"Young lady, please wait." The shopkeeper, noticing the way the two young maids looked at him, suddenly changed his mind.

When Hong Xiaoduo stopped and turned to look at him, she said, "How about this, young lady, please wait a moment. I will have someone prepare a carriage and bring Zheng to accompany you on your tour. You can also put any other things you buy on it."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper. With such a kind shopkeeper, you're sure to make a fortune." Hong Xiaoduo accepted the other party's kindness without hesitation.

It sounds like a simple matter, but it took the shopkeeper and his assistant nearly 45 minutes to find all the gifts that came with the three zithers, put them on the carriage, and prevent them from falling or getting damaged.

The shopkeeper didn't follow them, but ordered the shop assistant to accompany Hong Xiaoduo and the others until they returned to their lodgings.

With the music store's carriage following them, the boys felt much more relaxed. They put all the things they had bought on the carriage, bought some more things on the street, and then headed home.

After returning to the courtyard and unloading her things, Hong Xiaoduo gave the shop assistant a silver coin. The shop assistant left happily and drove back to the music store.

Just as they arrived at the music store, a man nearing forty years old emerged from the alley next door. After glancing at the carriage and finding it empty, he said, "Oh, isn't this Da Yi? It's so late at night, why aren't you guarding the music store? Are you taking your master to his mistress's place?"

“Wang Shoucai, don’t talk nonsense. Our master doesn’t have any mistresses.” Da Yi retorted unhappily.

Seeing that the other party did not believe him, he then said that he had sold three good kites that night and the owner asked him to take them back to their lodgings.

"Which company is this? Did they strike it rich or something, buying three of them?" Wang Shoucai asked casually.

He had heard from others that the good zithers in the music store cost several hundred taels of silver each.

“He’s not from our town, he’s just passing through. He’s staying in Old Huang’s courtyard.” After saying that, Da Yi ignored him.

Da Yi and Wang Shoucai were from the same hometown. Wang Shoucai was a son-in-law who had married into the family, but he was of bad character and indulged in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. His father-in-law and mother-in-law were too old for him to control, and his wife dared not say a word.

Da Yi and he didn't usually interact much, only occasionally exchanging greetings when they met.

Wang Shoucai, an out-of-towner, lived in Old Huang's courtyard. As he walked, he pondered to himself, "I've been having bad luck lately. I haven't won any money and I'm even in debt to loan sharks. I can't get any money out of my father-in-law either..."