TATLC Chapter 36

At Chen Shou Xin’s house.

 

Chen Shou Xin’s wife, Zhang Yue Hong, looked at the pile of gloves on the table and frowned: “These gloves are made of the finest fur, how come no one buys them from us?”

 

Chen Shou Xin sighed. He rushed to buy fur after he heard Chen Xiao Mi made a good profit from selling gloves. He ended up outbidding others who also wanted to buy fur to make gloves.  He offered the seller seven taels, two taels higher than the list price.

 

Chen Shou Xin had this calculation based on his wishful thinking, he thought he could easily make the dozen fox fur gloves he bought, he could at least make twenty taels of silver. However, contrary to all expectations, he could not even sell a single pair.

 

It puzzled Chen Shou Xin why the young master was willing to pay Chen Xiao Mi two or even three taels for the same product, but now his business was not improving even though he was willing to sell them for one tael! He had only made one sale after he had made tremendous efforts in that field.

 

Chen Shou Xin gritted his teeth and blamed it all on Chen Xiao Mi.

 

Chen Shou Xin’s son Chen Jing, on the other hand, did not feel too sad. He liked the idea of having new gloves every day, he enjoyed the attention from his classmates. He had a few classmates from wealthy families, but the majority of them were just ordinary people.

 

Zhang Yue Hong asked his son anxiously: “Why don’t your classmates buy gloves from us?”

 

“They have all bought gloves elsewhere. Some of them can’t afford fox fur, so they are happy with their rabbit fur.”  Chen Jing replied.

 

Gangs were everywhere, and Chen Jing’s class was no exception. The rich young masters who went to school with one servant to take care of them had their own circles and groups, kids like Chen Jing and Lu Cheng Yu who came from the village couldn’t get in. Chen Jing could only show off in front of Lu Cheng Yu and the like.

 

Zhang Yue Hong sighed: “What can we do now?”

 

Grandpa Chen had reprimanded Chen Shou Xin when he spent seven taels on fox fur, but Chen Shou Xin guaranteed Grandpa Chen that he would make a fortune. But now that he had only sold a pair of gloves for one tael, Chen Shou Xin ended up losing money.

 

Zhang Yue Hong couldn’t imagine how angry Grandpa Chen would be when he discovered the truth.

 

“Jing, why don’t you bring a few pairs of gloves and ask if your classmates are interested…”

 

Chen Jing replied with a frown: “Mother! I will be attending the imperial examinations and pursuing an official career, doing business is despicable and it will tarnish my good reputation!”

 

Zhang Yue Hong regretted it once she asked her son the question: “I’m so muddle-headed!”

 

Chen Shou Xin was not willing to give up so easily, he went to the city several times to try his luck. To his astonishment, there were even more sellers than buyers! No one showed any interest in his fox fur gloves, but the few stalls featuring rabbit fur gloves had attracted quite a few customers due to the small profits but fast turnover.

 

Chen Shou Xin had always borrowed or rented an ox cart from the villagers whenever he went to town, but as time went by, the villagers were simply fed up with him and they were reluctant to help him. Chen Shou Xin had to go to town on foot, soon he gave up on the idea of selling gloves.

 

At Chen Xiao Mi’s house.

 

“Chen Xiao Mi! Chen Xiao Mi, come out!” Someone banged on the door.

 

Chen Xiao Mi’s eyes dimmed when he heard that, he picked up a bamboo stick and ran out.

 

Lu Lin was very frightened seeing that.

 

“Chen Xiao Mi, your grandfather is sick, you need to visit him.” Chen Shou Xin shouted.

 

Chen Xiao Mi snorted: “Does it have anything to do with me?”

 

“You venomous snake! That’s your grandfather you’re talking about!”

 

Chen Xiao Mi said in a sarcastic tone: “This reminds me of when Mai was sick, he was the one who told me not to call a doctor because Mai would get better. See how the tables have turned, I’m sure he will get better.”

 

“Bastard! You unfilial monster!” Chen Shou Xin shook his head in despair.

 

Chen Xiao Mi narrowed his eyes and said: “I know what you’re doing! But I have been living independently for the past few years, you and your family have abandoned me! Tell you what, the money I make has nothing to do with you! Go away!”

 

Chen Shou Xin gritted his teeth: “You! Bastard! You! How can my little brother rest in peace knowing you are so unfilial!”

 

Chen Xiao Mi’s face darkened: “Unfilial? Me? Okay, you are not unfilial, why don’t you send a doctor for your own father now that he is sick? Yes, my father won’t rest easy knowing you’re still harassing me!”

 

It was Chen Shou Xin who had instigated Grandma Chen to force Chen Xiao Mi’s father to go to the mountains. Chen Xiao Mi will never forget that.

 

Chen Shou Xin made a scene by banging his chest and stomping his feet: “Second younger brother! Just look at your unfilial son, so disrespectful….”

 

Chen Xiao Mi brandished the bamboo stick impatiently: “Go away!”

