Chapter 24: Hidden Agendas

Ning Xin watched as a middle-aged man dressed in respectable silk robes hurried toward her. She took a step back, wary of appearing too unkempt in his presence.

"Is there something you need?"

"Young lady, are you selling this deer?"

Ning Xin nodded, then shook her head. "This deer has already been spoken for."

"Is it for that same Master Dou from yesterday?"

Ning Xin nodded.

Manager Yuan smiled. "I wouldn't dream of competing with Master Dou. I only wanted to ask if you could hunt one or two live deer and bring them to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant tomorrow."

Ning Xin was overjoyed at the request.

"Ten taels of silver each—would you take them? If so, I can deliver them tomorrow morning at this same time."

"Ten taels is a bit steep..." Manager Yuan hesitated. A single deer was worth five taels at most; the girl had doubled the price instantly.

Ning Xin felt a flicker of uncertainty. The wild boar she had sold previously was only worth two taels, yet Dou Meng had given her five. It was clear he had overpaid for the deer as well. She swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Then... how much are you willing to pay per head?"

"Five taels," Manager Yuan said, holding up his hand. He had realized that the girl before him was guileless—when she asked for ten taels, she had done so with complete, earnest confidence.

Five taels. Ning Xin figured that was likely the true value.

"Let me consider it. When I return, I will give you a firm answer."

"Very well, I shall await your good news."

For the first time, Ning Xin felt a sense of trouble. When she reached the gate of the residence where Dou Meng had brought her the day before, the gatekeeper spotted her and ran up, bowing politely. "You've arrived, Miss. Master Dou left instructions that if you brought more deer, I should receive them directly. Here is the silver Master Dou promised you."

Twenty taels of silver—a heavy purse. It felt like a burning weight in her hand.

"That... does Master Dou need any more wild game?" she asked, her voice growing quieter.

"Miss, Master Dou has traveled away on business, but he instructed before he left that if you bring more game, you need only speak with the steward regarding payment."

Ning Xin shook her head vigorously. "No, no, that won't do." She couldn't take advantage of them like that. "I'll be going now. When Master Dou returns, if he still needs game, he can send someone to Ning Village to find me."

Ning Xin left the firewood behind, and the gatekeeper, preoccupied, did not notice the detail. The twenty taels of silver still felt like a burden in her hand, yet she could not bring herself to return the money or ask for less. "Forget it, forget it. If nothing else, I'll just bring him an extra deer next time to make up for it."

With the silver in hand, Ning Xin found a blacksmith shop in the alleyway. In these times, iron, salt, and cloth were expensive for commoners, as were medical treatments. Most rural families used earthenware pots to cook rice or stew, and if a household like the eldest branch of the Ning family possessed a small iron pot and a ladle, they were considered rare treasures indeed—let alone the crowbars, chisels, and hammers belonging to Old Man Ning.

As Ning Xin stepped into the blacksmith's shop, the blacksmith's wife asked with a smile, "Young lady, what can I help you with?"

"May I look around first?"

"Of course." The blacksmith's wife enthusiastically introduced the items in the shop as the sound of hammering rang out from the back.

Ning Xin spotted the crowbars, hammers, and chisels and asked for their prices. A crowbar was eight mace of silver, as was a hammer, while a chisel cost two mace. Ning Xin thought to herself that it was manageable; she could afford them.

"And what about the large iron pot?"

"That one costs two taels and three mace."

Ning Xin imagined her new home—it certainly needed a large iron pot to make washing and cleaning easier. It would also make cooking for a large family faster, leaving her mother with a bit more leisure. There was another, slightly smaller iron pot for one tael and eight mace.

"I would like these two iron pots, two crowbars, two hammers, and five chisels. Could you give me a better price?"

The blacksmith's wife froze, her expression turning grave. "Young lady, are you certain you need all these things for your household?"

"The imperial government keeps a very strict handle on iron. If you buy this much, I must have someone follow you to confirm where you live and who you are." She only said this because the girl seemed kind-hearted and she was tempted by the profit of such a large sale.