Chapter 52: Possessing a Treasure
Xue Jia was quick-witted and shouted outside, "Mian Zong, Mian Zong! What did you take? Come in!"
Mian Zong had walked over earlier, but when he heard Xue Jia calling him, he quickly retreated. Everyone could see that he was holding a wooden tray with some scattered things on it.
Xue Jia nodded at the tray with his chin: "What is it?"
Mian Zong said: "These are all pawn items from today. Since there are few people at the counter, I will take them to the warehouse to store them."
Mr. Shi said, "Take it to Shao Yanei for a look."
Mian Zong responded and brought the jade bracelets to Shao Yanei to show him. Shao Yanei nodded and thanked Master Shi silently. He picked up a jade bracelet from the tray and looked through it, and said with a smile: "What a coincidence, it just happened to match my worries. My little niece at home is not even as tall as the counter of your pawnshop, but she is already a top-notch devil in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. A few days ago, she was bored at home and took two jade bracelets to play with them for fun. I wanted to tease her and play with her, but I used too much force when throwing them, and the bracelets hit the ground and broke. She actually said that I broke her favorite thing, cried for most of the day, and didn't eat dinner - Hey, listen to me, if it is a favorite thing, why do you still use it to toss, throw, and play with it? ? Only girls and villains are difficult to raise. This girl is both a girl and a villain, and she is the most difficult to raise! She has been mad at me for a long time. I bought her a lot of things, but she still ignored me. Her birthday is at the beginning of next month. I want to take this opportunity to ask her to forgive me, but I don’t know what gift to give her. Gold and silver lockets are tacky, coral and jade pendants are boring, and girls like those hair ornaments made of gauze the most. She has seen so many of them since she was a child, and she doesn’t care for them. Oh, it’s really frustrating! Look, I just happened to see this bracelet. The quality and size are very similar to the pair I threw away. If I can take it home, that female devil will definitely be happy.”
Mian Zongpin sensed something was amiss, and before Master Shi and Xue Jia could speak, he hinted, "Young Master, the original owner of this bracelet didn't commit suicide, and said he'd redeem it in a while. Madam, right?"
Yanru took the opportunity to take credit, saying, "Yeah, yes, yes. I've been watching the shop for a long time today. I was so busy that my hands were shaking when I drank water. I finally need to take a break after finishing this deal."
Shao Yanei's face showed regret. "Oh, forget it. It's not right to take something that's not yours. I also don't want to show my courtesy by giving someone else's things." He added, whether intentionally or not, "It's so annoying. It's so annoying. It's so hard to have anything go my way these days. I want to see Madam You's beautiful friend who works at the Ministry of Revenue—I can't. I want to get a nice toy—I can't get it."
Yanru and Xue Jia exchanged bewildered glances, each mouth agape. Master Shi smiled and said, "Everything is determined by fate. If there's a destiny, they'll naturally meet and find each other. Rest assured, Young Master. The Xue family's eldest son and his new wife are quite capable. They'll naturally be able to find good things for you and help you resolve any problems you may have."
Yanru turned around and was distracted. Fearing that Shao Yanei might be lustful, she didn't dare mention Zheng Sirui and only used the gift-giving matter to make fun of her. "Yes, yes. Why didn't you tell us earlier about this matter at Yanei's house? We could have helped sooner, right? Sir, you have to pay more attention these days and help Yanei find a new and interesting thing that suits his taste."
"Right, right, right!" Xue Jia said hurriedly, "Don't worry, young master. There's nothing good a pawnshop owner hasn't seen. As your brother, I'll definitely find a good gift for you!"
"Then I'd like to thank Master Xue and Madam You first." Shao Yanei waved his arms and bowed lightly. Mianzong withdrew, and the four people present continued to chat and joke. After the tea and snacks, Shao Yanei, feeling bored, rode back home. After seeing off the guests, Master Shi stayed in the shop and called Yanru and Xue Jia to talk: "My dear children, we all heard what Shao Yanei said just now. You two should pay attention. My godfather has a request from him recently, so please don't embarrass me."
Yanru said, "Okay, okay. If you can carry a thousand-jin load, why not nine hundred and ninety-nine? My husband and I will definitely use all our strength to find him a good one."
"Hey, hey, hey." Master Shi shook his head. "Listen to his modesty! The Shao family is so well-off. There's nothing he can't buy, even if you can't imagine it. Look further and you'll find something better than what he likes. When giving gifts, the key is to cater to the recipient's preferences. Since he likes those bracelets, you can get them for him. But you have to have a clean reputation and don't cause him any unnecessary trouble."