 

Lu Lin who was walking out of the room had caught Chen Shou Xin’s attention. He pointed at Chen Xiao Mi and said: “Your husband is here! How dare you brandish a weapon like this! You should behave in front of your husband!”

 

Chen Xiao Mi sneered: “Stay out of my business. Save your nonsense for your son.”

 

“You know, you should give me ten taels! I won’t leave unless I have ten taels of silver!”

 

Killing intent flashed in Chen Xiao Mi’s eyes, he ran towards Chen Shou Xin with a bamboo stick.

 

Chen Shou Xin did not see it coming, he did not know Chen Xiao Mi would actually attack him. He hurriedly stood up and ran away, almost wetting his pants from fright.

 

Chen Xiao Mi walked back into the room and sat on the kang in a daze.

 

Lu Lin rubbed Chen Xiao Mi’s forehead and asked: “What’s wrong?”

 

Chen Xiao Mi took a deep breath and said: ” I don’t know if my father will blame me for this.”

 

Lu Lin smiled: “There’s no way he would blame you for doing the right thing!”

 

Chen Xiao Mi raised his head and suddenly said: “But you’ve wronged grandma, you said she stole from us, but that’s not true.”

 

Lu Lin didn’t know why Chen Xiao Mi brought it up again, he simply said: “I’m protecting you, she’s the one who made a fuss in the first place.”

 

At Chen Shou Xin’s house.

 

“Shou Xin, do you have any money yet?” Grandma Chen asked anxiously.

 

Chen Shou Xin shook his head: “He refuses to give me anything.”

 

“That stingy bastard, doesn’t he make more than fifty taels a day?” Grandma Chen said that angrily.

 

Grandpa Chen sighed and said: ” Well then just let it go.”

 

“Let it go? No way.” Grandma Chen clenched her fists, how she regretted that she had abandoned Chen Xiao Mi.

 

Grandpa Chen became a little impatient: “What else can we do at this time?”

 

Grandma Chen did not argue seeing her husband become angry.

 

“Shou Xin, how can you spend seven taels on a whim? You should know better than that.” Grandpa Chen blamed Chen Shou Xin.

 

Seven taels of silver was not a small amount of money to them.

 

Grandma Chen defended her son: “It’s not entirely his fault, it’s just bad timing. Those young masters were fighting each other to buy gloves from Chen Xiao Mi, Shou Xin was just a little late. “

 

“There are risks in any business.” Complained Chen Shou Xin’s Third younger brother, Chen Shou Ren. 

 

“Those young masters don’t like waiting for gloves, I heard that some of them even tore up fox fur robes to make gloves.  Big brother, you should think twice before spending that much money. That money is for Spring Festival special purchases, we can’t afford anything right now.”

 

Chen Shou Xin’s face darkened when he heard that: “I mean well, I want to make more money for us.”

 

“But big brother, since the fur is not that expensive, you were ripped off.” Chen Shou Ren shook his head.

 

Chen Shou Xin felt more depressed when he heard that, he knew he had paid a very high price for fox fur, but he made that decision on his own will.

 

“Those businessmen are all greedy, they see an opportunity to raise prices and of course they will.” Grandma Chen said angrily.

 

Chen Shou Xin walked into the courtyard in low spirits.

 

Zhang Yue Hong asked anxiously: “How did it go?”

 

Grandma Chen had given Zhang Yue Hong a hard time, she blamed Zhang Yue Hong for her son’s failure, she said Zhang Yue Hong’s sewing work must be bad, that’s why no one bought anything from them. Zhang Yue Hong felt very wronged, she had all the confidence about her tailoring.

 

“Father is rather unhappy.” Chen Shou Xin replied listlessly.

 

Chen Jing walked up to them and said: “Don’t you think it’s a little strange? Chen Xiao Mi is just a rough guy, how come he has all these inventive ideas like kang and gloves? And all of a sudden, he becomes so rich.”

 

“People say he discovered something in the mountain.” Chen Shou Xin muttered.

 

“Something in the mountain?” Chen Jing was puzzled.

 

“Some people took refuge in the mountain to escape the chaos of the war, I heard that Chen Xiao Mi has found some books that were saved by those people.”

 

Chen Jing sneered: “But Chen Xiao Mi is completely illiterate.”

 

Chen Jing was the only one who went to school in the Chen Family, he did not do well in school, but he was very proud of it.

 

“Maybe there are pictures in the book.” Chen Shou Xin said.

 

“Have you seen the book?”  Chen Jing asked excitedly. He was so fascinated by the ‘treasure book’, he hoped he could find something and attract attention as well.

 

“I heard it’s been burned.”

 

“What?” Chen Jing could not believe it.

 

The villagers had talked to Chen Xiao Mai for inside information, but Chen Xiao Mai did not know much, he would just say a few random words and the villagers just made up a whole story about Chen Xiao Mi stumbling upon a ‘treasure book’ and burning it by accident.

 

Chen Jing sighed: “I can’t believe the book caught fire, that Chen Xiao Mi is too lucky!”

 

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T/N: Not Chen Jing tryna act like a noble scholar when he gets bad grades lmaoo. Comment below what you thought of this chapter.