Chapter 56: Unable to Conceive

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“Xiao Juan, eight yuan is too expensive. Can you lower the price a bit? How about five yuan?!”
“Yeah, eight yuan is a quarter of my salary. That’s enough to feed my whole family for a week.”
“Juanzi, can’t you give us a little discount? Eight yuan is really too much for us.”
“Stop putting Xiao Juan in a tough spot. She didn’t set the price, and the creams aren’t hers. She’s just selling them on someone else's behalf.”
“Exactly! The stuff is pricey, but it really works. Isn’t it much better than the four or five yuan creams we usually buy?”
“That’s true. Though it’s expensive, the results are visible. I spent so much on other creams before and saw no difference. Eight yuan is steep, but if you use it sparingly, it can last six months.”
“Even four or five months would be fine, I think.”
“Juanzi, save me a bottle. I’ll buy it once I get paid.”
“Xiao Juan, my best friend wants a bottle of the spot-removal cream.”
...
Every day, girlfriends or coworkers came to Fang Juan to ask about the skincare products, most trying to haggle a lower price.

However, some thought the price was worth it because the products genuinely worked. Despite the cost, they could afford it, and for the sake of becoming more beautiful, it was all worthwhile.

“Sorry, eight yuan is the price set by the person who makes these skincare products. I only shared it with everyone because it worked so well for me. Besides, I’m bringing these back for free, so I really can’t decide on the price.”

Fang Juan had a very good temper and was patient, though she was quite annoyed inside by those who only wanted to pay five or six yuan. Business wasn’t easy, so she had to pass this along to Lu Jiaor.

No discounts were possible.

“By the way, that comrade also told me that her products will increase in price later. They won’t be less than ten yuan.”

Lu Jiaor told her this—not an immediate increase, but planned for one or two years down the road. Fang Juan wouldn’t share this truth with the others.

What?!

Price going up?!

Ten yuan a bottle?!

The girlfriends and coworkers were stunned, eyes wide. Good things really were becoming more expensive.

“Xiao Juan, you have to tell me before the price goes up. I need to stock up.”
“Me too, I want an extra bottle.”
“Ten yuan is too expensive! Who would buy that?!”
“Pfft, if you don’t buy it, someone else will. Others aren’t as stingy as you.”

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“Yeah, even if you can’t afford it, there are always people who can. The folks in the office at our factory asked Xiao Juan too—they never complain about the price.”
“Right, office workers earn way more than us, sixty or seventy yuan a month. Spending ten yuan on a face cream is nothing to them.”
“Xiao Juan, I want an extra bottle before the price rises.”
“If the price really goes up, I’ll make sure to use one bottle for at least eight months, or it won’t be worth it.”
“Me too.”
“Xiao Juan, I want one now.”
“So expensive and still going up? What kind of business is this?! Do they even know how to run a business?!”
“Yeah, maybe they don’t want customers like us anymore.”
“Maybe their customers were never people like us to begin with.”
...
Though everyone complained about the price, once they heard about the increase, some were still willing to stock up. A few who just said it was too expensive were now ready to buy immediately.

It was that sort of feeling—if you don’t take advantage of a good deal, you’re a fool—everyone was afraid to miss out even a little.

Fang Juan didn’t expect that simply revealing this information would sell three bottles right away. She decided to occasionally share such tidbits to prevent anyone from bargaining.

Three bottles brought in twenty-four yuan; she earned two yuan and forty cents immediately.

Soon, most people around Fang Juan dispersed, leaving only two or three close girlfriends.

“Xiao Juan, I haven’t asked—any news about your blind date with Zheng Qiang?!”
“That Zheng Qiang is good-looking and well-off. Juanzi, you should consider him.”
“Who would’ve thought that our Juanzi would change so much these past few months—suddenly so pretty! Not only has her skin improved and become fairer, but she’s also learned to dress well. No wonder more guys are interested.”
“Besides Zheng Qiang, I heard Li Gang also sent someone to inquire. Is that true?!”
“Not just those two, several others have been asking. Your transformation is remarkable, Juanzi.”

After Fang Juan’s complexion improved, many realized she was actually quite attractive. With better clothes, she looked even more stunning.

Gradually, more people started showing interest, and the suitors’ qualifications improved, giving her more choices.

“My face is all thanks to Comrade Lu’s creams. After using them for just a month, my acne cleared up, and many of the spots faded a lot. After three months, they were gone. Then I kept using the whitening and spot-removal creams—I’ve used them consistently until now, which is why I look like this.”

Fang Juan was incredibly grateful to have met Lu Jiaor and firmly trusted and chose her products. Without them, she wouldn’t be who she is today.

The people her girlfriends mentioned did come knocking. She even met two suitors with very good prospects—men she never dared to dream of before, and no one had ever paid her much attention.

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If it had been the old Fang Juan, she would have been flattered and eager to say yes immediately. But now she was different. A lifetime commitment required careful consideration; otherwise, it could ruin her entire life.

This was all advice from Lu Jiaor, who was lucky to have a military officer as her own husband.

“I’m still thinking it over. Let’s go home.”

At this moment, another family was concerned.

“Mom, that old nag is pestering me again about having a baby.”

Guo Mingzhi didn’t return home after work; she went straight to her mother’s house and complained to her.

“Why don’t we try the hospital again?”

Hearing this, Guo’s mother felt a pang of worry; she had no better idea. Where else could they go but the hospital?

“Mom, I’ve been to the hospital four times this year. The doctors say there’s nothing wrong with me. Even the traditional Chinese medicine doctor said I’m fine. What else can I do? Where am I supposed to produce a child from?!”

Guo Mingzhi was nearly losing her mind from all the hospital visits. Doctors confirmed her body was fine and capable of having children, yet after three years of marriage, she still wasn’t pregnant.

In the first year, her mother-in-law didn’t object much, but starting the second year, she began to pressure her more and more openly, especially this year, with relentless cold jabs and constant aggravation.

At first, Guo Mingzhi felt guilty and timid, but the more she backed down, the more arrogant her mother-in-law became. She couldn’t stand it anymore. Whenever the topic of children came up, they argued. Not every three days, but at least once a week.

Guo’s mother was at a loss too. She had taken her daughter to many doctors and Chinese medicine practitioners. They all said nothing was wrong, yet she still couldn’t conceive.

They said having children depended on fate—that it would happen when the time was right. But three years had passed; the child should have arrived by now, even if late.

...

Author’s note:

I just read a comment saying the heroine’s medicine is sold too cheaply.

Here’s a little explanation: I try to match prices to the wage levels of the time for realism.

A bottle costing several yuan is actually not cheap at all. Back then, medicine might have been just a few dimes or at most a little over a yuan. Even if it were more expensive—two or three yuan—selling a bottle for five yuan is really pricey.

Of course, some say the heroine’s medicine is a special elixir forged in the cultivation world’s alchemy furnace, so it’s worth the price. But we must consider the era—no one spends big money on medicine unless it’s life or death.

In the end, let’s not overthink it and just enjoy the story.

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