208. Fire, Sugar Man, Honey Three Knife
The East Market is bustling with people and cars.
As the New Year approaches, the streets are filled with people buying New Year's goods.
Vendors set up stalls along the street, some selling Spring Festival couplets, some selling paper flowers, gold banknotes, and candles for worshiping the City God, and some selling bacon, sausage, wind-fried chicken, and pressed duck. There is a dazzling array of goods.
Chen Ji was in the bustling city and suddenly felt like it was a festival. This was his first Spring Festival in this world... no, it should be called New Year's Day now.
Chen Ji walked in front, and Xiaoman followed behind, jumping and skipping.
He turned around and asked in confusion, "Why are you so happy?"
Xiaoman smiled and said, "After the young master went to the clinic, Wang Gui was angry at me for contradicting him, so he demoted me to a third-class maid. I only have one day off every two months. And many times when I had time off, Wang Gui ordered me to wash chamber pots, trim flowers and plants, and pick vegetables. I haven't left the house for a long time."
Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "Xiao Man, why did you sell yourself to the Chen family?"
Xiaoman answered easily, "My brother wanted to get married, but my family had no money, so my parents sold me to a trafficker when I was nine."
Chen Ji asked casually, "Who bought you into the Chen Mansion?"
Xiaoman said matter-of-factly, "Auntie, you don't remember? I remember it very clearly. It was a cold day. The traffickers put straw on our heads and took us to the gate of the livestock farm in the capital. Auntie, you were just passing by and had no intention of buying me because I was too young to work. But the trafficker beat and scolded me, and Auntie took pity on me and bought me back for two taels of silver."
On the street, Chen Ji dodged an old man carrying a candied haws stick and asked curiously, "Why did that trafficker hit you?"
Xiaoman whispered, "At the time, a family wanted to buy me as a child bride. The trafficker said I had a fair complexion and asked for seven taels of silver. The family disagreed and left. The trafficker got angry and started beating and scolding me, saying I hadn't said anything nice or auspicious to the family."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Hey, didn't he ask for seven taels? How come Auntie only spent two taels to buy you?"
Xiaoman smiled, revealing her two small fangs. "My aunt is very smart and patient. She bargained for an hour and managed to get the price down to four taels. Then my aunt found out that the trafficker didn't have an official permit, so she ordered someone to arrest him and throw him in jail. The two taels weren't for the trafficker, but for the official..."
In the Ning Dynasty, pawnshops needed an "official permit" to operate, otherwise they would go to jail.
Ning Law states: "Trading requires ya, and loading requires a port. Buying goods without ya will result in underweight goods and counterfeit goods." All yamen and boat docks in cities and villages must select individuals with business interests to serve as agents. Officials will issue official seals and registers, along with the merchant's and boat operator's address, name, travel permit, business name, and the amount of goods. These must be submitted monthly to the government for review.
Chen Ji was speechless for a moment. His biological mother, Mrs. Lu, had even sent the pawnbroker to jail for buying a cheap maid. Xiao Man must have learned her shrewdness from Mrs. Lu...
He looked at Xiaoman carefully, and after a moment he said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go do something."
Xiaoman said, "Sir, can you please remember this?"
"cannot."
"Okay."
Chen Ji carried Wu Yun away and went into a small alley, leaving Xiao Man standing alone. She looked around curiously, her eyes finally landing on the donkey meat BBQ next door.
She looked at it for a long time, and was tempted to buy one to try, but she took out her purse several times and put it back into her waist, reluctant to do so.
Xiaoman just stood on the busy street, staring at them without any hesitation.
The guy at the fire-baked bread shop felt a little uncomfortable after being stared at by her for so long: "Little girl, you have been looking at it for so long, do you want to buy one?"
Xiaoman stared at Huoshao infatuatedly: "I've been looking at it for so long, can you give me one?"
The guy rolled his eyes and cursed in a low voice: "You are stupid."
At this moment, under the shadow of the alley's eaves, Chen Ji silently watched Xiaoman's back and said to Wuyun, "Her logic is sound, she doesn't seem to be lying, but she appeared too suddenly."
Wuyun meowed: "Do you think there's something wrong with her?"
Chen Ji thought: "There is something wrong with her. I walked alone, but she didn't
If someone follows me secretly, I will just stand there and wait... Let's see."