Xue Jia's nostrils were oozing with oil. He rubbed them with his hand and scratched his nose as well, saying, "I understand. Don't worry, godfather. I'll definitely get it done!"
Mr. Shi was very satisfied. As it was getting late, he did not stay long. He asked about some family matters, explained some business matters, and then left. Yanru asked someone to clean up the room and sat on Xue Jia's lap and said, "Sir, I thought you and Shao Yanei were very good, but unexpectedly, Shao Yanei and my adoptive father seem to be closer. My adoptive father is really amazing. Shao Yanei always likes to speak flamboyantly and unrestrainedly when he goes out to play with us. He is a real playboy, but he is so respectful and polite to my adoptive father."
Xue Jia said proudly: "Who can blame our adoptive father for being so powerful?"
Yanru said, "Sir, didn't you say that my adoptive father was just a big businessman? Tell me, how many other abilities does my adoptive father have that I don't know about?"
Xue Jia fell silent and swallowed his saliva. "Hey, my adoptive father is a businessman on the surface, but in fact his family background is not simple. He is the grandson of the Shi Hou family, a noble family in Beijing. But later on, the Shi family fell into decline and financial difficulties. My adoptive father failed the imperial examinations for many years and could not enter the official career. So he went out to do business and found a way to manipulate salt permits. He made a fortune by purchasing, transporting and selling salt and got to where he is today. But my adoptive father is a little eccentric. He did not inherit the title and did not like to call himself the descendant of a duke or marquis. He just liked to call himself a businessman."
Yanru exclaimed in surprise, "So my adoptive father is also a descendant of a king or a general! No wonder he's so extraordinary! Hey, sir, we have to pay attention and go get that bracelet tomorrow morning!"
The address was filled in on the note attached to the pawn ticket, and Yanru and Xue Jia easily tracked down the family. They saw a small tiled house at the end of the street. It was so messy that there was nothing to mess around. It was so shabby that it could hardly compare with the Zheng family a few years ago. An orphan and a widowed mother had just sent the doctor away. The adult was lying on the bed with a pale face, and the child was holding an old bowl to feed her mother medicine. Although the house was shabby, the floor and tables and chairs were wiped clean, and there was no other strange smell. But Xue Jia, like his wife, covered his nose artificially and called out the name of the girl's mother that was left on the pawn ticket: "Mrs. Tian Juan, I am Xue Jia, the owner of Qixian Pawnshop, and this is my wife."
Yanru, who cared about her image as the "master of the house," had to have her say in everything, so she quickly interrupted, "I came here today to discuss something. A friend of ours really liked the pair of jade bracelets that you pawned at Qixian's pawnshop yesterday, so we came here to ask if you could sell the money directly to me."
Xue Jia added, "That's right. We are a good and righteous family and we won't bully you. Just name your price."
Tian Juan was weak and coughed three times after every word she spoke. She spoke incoherently, "Thank you, thank you, Master Xue, for appreciating my family's things. But, cough cough, I'm sorry, I can't do what you say. This bracelet is mine, cough cough, it's something my maternal ancestors passed down to their daughter. It's extremely precious and can't be easily sold. Cough cough, who would want to pretend to be bald if they have hair? If I hadn't been seriously ill in winter and my child cough cough was still young and had no one to take care of him, I wouldn't have pawned this bracelet to save my life."
The other party's attitude was more resolute than expected. Yanru frowned and said, "Ah, your family is in such a state, why do you still care about these material possessions? Just sell them to us. It's almost the New Year, and you can earn some money to buy some meat for the children."
Xue Jia took over the conversation: "That's right. Look at you, it's winter, and you don't even want to put more charcoal in your brazier. We want to buy your bracelet because we think you're short of food and clothing, and we want to give you some silver. This is because we think highly of you." As his lips opened and closed, nonsense and foul smell gushed out, making Tian Juan, a patient, feel uncomfortable from the inside out. Her pale cheeks were flushed with excitement. "Mr. Xue's family is rich and powerful, with piles of gold and jade. He has seen many good things. This bracelet of mine is just an ordinary toy for you, but to our family, it is extremely important. Please don't make it difficult for me, and don't make fun of me. When I recover from my illness, I will redeem it as soon as possible."
What a stubborn ass! He deserves to be poor! Yan Ru was filled with nameless rage, secretly cursing Tian Juan for her stubbornness. She hated that the law was in front of her, so she couldn't go up and pinch her arm to force her to submit. Her eyes hardened into flying knives, stabbing them fiercely into Tian Juan's thin and sick body. Xue Jia wanted to say a few more words, but Tian Juan ordered them to leave. The couple fell apart before they even started, and gritted their teeth and returned home.
