The shopkeeper's wife lost face upon hearing this; after all, her store's fabric selection was the most complete and of the highest quality in town. If she didn't have it, one might as well not bother looking anywhere else in town.
Swallowing her dissatisfaction, the shopkeeper's wife asked, "May I know what kind of fabric the lady speaks of? Tell me about it, and perhaps I can help the lady find it. If the lady only says it's not here, nobody knows what kind of fabric she is after."
