Chapter 248

Qingyang county was merged by two counties, so one could imagine how big it was. And the little buns who had been wandering around in the streets for too long also felt kind of exhausted, during which time, the two little buns specially went into a seemingly big bookshop and bore the huge pains in the heart to spend three taels of silver to buy a book for both Ling Jinghan and Zhang Yan, and two taels of silver to buy an iron abacus for Ling Jingpeng and Zhang Qing each. Ling Wen’s thought was very simple. Aren’t books most important to scholars? And doing business, of course, the abacus should be most important, which could save them a lot of time calculating?

As they walked and stopped, they saw a shop selling gold and silver stuff. After entrusting those things they had bought to the Zhao&Han couple, Ling Wen held his younger brother’s hand and walked in. Ignoring others’ strange eyes, the two little brothers went before the shelves, on which were placed with all kinds of gold and silver jewelries, earrings, necklaces and hairpins. It got everything that was related with jewelries. Bling, bling, indescribably beautiful.

“Boss, how much is this pair of earrings?”

After checking for a long time, Ling Wen pointed at a pair of leaf-shape pendant silver earrings and asked with a loud voice. His local accent special to village people undoubtedly attracted a lot of people’s attention. The shopkeeper took a look at Chu Yan, the Zhao&Han couple behind him and then said with a not so warm voice, “Five taels of silver.”

“What? So expensive? How big is this? You want five taels of silver?”

Hearing the price, Ling Wen gasped and gave a reflexive growl. It was obvious that the price was far beyond his imagination.

“Don’t touch it if you think it’s too expensive. You can’t afford it doesn’t means others can’t.”

The shopkeeper here was not like those vendors outside, of course, wouldn’t be as polite as those shopkeepers in Datong town. On hearing his local accent, he knew he was a total bumpkin, with undisguised impatience stained between his eyebrows. A bunch of bumpkins coming to the county to act as rich men? Take a look at this place first! Only five taels of silver and it’s expensive? The earth in the countryside is free. Why not go mold one with the mud?

A few words already made Ling Wen’s face reddened. He said angrily, “But it is expensive. Did I say something wrong? What? Can’t I even chaffer?”

“But the premise is you can afford it. A bunch of village bumpkins come into the country pretending to be rich people? Even if I am a robber, I would never rob people like you little thing. If you think it’s too expensive, you can go back to your village. Things are cheap there!”

The shopkeeper looked down on them in and out of his words. And those customers in the shop all gathered around. Everyone pricked their ears watching for fun, totally not feeling it was not right that an adult was bullying a bunch of little kids. But, Chu Yan who was standing behind them darkened his face, with his eyes shooting at those people. Zhao&Han couple also blushed. How could they say that to some kids?

“What’s the matter with us in the countryside? Your pair of earring is still no heavier of my silver ingot! Apparently you oppidans are looking down our countrymen. Hum, your little lord I wouldn’t want them now!”

Ling Wu got so mad, he stood out and argued back in a loud voice, with his little face infected with undisguised anger.

“Go…go…go…Like we are begging you to buy it! You are so little but really have a stubborn mouth! You little wimpy kids, don’t hold me up! I got a lot of businesses to do! Get out of here!”

The shopkeeper and the waiters were furious, too. If they were not so small, they would have already beaten them up.

“I won’t go out. Why? Why do you say we are bumpkins? You people from town are great? You have the same lump of flesh on your two shoulders. We are no different. You little lord I won’t go until you apologize to me today.”

Ling Wu also had stubborn temper, especially during this period of time, under Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui’s teaching by personal example as well as verbal instruction, he had formed the characters of not feelings afraid of things. He argued back using those words his daddy used on him a few days ago.

“You don’t want to do business with us? Like we are begging you to sell things to us? Businesses are done through talking. If it’s not appropriate, you can choose not to sell it to us. Why keep calling us village bumpkins? Today, if you don’t apologize to me and my brother, don’t expect to do your business today.”

Ling Wen was not a pushover now. Although his roar at first made him lose his manner as a scholar, that was under the condition that he had no time to think. It was the outcome of conditioned reflex. As long as the other said was being polite, he could apologize. But their attitude was so bad, he really couldn’t take it.

“Yes, you are just a businessman serving your customers, why look down on your customers?”

Tiewa, who had always been timid and afraid of strangers, stood out with a reddened face. Seeing that the little masters got bullied, the three little footboys also stood out one after another, “Apologize. You must apologize to the young little masters, or we will go to the yamen and let the county magistrate hold the justice for us. What kind of businessman are you?”

“Yeah, you are bullying your customers. Apologize!”

“Even our masters wouldn’t say some harsh words to the little masters. What are you? How dare you say that to them?”

The more they reasoned, the more overwhelmed they became. The extent of their eloquence could nearly drive one crazy. And Chu Yan and the Zhao&Han couple who meant to help decisively chose to stay silent, because they all remembered at the same time that Ling Jingxuan once said they shouldn’t spoil the kids. They should let them handles things as long as it was within their capability. And when they couldn’t handle it, it wasn’t late for them to stand out.

“Wow! Where do you come from, little bumpkins? If you don’t leave now, don’t blame my rudeness!”