The meaning of this passage is simple and easy to understand; Xiao Yunsong could comprehend it.
People who open pawnshops do so for profit, while people who pawn their goods do so to get emergency funds. Inevitably, both sides will haggle over the price.
Apart from a few gamblers eager to "recoup their losses" or thieves selling stolen goods, the most common victims are families experiencing unexpected changes, suddenly falling into poverty, or impoverished families who simply cannot make ends meet.
Pawnshops are not charitable institutions. With high counters, they can't see people outside who come to pawn their belongings for emergency relief. They can comfortably only recognize the items and not the people, which is exactly what the saying "I don't see your suffering, so don't tell me to be generous" means.
Xiao Yunsong didn't usually pay much attention to pawnshops, and this was the first time he had heard such a statement: "There's such a saying?"
"Yes, that's not all. A high counter also has many practical uses."
Xiao Yunying pointed to the small wooden door next to the pawnshop counter: "Big brother, do you see that door?"
"Is that small door for people to enter? It's too low; I have to duck to get in."
"That's exactly the effect we wanted."
In ancient times, the counter of a pawnshop was an integral part of the door, with a dense fence or a single wooden board above it, leaving a semi-circular opening for receiving pawned items.
With nothing else to do, Xiao Yunying explained to her older brother: "The counter is high and the door is small, which is not very friendly to customers who come to pawn their goods, but it is much safer for the pawnshop."
The pawnshop must have a lot of banknotes and cash, including many valuable pawned items.
Setting the counter high can block the view from outsiders, and it can also help maintain confidentiality for pawn shop clerks, whether they are depositing or withdrawing money or treasures or discussing how to negotiate prices.
The door is small, so if bandits come to rob, they would have to line up one by one to get in. This provides good defense and also buys them time to escape or report to the authorities.
Moreover, the very nature of pawnshops already determined the status of both parties in a transaction.
When a person walks into a pawnshop, they have already fallen into the pawnshop's "trap".
The reason why pawnshop counters are set so high is to create psychological pressure for pawnbrokers.
The pawnshop clerk, standing on high and speaking aggressively, makes the pawner, who stands on tiptoe and looks up, feel inferior. This puts the pawner at a disadvantage in terms of presence and makes them unconsciously acquiesce to the pawnshop clerk's wishes when negotiating prices.
"I didn't expect you to know anything about pawnshops."
A familiar male voice sounded from beside her. Xiao Yunying trembled slightly and turned her head to see who it was: "Yuan Cheng, what are you doing here? When did you get here? I didn't hear any footsteps."
This series of questions was enough to show her surprise. Chen Yuancheng said, "Did I scare you?"
"A little bit, but it's none of your business. I'm just too sensitive to sudden noises."
Chen Yuancheng's voice wasn't loud, it was very gentle. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings and hadn't expected anyone to come and talk to her, so she was startled.
"I was passing by when I saw your back. I wasn't sure if it was you, so I wanted to get closer to say hello. But when I heard you talking to your brother, I didn't say anything to disturb you."
You didn't hear my footsteps, probably because you were talking so intently and absorbedly.
After Chen Yuancheng finished speaking, he greeted Xiao Yunsong. Xiao Yunsong did not return the greeting, saying, "Young Master Chen, please don't be so polite. We country folk don't understand these kinds of formalities. Please don't do them again."
Xiao Yunying chuckled softly.
Xiao Yunsong said to her, "Hey, little sister, it only reminded me of that when Young Master Chen mentioned it. Why do you know so much about pawnshops?"
Xiao Yunying could no longer laugh.
A thought flashed through my mind: "I saw an article about pawnshops when I was buying books for my kids a while ago, and I took a second look at it."
"Why are you reading articles about pawnshops?"
Dude, are you possessed by Luo Xin? Why are you asking so many questions?
Xiao Yunying touched her nose, feigning embarrassment: "It's not that I was ignorant before, spending money recklessly and not knowing how to save, and often pawning things at the pawn shop. That's why I read the article about the pawn shop carefully."
After saying that, she put her hands back into her sleeves: "Let's not talk about this. Yuancheng, are you busy with things related to Huiweilou?"
"It has nothing to do with Huiweilou; it's my own private matter."
After answering, Chen Yuancheng looked Xiao Yunying up and down: "I heard from Ling Qi that you fell and injured yourself, it seems like you twisted your ankle. Did you use the ointment to promote blood circulation and remove bruises that I asked him to bring you?"
"It wasn't a twisted ankle, but a fall that hurt my hip and leg. I'm limping because it's hard to put weight on my body when I walk. It's not serious, and the bruises have faded a lot."
Chen Yuancheng saw through her evasiveness: "So, you mean you didn't take any medication?"
"...No need to apply medicine. The injury wasn't serious to begin with, and it's almost healed. If you don't believe me, I'll get down and walk around for you."
As Xiao Yunying spoke, she made a move to get off the oxcart, but Chen Yuancheng stopped her: "Don't get off, just sit there."
Xiao Yunsong said, "Young Master Chen, my sister just went to your house to deliver New Year's gifts to you. You weren't home and didn't see them. There are a lot of food made by my sister inside. Go back and take a look yourself."
Chen Yuancheng nodded to Xiao Yunsong and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Xiao. I understand and will check it when I get back."
Ling Qi leaned closer and whispered, "Miss Xiao, what kind of food did you bring?"
Xiao Yunying whispered back, "There's so much! Sausages, cured meat, wine, fruit tea, and fresh fruit, all so fragrant and sweet. Go back and grab some quickly, lest Yuan Yao and Yuan Xuan snatch them all up and leave you with nothing."
Ling Qi shook his head and said, "No, I'm just a servant, how can I compete with my master for things?"
Xiao Yunying knew this. No matter how good Chen Yuancheng was to Ling Qi, he was still just a servant, and his status was different from that of his master. He couldn't forget the rules.
"Just go back and get it. I packed a separate portion for you. It has your name on the cloth bag. It contains sausage, melon, and some dried apricots that I made. It's for you because it's marked by your name."
Ling Qi exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Thank you so much, Miss Xiao!"
Xiao Yunying smiled and glanced at Chen Yuancheng: "The others are not easy to pack separately, especially the wine and strawberries. You can only try to please your young master and ask him to give you some to try."
Ling Qi retreated to her young master's side: "Young master, Miss Xiao asked you to give me some wine and strawberries to try."
Chen Yuancheng glanced at him: "I can hear what you're saying. Why did you only relay half of the message? Why didn't you tell Yunying to flatter me?"
Ling Qi replied matter-of-factly, "Why do I need to convey these words? Haven't I always been serving you and trying to please you?"
Chen Yuancheng noticed that his servant had become increasingly eloquent since meeting Xiao Yunying: "Let's not talk about the past, let's see how you perform in the future."
He asked Xiao Yunying, "Are the melons and strawberries you mentioned the two kinds of fruits grown in greenhouses?"
When Chen Yuancheng visited the vegetable greenhouse, Xiao Yunying introduced him to the vegetables and fruits inside. She instructed him, "That's right, those two kinds."
Melons can be kept for a while, at most losing some moisture. Strawberries are more delicate; they can't be bumped or exposed to extreme temperatures. They can be kept for a few days at suitable temperatures, but remember to eat them as soon as possible.
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