Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Sending a hairpin alone...
Xiao Xun glanced at Sun, then turned to look at Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran didn't seem to expect to meet him here, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Xiao Xun smiled, turned around and said to the waiter, "This is it, wrap it up."
There were several hairpins on the counter, some in the shape of plum blossoms and some in the shape of butterflies. Xiao Xun was pointing to a gold hairpin with a Ruyi head.
The entire hairpin is made of gold and is inlaid with a beautiful agate stone. The gold and red colors complement each other. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and Xiao Xun feels that this hairpin is particularly festive.
It weighs eight cents and costs ten taels of silver, which Xiao Xun happens to have in his hand.
He readily paid, and the waiter happily collected the money and packed it up, praising him non-stop. "Sir, you have good taste! This golden ruyi is our shop's signature item..."
The waiter chattered non-stop, his movements slowing down. Xiao Xun knocked on the counter and urged, "Hurry up."
The guy quickly shut up, weighed the hairpin and put it into a box for Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun took a look at it and stuffed it directly into his arms.
It only took a moment for Xiao Xun to make his purchase and squeeze out of the crowd. It was much quieter here. He looked at the two of them and asked, "Why are you here? What do you want to buy?"
Sun looked at Xiao Xun's chest for a while but couldn't figure out what was going on.
Lin Qiuran said, "I haven't made up my mind yet. I thought I'd come over and take a look first."
She didn't ask Xiao Xun what he had just bought. She could see Xiao Xun paying and taking the things, but the waiter was covered tightly by him. Maybe he bought it for Sun. It would not be nice to ask about it rashly.
Sun withdrew her gaze, her face showing joy, but soon frowned, "Why don't you go home first when you come back!"
Xiao Xun smiled but said nothing.
He really wanted to go home first and then go out to buy things, but when he got back, the door was locked.
No one was home. I climbed over the wall to find the house locked, and the yard was empty. The donkey shed and chicken coop were gone. I couldn't get into the house, but looking through the crack in the door, I could see it was empty too.
Just like the last time I went back to Xiaojia Village.
Xiao Xun even suspected that his house had been robbed, but after thinking about it, he thought that they might have moved.
He didn't ask his neighbors and went straight to the restaurant, but it was empty. Jin Ruyi was right next door, so he bought his groceries and decided to move them to a new location before returning to ask his neighbors.
Lin Qiuran said embarrassedly, "I moved a few days ago, and you were not here, but I told Madam Xu and the others next door."
She also didn't think that Xiao Xun would come to the restaurant to look for her. The restaurant had been closed for a few days.
Xiao Xun said: "It's my fault. I didn't ask next door."
Lin Qiuran said, "It's good that we met. It saves us the trouble of going back... Let's not stand here anymore. Dad is waiting outside. Do you want to go home first or..."
The jewelry shop was incredibly crowded during Chinese New Year. Besides those at the counter on the first floor, there were also people coming down from upstairs and coming in from outside. The Jin Ruyi shop was even bigger than the restaurant, so it was evident how busy it was.
Lin Qiuran didn’t want to squeeze into the crowd on the first floor, so she planned to go to the second floor to take a look.
The restaurant is on the second floor and the decor is probably better. I guess the same is true for Jin Ruyi. Even if not, you can always go downstairs and take a look.
Xiao Xun said: "I will go with you and then go home together."
Sun realized it later. It was true. They had already moved, and Xiao Xun didn't know. No wonder he didn't go back first. If he went back now, he wouldn't see anyone. It was just a coincidence that they ran into each other here.
Lin Qiuran said, "Let's go to the second floor. There are too many people here."
Before going up the stairs, Xiao Xun stretched out a hand, wanting to help her.
Lin Qiuran shook her head. In a place like this, she felt it was safer to walk alone. She said, "The stairs are small. If two people walk together, the others won't be able to walk."
She climbed the stairs to the second floor, which indeed looked more elaborate and elegant, and had fewer people than the first floor.
