Qin Qing noticed the anxiety and seriousness in her eyes, then slowly took the hairpin out of the box and asked in confusion.
"Is this what you're talking about? It seems... that's what it's called."
After saying that, she picked up the hairpin and fiddled with it in her hand for a moment, which made Ma Xinyue even more impatient.
"Boss, didn't you say you were leaving it for me? Why is it in her hands?"
The shop owner seemed to remember something when he saw Ma Xinyue, and upon hearing this, he had a look of sudden realization.
"Oh, I remember now, you're the young lady from three days ago... I'm sorry, you're too late. This lady bought the beaded hairpin before you."
As he spoke, he was also a little puzzled. It was just a pretty beaded flower. Although the jade color was indeed beautiful, it was not worth a fortune. Why did so many people want it?
Upon hearing his words, Ma Xinyue was immediately filled with anger.
"No, I clearly reserved this hairpin with pearls and jade. It cost five hundred taels, right? I'll pay!"
The shop owner was taken aback when he heard this, then his eyes lit up, and he asked in surprise.
Is this really true?
He regretted it as soon as he said it, after all, the woman did not look like someone to be trifled with, and taking back something that had already been sold would damage his reputation.
"this…"
As he hesitated, he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Qin Qing.
But seeing the other person's sarcastic expression, he felt ashamed and knew he would never get it back!
“Miss Ma, this is just a small business for me. There’s no reason to ask for the money back once it’s sold. Why don’t you and this lady discuss it yourselves?”
After saying that, he went straight back behind the counter, ignoring the two of them...
Seeing this, Ma Xinyue became even angrier, but she also knew that the shopkeeper was unreliable, so she could only look at Qin Qing, a troubled expression on her fair face.
"Madam Qin, I desperately need this jade hairpin. Please, I beg you to part with it."
She had witnessed Qin Qing's martial prowess, and with Old Madam Wang present, it would be too unseemly for her to forcibly take it. This beaded flower was meant to be a gift for that person!
Seeing her hesitant yet impatient expression, Qin Qing finally realized something was amiss.
"Miss Ma seems to really like this beaded flower... Alas... I just spent two hundred and ten taels of silver to buy it."
Hearing her mutter those words, Ma Xinyue froze for a moment, then turned sharply to look at the shop owner behind her, saying incredulously.
"Two hundred and ten taels? You clearly said four hundred and twenty taels when I came last time!"
Hearing the roar, the shop owner was extremely embarrassed...
"Ahem, Miss Ma, what you're saying is... This beaded flower seems to have a special connection with this lady, which is why I lowered the price to sell it to her..."
After saying that, he muttered something else.
"It's all because you wanted this beaded hairpin for 300 taels but refused to buy it, so I was forced to sell it for a little over 200 taels."
Hearing this made Ma Xinyue even angrier. So it was still her fault? Was she the one who benefited others?
Qin Qing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled broadly.
"Ha, then I really do have a special connection with these beaded flowers!"
As an ordinary person, Madam Wang didn't hear the shop owner's grumbling at all, and her location wasn't as close as Ma Xinyue's. She was a little confused by their inexplicable remarks.
Qin Qing tried to pull the old lady away, but Ma Xinyue gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, and rushed over.
"Wait! You can leave today, but you must leave this beaded flower behind! Name your price!"
She hadn't brought enough money with her that day; after all, what young lady would carry four or five hundred taels of silver notes? Unfortunately, the shopkeeper didn't recognize her and refused to let her buy on credit. Besides, four hundred taels was indeed expensive, and the shopkeeper clearly didn't know the value of the beaded hairpin. That's why she pretended not to like it and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, just a few days later, she was bought by her mortal enemy without even realizing it!
As soon as she finished speaking, three burly men appeared at the door and blocked her way. Judging from their expressions, all three of them should be skilled in martial arts!
She then calmly looked at Ma Xinyue, a cold smile playing on her lips.
"So, Miss Ma, you're trying to rob me by force?"
Madam Wang, who was standing to the side, also turned cold. Seeing this, Ma Xinyue was caught in a dilemma and could only smile through gritted teeth.
"Don't put it so harshly. I'm willing to offer four hundred and fifty taels for this pearl hairpin. I humbly request that Madam Qin part with it!"
Forcing her to address this woman she hates so much as "Madam" is an insult!
Qin Qing chuckled upon hearing this and mimicked the shopkeeper's gesture by extending five fingers.
"This was the price when I bought it. I begged the owner for a long time before he gave me a discount. I might not even be willing to buy it at the original price. What's a mere four hundred taels!"
Hearing her say that, Ma Xinyue stiffened even more, and looked at the shop owner in surprise, her eyes seeming to ask, "Are you really going to pay this price?"
The shop owner felt a chill run down his spine from her gesture and could only nod, then quickly added.
"It was five hundred taels, but this lady was really good at bargaining, and in the end she bought it for two hundred and ten taels."
He said this actually to help Ma Xinyue, but it only made Ma Xinyue more upset. The sharp voice made the shop owner's heart skip a beat.
"What did you say? Two hundred and ten taels? I tried to negotiate with you for three hundred taels the other day and you wouldn't budge, but now you're willing to sell it to her for two hundred taels? You heartless jewelry store! This is outrageous!"
Perhaps out of fear of Qin Qing's martial prowess, Ma Xinyue vented her anger on the shop owner. How could someone running a shop in the capital city not have a powerful backer? After being verbally abused by Ma Xinyue, the shop owner couldn't help but retaliate.
They even brought out the store's thugs, who then engaged in a brawl with Ma Xinyue's three burly men.
Qin Qing looked dejected as she watched the chaotic battle unfold before her, which had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
"Madam, it's too noisy! Let's go back."
Seven or eight minutes after the two left, Ma Xinyue finally came to her senses and was furious.
Just then, Qin Qing and Madam Wang's carriage collided with a vegetable cart. After finally regaining her balance, she turned around to make sure Madam Wang was alright, then quickly jumped off the carriage. She was about to argue with the person, but when she saw that the other person was an old man, she lost interest.
"Fine, I've bought the groceries. Just watch where you're going next time, and don't drive recklessly."
Having said that, she handed over twenty taels of silver and asked him to deliver it to her residence. The old man on the ground thanked her profusely…
Everything was normal until just then, a hoarse and weathered voice entered my ears.
"Coming from here, returning to there! Who knows if occupying another's nest is not a blessing in disguise!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man dressed in a Taoist robe, with a slender build and a flowing beard.
At this moment... he was staring at Qin Qing, his eyes unblinking, as if he were looking through Qin Qing at her. Coupled with that phrase, "usurping someone else's place," Qin Qing suppressed her shock, turned her head slightly to ask the old lady to wait a moment, and then walked towards the Taoist priest.
But she hesitated in her heart, thinking that it couldn't be like in the novels, where her otherworldly soul was actually destined to travel to another world, right?
Thinking of her, I stopped in my tracks. Perhaps I was overthinking things?
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