Ran didn't care about what the shop assistant said. After all, she wasn't really a disabled man, so those words couldn't hurt her. She gently shook her head at the shop assistant, signaling that he didn't need to worry.
She wasn't angry. Seeing him standing awkwardly to the side, she sighed helplessly and said nothing more. Then she looked up at the young man walking toward her.
Even though she didn't have a photographic memory, she still remembered clearly that she hadn't offended him. She didn't understand why he had such strong hostility toward her. So she looked directly at him and asked seriously, "Sir, I don't think I know you, and I've never offended you, so why do you hate me this much?"
Ran didn't like beating around the bush, so she asked straight out. "Heh! So what if you don't know me? You're just a useless cripple, yet you managed to gain Lady Bao's favor and even bumped into her."
"Go look around Suzhou City and see who doesn't hate you now." As he spoke, the young man sized her up with clear disgust in his eyes. Suddenly he snapped open his fan with a loud swish, covered his nose with it, and quickly took two steps back as if Ran were something dirty.
Ran didn't expect that this was the reason. She couldn't help but want to roll her eyes. Once again, she felt how much the men in this world protected women.
Looking at the disgust in his eyes, Ran really wanted to shake him awake and make him see clearly. She had only accidentally bumped into Lady Bao. She didn't commit any unforgivable crime.
There was no reason to treat her like this. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Forcing a smile, she said, "Sir, I'd like to explain that matter."
"First, I admit that it was my fault for bumping into Lady Bao, but I've already apologized to her, and she forgave me. Also, this is a matter between Lady Bao and me. Since she didn't hold it against me, I don't think anyone else has the right to use her name to attack me personally."
"So, if this gentleman still refuses to listen to reason, I do know a little bit about fighting." As she spoke, she stared coldly at the young man. Her icy gaze startled him so much that he unconsciously stepped back.
Fear showed on his face. He clearly felt a trace of killing intent from Ran. She was just staring coldly at him, but it felt like she could attack him at any moment.
Panicked, he stepped back again, his face pale. Under Ran's cold gaze, he muttered, "Don't get cocky. I just don't want to argue with a cripple like you," then turned and hurried away.
Ran watched his retreating back and was speechless. She didn't expect that someone who had come at her so confidently would be so easily scared. She only gave him a little scare, and he ran off faster than a rabbit.
"Sir, about the furniture..." Seeing that the troublemaker had left, the shop assistant cautiously glanced at Ran and asked in a low voice. "Send it to Shanghe Village the day after tomorrow."
"Just deliver it directly to the new house at the foot of the mountain." Ran didn't seem affected at all by what had just happened. Looking at the nervous assistant, she waved her hand and said she'd take everything they had discussed.
"Yes! Yes! Alright! Don't worry, sir. We'll deliver it early in the morning the day after tomorrow."
"You won't have to wait."
Seeing that Ran bought so many things, the shop assistant was grinning so widely he couldn't close his mouth. He looked at Ran as if he were looking at the god of wealth.
He smiled and poured her a cup of tea, placing it in front of her. With excitement on his face, he said, "Please wait here for a moment, my lady, I'll go call the shopkeeper right away." Without waiting for Ran to respond, he darted straight into the backyard.
He shouted to the shopkeeper, who was still carving wood, "Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper! A big customer has arrived outside, come take a look." The shopkeeper was a man in his forties or fifties. When he heard there was a big customer, he immediately put down his carving knife.
He grabbed the clothes beside him, quickly put them on, and walked in large strides toward the front. On the way, the assistant quietly told him about Ran's situation, afraid the shopkeeper might say the wrong thing and scare off the business.
The shopkeeper never expected the customer to be a disabled man. He had lived for so many years and knew very well that only those who were truly desperate would harm themselves and become someone everyone looked down on.
In his mind, he imagined a frail old man who had struggled all his life and could finally enjoy some comfort. But when he saw Ran sitting in the chair, he froze for a moment.
Then he felt a wave of pity. Such a beautiful man was actually disabled. Nowadays most women liked delicate and handsome men like him.
If he weren't disabled, he might be very popular with women. "My lady, this is our shopkeeper," said the assistant cheerfully as he brought the shopkeeper to Ran and made the introduction.
"This gentleman, I am the shopkeeper here, my surname is Qiu. May I ask how I should address you?" The regret in the shopkeeper's eyes was too obvious.
