Jiang Sheng didn't know much about jade, but she knew that the jade bracelet was definitely worth a lot of money, probably at least thirty taels of silver.
"Not only that, the water level is exceptionally high, at least a thousand taels." Changyan seemed to know what they were thinking and lowered his voice.
Not to mention Jiang Sheng, even Wen Zhiyun and Zhang Xianglian were stunned.
Using a jade bracelet worth a thousand taels of silver to pay for a meal costing forty coins—this is outrageous!
That's not a good idea.
The shop assistant, suppressing his anger, stared at the jade bracelet in astonishment. Although ordinary people might not recognize common goods, truly high-end items can never hide their elegance.
Besides, even if it's just an ordinary jade bracelet weighing a few ounces, you're guaranteed to make a profit.
The waiter grinned and reached out to touch it, "That's it then, but you have to keep your word."
Tan Yue gasped and forcibly turned her head away from looking.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Sheng, as nimble as a football, dashed to the jade bracelet, snatched it, and then placed forty coins on it, all in one swift motion.
The waiter's hand landed on the forty coins.
Jiang Sheng held the jade bracelet and felt its smooth and delicate texture. It was cool and slippery, and when she squeezed it a little, it would return with a faint warmth, without making her feel cold or uncomfortable.
This is truly a wonderful thing I've never seen before.
Before she could speak, the shop assistant next to her became agitated, "How dare you steal someone's things in broad daylight! Give the jade bracelet back to me!"
As he spoke, he reached out to snatch it.
Madam Jiang's expression changed drastically, and Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan both frowned and stood in front of their sister.
"No, you're not allowed to hurt my sister!" Wen Zhiyun rarely spoke loudly, but unfortunately, it wasn't very effective.
"Let's talk this out. It wouldn't be good if we really started fighting." Chang Yan's voice was chilling.
The shopkeeper was furious. "You were the ones who stole my things first, and now you're threatening me. Is there no law in Fengjing?"
This remark attracted several passersby to stop and watch.
Jiang Sheng quickly poked her head out and explained, "What you wanted was forty coins for wontons, which I have already given you. This jade bracelet is too expensive, so I have to return it to the old lady."
After saying that, he walked up to Old Madam Jiang and angrily opened his palm.
The little girl was clearly still holding a grudge about being extorted last time.
But that doesn't stop her from being kind-hearted and helpful.
What an eccentric little guy.
Madam Jiang took the jade bracelet, feeling the gentle warmth of her palm, and remained speechless for a long time.
"But the jade bracelet was given to you voluntarily by the lady. What right do you have to stop me?" The shop assistant still tried to struggle.
Jiang Sheng wasn't going to tolerate him. "Don't you know the price of a jade bracelet and the price of two bowls of wontons? You only got a jade bracelet for forty coins? Is this a wonton stall or a pawn shop?"
The man froze, his face filled with dejection.
The surrounding people burst into laughter, and some even gave Jiang Sheng a thumbs up.
Jiang Sheng, who was never shy, started chatting with the people around her, "Uncle, Aunt, am I right?"
"Yes, that's absolutely right," everyone agreed.
No one can dislike a quirky little girl.
Madam Jiang's heart softened even more. For a moment, she even decided that even though Jiang Sheng was not a descendant of the Jiang family, she still wanted to have some connection with this young girl.
"Alright, alright, we're leaving now. Goodbye everyone." The little girl didn't linger, pulled her two brothers up, and climbed onto the carriage.
Old Madam Jiang handed the jade bracelet to Tan Yue and whispered a few words in her ear.
Tan Yue accepted the order and quickly stopped in front of Jiang Sheng's carriage. After saying a few words, she turned back.
She was still holding the same warm and clear jade bracelet in her hand.
“Madam, the young lady said that she would not accept a reward without merit. Forty coins for wontons is nothing, and sixty coins for roasted chestnuts is nothing either.” Tan Yue reported while glancing at her mistress. “The young lady also said… if you really want to, return one hundred coins to Jiuzhenfang.”
Madam Jiang chuckled.
She can be both generous and stingy at times, and stingy and generous at others.
I wonder what this child went through when he was young.
Judging by the time, the second letter from Anshui County should have arrived by now.
Old Madam Jiang roused herself and, with Tan Yue's help, sat in the carriage, saying, "Let's go back to the Jiang family."
After patiently waiting for two days, the second letter finally arrived.
Unlike the thick stack of papers last time, this time there were only three thin pages.
This gave Old Madam Jiang a bad feeling. Jiang Sheng had written fifteen pages in the four years from age eight to eleven. How could his first eight years of life only amount to three pages?
She opened it with trembling hands, and the words on the first page were shocking.
Jiang Sheng, an orphan, was transported to Xiyang County in Anshui Prefecture while still an infant and was abandoned on the main road of the county town.
A kind-hearted old woman took her in and fed her with brown rice porridge until she was one and a half years old, but passed away due to illness.
The infant, barely able to run, survived for seven days on spoiled rice porridge alongside her grandmother's corpse. She was discovered by a neighbor, who buried her grandmother and then took her away.
The neighbors raised her until she was two years old, but because they lacked food after the birth of their youngest child, they had no choice but to abandon her at the market in Shili Town. She was picked up and raised by a couple again, but unfortunately, she soon had her own biological child.
When there wasn't enough food, Jiang Sheng, who had no blood relation to the family, had no choice but to wander the streets again, picking up rotten cabbage stalks to gnaw on, eating scraps dropped by others, and sleeping in the straw nests of stray dogs.
Some kind-hearted people couldn't bear it and fed him a couple of bites whenever they saw him. He lived to the age of five, but although he was older than expected, he had a large head and small shoulders due to years of hunger and cold.
During that time, a nine-year-old homeless boy accompanied her for some time, offering each other warmth and bringing her some joy. Unfortunately, this lasted only about half a year before he was lured away by a stronger beggar and joined the group that bullied the weak.
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