Next to the big stone bridge, where Zhao Shouzheng was in a daze last time.

"After we went in, my father insisted that this was the secret recipe that my grandfather left for you to turn your life around." Zhao Hao pointed at the paper full of words and said, "With this document and the sugar, there's no need to worry about Zhang not believing it."

"That makes sense." Zhao Shouzheng nodded and said in surprise, "As long as Brother Zhang Shi believes that this recipe is real, he will be willing to pay for it?"

"When I was shopping yesterday, I specifically asked other people about it. They said that pawn shops would accept merchants to pawn their items using their exclusive secret recipes or something like that."

Zhao Hao was obviously prepared. He smiled and said, "I just don't accept the death pawn. I'll just treat it as a mortgage loan."

Zhao Shouzheng nodded again, not quite understanding, and said, "Okay, then I'll give it a try. I wonder how much money my son wants to be paid?"

"Ten thousand taels..." Zhao Hao stretched out a finger.

"Ah..." Zhao Shouzheng screamed and almost fell off the bridge.

"Just ask for 10,000 taels." Then Zhao Haoxiang said, "Mr. Zhang will definitely bargain hard, but father, remember, 2,000 taels is the bottom price. If it's less than that, father will have no pocket money before the New Year."

"Ah!" Zhao Shouzheng screamed even louder, and said with a bitter face: "Tomorrow is only the first day of March, and there are still ten months in the year, and my son is so cruel."

"So, for the sake of the twenty taels of silver and future pocket money, father must accomplish this." Zhao Hao looked at Zhao Shouzheng with a smile and said, "Answer me, can we avenge our previous shame?"

"Yes! I definitely can!" Zhao Shouzheng patted his chest excitedly. After thinking about it, he frowned and said, "How is it possible..."

"Don't worry, father, as long as you do as I say, there will be no problem." Zhao Hao taught Zhao Shouzheng one by one how to start a conversation, how to answer, and how to bargain.

"...When the pawn ticket was drafted and asked you to sign it, my father said that this was a serious matter and you should read it carefully. Remember to make sure it is for the current period of six months, not 'six months'." At the end, Zhao Hao solemnly instructed: "If the other party still agrees, you should..."

"I'll just sign it?" Zhao Shouzheng asked with wide eyes.

"Just continue to take Qiao without worry. Say that you are still worried after thinking about it. It will be troublesome if they peek at the secret recipe. Then take the things and leave." Zhao Hao said quietly.

"If Mr. Zhang doesn't stop him, wouldn't it be embarrassing for your father?" Zhao Shouzheng asked nervously.

"He will definitely stop us. It has come to this, which means he wants the recipe very much. How could he let the cooked duck fly away?" Zhao Hao smiled confidently and said, "I have inquired about it. There are rules for this kind of business. He will let you feel at ease when the time comes."

After Zhao Hao finished speaking, he asked his father to repeat it to him again. When he felt that it was almost the same, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go ahead. This time Gao Wu and I will support father outside..." Zhao Hao pushed Zhao Shouzheng forward.

Zhao Shouzheng looked very reluctant to do the job. Firstly, he was afraid to deal with Mr. Zhang again, and secondly, he was worried about messing up his son's affairs and appearing incompetent in front of his son.

"Father, just relax. It will be the same as usual. There is no need to make a fuss." Zhao Hao pushed him while massaging Zhao Shouzheng's shoulders and said, "If it is successful, I will give you 100 taels of pocket money, Father?"

"Really?" Zhao Shouzheng's eyes lit up when he heard that. He didn't need Zhao Hao to push him anymore. He said with great courage: "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me! I will go for my father!"

"Go ahead, and when you return victorious, celebrate for your father at Deyiju!" Zhao Hao waved his arms and watched Zhao Shouzheng walk into the Dehengdang with his head held high.

Gao Wu, who had been standing by silently, finally couldn't help but ask.

"Young Master is good at dealing with unscrupulous merchants, why do you still want to embarrass the Master?"

"I can't do this kind of thing, and neither can you," Zhao Hao shook his head and said meaningfully, "Only my father can do it."

Gao Wu scratched his head and became even more confused.

~~

As soon as you enter Deheng Pawnshop, you will see a huanghuali wood screen in front of you, on which is engraved a huge golden character - "Dang"!

Behind the screen, there is a tall counter surrounded by iron fences. To the west of the counter, there is a tea room separated by a bead curtain to receive distinguished guests.

As soon as Zhao Shouzheng entered, the goateed clerk behind the counter immediately brightened up and greeted him with a big smile, "Second Master Zhao, how are you? Are you here to take care of our business again?"

As he said this, he hurried out, asked the waiter to report to the boss, and enthusiastically lifted the pearl curtain to invite Zhao Shouzheng to come in and take a seat. He also asked someone to serve tea and brew the best Maofeng tea.

With such attentive flattery, Zhao Shouzheng seemed to have returned to the days when he was a minister.

Of course people are enthusiastic about him!

There have been rumors in the capital recently that the newly enthroned Emperor Longqing is very fond of Lu Zigang's works, and might one day recruit him into the palace to specialize in jade carving for the royal family.

Regardless of whether the news was true or false, all of Lu Zigang's works on the market were sold out, and the prices of the authentic ones were even multiplied several times.

Just a few days later, someone offered a high price of six hundred taels for the jade pendant.

At that time, Zhao Shouzheng only received a pitiful twenty taels...

Which pawnshop wouldn't treat such a big sheep as a deity?

Sure enough, not long after, Mr. Zhang heard the news and came over. He smiled and said enthusiastically, "My dear brother, it feels like a long time since we last met. I miss you so much!"

"Brother, you are too polite. I am sorry to trouble you again." Zhao Shouzheng followed Zhao Hao's instructions and began to fool around. However, it was his first time doing such a thing, so he was inevitably a little nervous.

But the more he acted like this, the more relieved people felt. Zhang Yuanwai held Zhao Shouzheng's hand tightly, as if he was afraid that he would run away, and said affectionately, "We are like blood relatives. It would be too polite to say that I am causing trouble."

As he said this, he looked at Chao Feng and said, "I was just worried that Brother Zhao would not come to trouble me."

"Yes, yes, yes." Chao Feng was standing aside, his goatee shaking with laughter.

After finishing the nonsense, Mr. Zhang got straight to the point and asked, "My dear brother, what can I do for you today?"

"Brother Shi, take a look at this first." Zhao Shouzheng handed the paper box to Mr. Zhang.

"Okay, let me take a look." Mr. Zhang took the paper box and opened the paper bag, and saw fine white sugar in the bag.

"Oh?" Mr. Zhang frowned slightly and whispered something to the court attendant, who then quickly walked to the back room and took out an exquisite mahogany box.

When the wooden box was opened, inside was a Jingdezhen porcelain cup with a lid wrapped in red silk. Both the red wooden box and the porcelain cup had the "Tang Ji" trademark.

Mr. Zhang carefully picked up the porcelain cup and opened the lid, and inside was exactly the same white sugar.

He tasted each one separately and they tasted exactly the same. Based on his experience, he knew that the two candies were definitely from the same batch.

He weighed the paper bag and found it weighed more than one pound. He opened his mouth in surprise.

You have to know that the box in his hand only contained three taels of candy, but he spent a full ten taels of silver.

The bag of candy that Zhao Shouzheng brought was worth at least fifty taels of silver, but it was just packed in a torn paper bag and scattered all over the box...

While Mr. Zhang felt distressed, he couldn't help but secretly sigh that Zhao Liben's family wealth was indeed unfathomable and there was no end to it no matter how hard he tried!

ps. A new day, please vote for recommendation and comment~~~~