Ran was already used to all kinds of expressions when people looked at her. Her face remained calm as she smiled and nodded at the shopkeeper.
"Shopkeeper Qiu, my name is Ran," she said with a smile. Then she asked, "Can you tell me how much these items I picked would cost?"
"Lady Ran, the furniture you picked just now are all our finest designs. They're all made of top-quality redwood, so none of them are cheap. The total comes to fifteen taels of silver."
Fifteen taels?! Ran had known the furniture wouldn't be cheap, but she hadn't thought it would be this expensive. Just a few simple pieces cost fifteen taels.
Still, she really liked both the designs and the carvings on them. Even if they were expensive, Ran felt it was acceptable.
"Alright. But Shopkeeper Qiu, you must ensure that they're delivered properly to my house," Ran said with a serious expression. "If there's any damage, I won't accept them."
"Yes, of course," Shopkeeper Qiu said with a smile, nodding repeatedly. "Also, since I bought so many, Shopkeeper Qiu, why don't you give me that rocking chair as a bonus?"
Ran looked at the rocking chair with a smile. "This…" Shopkeeper Qiu pretended to hesitate and thought for a moment.
Then he suddenly slapped his thigh and said with a heartbroken look, "Alright! For Lady Ran's sake, I'll give you the chair." "Then thank you, Shopkeeper," Ran said with a smile.
She pulled out ten taels of silver from her pocket and placed them in the shopkeeper's hand. "Here's ten taels as a deposit. I'll give the remaining five when you deliver it the day after tomorrow."
"Of course you can!"
The shopkeeper had no objections. Many customers were afraid the furniture might get scratched during delivery, so they chose to pay a deposit first and settle the full payment after confirming everything was fine.
After confirming the delivery time, Ran left the furniture store and went to a grocery shop. She bought two strings of firecrackers, then went to a nearby candy shop and bought a big bag of sesame candy. Only then did she head home.
"Sweet and sour candied hawthorn, delicious candied hawthorn!"
She hadn't walked far when she saw an old man carrying a large bunch of candied hawthorns. "Sir, two sticks of candied hawthorn!"
Ran thought of Simeon waiting at home, so she immediately bought two sticks.
"Alright!" Seeing business, the old man stopped and took down two big red sticks. He carefully wrapped them in oiled paper and handed them over. "Young master, two sticks of candied hawthorn, eight coins in total!"
Ran took out the eight coins and gave them to him, smiling as she walked out of the city with the candied hawthorn. It was already getting late, and she was worried Simeon would be anxious.
So the road that normally took one and a half hours, Ran walked in just one hour.
It was the first time she had rushed home like this. Thinking about someone waiting for her made her lips curl into a smile.
She glanced around and saw no one nearby, then took out a bamboo basket from her space.
She placed new bowls and chopsticks and a piece of cake inside. Then she held the two sticks of candied hawthorn in her hand and pushed the door open with a bright smile.
"Simeon, I'm back!" Ran didn't see him in the yard and called out loudly.
The next moment, Simeon opened the door and came out. When he saw her, the worry on his face softened a bit.
He walked up quickly and asked, "Ranran, why did you come back so late? Did everything go well?"
"Everything is already settled!" Ran knew he was worried, so she smiled and said, "All the furniture is bought, and I told the shopkeeper. They'll deliver it early the day after tomorrow."
"That's good!" Simeon nodded with a smile.
"Da da da!" Suddenly, Ran lifted the two sticks of candied hawthorn in front of him.
While he stared in surprise, she stuffed them into his hands. Her eyes curved as she smiled and said, "I bought these especially for you. Try them and see if you like them?"
Simeon looked at her bright smile and felt his heart skip. He looked away quickly.
Under her expectant gaze, he bit into one of the candied hawthorns.
The sweet and sour taste burst in his mouth at once. He hadn't eaten them since he was ten because he thought they were too sour.
But for some reason, this stick didn't taste sour at all.
It tasted sweet. So sweet it touched his heart.
He lowered his head to glance at the hawthorn in his hand, suddenly unwilling to eat more.
"How is it? Is it good?" Ran looked at him with anticipation, her large almond-shaped eyes filled with nervousness.
"Yeah! It's really good!" Simeon didn't want her to feel disappointed, so he smiled and nodded. "The candied hawthorn is really sweet!"
"As long as you like it!" Seeing that he liked it, Ran's smile grew even brighter.