Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 402 Chengni Inkstone

Ahem~~
Upon seeing He Yuanchao, the sales clerk at the scarf counter quickly coughed twice and winked at the two female sales clerks who were talking.

The two saleswomen weren't stupid either. Seeing Sister Li's unusual behavior, they immediately shut up and turned to look behind them.

Upon seeing He Yuanchao approaching, the two female sales clerks looked somewhat awkward and quickly left the scarf counter with their heads down.

The two had walked a few steps when they stopped in front of the shoe counter, chatting with the sales clerk inside while glancing at the scarf counter every now and then.

He Yuanchao overheard some of the conversation between the three female saleswomen, but not all of it, and didn't take it seriously. He walked to the scarf counter, handed the receipt in his hand to the saleswoman, said a polite word, picked up the scarf, and turned to leave.

"Comrade, wait a minute."

The scarf saleswoman was all bark and no bite; she had refused to help ask earlier, but seeing He Yuanchao about to leave, she couldn't help but speak up.

Hearing the sales clerk call his name, He Yuanchao stopped and turned around, asking in confusion:

"What's wrong, ma'am? Is there a problem with the receipt?"

"No, no, the receipt is fine."

The saleswoman waved her hand, her face slightly flushed, and explained, "Comrade, it's...it's like this, I...I want to ask you...ask you about something."

Seeing the saleswoman's hesitant expression, He Yuanchao assumed she wanted to exchange some of his extra cloth coupons, so he spoke gently:

"What's wrong, sister?"

The saleswoman, a woman who had lived for over forty years, had never done matchmaking before. A little embarrassed to speak, she hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying:
"Comrade, I'd like to ask where you're from, and whether you work in Yangqu County?"

Upon hearing this, He Yuanchao's mind went blank. Combining what he had just heard the three people say, he immediately understood what was going on.

This lady is trying to arrange a marriage between two people!
After all that fuss, it turns out the three of them were talking about themselves! Hey! What kind of mess is this?! They just wanted to buy a scarf and ended up with this whole drama.

He thought to himself that if a stranger offered to introduce him to someone, it would prove that he was quite charming, and He Yuanchao was quite pleased with himself.

But things were different in those days compared to later generations.

Although there is no crime of hooliganism at present, having illicit relationships with women is not a good reputation. If it really gets out of hand, not only will your reputation be ruined, but your job may also be affected.

"Big sister, I'm from Kyoto. I'm here on a business trip and I'll be going back tonight."

He Yuanchao had no interest in eating mutton and didn't want to get into trouble. To avoid embarrassing the saleswoman, he didn't explicitly state the matter, but his meaning was quite clear.

Upon hearing this, the sales clerk's face immediately relaxed, and she said, "Kyoto is a wonderful place. I've always wanted to go, but unfortunately, I've never had the time."

In order to leave as soon as possible, He Yuanchao glanced at the time and pretended to be anxious, saying, "It's almost time. I have to go to the train station, so I won't chat with you any longer."

Without waiting for the salesperson's response, she grabbed the scarf and hurried toward the stairwell.

As soon as they saw He Yuanchao come downstairs, two female sales clerks, one tall and one short, immediately gathered in front of the scarf counter.

The scarf saleswoman, no longer embarrassed, smiled and said before the two could speak, "You heard what that person said, now you've given up, haven't you?"

"Alas! What a pity, people from Kyoto! If I had met them a few days earlier, my niece might be enjoying a life of luxury right under the emperor's nose."

"Who says otherwise! And this person, couldn't he have come to buy the scarf a couple of days earlier?"

...The scarf saleswoman ignored their complaints and went about tidying up the scarves on the counter.

He Yuanchao left the store at a little past nine in the morning, still a long time before his appointment with Li Hongtao. He wasn't in a hurry and strolled leisurely toward the guesthouse.

Although Yangqu is not a bustling place, since we're here and have some free time, we should at least take a look around. Otherwise, we might not be able to come back again!
On the way, He Yuanchao originally planned to buy some local specialties to bring back to Kyoto, but after inquiring, he immediately gave up the idea.

The local specialties here are noodles, Yangqu millet, and dates. We can't take the noodles with us, and the dates aren't in season yet. There are many varieties of Yangqu millet, but they're not easy to find right now.

It should be easy to get it on the black market, but it's not worth the risk for such a small amount.

He Yuanchao had nationally valid grain coupons in his pocket. When he passed by a grain store, he decided to give it a try and asked them a question.

The staff at the grain store were quite polite to someone buying grain, but the words "There is no grain available right now" completely disheartened He Yuanchao.

As he was leaving, the staff at the grain store kindly reminded him to come earlier next time the grain was distributed, as the grain store's supply was not sufficient, and if he came late, there wouldn't be much left, or he might not be able to buy any at all.

After leaving the grain store, He Yuanchao lost interest in continuing to shop. He checked the time, decided to return the cashmere scarf to the guesthouse, and then head to the restaurant.

I had only taken a few steps when I felt someone following me from behind.

He Yuanchao turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in his forties wearing glasses.

The man was startled when He Yuanchao suddenly turned around, and he took a few steps back, almost falling over.

Seeing the middle-aged man looking guilty, He Yuanchao turned around and looked at him coldly.

Seeing that He Yuanchao was about to start a fight at the slightest provocation, the middle-aged man quickly said, "Comrade, please don't misunderstand, I have no ill intentions."

After saying that, he turned his head and glanced around. Seeing that no one was around, he cautiously approached He Yuanchao and whispered:

"Comrade...I...I have a family heirloom Chengni inkstone here, do you...want it?"

Upon seeing the middle-aged man's hesitant and evasive manner, He Yuanchao knew that this man was neither a businessman nor a thief.

But it's easy to draw a tiger's skin but hard to draw its bones; you can know a person's face but not their heart. It's always better to be careful when you're out and about.

"No."

After He Yuanchao finished speaking, he turned and left without any hesitation.

The middle-aged man paused for a moment upon seeing this, then gritted his teeth and quickly caught up with He Yuanchao, saying:
"Comrade, don't rush off! Take a look at the inkstone first."

As he spoke, he handed a cloth bag he was holding to He Yuanchao.

He Yuanchao ignored the middle-aged man and showed no interest in looking at the inkstone, continuing to stride forward.

The middle-aged man seemed to have identified He Yuanchao, and jogged alongside him, pestering him to look at the inkstone.

The two walked side by side for a while, until He Yuanchao, annoyed by the constant pestering, stopped and looked at the middle-aged man with a cold face, saying:
"I already told you I don't want any inkstones. I'm warning you, if you follow me again, don't blame me for being rude."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes immediately reddened, and he choked up as he said:

"Comrade, please, just buy this inkstone!"

(End of this chapter)