A clerk saw that Lin Qiuran was pregnant, so he came over and brought a stool, placing it in front of the counter for Lin Qiuran to sit and look. "What kind of jewelry does this lady want to see? We have everything here. Gold, silver, jade, jewels, jadeite, everything. Madam, you are so beautiful, gold and silver are great, and we also have beautiful hairpins, which are also very suitable for you."
Lin Qiuran said, "Let's take a look at the hairpins, bracelets, and earrings first. How much are the jewelry sold here?"
"Let me show you a few first," the clerk said as he searched. "Gold and silver jewelry are all priced by weight, plus the worker's fee. Jewelry inlaid with jewels is naturally more expensive. Copper jewelry and other items are all priced at a fixed price. It depends on the craftsman's craftsmanship, and we have all sorts of prices."
The guy took some of everything, even the things that Lin Qiuran didn't mention. The more the better, the more he looked, and maybe he would buy something that caught his eye.
He saw that although Lin Qiuran was dressed simply, he was not timid. Some guests did not dare to look or touch, but since they were here and it was New Year, they would definitely not leave empty-handed.
Lin Qiuran looked at the two trays filled with a dazzling array of jewelry. The bracelets were some thick, some thin, some flat, some round. Some were covered with fish scales, shining with gold and looking very beautiful.
There are also patterns carved on it, auspicious cloud patterns, lotus patterns... Most of them are ancient colors that Lin Qiuran has seen before, and there are few particularly bright and polished ones.
The waiter said, "Don't just look at it, ma'am. Try it on to see if it fits and looks good. We can all try it on. It's okay if you don't buy it. You can only see if it looks good after you put it on."
In a jewelry store, how can you tell if it's right for you unless you try it on? Some pieces may not look good on their own, but they'll look completely different when you put them on. They might look plain on the shelf, but when you put them on, they'll flatter your skin and make your wrists look as delicate as snow. It's just stunning.
Lin Qiuran nodded and put the bracelet with the auspicious cloud pattern on his right wrist. The waiter explained, "This kind of bracelet without an opening is harder and less likely to deform. Although you are pregnant, you are not fat. This one will be fine for you. There is no need to buy a bigger one."
Lin Qiuran turned her wrist. She didn't go out often, so she was very fair. Her wrist wasn't thick either. Even with the gold bracelet hanging on it, there was still some space left. Compared to her other wrist, this wrist was indeed thinner.
Yes, it looks good.
Xiao Xun was watching from the side, and just as he was about to say it looked good, Sun tugged at his sleeve and said, "Qiu Ran, I think this is just average."
It wasn't that Sun thought it wasn't pretty; she thought it was gorgeous. She was just too pleased with it. The shopkeeper didn't give you a chance to negotiate the price. It all depended on what you wanted to buy, and that was what the clerk said.
Xiao Xun frowned, and then heard Lin Qiuran say, "It's just average."
She tried the lotus pattern again, which was more beautiful than the auspicious cloud pattern. The cloud pattern wasn't as complex and beautiful as the floral pattern. Furthermore, the cloud pattern bracelet was slightly rounder, while the lotus pattern was slightly wider, making it look larger.
The shop assistant took away a lot of hairpins, some with lotus-shaped heads and some with ruyi-shaped heads.
The New Year is coming soon. The Ruyi one has an agate stone on it. She picked it up and looked at it. Just as she was about to put it on, Xiao Xun said beside her: "...I think this one is a bit ordinary."
Lin Qiuran glanced at Xiao Xun, and the waiter hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Oh, there are still a lot of them. Madam, you can try something else."
Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth, don’t quarrel and refuse to buy because of this.
Lin Qiuran's gaze fell on Xiao Xun's chest. Without saying anything, he put it down and took the lotus hairpin next to him to try. The waiter hurriedly put up a bronze mirror. On the smooth surface of the mirror, the lotus hairpin was pinned in Lin Qiuran's hair.
It looks good, but it's still a bit monotonous.
She looked at it for a while before taking it off.
