Following her memory, Zhou Sui wandered through a maze of alleyways and found a small shop inside that sold gold jewelry and also bought and sold gold.
"Hey, young lady." As soon as Zhou Sui entered, the owner behind the counter looked up, adjusted his glasses, and subtly sized her up.
"Are you looking to sell items or buy something?" The voice was enthusiastic.
Zhou Sui was a little surprised by his attitude. After all, her clothes were quite ordinary and she didn't look like someone who could afford gold, but the shopkeeper's enthusiasm remained undiminished.
"How much is gold now?" Zhou Sui didn't answer his question, but instead walked to the counter and looked at it carefully.
There aren't many gold designs available now; they're mostly simple and understated.
None of the rings in this cabinet are as pretty or as heavy as mine.
"Eighty-three-one grams."
The shopkeeper couldn't help but glance at Zhou Sui again. Judging from her clothes, this girl didn't seem like someone who could afford such things, but she was full of confidence and spoke to him neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Zhou Sui asked a few more questions, and finally said, "Boss, I have something here that I'd like you to take a look at."
As she spoke, she took the gold ring out of the bag.
The boss frowned slightly when he heard what she said, but his pupils dilated when he saw the ring.
"Let me see."
Zhou Sui carefully placed the ring in the shop owner's hand. The shop owner held it up and looked at it for a while, then picked up a magnifying glass from the counter to take a look.
A smile appeared on his face. "This ring is quite well-made, and it even has patterns engraved on it."
Judging from his expression, Zhou Sui knew that the ring was indeed very nice. "It's an old item, so it's naturally more exquisite than the current ones."
Zhou Sui's words directly explained the origin of the ring and also highlighted its value.
The shop owner stroked the ring for a moment, then put it back on the counter. "Young lady, this is just a small shop. We only buy back gold that came from here."
That's what he said, but his eyes never left the ring.
Zhou Sui knew that what he said was true, and she also knew why he said it—he just wanted to lower the price.
"Boss, shops on the main street are easy to find, but your little shop in the alley is not so easy to find. I was able to come here because someone recommended me."
“I’m an open-minded person. You name a price, and if it’s right, we’ll make a deal. If it’s not right, that’s fine too.”
The boss's eyes flashed, and he laughed, "I didn't expect you, a seemingly delicate young lady, to be so straightforward. Okay, I'll weigh you first."
"Wow, seven point eight, almost eight grams, which is about what I estimated."
Although his hands are not as good as a scale, he can still get a rough idea of what's in his hands.
Zhou Sui remained silent, simply waiting for the boss to offer a price.
"As for the price," the shopkeeper hesitated for a while before speaking, "the ones I bought before were all around sixty, but this one looks good in terms of quality and style, so I'll give it to you for sixty-five per gram."
After speaking, the boss glanced at Zhou Sui's expression, but Zhou Sui's lips remained curved in a smile, showing no change.
The only difference was that Zhou Sui reached out and took the ring in her hand.
"Boss, I came from the village. I left this morning and only just got here."
"Having spent so much time making this trip, I naturally want to close this deal. The price you're offering is far too insincere."
As they were talking, another image suddenly appeared in Zhou Sui's mind, and the person in it was actually this boss.
He handed a box containing something to a stylishly dressed woman. The woman glanced at it and put the box aside with a displeased expression. The shopkeeper stood there bewildered. Just as he was about to speak, the scene suddenly disappeared.
"Little sister, you have no idea how tough business is these days, especially at these prices..."
The boss was speaking when he suddenly noticed that Zhou Sui looked strange, her eyes were vacant, and she seemed to be in a daze.
"Little sister, what's wrong?"
Zhou Sui snapped out of her daze and gently shook her head. The image flashed through her mind for only a moment, just like when she found the gold ring at home yesterday.
"I'm fine, please continue."
Once the boss saw that his complexion had returned to normal, he continued with his usual businessman's rhetoric.
"You know, my little shop, even though it's located in an alley, still has rent, utilities, and labor costs. Making money isn't easy these days."
Amidst the incessant chatter, Zhou Sui's mind raced. Perhaps the scene she had just witnessed, like yesterday's, was a clue.
She carefully recalled the expressions of the two people in the scene, and it seemed that the man was trying to coax the woman, but he hadn't succeeded.
"Boss." Zhou Sui made up her mind to give it a try and see if it would work.
"You've seen how good this ring is. You're in business, so your vision is naturally longer than mine. In a few more years, this ring will be worth even more. Besides, you have a lot of social engagements to attend to, so giving a ring like this as a gift will definitely make you look good."
As Zhou Sui spoke, she observed the boss's expression. At this point, the boss seemed lost in thought for a moment.
"If you put all these rings together, you'll immediately spot this one. No matter who you give it to, who would say it's not beautiful?"
The boss's expression softened, and his gaze fell on the ring again. Zhou Sui opened her hand at the opportune moment, and the exquisite ring lay quietly in her palm.
"Little sister, you're even better at talking than I am in business." The shopkeeper looked at her with a more scrutinizing gaze. "Since you know this ring will be worth more in the future, why are you selling it now?"
"If my family didn't urgently need the money, I wouldn't want to either." The price of gold will be several hundred in the future, but for her now, if she doesn't exchange this ring for money, many things can't continue.
The shop owner nodded, indicating his understanding, and didn't ask any further questions. In his line of work, he had seen many people come to sell old items from their homes.
Although many items were confiscated during the Cultural Revolution, some families still managed to hide some, such as rings and necklaces, which are relatively easy to conceal.
"Since you've put it this way, how about I add another fifty?" That makes five hundred and fifty-seven.
After a moment's thought, Zhou Sui decided the price was reasonable. She looked at the shelf behind the counter and said, "Boss, if it's this price, how about I get that pendant for free?"
The shop owner followed her gaze and saw a jade pendant about the size of a thumb hanging on the shelf.
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