Taking advantage of the fact that Senior Sister Lin hadn't changed her mind, Zhu Ying spun around, touched the ground, and quickly flew into the bamboo forest, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
When they returned to Shangjing from Jingfeng Pavilion, it was already the next day at sunrise.
Holding the scroll, Zhu Ying carefully searched from Baoxin Pavilion in the south of the city to Jinbaozhai in the north, but found no trace of the jewelry.
He unfurled the scroll in his hands, his brow furrowed, and sighed helplessly.
"Only Yaxinzhai and Baojunge remain! Hopefully, we can find their whereabouts before sunset."
Yaxinzhai is the most famous pawnshop in the capital. It is said that they only accept extremely valuable treasures.
Bamboo shadows stand in front of Yaxinzhai, a small shop bustling with customers.
The welcoming servant, with a gentle expression, noticed his hesitation and stepped forward to greet him.
"Young master, are you here to pawn your treasures, or to redeem them?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying's eyes darkened. She pulled a scroll from her clothes, slowly unfurled it in front of the pawnshop clerk, and asked softly,
"Brother, this is my master's treasure, which has been stolen by someone with ulterior motives."
Does your shop have any trace of this treasure?
Upon hearing this, the servant quickly brought the scroll to his side.
When he saw the treasure clearly, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he looked up to examine the bamboo shadow.
"Young master, please follow me. I will introduce you to our manager."
Upon being introduced by him, Zhu Ying's eyes lit up, and she followed closely behind the servant, excitedly asking,
"Young man, is this treasure in Yaxinzhai?"
The servant didn't speak, but quietly led him to the side room behind the shopkeeper.
"Young master, please have a cup of tea first. The manager is very busy, so please be patient while we wait."
"Okay. Thank you for introducing me, sir."
"You're welcome." The servant said, and hurriedly lifted the beaded curtain and went outside.
As the bamboo shadows slowly moved toward the beaded curtain, they saw the manager of Yaxinzhai inspecting and pricing items for the guests.
The servant who had greeted him earlier seemed to whisper something in the shopkeeper's ear.
The innkeeper's eyes darkened, and he quickly stood up, bowed to the guest to say goodbye, and then turned and walked quickly toward the room where Zhu Ying was.
Startled, Zhu Ying quickly sat back down at the tea table, mimicking the way the young masters handled the teapot.
"Young master!" The shopkeeper greeted him with a bow.
"Shopkeeper! You are so busy, it is truly my fault for disturbing you."
"What are you saying, young master! I heard you came looking for the exquisite kingfisher hairpin, as well as the jade bracelet with gold butterfly and silk entwining design?"
Upon hearing the shopkeeper mention the name of the jewelry, Zhu Ying suddenly stood up and asked in surprise,
"Indeed! This is my master's treasure, a relic of his birth mother, and quite precious."
"Shopkeeper, may I take a look at these three treasures? The owner is willing to redeem them at a high price."
Upon hearing this, the manager of Yaxinzhai's expression gradually darkened, and he said with a worried look,
"Young master, you've come at an inopportune time. These three treasures were redeemed by a young master just an hour ago."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying's eyes flashed with anger. "Shopkeeper! Do you know what that young master looks like? Which way did he go?"
"I didn't see clearly; he was wearing a silver mask, left some silver, and then left."
It seems they're heading towards Huaizhou. By the way, since the origin of these three treasures is unknown, I asked him to leave a token, in case the original owner returns looking for them.
After saying this, the shopkeeper took out a jade pendant from his waist and placed it in Zhu Ying's palm.
"Young master, this is the token left by that guest."
Young master, you'd better go back and report to your master!
That young master has been gone for over an hour; perhaps we can still catch up with him.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying felt a heavy weight in her heart. She gripped the jade pendant tightly, cupped her hands in farewell, and said, "Thank you!"
Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, Gu Qianluo and Gu Zijun were playing chess in the flower hall.
"Luo'er, if you want to be independent in this world, you must first have skills that surpass those of others."
I've already spoken with Tang Jiuzhao. Once Zhuying returns, the two of you will set off for Xiaoyao Manor to learn martial arts from the Xiaoyao Sect.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's brow twitched slightly, and she asked in confusion, "Isn't my brother coming with us?"
A hint of helplessness flickered in Gu Zijun's eyes. He raised his hand to stroke her forehead, comforting her.
"The Gu family still has businesses to take care of. Father is still not awake, and the Gu family's assets cannot fall into the hands of the Lu family for nothing."
Stay in the capital, so I can pave the way for your future. When you complete your studies and return home, I will host a banquet for you in the capital.
"Brother, you are farsighted and have a deep understanding of the future. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
When Zhuying returned to the Lotus Garden, it was already completely dark. If it were the Marquis's residence, the kitchen would have already removed the food.
Zhu Ying rubbed her empty stomach, dejectedly walked towards her room, and muttered, "I'm going to go hungry again tonight."
However, when he stepped into the flower hall, the Gu siblings inside each showed joy in their eyes and tacitly stepped forward to greet him.
Seeing his tired look, Gu Zijun asked with concern, "Zhuying, haven't you eaten yet? Come here! We've saved some food for you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying felt a surge of warmth in her heart. As if in disbelief, she asked with a bright and lively expression,
"It's so late, is there still food?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's eyes flashed with surprise, and she said with pity,
"Yes! We know you've had a long day and must be hungry, so we're here waiting for you to come back!"
"Thank you, Young Master Gu and Miss Gu, but I'm so hungry I can barely walk. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, so I won't stand on ceremony."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zijun and Gu Qianlu exchanged a knowing smile.
Bamboo Shadow tiptoed into the flower hall, where the food on the table was still steaming, and the aroma wafted past her nose on the breeze.
Zhu Ying couldn't help but swallow hard, and instinctively went to the table to start eating heartily.
The Gu siblings were worried that he would lack warmth and hospitality if he ate alone, so they sat down with him.
"Zhuying, eat slowly, no one's going to take your food." Gu Qianluo picked up a chicken leg and placed it in the bowl in front of him.
"Thank you, Miss Gu. I have something important to report and must finish eating quickly."
"No rush, let's finish eating before reporting. We won't be resting so soon."
Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Zhu Ying's eyes.
Although there were only three dishes in front of me, each one was exquisite and delicious, making me unconsciously slow down my eating pace and savor the flavors of the food.
My thoughts drifted back to my time as a guard in the Marquis's mansion. Meals were always rushed, and it seemed I never had a full meal, eating without tasting anything.
"Bamboo Shadow, I wonder if you had any success today?"
As soon as Gu Zijun finished speaking, Zhu Ying quickly put down her chopsticks, washed her hands and rinsed her mouth, then took a jade pendant from her waist and handed it to Gu Zijun.
"Today I searched all the pawnshops in the capital, but to no avail."
Finally, they found a clue at Yaxinzhai.
Miss Gu's jewelry was taken to Yaxinzhai, and then a young gentleman redeemed it.
Gu Zijun's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he carefully stroked the jade pendant in his palm. He noticed that the bottom of the jade pendant was engraved with the character "хви" (mo) in small seal script.
Gu Qianlu's expression turned somber as she looked at the jade pendant. "Brother, do you know the origin of this jade pendant?"
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