Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 109 Ancient Clothing Store

Dun Dun saw the smile on Shen Yu's face, and his face suddenly turned red. He said angrily: "I said I didn't want to wear it, but my mother forced me to wear it. Look, you can tell at once that it's women's clothing. I'm a man, I don't want to wear women's clothes."

As he said this, he was about to reach out to unbutton his clothes.

Jiang stepped forward and held his hand, whispering softly, "Dun Dun, our old clothes are too dirty, Yu Cheng's clothes are too small for you, and there are no patterns on this women's clothing, so you can't tell unless you look carefully. Miss Yu Zhi's family is in the food business, so if you don't dress cleanly, how can you help Miss Yu Zhi with work?"

Shen Yu realized that Dun Dun was not happy even if he didn't smile, so he stepped forward and comforted her seriously, "Dundun, just put on the clothes for now. We'll go out to deliver the steamed buns and porridge for lunch later, and when we're done, we'll take you to the clothing store and buy you two sets of men's clothes."

Dun Dun stopped what he was doing and said in disbelief, "Really? You're really willing to buy me clothes."

Mrs. Li said generously, "Since you are helping my family, you should dress neatly and cleanly, which will also bring honor to my family. It is indeed inappropriate for a boy to wear women's clothes."

After saying this, he couldn't help but laugh, but quickly held it back.

Dun Dun seemed somewhat happy just now, but after hearing what Li said, she couldn't help but pout in anger again.

When it was time to deliver the meal, Shen Yu asked Li and Jiang to stay at home and asked Jiang to help prepare the lunch. She took Yutao and the others to deliver the meal.

Li said his back injury had healed, but secretly, he would feel a dull pain whenever he exerted too much force.

She saw that there was a new boy, Dun Dun, today. Although he looked thin, he was taller than Yutao and had plenty of strength. She asked him to help push the cart, and Li felt relieved to let him stay at home.

Here, Shen Yu and three other people delivered the lunch orders, pulled the cart back to Liushu Lane, and put five or six hundred coins wrapped in a handkerchief in his arms.

Under the guidance of Dun Dun, the two went to a very small clothing store at the end of the street.

The clothing store specializes in second-hand clothes, but it also sells some cheap new clothes.

The old clothes were bought from the pawnshops at very low prices, and the new clothes were made of defective fabrics, sewn cheaply with rough stitching. These clothes were sold exclusively to the poor.

This clothing appraisal shop has only a narrow door and no signboard. There is only a sign with the word "Appraisal" written on it.

Dun Dun seemed to have been here before and seemed very familiar with it.

When the shop owner saw Dun Dun coming over, he said with a look of disgust, "Why are you here again? I told you, I won't accept your tattered clothes in my shop."

After that, he looked at Dun Dun in surprise, pointed at Dun Dun's clothes and said, "You little bastard, I haven't seen you for a few days and you've already started stealing. Where did you get this set of clothes?"

Dun Dun's face flushed red all of a sudden, and he growled in embarrassment: "Which eye of yours saw me stealing? I didn't steal it."

The shop owner squinted his eyes and curled his lips in disdain.

He spat on the ground and said slowly, "If it wasn't you who was caught in the market a few days ago, then who was it? Let me make it clear first, my family doesn't accept stolen clothes. I don't want to follow a little thief like you and eat the spoils for a few silver coins."

Dun Dun was choked and speechless. He opened his mouth and said, "You, you..." After a long while, no words came out.

Shen Yu patted Dun Dun's shoulder comfortingly, took a step forward, and said with a smile: "Boss, we are not selling clothes today, we want to buy two sets of clothes."

The shop owner then noticed that the young girl following the brat came with him.

He immediately put on a smiling face and said to Shen Yu in a friendly manner, "What kind of clothes do you want to buy, young lady? I have some fine dresses here. They are made of fine materials that are worn by the young ladies and young ladies of wealthy families. Although they are a little old, they are made of fine silk."

Shen Yu shook his head and pointed at Dun Dun, saying, "Buy him two new sets of trousers and jackets, with evenly-colored ones and finer stitching."

The shop owner nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and replied hurriedly: "Yes, yes, I'll get it right away."

He turned and went to the warehouse behind the shop, rummaged around for a while, and came out with two sets of dark men's trousers and jackets in his hands.

He handed the clothes to Shen Yu and said with a smile, "I finally picked out two sets of clothes with good colors and thick materials. Miss, please see if they are suitable."

Shen Yu took it in his hand and looked over it. It was two sets of trousers and jackets made of hemp cloth. The stitching was quite neat, one was indigo blue and the other was gray-brown.

Shen Yu nodded and asked, "Is there a place to change clothes? I'd like to borrow them."

Seeing that the deal was done, the shop owner hurriedly said, "You can change it at the back of the shop, little brat, follow me."

Dun Dun snorted, took the gray-brown clothes from Shen Yu, and followed the shop owner to the back of the shop.

After a while, Dun Dun changed her clothes, holding the changed clothes in her hand, and walked in front of Shen Yu. She felt a little uncomfortable and let Shen Yu pull her to see if she fit him well.

He looked at the other set of clothes in Shen Yu's hand and said hesitantly, "Miss, you don't have to buy me two sets. One set is enough."

Shen Yu did not answer, but looked around and said to the shop owner: "How much money, please help me pack this set and the clothes I changed into."

The shop owner took the clothes, folded them, tied them into a tofu bag with reeds, handed them over, and said with a smile: "Miss, two sets of clothes, please pay four hundred coins."

In this era before machine weaving, cloth was very valuable.

This price is fair for two sets of clothes.

Shen Yu counted out four hundred coins readily, and left with Dun Dun as the shop owner politely said, "Goodbye, young lady. Come back if you need anything."

When we got home, the meal was already prepared.

Shen Yu looked at the dining table in surprise.

A plate of cabbage hearts mixed with sauce, a plate of fried tofu boxes, a dish of sweet and sour shredded radish, a soup pot of pork ribs and lotus root, a small basket of re-fried dumplings that were not finished in the morning, a small basket of yellow rice cakes, and a bowl of bean porridge for each person.

Bowls, plates, and baskets, steaming hot, were crowded together filling the entire table.

Li looked like she had found a treasure, and said to Shen Yu happily, "You two are back, come and eat, these are all made by your Aunt Jiang."

Jiang smiled shyly and came forward to say, "Miss Yuzhi is back."

She took the clothes from Shen Yu's hand, took another look at the clothes on Dun Dun, and said in surprise: "Miss, did you buy two sets of clothes for Dun Dun?"

Shen Yu smiled and said, "We didn't have any old clothes that Dun Dun could wear, so we bought two sets so that we can have some replacements."

Jiang squatted down and bowed gratefully, and whispered, "Thank you, young lady."

Hearing the crying tone in her voice, Shen Yu just ignored her and pretended to be surprised and said, "It smells so good. Mom said these dishes were cooked by Aunt Jiang? Aunt Jiang is a good cook."