Chapter 388 – A Weird Sick Lady
Chapter 388 A Weird Sick Lady
A maid stopped Qu Mansion’s carriage. “Could you please take our lady to the clinic ahead? Our carriage is broken, and our lady is sick.”
Yu Dong jumped off the carriage and saw a carriage parked on the opposite side of the road. There were two maids standing next to that carriage. They were taller than the average maids, but they were very thin.
Yu Dong asked, “Is your lady going to see a doctor?”
“Yes. The clinic is not far away, but I’m afraid our lady can’t walk so far. Can you give her a ride?” The maid who stopped the carriage pleaded with Yu Dong with a helpless face. She pointed to the front and said, “It’s not far ahead. It won’t take long.”
Yu Dong turned around to report to Qu Moying. After thinking for a moment, Qu Moying held Yu Chun’s hand and came down from the carriage. She was not in a hurry to return to Qu Mansion. She happened to want to go to Yue’s Clothing Pavilion. She could take a shortcut on foot there, which would not take long. But if she went there by carriage, the carriage would have to take a detour.
Yu Dong walked to the front of the maid and said, “Our lady happened to have something to do, so she can lend you the carriage for a while. Help your lady over. I will take you to find a doctor.”
He would stay to take care of the carriage.
The maid gratefully bowed to Qu Moying, who was getting off the carriage, and went to help a young lady down from the carriage on the opposite side of the road.
Qu Moying looked over and saw a slender young lady. However, this lady’s hairstyle differed from the ladies in the capital. Half of her hair was not combed up. She lowered her head. It seemed that she was very weak, and her face could not be seen.
Two maids helped her get on Qu Moying’s carriage. Just as she was about to get on the carriage, she suddenly raised her head slightly and turned to look at Qu Moying.
The two of them looked at each other.
The young lady was very beautiful. Her facial features were exquisite, and her outline was clear, but her face was too pale, like that of Qu Moying.
After exchanging a glance with Qu Moying, the young lady slightly bowed sideway to Qu Moying to express her gratitude. Then, she held the maid’s hand and got on the carriage with difficulty. It was indeed difficult for her to move.
She seemed to be in poor health.
However, Qu Moying frowned as she looked at the young lady’s back, deep in thought.
Yu Chun noticed her abnormality and asked in a low voice, “Lady, what’s wrong?”
Qu Moying shook her head in confusion. She withdrew her gaze from the carriage and said in a low voice, “Let’s go!”
The maid was quite tall, but this young lady was even taller. Qu Moying had never seen such a tall young lady. Moreover, this young lady seemed to be very ill. This maid and this young lady were quite unusual.
The carriage had already moved forward. Qu Moying took a small path with Yu Chun. As they walked, the image of this young lady appeared in Qu Moying’s mind.
A sick lady helplessly stopped a carriage on the road and asked for a ride. If there was any other way, how could she do such a thing that was against etiquette?
Qu Moying suddenly stopped in her tracks, and her eyes darkened.
Yu Chun followed behind her. Seeing that she stopped, Yu Chun also stopped, “Lady?”
“That lady wanted to take our carriage?” Qu Moying asked thoughtfully. This was the point that she was confused about.
“Yes, her maid said that she was sick and could not walk and that the clinic was not far away.” Yu Chun answered honestly after thinking for a while, although she did not understand what Qu Moying thought.
Qu Moying slowly continued to walk, “No one could tell whether the passengers in our carriage were men or women, right?”
“Definitely impossible.” This time, Yu Chun answered with certainty. The carriage driver drove the carriage, and the maids and the master were in the carriage, nobody could tell who was inside the carriage.
Qu Moying murmured in a low voice. “Then how can this young lady stop a carriage casually?”
After she finished speaking, she stopped for a moment before walking forward again. Men and women should keep a distance from each other. Even if this young lady was really unable to walk, she couldn’t randomly stop a carriage and ask for a ride. If Qu Moying didn’t happen to have something to do, or if the one in the carriage was a man, would this young lady still ask for a ride?
This didn’t make sense!
No lady should sit in the same carriage with a strange man.
Perhaps the man would get off the carriage and walk on foot because the one who asked for a ride was a woman. However, how could this young lady be so careless? Hadn’t she ever thought that the one in the carriage could be a man? If this man had some ill intentions, her reputation would be tainted.
Did she not care? Or was there any other reason?
Qu Moying couldn’t figure it out for a moment. She raised her eyes and walked out of the alley all the way to her shop.
She sorted out her thoughts and put this matter at the back of her mind for the time being. After all, this matter had little to do with her. Maybe the lady was seriously ill and couldn’t wait any longer, so she randomly stopped a carriage.
“Is she too sick to wait any longer? Although she did walk with difficulty just now, her eyes were clear when she looked over at me. I don’t think she was so sick that she couldn’t wait any longer!”
The more Qu Moying thought about it, the more puzzled she became.
Shopkeeper Aunt Yang happened to go out. When she saw Qu Moying standing at the door, she hurriedly greeted her, “Greetings, lady!”
Qu Moying collected her thoughts and nodded to Aunt Yang with a smile. Then, she followed Aunt Yang into the shop.