The earrings come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny gold beads to delicate flowers. The needles are curved at the back, so they stay put. There are also hoop-shaped ones with long tassels, beautiful pearls, and small pieces of jade. There's gold and silver here, and even more beautiful ones, copper ornaments inlaid with all sorts of beautiful little stones in a variety of shapes, probably because they're harder than gold and silver, making them look better.
Lin Qiuran saw many people wearing this kind of thing on the street.
There were also silk and velvet flowers brought by the waiter. Lin Qiuran looked at them all, tried the ones he liked, and left the others untouched.
The waiter looked at Lin Qiuran's expression and said, "There are other things. Let me take a look at them."
Lin Qiuran said, "No need, just count these for me."
Lin Qiuran pointed at the lotus bracelet and pearl earrings.
The clerk brought a small scale and said, "Golden Ruyi jewelry is one tael and two qian of gold and one qian of silver. The labor cost is different for each item. This lotus concentric bracelet costs five qian of labor and weighs one tael and four qian, for a total of seventeen taels and three qian. The earrings are a fixed price of two taels of silver. This pearl is a very fine pearl. Look at how beautiful its luster is. You can't find such beautiful pearls anywhere else."
Lin Qiuran felt that it was a bit expensive. The craftsmanship of this one was not as good as the one he had carved before, and it only had a simple lotus pattern engraved on it, but it cost half a tael of silver.
Half an ounce of silver was just the wages. Only the in-ear earrings were gold; the rest were copper. Lin Qiuran didn't know the price of pearls, but two ounces of silver was all the restaurant could earn in a day.
Lin Qiuran said, "This price is not cheap."
The waiter said in embarrassment: "My lady, this is already a very reasonable price. You can go ask around. Gold and silver jewelry are different from the ones we spend money on. In order to look good, they have to be purified, which is different from copper.
If you compare it with that price, it's pointless, right? Otherwise, why not exchange it for gold and put it away? Why come out to buy jewelry? These pearls are all painstakingly picked by pearl divers on the seashore and then transported here. To make a pair of earrings, you have to choose exactly the same pearls, otherwise it won't look good."
Lin Qiuran said, "If you're sincere about selling, then give me a base price. Whether you want to buy more or less depends on whether the price is right for you."
Lin Qiuran also planned to buy a bracelet for Sun. The fish-scale one was very beautiful and had a wide shape. It would definitely look very elegant when worn.
For older people, thin glasses are not as suitable as wide ones.
There is also a lotus hairpin with the same pattern as the bracelet that Lin Qiuran liked, and it would be best to wear them together.
Also, she was reluctant to wear gold when she went out, so she could buy a silver replacement. Then there was the butterfly copper hairpin inlaid with many beautiful stones. When she wore it in her hair, it looked like butterflies had landed on her head. Lin Qiuran thought it was also very good.
Lin Qiuran wanted to buy a lot of things, and there were more than one jewelry business. If it wasn't cost-effective enough, why should he buy it here?
Sun chimed in, and there were other customers bargaining with the waiter who was serving her. Sun said, "How can we get whatever you say?"
The clerk sighed and said, "I can't make the decision on this. I have to ask our boss."
He put his things away and went in for a long time before coming out.
He looked embarrassed and whispered, "Bracelets can be charged at one ounce per coin, and the labor can be discounted. If you buy a lot, the price here really can't be reduced any further. There are other customers here too. If I give you a discount but not to them, we won't be able to do business. However, I can give you some silk and velvet flowers as a gift."
Compared with gold, silver and jade ornaments, silk flowers and the like are not valuable. If Lin Qiuran buys a lot of these things, he can give them away as gifts. It's easy to talk about.
Lin Qiuran nodded and pointed at the fish-scale bracelet and said, "The labor cost for this bracelet is also cheaper. There are also hairpins. I want another silver bracelet. I'll give you this butterfly hairpin and silk flower as a gift."
There were quite a few people coming to buy jewelry. Lin Qiuran ordered two gold bracelets, a gold lotus hairpin, a silver bracelet and pearl earrings, making him a big customer.
The copper hairpin originally cost three cents, so I'll just give it to you as a gift. As long as you come back next time, it will be good for the shop's business.
