Chapter 10 Thank you both for your help.
Jiang Ling slept for quite a long time.
I slept for a full ten hours.
This was the first time she had slept so soundly since her father's accident.
When I woke up, it was already broad daylight.
She quickly washed up, ate a few bites of breakfast, and then carefully packed another bag of ancient coins that she had sorted out the night before into her backpack.
Two hundred and five in total, quite heavy.
She's short of money, so exchanging it for real cash would give her peace of mind.
It's still that same antique shop.
On her second visit, Jiang Ling already knew that the owner of the antique shop was surnamed Zeng.
Yesterday, Boss Zeng accepted thirteen copper coins from Jiang Ling at a price of 2,000 yuan each. He calculated that night that he could make at least double his money by reselling this batch of goods.
So even before Jiang Ling entered the store, Boss Zeng recognized her from afar.
Having been immersed in the business world for many years, he could tell at a glance that Jiang Ling had something to sell again.
"Miss Jiang, good morning. What are you planning to sell this time?" Boss Zeng greeted her warmly at the door, his face full of shrewd smile.
Jiang Ling didn't beat around the bush; she walked to the counter, placed the cloth bag on the glass counter, and it made a muffled sound.
"Good morning, Mr. Zeng. Last night, while cleaning the old house, I found some ancient coins from the same period at the bottom of my grandfather's old trunk. I'm not really interested in collecting antiques, but I thought I'd come and see if you'd be interested in collecting them too."
Boss Zeng was overjoyed, but he didn't show it.
He put on white gloves, carefully untied the cloth bag, and picked up the ancient coins one by one to examine them.
This time there were a large number of pieces, but their condition varied greatly: some had clear characters and good patina; some were severely worn and had green rust; and a few had chips or bumps on the edges.
“Miss Jiang, look, there are many items, but their condition is far from ideal. These are severely worn, covered in dirt and rust that are difficult to remove, which greatly reduces their value. Last time, the market price for a fine piece was two thousand, but these…”
Boss Zeng seemed to realize that Jiang Ling was in urgent need of money and kept trying to lower the price.
Jiang Ling didn't want to waste too much time haggling, so the two of them finally agreed on a round number.
320,000.
When Jiang Ling received a notification on her phone that 320,000 yuan had been deposited into her bank account, her tense nerves relaxed a little.
Boss Zeng happily saw Jiang Ling, his lucky charm, off.
Jiang Ling immediately rushed back to the grocery store.
The grocery store still has plenty of stock and doesn't need to order any more at the moment.
But after a wealthy woman easily bought two bars of soap yesterday, Jiang Ling realized that she wasn't ready to open a shop and do business.
She had to reprice all the goods and put up a sign to make it look like a proper shop.
Pricing was a problem. She knew nothing about prices in the Great Yu Dynasty.
After much deliberation, she decided to take a drastic approach: multiply the original price of all goods by ten!
Make some minor adjustments. It's simple, but better than nothing.
The out-of-towner who rented her shop previously named it Jixiang Grocery Store.
The sign was removed and kept in the warehouse.
The name Jixiang is quite good, and the village where she lives is also called Jishui Village.
Making a new one would be too time-consuming, so Jiang Ling decided to just hang up the sign directly.
Thinking it over is done, time to open for business!
Jiang Ling took a deep breath, walked to the wooden door that separated the two worlds, and pulled it open forcefully.
"call--"
A gentle breeze carrying moisture swept in, bringing a touch of coolness. Then, fine raindrops pelted my face.
It turned out it was raining outside.
Raindrops fell on the puddles, splashing up tiny water droplets.
Judging from the puddles of varying sizes on the road, this rain must have been quite heavy.
It may have been raining for quite a while.
Jiang Ling mentally calculated the time difference. At ten times the flow rate, five days and five nights had passed here during the time she was gone.
It's already the fifth night.
It was already dark. As the rain started, mist gathered in the air, as if draping the earth in a light veil.
In ancient times, to save on lamp oil costs, most people would finish their dinner before sunset.
I went to bed early after dinner.
It's past dinner time now, and it's drizzling, so there's no one walking around outside.
No matter what kind of business you're in, rainy days will see a decrease in customer traffic.
Doing business can't be rushed, so she turned and went to the warehouse to bring out the dusty "Lucky Grocery Store" signboard. She cleaned it thoroughly.
This signboard is made of pure wood, and after being there for several years, it has developed a rustic charm.
It perfectly matches the vibe of her little shop.
More than half an hour later, the rain outside gradually stopped, but there were still no customers in the shop.
Jiang Ling moved a stool and, taking advantage of the break, prepared to hang the signboard up.
But......
She underestimated the weight of the solid wood signboard!
She was strong enough to lift the sign above her head, but the weight made her arms ache, and she couldn't hold it for long.
Even standing on a stool and tiptoeing, my fingertips were still a short distance from the door hook.
"Just a little bit more..." Jiang Ling gritted her teeth and persevered, her body trembling slightly from the effort. Just as she strained to stand on tiptoe again, her hand slipped!
"Ah!—" A short, startled exclamation.
The heavy signboard slipped from her hand and crashed straight down on her head!
Before anyone could react, a strong hand caught one corner of the signboard and held it steady.
Almost simultaneously, Jiang Ling felt a sudden lightness on his body, and the other corner of the signboard was also supported by another equally strong hand!
A voice sounded behind her, "How can a young lady like you have the strength to lift such a big sign? If we hadn't arrived in time, this sign would have knocked you unconscious!"
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, steadied herself, and then got off the stool.
There were two young men standing in front of me, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old.
One had a stern face and a composed demeanor; the other had a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, lively eyes, and an air of untamed spirit.
The two were dressed in seemingly ordinary dark-colored casual clothes, but the fabric had a subtle satin sheen under the light, and the clothes were well-tailored.
He had an extraordinary air about him, and it was clear at a glance that he was not a villager.
"Thank you both for saving me." Jiang Ling bowed according to the etiquette she had just learned online.
The man behind her glanced at her from head to toe. “Your clothes are so strange, they don’t look like the clothes of my Great Yu Dynasty.”
Oh no, I forgot to buy a set of traditional Chinese clothing!
However, Jiang Ling was wearing long sleeves and a high collar today, which was a bit unusual, but not necessarily impolite.
"Cheng Fang, stop being rude!" another man scolded softly.
"Are you looking to hang up the signboard, young lady? We two can help you."
Jiang Ling was taken aback, then said gratefully, "Then I'll have to trouble you two young masters."
The two men, each holding one end of the signboard, lightly tiptoed up and jumped, hanging the signboard steadily on the eaves.
Is this what they call "lightness skill"? That's amazing!
"Auspicious General Store?" Cheng Fang clapped his hands and looked at the signboard. "A good name."
"Thank you both for your help today. If you don't mind, please come inside for a cup of tea."
The two of them didn't stand on ceremony; they were there to buy things, after all.
The store's bright lighting, neatly arranged shelves, and unfamiliar product packaging amazed Cheng Fang.
"Shopkeeper, your shop is decorated very uniquely. Do you usually manage it by yourself?"
"I'm the only one here right now."
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