Pei Qin had not expected to run into Wang Ting again, who took advantage of their distraction to steal her handcart from the kitchen.
The shopkeeper, watching the scene, thought to play the mediator, suggesting that Pei Qin give the handcart to Wang Ting, who in turn would give her a few taels of silver. Considering her quick mental arithmetic, she must be educated. However, given her shabby clothes, he guessed that she was possibly from an impoverished scholarly family. The handcarts she made weren't worth much anyway; if young Master Wang liked them, paying a few taels of silver would result in a better situation for both parties.