The man was no longer embarrassed and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll calculate it for you."
Xiao Xun listened from the side and couldn't help but touch his nose.
The clerk quickly weighed and calculated the items. The fish-scale bracelet was heavier, at one liang and six qian, and the hairpin was six qian, bringing the total cost to forty-four liang.
She also gave a copper butterfly hairpin, two silk flowers and a velvet flower. The colors on the display were bright. Lin Qiuran asked the waiter to find ones with more plain colors. There were no fresh flowers in this season, and the velvet and silk flowers here sold very well.
I bought everything I needed during this trip, spending a small portion of my family savings. However, the gold and silver jewelry can be exchanged for money in the future.
The clerk weighed the jewelry again and asked Lin Qiuran whether she wanted to wrap it up or wear it now.
Lin Qiuran took out the fish scale bracelet and said, "Wrap up the others and just keep this in the box."
She took out the fish-scale bracelet and took Sun's hand.
Before Sun could react, she saw the bracelet was on her palm and quickly pulled her hand back, "What are you doing?"
Lin Qiuran took Sun's hand and helped her put it on. She said, "I bought it for you. Try it on and see."
Sun looked at Lin Qiuran, her mouth slightly open, unable to utter a word.
The clerk now realized that the lady just said that it was usually to bargain, so he said, "It's filial piety, so accept it."
Don't refund it. It will be refunded before you even leave the shop.
The bracelet felt heavy on her wrist. Sun had never worn jewelry like it in her life. Her family was struggling to afford food and clothing, unable to afford even a silver hairpin. This one weighed one tael and six qian, and was made of gold. Including the labor, it cost nearly eighteen taels of silver.
Sun thought it was too expensive and she was not worthy of wearing such a fine thing, but when she put it on her hand, she really liked it.
The waiter was still praising it, "It makes you look so noble when you wear it. It's so beautiful. As they say, clothes make the man. The child is so filial, so you can wear it!"
Lin Qiuran nodded, "That's it."
Let Xiao Xun hold the item, it's safer. Sun Shi wears it on her hand, covered by her sleeve, so if she doesn't show it on purpose, others won't be able to see it.
To be honest, these are not cheap. They are enough to buy a donkey cart and the original house. Such valuable things look good when worn, but Lin Qiuran is more afraid of losing them.
Who wouldn’t feel bad if they lost money, so it’s better to be careful.
Lin Qiuran had forgotten what the bracelet she had pawned looked like, so she bought a new one this time. It was heavier with the addition of the other piece, and the one she chose was more to her liking.
More than one hundred taels of silver, half of which was spent today. Lin Qiuran originally thought that he had two houses, a shop, more than twenty acres of land in the county town, and some spare money, and that his life was pretty good. But it turned out that he had a lot of good things.
There is no shortage of money.
When they came downstairs, Xiao Dashi saw them and asked, "Have you finished shopping?"
Then he said, "Hey, why is Xiao Xun back?"
Xiao Xun smiled, and Sun quickly said, "If you don't go home for the New Year, where are you going? Let's go!"
Lin Qiuran also wanted to go back quickly and take a closer look at the jewelry. It was not good to always carry the gold bracelet outside, but the silver bracelet with the lotus pattern could be worn often.
You can wear that gold bracelet occasionally in the future.
Today, the waiter also brought a few gold locks to show Lin Qiuran. I guess he brought them specially because he saw that she was pregnant. They were engraved with "Long Life" and tied with red ropes. They would be great for children.
But I have already spent a lot of money today, so I will buy my own things first. I will buy the others after the baby is one month old. Anyway, I still have the money.
Since Xiao Xun was there, Xiao Dashi would definitely let Xiao Xun pull the cart, but Xiao Xun came back on horseback, and there was both a donkey cart and a horse, so Xiao Dashi had to lead the horse back.
Sun also asked Xiao Dashi to walk slower. Unlike Lin Qiuran, she never thought that Xiao Xun would buy things for others. Isn't this quite sensible of him to even buy something?