There were many women in the store. It seemed that the business was good. Five-color brocade sold well in the capital. Previously, Aunt Yang said that she wanted to purchase a new stock of five-color brocades, and she asked Qu Moying for her opinion.
Qu Moying went upstairs, sat down in a private room, and asked, “How much five-color brocade is there in stock?”
Aunt Yang ordered a shop assistant to serve tea and replied, “Lady, I was just about to report to you that there isn’t much brocade in stock in the warehouse. In the past few days, five-color brocade sold very well. Many young ladies came here for five-color brocade. I think we could purchase more.”
Five-color brocade was light and beautiful, which was very different from the normal brocade in the capital. However, it was said that there isn’t much five-color brocades even in the South.
Yue’s Clothing Pavilion could purchase a large amount of five-color brocade back then because of the help of the Yue Family of the South. It was also for the purpose of reviving Yue’s Clothing Pavilion.
Half of the income of Yue’s Clothing Pavilion was earned by selling five-color brocade, which meant Yue’s Clothing Pavilion’s business would go down if there was no five-color brocade.
Aunt Yang had been worried for the past few days. She had repeatedly sent messages to Qu Mansion, wanting to let Qu Moying come over and make a decision.
Seeing that Qu Moying was silent, Aunt Yang hesitated for a moment and suggested, “Lady, why don’t we ask the South for help again?”
Qu Moying gently shook her head in refusal.
Although the Yue Family of the South was her maternal grandparents’ family, she had already troubled them a lot before, and it was really kind of them to help her. She couldn’t keep troubling them. Although her mother had been gone for many years, she still had to maintain the relationship with the Yue Family of the South. She should not kill the goose that laid golden eggs.
Qu Moying asked after pondering for a moment, “Can’t we buy the goods ourselves?”
“We can buy the goods, but we might not be able to get the particularly good ones. Moreover, the price might be higher.” Aunt Yang had investigated before and knew that the other clothing shops were also selling five-color brocade, but their goods couldn’t compare with that of Yue’s Clothing Pavilion. Moreover, they sold at a higher price. Many guests who came to buy five-color brocade would talk about this.
Hearing what Aunt Yang said, Qu Moying already had a plan in her mind, “Let’s raise the price to the same level as the other shops.”
Aunt Yang said in surprise, “If the price is higher, wouldn’t there be fewer guests?”
Qu Moying explained, “Although there will be fewer customers, those who continue to buy must have become our loyal customers. Moreover, our goods are not inferior to other shops, but our price is a little lower than theirs. It’s not reasonable in the first place, and now we don’t have much in stock.”
Aunt Yang repeatedly nodded as she listened to Qu Moying’s explanation. She had been a shopkeeper for many years, so how could she not understand what Qu Moying meant? It was just that she had been a little too eager to make quick profits before, so her methods might be lacking. After hearing Qu Moying’s words, she immediately came to her senses. They aimed for the long-term profits and interests. Although the current situation of the business was good, it couldn’t last long.
Since it couldn’t last long, the strategy should be changed quickly.
Aunt Yang appreciated Qu Moying more and more. Although Qu Moying was weak, she had a long-term vision and great insight, which ordinary young ladies lack, and even many madams who had been in charge for many years could not reach her level.
After all, many people could only see the immediate benefit, and very few of them could give up on it.
Qu Moying continued to ask, “Can the goods made by the two embroideresses from the South be sold now?”
“Yes. They have embroidered some handkerchiefs, some accessories like sachets, and goods like table screens. Although they are all small goods, I have saved them according to your instructions.” Aunt Yang nodded. Those two embroideresses were quite skillful, and their embroidery methods were different from the methods used in the capital. If their goods started to sell, it would attract a large number of guests.
However, the goods were still not enough. After all, there were only two embroideresses. Even if they kept embroidering day and night, they couldn’t provide enough goods.
Qu Moying had made arrangements to solve this problem before. “What about those embroideresses who learned from them?”
Aunt Yang answered, “They learned quite well, but they couldn’t compare with those two embroideresses.”
“Send someone to contact the supplier that the Yue Family contacted for us last time. Get the goods ourselves. If the price is raised, we can adjust our buying price appropriately.” Qu Moying thought for a moment. That supplier had been doing business in the South and the capital. If they appropriately offered a higher price to that supplier, they could still get the supply.
Although they did not have the help of the Yue Family of the South now, they could still enjoy a reasonable price.
“Okay, lady, I will do it later.” Aunt Yang said excitedly. Her heart was set at ease. If the supply of the five-color brocade was cut off, it would be a big blow to the reborn Yue’s Clothing Pavilion. But Qu Moying’s arrangement was definitely able to solve the problem and let Yue’s Clothing Pavilion get a strong foothold.
“What’s wrong with Yue’s Gold Pavilion? It seems that its business isn’t good. I didn’t see customers enter or come out of that shop.” After settling her own shop’s matters, Qu Moying finally had the leisure to care about other matters. She picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and then put it down. Just now, when she entered her shop, she glanced at Yue’s Gold Pavilion and found that its business was really not good!
Aunt Yang sighed. “Lady, something happened to Yue’s Gold Pavilion!”
