18. The Landlord's Daughter

“Nothing,” Zhou Wangzu said reluctantly as he withdrew his gaze, shooting a sharp look at his colleagues who were watching with amusement.

Just then, another customer arrived, and he hurried to greet them.

The brief incident at the supply and marketing cooperative was quickly forgotten. Having secured the grain seeds, they continued on with their itinerary.

The next stop was the department store.

The department store was divided into several sections according to the types of goods, each with counters arranged in front. After a quick glance around, Jiang Ruo headed straight toward the fabric counter.

There wasn’t much fabric in the counter; only a few types were openly displayed, mostly in dull, grayish colors. The only bright color was white, along with a bolt of patterned cloth. In one corner, there was a stack of coarse homespun fabric, obviously woven by local villagers.

After scanning the offerings, Jiang Ruo chose a dark blue bolt, a black one, and a blue one. As for the fabrics from her own area, none of them appealed to her—and besides, she wasn’t short on clothes.

For every season—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—her wardrobe held no fewer than seven or eight pieces. Grandparents never missed a season, and her brother bought clothes regularly, not to mention gifts for her eldest sister and younger sister, and the garments her grandparents made each year. The village’s young wives and girls often envied her.

Seeing the homespun fabric in the corner, she decided to pick some up as well.

She selected a black piece, a gray one, a red-and-blue checked one, and a striped piece. Though the material was coarse, it was still suitable for making bed sheets, quilts, or even clothes.

Most importantly, these fabrics were affordably priced—two to three mao cheaper per yard than khaki, dacron-cotton blends, or cotton cloth.

Don’t underestimate those few mao; three mao could buy seven or eight eggs.

The saleswoman behind the counter was stunned by the young lady’s lavish purchase.

Who buys fabric by the bolt? This was extravagance beyond reason. As the words left her mouth, other sales clerks from neighboring counters glanced over.

Dacron-cotton blend cost one yuan twenty mao per yard, which was considered sky-high when three eggs could be bought for just one mao. Khaki fabric was a bit cheaper at eighty mao per yard; fine cotton was also eighty mao; the coarse homespun was sixty mao per yard. Buying all that fabric required a significant sum—especially when purchased by the bolt.

After her initial shock, the saleswoman’s expression soured. To her, this young girl was just causing trouble.

Who would let a child carry so much money to buy things? Even if favored at home, this wasn’t the way to show it.

At sixteen or seventeen, pale-skinned and delicate, without any adult accompanying her, she probably couldn’t even lift a single bolt of fabric, let alone several.

Perhaps she came to the store just to assert her presence. They’d seen such people before and barely bothered to acknowledge them. The woman rolled her eyes, turned, and sat back down, picking up the half-finished knitted sweater.

Jiang Ruo was left speechless.

She was a little stunned, her mind struggling to catch up. She didn’t quite understand the saleswoman’s attitude, especially the eye roll.

Could it be that the woman looked down on her? Since the saleswoman hadn’t even spared her an extra glance, Jiang Ruo reluctantly accepted it.

But that was just how saleswomen could be.

Jiang Ruo opened her mouth to respond but restrained her frustration at the last moment.

After all, it was a rare trip out; she couldn’t return empty-handed. Without a receipt, there was no guarantee she could buy what she needed next year.

She quickly smiled again, pulling her bag in front of her. Without the extra fuss of taking out her wallet, she opened it directly.

“Sister, could you please help me get the fabrics I asked for earlier? Thank you so much.”

Before her parents passed away, Jiang Ruo had been a lively and cheerful girl, the little princess of the family—spoiled and proud. But after their deaths, especially when she realized their passing was no accident, that little princess vanished. Her heart was filled with thoughts of revenge, and she lost herself. When her grandparents died, she became like a block of ice, devoid of warmth.

But now, it was as if she had been reborn. No, having died once, she truly was reborn. Now, she just wanted to live well. All negative emotions melted away like the thunderstorm that had passed.

So when she called the saleswoman “sister” so tenderly, it felt natural, not forced. Her clear, expressive eyes and sweet appearance made it hard for anyone to harbor ill feelings.

Her looks had always been sweet and non-threatening, easily disarming others’ suspicions. This was how she had fooled the cunning Qin Shian.

At this moment, her sweet smile combined with the deliberate display of money made the saleswoman, who was knitting, feel her cheeks flush. She quickly stood up.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear you. Comrade, did you say you want fabric?” Though awkward, the saleswoman was quick to recover and smiled broadly to make amends.

“No problem, maybe I spoke too softly. Sister, could you please get this bolt, and this one too...” Jiang Ruo pointed to the fabrics she wanted with a smile. The saleswoman’s smile grew more genuine. The two of them—one speaking, one fetching—soon made the earlier awkwardness vanish.

Most importantly, selling more goods brightened the saleswoman’s day. Good sales meant bonuses.

In the end, Jiang Ruo bought not only seven bolts of cloth but also a pair of liberation shoes for each family member. If she hadn’t bought so much, she would have wanted to clear out the entire shoe counter—buying supplies wouldn’t be easy in the future.

Remembering her grandparents’ worn-out rubber shoes, she also grabbed a pair for each of them.

All told, the total came to 237 yuan and 58 mao. Such a large sum raised many eyebrows.

“The foolish daughter of a landlord’s family!”

Almost simultaneously, this phrase echoed in everyone’s minds.

Over two hundred yuan could feed and clothe them well for years. Some people saved their whole lives and never reached that amount.

Such extravagance was unbelievable. If only that money belonged to them—some people’s eyes darkened at the thought.

Jiang Ruo promptly paid and, under everyone’s astonished gaze, lifted all her purchases at once as if they were weightless. This surprised everyone again.

They marveled at her strength, beginning to understand why her family trusted her to come out alone.

It also made some people with ulterior motives reconsider their plans.

Jiang Ruo was deliberately showing off, flashing such a large sum in this rural place to warn others off—demonstrating her strength to intimidate.

Flies buzzing around can be quite annoying.

But she wasn’t afraid.

With the saleswoman’s help, the fabrics and shoes were secured on the back seat of the vehicle.

“Girl, once you’ve bought good things, you’d better get going...” the saleswoman said, glancing at the few people who had followed and giving Jiang Ruo a knowing wink.

No matter how strong a girl was, she couldn’t stand against a crowd with ill intentions. The saleswoman, though short-tempered, wasn’t a bad person. Seeing such a bright and pretty girl, she couldn’t help but offer a warning.

Jiang Ruo smiled. “Thank you, sister. My family will come to pick me up. Here, please enjoy this sweet treat.”

She pulled a handful of fruit candies from her bag and handed them to the saleswoman.

“Oh my, you shouldn’t have,” the woman said, unable to refuse the candy. Her own two children loved sweets the most.