Jiang Huaiyu, who was once the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, also owned a sizable jewelry store. She knew the layout of these places like the back of her hand—the ground floor only displayed ordinary goods, while the high-quality jewelry was kept on the second and third floors. Only those who had reached a certain level of consumption could ever step into those floors.
"Madam, please be careful. Is there anything you need?" The waiter asked cautiously, noticing her protruding belly.
Jiang Huaiyu got straight to the point: "My friend is about to celebrate her birthday, and I'd like to carefully select a piece of jewelry as a gift for her. Would you mind coming upstairs to choose one?"
The shop assistant replied, "Madam, those going up to the second floor must purchase jewelry worth at least one hundred taels of silver. As for the third floor, the cost will exceed one thousand taels."
Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly: "Of course, please lead the way."
Seeing her elegant demeanor, the waiter said nothing more and respectfully led her up the stairs to the second floor. "Madam, there are professional waiters on the second floor to serve you. Please take your time to choose."
The jewelry display on the second floor was even more exquisite. Jiang Huaiyu admired each piece, her eyes dazzled, but she still couldn't find anything that truly captivated her. Until she reached the very last counter, her eyes lit up. A gold hairpin inlaid with rubies caught her eye; its exquisite craftsmanship was truly breathtaking. Just as she was about to signal the shop assistant to bring it over for a closer look, another customer suddenly appeared and beat her to it.
"Pack this hair ornament for me."
The man's voice was nonchalant, as if he hadn't noticed that Jiang Huaiyu had already taken a liking to this hairpin.
In an elegant corner of Da Fu Lou, a waiter looked slightly embarrassed. He glanced at Jiang Huaiyu, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, "This..."
However, Jiang Huaiyu had already sensed something amiss from that slightly familiar voice. When her gaze fell on the other person's face, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Mrs. Qiao?"
It turned out that the woman who had taken a fancy to that gorgeous hair ornament at the same time as her was none other than Qiao Tongzhi's wife.
However, Qiao Tongzhi had clearly stated that he would set off for the capital to perform his duties by the end of June at the latest. Now it is mid-July, and Mrs. Qiao is still in Wusu. Could it be that Qiao Tongzhi has not yet set off?
Mrs. Qiao only came to her senses when she heard the call. She responded softly, "Oh, it's Mrs. Bai?"
She turned her head and saw the shopkeeper's hesitant expression. She immediately understood the awkwardness. She waved her hand and smiled, saying, "Oh dear, I was so embarrassed. My mind was full of thoughts, and I didn't even realize that Madam Bai had already taken a liking to this hairpin. I'm so sorry. Since you took a liking to this hairpin first, please accept it. I'll go and look for something else elsewhere."
Jiang Huaiyu smiled gently, her eyes revealing tolerance and understanding. "Madam Qiao, why be so polite? I was just browsing casually. Since you like this hair ornament, how could I take it from you? Please go ahead."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qiao's expression softened even more.
"Mrs. Bai, you are too kind."
Recalling their last meeting at the Qiao residence, the wife of the newly appointed top scholar was well-mannered and made people feel comfortable when talking to her. Therefore, Mrs. Qiao had a good impression of her.
"Since you are so generous, I will not refuse."
She nodded slightly to the shop assistant, "Wrap it up."
Nevertheless, Mrs. Qiao's gaze never lingered on the ruby hairpin, and a hint of worry was faintly revealed in her eyes.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Huaiyu's gaze, Madam Qiao forced a smile and explained, "Please excuse my rudeness, Madam Bai. My niece is about to turn 18, and as her aunt, I must give her a decent gift. That's why I came here to choose a present for her, and unintentionally, I beat you to it."
Jiang Huaiyu smiled and said softly, "It's alright. There are quite a lot of ruby ornaments here. I can browse other styles as well."
Mrs. Qiao nodded slightly and replied softly, "Thank you."
Jiang Huaiyu smiled gently, then suddenly asked with concern, "Madam Qiao, you look a little haggard today. Is something troubling you?"
She was friendly and offered her the jewelry. Even though Mrs. Qiao was full of worries, she did not want to be too cold to people, so she sighed and said frankly, "There are indeed some trivial matters."
Jiang Huaiyu casually suggested, "Perhaps there's anything I can do to help?"
Although it was just a polite remark, Mrs. Joe found it very heartwarming.
She smiled and thanked her, a hint of surprise in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Huaiyu, "Madam Bai was unaware of this?"
"What is it?" Jiang Huaiyu asked, looking surprised.
She then hurriedly added, "Oh, Mrs. Qiao, you may not know, but I'm planning to open a shop in the city and have been busy with that lately. I really haven't had time for anything else. Does your question mean that something has happened in the city that has caused you concern?"
Mrs. Qiao had been feeling heavy-hearted for many days, and seeing how concerned she was, she couldn't help but feel an urge to confide in her.
After looking around, she pointed to the tea table by the window and said softly, "Madam Bai's belly is quite large, and she must be tired from standing for so long. Why don't we move over there and sit down to talk in detail?"
“Excellent.” Jiang Huaiyu readily agreed.
After the two were seated, Madam Qiao asked, "Madam Bai, I remember when you last visited the Qiao residence, my master mentioned the matter of promotion to you, is that right?"
Jiang Huaiyu nodded in response, "Indeed, Magistrate Qiao once said that he would set off to leave no later than the end of June. Therefore, I am somewhat surprised to see you again in Wusu. Could it be that Magistrate Qiao has encountered some obstacles?"
"And the obstacles are far more than just a few..."
Madam Qiao's eyes dimmed, and she said in a heavy tone, "Do you know that the Prefect has unfortunately been murdered?"
"Murdered?" Jiang Huaiyu exclaimed in shock.
Jiang Huaiyu gasped in surprise. After a moment of stunned silence, she asked in confusion, "Although I haven't been in Wusu for long, I've heard that this prefect is fair and selfless, cares deeply about the people, and is deeply loved by them... How could such a thing happen?"
She exchanged a meaningful glance with Yingxiang.
No wonder the atmosphere on the street was so strange today; it turns out everyone was talking about this.
Madam Qiao sighed helplessly, "Who knows the truth? My husband has never revealed a single word about the specific details of the case to me. But I've heard from rumors that the prefect was actually killed by a wandering swordsman!"
"Why would a well-regarded prefect like him get involved with people from the martial arts world?"
Jiang Huaiyu frowned, her face full of confusion.
Madam Qiao gently shook her head. "Those江湖 figures, which one of them doesn't disregard laws and regulations? It's not surprising that they've committed such outrageous acts. What's infuriating is that they chose this crucial moment to cause trouble, preventing my husband from extricating himself from the situation. The imperial court has already issued an order for him to assist in solving this case. The murder of a local official is no small matter. If the case cannot be solved, forget about promotion; I fear my husband might even lose his official hat..."
(End of this chapter)
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