In the next few days, the Xue couple came to the house again and again, bringing gifts and food, threatening and intimidating, using both soft and hard tactics, but Tian Juan still refused to respond, and finally wore Yanru's temper out. They picked out a bunch of bracelets, but the quality, size and texture were far different from the pair owned by the Tian family, and none of them were satisfactory. Seeing the money being spent like water, Wang Xianyi asked a few questions, but the two had no idea and could only shake their heads, which made Wang Xianyi sneer: "You can't even do such a small thing as buying a bracelet for a poor family? Your adoptive father really loved you in vain. If you can do it or not, just tell us!"
Xue Jia felt uncomfortable after hearing his mother's scolding. The last time he went to the Tian family's dilapidated house, his patience ran out. He pointed at Tian Juan's nose and said, "You cunning woman, stop pretending to be noble. I'll ask you again, are you going to sell it or not?"
Tian Juan's stubbornness was unbending. "How can I sell off an heirloom so easily? I'm sorry I can't obey your order, but the government has established a law. During the period specified on the pawn ticket, the item still belongs to me. I still have the final say. We say we won't sell it, and we won't buy it. I hope Master Xue won't force us any further. We've already raised the money and will be able to redeem it in a few days. Xiaoya, please show me around."
Yan Ru was furious, stomping her feet with such force that it threatened to shake the shabby house apart. Xue Jia, however, was uncharacteristically silent, clutching his throat and not speaking until he got into the carriage. He snorted, "Giving her even a little face, does she really think she's a dish?"
Yanru was distressed: "Sir, what should we do? Where else can we find the bracelet?"
Xue Jia said, "It would have been better if she hadn't said it, but she actually gave me a heads-up. You want to use the government officials as your backers, right? Fine, fine, fine!"
Yanru was confused: "What do you mean, sir?"
Xue Jia raised his eyebrows and shifted his hips, like a stray dog sitting down with its tail raised after peeing. "I've come up with a perfect plan. Without spending a penny more, she'll obediently give us the bracelet." Then, he leaned gently into Yanru's ear and whispered in a low voice. Yanru took a deep breath. "Ah? Is that really the case? Isn't that a bit... too much?"
Xue Jia's eye bags drooped, his face sinister, transforming from a pissing wild dog into a hyena sucking the marrow of its prey. "She's the one who won't give in, and she's shameless. We call this... what do you scholars call it? Ah, getting it in a proper way."
Yanru was apprehensive: "If that's the case, why did my husband go in my name?"
"Uh..." Xue Jia blinked, scratched the back of his head with his fingers, and laughed, "Hey, isn't it my wife who's in charge of the pawnshop? It's up to my wife to take the lead, right? Don't worry, my wife, you don't have to show up in person. I'll have someone go to the government office in advance to make arrangements, and then I'll have Long'er go in your place. You just sign the petition, how about that?"
Yanru hesitated, and Xue Jia softened his voice, advising her, "My lady, everyone says our adoptive father loves us, so we should repay him, right? I haven't had time to tell you yet. My adoptive father has a set of fine jewelry in his hand. It's said to be made by a treasure shop owned by a Western merchant in the city. He said it would suit you and was thinking of giving it to you. Oh, yes, the merchant told my adoptive father that they're looking for a beautiful, young, and talented noblewoman. Whenever the shop releases a new piece, they'll give it to the woman to wear at banquets to create some buzz. My adoptive father is thinking of pushing you aside—you see, he's my adoptive father, yet he always thinks of you when good things happen to him. I'm so jealous! Didn't my mother-in-law write that she wants to send my second sister to the capital to study at Guanyan Academy after the New Year? Let's do this well, so that my adoptive father will be happy and we can solve my second sister's educational problems at the same time. Isn't that great?"
Is there such a good thing that falls from the sky? It doesn't matter whether Yanbao studies or not. What's important is, can you really have endless jewelry without spending any money? Yanru smiled happily, and didn't care about anything else. People say that you should only sweep the snow in front of your own door and don't worry about the frost on other people's roofs. She is not the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva. There are so many poor people in the world, can she take care of them all? Others are not her, so they have to suffer when they have to. The most important thing for her is to enjoy happiness. She hugged Xue Jia's arm and stuck out her tongue to pretend to be pitiful: "What nonsense are you talking about, sir? You are jealous of this little thing? I am your wife, you and I are one husband and wife. If my adoptive father loves me, doesn't he love you? Okay, okay, since my adoptive father is so good to us, we should also be filial. Let's do it!"
