kvmb Chapter 43 Gaining Appreciation
Chapter 43 Gaining Appreciation
At the market.
Someone passing by the stall saw Chu Ci selling goat meat, their eyes lit up, and they showed a surprised expression.
"We've caught a goat this time! And a wild goat at that, that's really rare!"
Chu Ci smiled and nodded: "Yes, we hunted them in Qishan."
"Wow, it's really not easy to go so far to hunt and still catch a sheep."
As Chu Ci skillfully cut off a leg of lamb with a knife, he held it up to the visitor and said enthusiastically.
"Want to try a piece?"
"Sure, how much is it per pound?"
“Eighty coins. The sheep’s blood has been drained very cleanly, so there won’t be any fishy smell,” Chu Ci replied confidently.
"Okay, you're an honest businessman, I trust you," the man said, and readily paid the money.
As Chu Ci was collecting the money, another person came over and said, "Give me one too, it looks really good."
"Okay, which one do you want?"
"I want……"
In this way, Chu Ci's goat quickly attracted the attention and purchases of many customers, and before noon, all the mutton and rabbit meat were sold out.
Shi An still had some handkerchiefs left in his basket, but he wasn't in a hurry. He planned to have lunch with Chu Ci first and then sell them in the afternoon.
Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes slowly walked over. He stopped in front of Shi An's stall, smiled, and asked, "Young man, how much is this handkerchief?"
Shi An raised his head, looked at the kind-faced young man in front of him, and answered truthfully, "Five coins a piece."
The young man nodded, seemingly unconcerned about the price. He picked up a handkerchief, examined it closely, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
Then he asked, "Do you have any other embroidery pieces?"
Shi An thought for a moment and suddenly remembered a butterfly and flower embroidery he had done in his spare time. So he took the piece out of the basket and handed it to the young man.
The embroidery of butterflies and flowers was exquisite. The two butterflies were lifelike, as if they were dancing gracefully. The flowers on it were fragrant and brightly colored, giving people a fresh and natural feeling.
Chu Xun was increasingly alarmed as he looked at the shoes. He had only been intrigued by the fact that his servant had a new pair of exquisite embroidered shoes, which led him to inquire about their origin and come to take a look.
Unexpectedly, this young man is so talented. He can not only embroider a butterfly so vividly, but also embroider the flowers next to it so lifelike.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "These butterflies fluttering among the flowers are absolutely beautiful!"
Shi An blushed slightly at the compliment, "You flatter me, you flatter me."
Chu Xun sized him up, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, I'll take this embroidery and the handkerchief."
After saying that, he took out two silver ingots from his pocket and placed them on the table.
Shi An looked at the silver and was pleasantly surprised. "I don't need this much. One ingot of silver is enough."
The young man smiled brightly, holding the painting of butterflies and flowers with obvious delight, and said, "I think it's worth this much, you can keep it."
“This…” Shi An glanced at Chu Ci, who nodded, and he accepted it.
“Your craftsmanship is excellent. My family is having a wedding in March, and I wonder if I could ask you to embroider a picture of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix? I will cover the cost of the craftsmanship and materials.”
Shi An took a few seconds to react, a polite smile appearing on his face. However, he did not rush to agree, but instead asked softly, "May I ask your name, sir?"
The waiter behind the man quickly stepped forward and answered for him, "This is the husband of our town mayor, surnamed Chu."
Upon hearing this identity, Shi An's heart tightened; this person was no ordinary individual.
He subconsciously turned to look at Chu Ci, his eyes revealing a hint of inquiry and reliance, as if he dared not make a decision alone.
Seeing this, Chu Ci's lips curled up slightly, and he raised an eyebrow at Shi An, his voice deep and magnetic: "Do it if you want to, don't do it if you don't."
Shi An immediately felt reassured. After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded and smiled at Chu Langjun, saying, "In that case, thank you for your appreciation, sir."
Chu Langjun was overjoyed and said excitedly, "What a good child! I was just wondering what birthday gift to give to the old lady. You've been a great help to me."
Shi An was a little embarrassed by the praise, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said softly, "You flatter me. I am extremely honored to receive your recognition. Please rest assured that I will do my best to complete this work."
"I believe you. I just like the way you look at me."
Chu Ci stood aside watching, feeling a strange sense of relief in her heart.
Seeing his husband's skills recognized by others, he knew that Shi An must have put in a lot of effort and hard work.
Chu Langjun took Shi An's hand, expressing his great satisfaction with his work, and asked, "Will you be here tomorrow?"
Shi An nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes."
Upon hearing this answer, Chu Langjun smiled with delight and immediately said, "Then I'll have someone send over the deposit and material costs tomorrow."
Shi An readily accepted, and the two happily reached a cooperation agreement.
Afterwards, Chu Langjun left happily. Before leaving, he didn't forget to hold Shi An's hand and whispered, "You've found a really good wife. I've heard a lot about her."
Upon hearing this, Shi An was slightly taken aback, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
He never imagined that even the mayor of Lotus Town, Fu Lang, had heard of the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu).
After Chu Langjun left, Shi An couldn't wait to tell Chu Ci what had just happened.
He asked curiously, "What exactly is the mayor's attitude towards you?"
Chu Ci shrugged and replied with a hint of joking, "I don't know. Maybe it's because I share the same surname as her husband that she remembered me."
Unlike Chu Ci, Shi An's previous life experiences gave him a keen political intuition. He said thoughtfully, "This might be an opportunity."
However, Chu Ci wasn't very interested in politics, so she changed the subject, asking with concern, "Perhaps. You've been busy for so long, are you thirsty? Have some water."
Shi An nodded gently in response, "Mm."
Chu Ci took out a water bag and handed it to Shi An, watching him drink a few sips. Then she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of his mouth.
Shi An's face flushed slightly, revealing a shy smile.
Seeing his charming appearance, Chu Ci's eyes gradually darkened. He raised his hand and gently rubbed Shi An's head, stroking it from the top of his head all the way to behind his ears.
Shi An's body trembled more and more, and her face was as red as a ripe apple.
He murmured softly, "My mistress..."
When Chu Ci's hand touched the corner of Shi An's eye, Shi An could no longer bear the stimulation and collapsed into Chu Ci's arms.
"My lady..." his voice carried a hint of grievance and coquetry.
Chu Ci hugged the man's slender waist tightly, kissed the top of his head, and said gently, "Let's go home."
Shi An gave a soft "Mmm~" in agreement.