But the donkey cart was also built by Xiao Xun, so he could see what was missing at home. This was great, as Lin Qiuran couldn't be the only one to worry about these things.
The two walked slowly, but they didn't consider that Xiao Xun had just returned and didn't know the way at all.
Xiao Xun was leading the donkey, not knowing which way to go, so Lin Qiuran could only point the way as they walked. Fortunately, they did not go wrong and arrived home safely.
Arriving at the door, Lin Qiuran said, "There are steps, and the donkey cart has to enter through the side door. Now that there are more people in the family, the original house can't accommodate them, so we moved to a new one."
Xiao Xun nodded and let Lin Qiuran go into the house first while he went to tie up the car.
After waiting for a while, Xiao Dashi and the others came back. Sun hurried back to the house and took off the bracelet.
This thing was so heavy that her hands hurt on the way back. She was also afraid that someone would snatch it away, so she had to walk very carefully. She couldn't wear it on weekdays, so she quickly found a place to put it.
Be sure to hide it well and don't lose it.
She accepted it not only because it looked nice and was bought by Lin Qiuran, but also because it was valuable. This was money, and it would be better for the family to save more. Besides, after she passed away, these things would all belong to Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran also returned to the house, but her things were still with Xiao Xun. She sat at the table and waited for a while, and Xiao Xun came in from outside.
It was cold outside, but it was extremely warm inside.
The jewelry was all in Xiao Xun's arms. He stood by the table and took them out. Fortunately, his cotton coat was thick and the box was small, so it was not conspicuous in his arms.
The box containing the bracelet was even smaller and flatter, made of wood. It was not as beautiful as the one I picked up at the beginning, and it did not have a gold lock. It was just an ordinary wooden box with a layer of cloth padding inside to prevent it from being bumped.
There are two flat ones for bracelets and a small one for earrings. The velvet flowers and butterfly hairpins are placed together. The box for the lotus hairpin is very small.
Xiao Xun took out all the things. Lin Qiuran counted them and found that there was one more thing on the table. The box was exactly the same as the one that contained the lotus hairpin.
Lin Qiuran looked at Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun's breathing stagnated. He touched his arms first and found that they were indeed empty. He looked at Lin Qiuran again. Lin Qiuran's mouth curled up. This person.
Lin Qiuran asked, "Which one did you buy?"
Although he hadn't seen it yet, Lin Qiuran had already guessed it.
Lin Qiuran was clearly sitting and Xiao Xun was standing, but Xiao Xun seemed inexplicably at a loss.
He opened the two boxes containing hairpins and took a look, then handed one to Lin Qiuran, "This is it."
Lin Qiuran looked inside and saw a golden Ruyi hairpin. The Ruyi was in the shape of a peach heart, and the agate stone on it was very festive and the workmanship was exquisite. This was what she fell in love with at first sight.
But Xiao Xun said it was average.
Lin Qiuran took it out and looked at it carefully, then went to the dressing table and compared it in the mirror, "How much did it cost?"
Xiao Xun looked at Lin Qiuran's face and said, "Not much."
He didn't bargain, but seeing how good it looked on Lin Qiuran, it didn't really matter. Xiao Xun felt the money was well spent, and besides, it was the one Lin Qiuran fell in love with at first sight.
He was happy that Lin Qiuran chose the same one, but also afraid that she would really buy another one.
Lin Qiuran asked Xiao Xun, "Does it look good?"
Xiao Xun nodded.
After wearing it for a while, Lin Qiuran reached out and wanted to take it off. Xiao Xun said, "Just keep it on. You bought it to wear it."
That's true.
Lin Qiuran put on the butterfly hairpin again. The bronze mirror was a little blurry, but one could still see that the woman in the mirror had a pretty face and a gentle expression.
She took a look and then looked at Xiao Xun. There was a bag that Xiao Xun brought back on the table.
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The author has something to say: Thank you all for the nutrient solution~ Thank you to the little angels who followed the update~ [scatter flowers][erect ears rabbit head]
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