The next day, Xue Jia went out to take care of things. Yanru sent away the outsiders and called Mianzong alone to take the account book, seal, paper, pen, and keys to the warehouse, saying that she wanted to count the goods. Mianzong was puzzled. The boss's wife was the most lazy person in the world. She wanted to eat too much and work too hard. Why did she suddenly become so diligent? Something must be wrong when things are abnormal. Sure enough, Yanru closed the door and said bluntly: "Mianzong, hurry up and find the bracelet that the little girl from the Tian family in the west of the city pawned last time when I was with you to check the counter, and the receipt."
Mian Zong didn't understand what was going on. He took out his key, unlocked the shelf, took out the bracelet, and said, "This bracelet hasn't expired yet. Why did you take it out, madam?"
Yanru laid out paper and pen and said, "Don't worry about it for now. If this pawn ticket wasn't written by you, I wouldn't have called you here. Just listen to me. Come, rewrite it, change the date to the day before yesterday, and double the interest. Hurry up."
Mian Zong felt that this was ridiculous and was so shocked that he couldn't speak clearly. "What, what is it? My wife? We can only change this if the Tian family mother and daughter are present. You, you, you, what are you doing?"
Yanru rolled her eyes. "You talk too much. I'm your wife, you must listen to me! I'm just asking you to rewrite a pawn ticket, not to commit murder. Hurry up and write."
Mian Zong shouted, "My wife, you were there that day, and you saw what the girl from the Tian family looked like. There is no man in their family, and they are so poor that they have to rely on this bracelet to ask the doctor to prescribe medicine. Now the date is changed, and the interest has doubled. They can't pay it back no matter what! How is this different from murder for money?" In an instant, the words of Shao Yanei in the guest room that day came to his mind. Mian Zong understood about 70% of it. He raised his eyes and looked at Yanru. Even though her face was painted with the most expensive and popular makeup in the capital, it couldn't hide the hypocrisy in her eyes.
Mianzong sneered: "A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure."
Yanru said disdainfully, "What's the use of a bad jade or a good jade? You're just a lowly person working here to support your family, and you're meddling in our master's affairs? Will you write? If not, that's fine. Then don't work for us anymore, don't take your monthly salary, pack up and leave quickly. So what if you're a scholar? There are many scholars out there who can't pass the imperial examinations. There are people everywhere competing with you for work. We in Qixian don't have to worry about not finding a manager. But what about you? How long did you have to work before you came to us? Your wife almost had to work as a mender and a laundryman. You're so noble, you're so great, but if you lose your job, aren't you afraid that your daughter will suffer the same hardship? I despise people like you the most. You pity other people's daughters, why don't you think about your own daughter?"
The murder was heartbreaking. Mian Zong stopped talking and remained silent for a long time. He picked up the pen and filled out the pawn ticket again according to Yanru's instructions and stamped it.
Yanru, overjoyed, stepped out of the storeroom and called Long'er, "Have you prepared the petition and everything? Bring it to me for signature and seal. Okay, take this pawn ticket and the petition to the government office and sue the Tian mother and daughter for overdue redemption and the interest on the pawn ticket. Not only do they refuse to pay, but they're also unwilling to give us the things and are throwing a tantrum to take them from us. We're helpless, so let the government punish them for their crimes!"
Long'er packed up, got in the car, and hurried to the yamen.
As the saying goes, the gates of the yamen face south; if you have a case but no money, don't enter. Furthermore, the Xue family's petition had been carefully reviewed, the wording was clear, and there was a stamped pawn ticket stub. Faced with irrefutable evidence, even the most powerful person would be right. For the impoverished Tian Juan and her daughter to seek justice was naturally as ridiculous as a mantis trying to stop a chariot or an ant trying to shake a tree.
After the court had thoroughly investigated the bracelet's identity, Yanru had it refurbished by a craftsman. She then bought a carved sandalwood box, covered it with red silk ribbon, and meticulously decorated it before presenting it to the young lady of the Shao family, earning a smile from the young lady. The Devil King had forgiven his uncle, and Shao Yanei was overjoyed, praising him in front of Master Shi.
Soon, Yanru finally got what she wanted, receiving the set of jewelry from the Western Regions merchant from Master Shi. As she donned the jeweled gold bracelet, necklace, earrings, and hairpin, she felt herself radiant, enveloped in golden light, like a celestial being descended from heaven. Everyone, satisfied and contented, rejoiced, their wish fulfilled, a scene of thunder and lightning pounding down from the heavens.
As for what happened to Tian Juan and her daughter? Orphans, widows, common people, as lowly as ants, it didn't matter.
[Mumbling]: I feel a little angry while writing this. I am going to drink a lot of milk tea today.
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