The waiter glanced at her, stretched out his hand over the counter, and curled his lips in disdain.
"Bring the items here so I can check them out first. I'll make sure they're valuables before I call the shopkeeper. Otherwise, if any random person comes up with something to cheat people, we'll be busy as hell!"
Although his words were a bit harsh, they also made some sense, so she took out the jade pendant from her bosom and held it in front of the waiter and shook it. When the waiter was about to reach out to take it, she took it back and looked at it carefully in front of her eyes.
"See? This is a jade pendant of excellent quality. If you don't ask the shopkeeper to come out, I'm leaving."
Although the waiter didn't know the value of the jade pendant, he thought it looked really good. He was afraid that he had missed a big customer, so he asked her to wait while he went to call the shopkeeper.
After a while, a young man in a white gown, with thin eyebrows and features, came in from the back door, holding a folding fan.
Luo Lan did not stand up to answer. She felt that this man did not look like the owner of a pawnshop. The owner here must be an older man with a beard.
The young man came before her and bowed:
"Does this girl have something to pawn?"
Luo Lan was stunned at first, then nodded.
"Yes, you are the shopkeeper?"
The other party politely responded, "My name is Yuan Feng, and I'm the owner of this store."
Hearing that it was the shopkeeper, Luo Lan opened his palm and showed the jade pendant to Yuan Feng.
"Shopkeeper, please give me a look. How much silver can this thing be worth?"
Yuan Feng respectfully took the jade pendant with both hands, examined it carefully, and after a while, he frowned and said:
"Where did you get this thing, girl?"
"My own."
He glanced at her, then stretched out his hand and said:
"Young lady, please speak in the back."
Although she was puzzled by his inexplicable behavior, this was a valuable item after all, so it was understandable that the shopkeeper was cautious. She didn't think much about it and went straight to the backyard with him.
This pawnshop seems to be quite powerful. The main hall in the backyard is spacious and bright, and the decoration is unique.
Luo Lan looked around and when she turned back, she saw Yuan Feng looking at her. She asked awkwardly,
"Why is the shopkeeper looking at me like that? What's wrong?"
Yuan Feng shook his head, "No, it's not yours."
Hearing this, Luo Lan tried to snatch the jade pendant, but Yuan Feng dodged it.
Luo Lan glared at him with some displeasure.
"This is my stuff. If your pawnshop won't return it to me, I'll go somewhere else."
"Take it. I'm just curious about the origin of this thing."
Yuan Feng looked at her again with an inquiring look, "If I'm not mistaken, this thing belongs to the royal family, and you don't look like a royal family member."
Luo Lan didn't expect that the shopkeeper had such good eyesight.
She simply said:
"I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable. In that case, I won't hide it from you. This thing belongs to the royal family, but I came from a legitimate source. Will you accept it?"
"receive."
Yuan Feng looked at her again, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"How much silver do you want to sell it for?"
A hint of displeasure flashed across Luo Lan's bright eyes. How could she know how much this thing was worth? So she looked at him seriously and said, "You are the shopkeeper. I want to hear if the price you offer is acceptable."
Yuan Feng readily extended a finger.
"One hundred taels of silver."
One hundred taels? This thing can be sold for so much money? Luo Lan felt ecstatic, but she calmed down for a moment, blinked cunningly and said:
"I want two hundred taels."
Yuan Feng was stunned at first, then smiled and said, "Tell me your reasons?"
"You gave me a hundred taels, which means it's worth more than a hundred taels. You're a businessman, so you'll naturally make some money. If I give you two hundred taels, you won't lose anything. Besides, I'll redeem this jade pendant in the future. You're just making a profit from the storage fee. The more I ask for, the more you earn from the storage fee."
"Hahaha……"
Yuan Feng suddenly laughed. "Okay, young lady, you're a straightforward person. Then I'll give you two hundred taels. I'll give you the longest term, one year. If you don't come to redeem it within a year, then it's mine."
Luo Lan nodded without hesitation, "It's a deal. I only want ten taels of silver in cash, and the rest in banknotes."
It is always inconvenient to carry too much cash on you, and it is also easy to be discovered.
The two hit it off immediately. Luo Lan didn't want to waste any more time, so she took the silver and signed the pawn ticket. She happily went out with the two hundred taels of silver note.
At the door of the pawnshop, Yuan Feng looked at her back, his eyes full of deep meaning. He turned around and said to the waiter:
"Find someone to follow her and see where she goes."
The waiter responded and retreated.
Luo Lan got the silver, asked about the location of the human tooth market, and hurried there.
How could she survive in such a huge palace without a few capable people around her? This was also the reason why she was eager to leave the palace to exchange for silver.
In ancient times, the poor and sinners were kept in cages like animals and were traded among the rich.
As soon as Luo Lan entered the human tooth market, someone came over and said, "Miss, are you buying a boy or a girl? I have all kinds, and they are all from wealthy families."
Luo Lan looked at him. This man looked very wretched. The two small mustaches on the corners of his mouth were particularly eye-catching. There was a sinister glint in his shrewd little eyes.
Only someone like her can do this kind of human trafficking business.
So she asked:
"Are there any people who know some martial arts? We need two men and two women."
Hearing this, the mustachioed man slapped his thigh and said, "Girl, you've really found the right person. There are a few slaves who were sold here because their masters committed crimes and were exiled. Would you like to come and take a look?"
Luo Lan nodded and said, "Take me to see it."
The man with the mustache was naturally very happy. He bent over and led Luo Lan to a wooden cage. Two disheveled young women were sitting inside. They had cold faces and looked at Luo Lan with cold eyes when they saw her. Although they were girls, one could see arrogance in their eyes.
Although girls like this are difficult to manage, they have their own personalities. Luo Lan doesn't like those girls who are timid and submissive.
So he said to the man with the mustache:
"It's just the two of them. How much silver?"
Seeing how happy she was, the mustachioed man quickly held up two fingers and said, "These two girls know some martial arts, and if you buy them, it's a life contract, once and for all. Naturally, they're more expensive than ordinary girls. Just give me twenty taels."
At this moment, one of the girls in the cage stood up and glared at the mustachioed man, "You're lying! Someone came to ask this morning, and you said five taels per person. Why'd you raise the price now?"
The mustache man's face suddenly turned pale and he pointed the whip at her, "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will whip you."
Luo Lan immediately raised his hand to stop them, "Alright, twenty taels is twenty taels, let them out and bring over the indentures."
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