.”

”No, no, hehe, I’ve just thought of a great idea.”

When Luo Shufan opened the door, this was the scene he saw: one girl, all aglow and beaming with a box in her arms and laughing like a fool; the other swiftly tying knots with color ropes in her hands.