"What are you going out to do today?"
“Buy ginseng.”
After saying that, he turned around and walked into the shadow of the alley with Wuyun in his arms.
On the other side, Xiaoman was looking around when a group of eight or nine-year-old children passed by her playing Cuju.
The children were unkempt, their clothes disheveled, and they would occasionally bump into pedestrians while scrambling for the ball. One child bumped into Xiaoman while running and was about to leave without an apology when Xiaoman suddenly reached out, grabbed the child's index and middle fingers, and twisted them downwards.
The child cried out in surprise and knelt down. He tried to struggle to get up, but Xiaoman held two of his fingers tightly, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
But he looked fierce, and with his other hand he took out the blade that was pressed under his tongue and cut towards Xiaoman's wrist.
With a snap, Xiaoman slapped the blade out of his hand and said angrily, "You are so young and don't learn your lesson!"
The child was stunned for two breaths, then begged for mercy: "It hurts, it hurts, please spare me, please spare me, please spare me, please."
Xiaoman looked around at the people passing by, but seeing no trace of Chen Yi, she turned to look at the child. "You dare to steal my things? Are you trying to kill yourself? Give me your purse!"
The child took out a light blue satin purse from his bosom and said, "Here, here."
Xiaoman let go of the man, put her hands on her waist, and said angrily: "Get out!"
…
…
Dingchang Pawn Shop.
Chen Ji stepped over the threshold. Behind the tall counter, the old shopkeeper with white hair and beard squinted his eyes, peered out from the small hole, and said lazily: "What do you want to pawn... Oh, sir, why are you here!"
After saying that, the old shopkeeper jumped off the chair, opened the side door swiftly, and welcomed Chen Ji in.
He angrily shouted at the waiter, "What are you still standing there for? Show me the tea, sir."
Chen Ji waved his hand. "No need for tea. I have things to do. How's the ginseng I asked you to collect for me? How many did you get?"
"Sir, please wait a moment," the old shopkeeper bent over and went to the side room, and together with the waiter brought back two long rosewood boxes. When they opened them, they saw forty ginseng stalks arranged in them, with their whiskers tied to red silk cloth with gold thread.
The old shopkeeper explained, "The master previously instructed that after Bailu Pavilion was sealed, the court would definitely sell off its property. I hired someone to arrange for it, and I seized forty-two of them in one go!"
Chen Ji reached out his hand and gently stroked each ginseng stem through the air: "Is this all Bailu Pavilion has in stock?"
The old shopkeeper looked embarrassed and said, "It's not easy for me to get so many. At such a low price of fifteen taels of silver per tube, many pharmacies are vying for them."
Chen Ji hummed and pointed at two of them: "I don't want these two, I want all the others."
The old shopkeeper was stunned: "Why don't you want it, sir?"
Chen Ji glanced at him and said, "The quality is not good."
The old shopkeeper was puzzled. "Just by extending your hand, you're so sure it's not the right age? I've been running this pawnshop for over forty years and have never made a mistake with ginseng. I can tell at a glance whether this ginseng is cultivated or wild, and whether it's of the right age. I can't be wrong. You told me to buy it in the first place, so how can you deny it after buying it? My pawnshop may be small, but it's backed by..."
Chen Ji stretched out his hand and passed it across the old shopkeeper's face: "Sixty-one years old."
The old shopkeeper's eyes widened. "You really have this ability. You can even find out my age?"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Not only do I know your age, I also know that you have two sons working in the government office. One is a clerk, and the other is a constable. Your son, the constable, patrols the East Market docks year-round and enjoys taking advantage of others and extorting money. Do you want me to send someone to bring them here for questioning?"
The old shopkeeper was silent.
Chen Ji pulled out the string of Buddhist coins that Chen Wenzong had given him. "Forty ginseng sticks, fifteen taels each, for a total of six hundred taels. Here are seventeen hundred taels of silver worth of Buddhist coins."
The old shopkeeper said, "Please wait a moment."
After saying this, he took out a string of Buddhist Tongbao coins from the storeroom in the backyard and said, "Sir, this Tongbao is worth 1,100 taels."
Chen Ji casually asked, "Is this Buddhist Tongbao real or fake?
Is it one thousand one hundred taels? Are you kidding me?"
The old shopkeeper glanced at him cautiously. How could this gentleman not even know about this? Could he be a new official?
The shopkeeper smiled apologetically and said, "Look, this Tongbao has a total of eighteen beads. The first six represent which temple it came from, the middle six represent who it was given to, making it easier to trace its origin, and the last six represent the amount."
The shopkeeper continued, "One of the anti-counterfeiting measures of this Tongbao is that the front six, middle six, and back six were carved by fixed monks assigned by Luocheng Tuola Temple, Jingcheng Yuanjue Temple, and Jinling Qixia Temple respectively. The strokes of a pen or a knife cannot be imitated.
At this point, the shopkeeper brought a glass magnifying glass to the Buddhist beads and said, "The second is the secret seal. If you look closely, there are actually extremely tiny scriptures engraved on this Tongbao. There are only a hundred words on a space the size of a grain of rice. Most people can't do that. And the scriptures corresponding to these hundred words are only known to Buddhists... In short, once you get your hands on this Tongbao, it's very easy to tell the real from the fake. The texture is completely different."
Chen Ji understood that in ancient times, Shanxi merchants also used special people to write to prevent counterfeiting of silver bills, which was not uncommon.
As for this micro-carving technology, it is just like the banknotes he used. Touch the raised dots of Braille, look at the watermark, and then touch the material. It is easy to distinguish between real and fake banknotes because the texture is different.
He thought for a moment: "If someone also mastered this micro-carving technique, wouldn't it be..."
The shopkeeper panicked: "Sir, be careful with your words. You must not let the Buddhist sect know about this idea. Besides, all those who know how to micro-carve in the Jianghu have been captured and made monks. This craft has been lost among the people!"
Chen Ji smiled, picked up the two wooden boxes and went out: "Don't be afraid, it's just a joke."
By the time he met Xiaoman, he had nothing.
Chen Ji bought two donkey meat hot buns and handed them to Xiaoman: "Eat it."
Xiaoman's eyes sparkled: "Did you buy this for me, Master?"
"What else?"
Xiaoman took the fire and took a big bite with a smile on her face. With a bulging mouth, she asked, "Master, can you remember this?"
"Can."
…
…
It's late at night and everyone is asleep.
Chen Ji had fallen asleep on the bed, and the dark cloud was nowhere to be found.
Li Qiu's cough was heard outside Mingquan Garden. Xiaoman, who was curled up on a small bench guarding the charcoal brazier, opened her eyes immediately. She stood up, unbolted the door, and squeezed out through the crack in the door.
Li Qiu pulled her aside and said, "I heard from people in the mansion that the Third Young Master took you out of the mansion today?"
Xiaoman nodded.
Li Qiu asked again: "Have you written everything down?"
Xiaoman took out a folded paper from her sleeve and said, "Here, I've got it all."
Li Qiu was overjoyed and quickly unfolded the paper, muttering to himself, "On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-first year of Jianing, the young master took Xiao Man to the East Market."
"Young Master bought donkey meat hotpot for Xiaoman."
"Young Master bought candied haws for Xiaoman."
"Young Master bought a candy man for Xiaoman."
"Young Master bought three knives of honey for Xiaoman."
"Xiao Man still wants to eat peach cakes, but Master won't let her."
beginning of autumn:"?"
She raised her head and said expressionlessly, "What are you memorizing?"
Xiaoman burped happily, "Sister Liqiu, just tell me if it's detailed enough."
Li Qiu frowned. "It's quite detailed, but I didn't remember anything important. Are you kidding me?"
Xiaoman said aggrievedly, "That's all that happened today. I've written down everything. If there are other things in the future, I'll definitely write them down as well. Don't worry, Sister Liqiu, I won't fool anyone but you."
"Okay, you still have some conscience," Liqiu turned and left. Xiaoman slowly restrained her smile behind her, turned back to the house, and closed the door tightly.
She glanced at the traces on the bed, then picked up a few honey pills from the table and stuffed her mouth with them, then sat back on the small stool and dozed off.
On the small road of Chen Mansion, Li Qiu walked quickly with his head down, looking left and right from time to time, for fear of being seen.
After passing through several hanging flower gates, Li Qiu came to a corner of the wall and coughed lightly a few times. When she heard coughing sounds outside the wall, she threw the piece of paper in her hand away and hurried back to Qunfang Garden.
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