The abacuses in the mall weren't expensive; the cheapest ones could be bought for fifty copper coins. Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief and planned to go to Changning Town tomorrow to buy some things, and also buy a few abacuses for the children at the mall.
The next morning, Jiang Ling got up early and, after preparing breakfast, said to Jiang Zhishan, "Zhishan, I'm going to Changning Town. Do you want to come with me?"
Jiang Zhishan readily agreed.
Lu Bo's oxcart slowly carried everyone toward Changning Town. Jiang Zhishan became the main character on the oxcart, and almost all the village women on the cart asked Jiang Zhishan if they could have their children taught.
I don't expect my child to be exceptionally successful, but it would be great if he could at least recognize a few characters and write his own name.
Faced with this situation, Jiang Zhishan blushed and finally nodded in agreement. The village women's mouths almost stretched to their ears as they all promised to give Jiang Zhishan grain as tuition fees after the autumn harvest.
The oxcart swayed and rattled as it arrived at the gate of Changning Town. Jiang Ling and Jiang Zhishan were the first to get off the oxcart.
The two parted ways at the alley entrance. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the alley, Jiang Ling quickly opened the online store. Suddenly, Jiang Ling's gaze froze, and her eyes stared intently at a product in the store for a long time.
Pawnshop in Changning Town.
A woman adorned with gold and silver and dressed in fine silks and satins appeared at the door.
The pawnshop clerk glanced at the woman and immediately went out to greet her.
"Honored guest, please come in!" The waiter bowed to Jiang Ling, who was dressed in disguise.
Jiang Ling, with her chest puffed out and an arrogant expression, walked into the pawnshop. She glanced at the shop assistant next to her and said, "Please ask your manager to come out."
The pawnshop clerk was a worldly man. Seeing Jiang Ling's extraordinary attire, he knew she must have some secret. The clerk responded and hurriedly ran into the inner room.
A moment later, the pawnshop manager came out from the inner room.
He glanced at Jiang Ling, somewhat surprised. Pingning Town was a tiny place, with only a few wealthy families. This was the first time he had ever seen a woman like her. The pawnshop owner cleared his throat and asked, "Dead pawn or live pawn?"
Pawnshops generally divide items into two types: fixed-term pawns, which have a higher price but cannot be redeemed once the item is pawned; and open-term pawns, which have a lower price but can be redeemed within a specified time. However, if the specified time is exceeded, an open-term pawn will become a fixed-term pawn.
Jiang Ling smiled and leaned close to the shopkeeper, whispering, "I have a treasure. Shopkeeper, how about we discuss it?"
The pawnshop owner nodded, gestured for them to enter, and together they returned to the inner room.
"This distinguished guest looks unfamiliar. May I ask which family in Pingning Town you are from?" The pawnshop manager asked, sizing up Jiang Ling again.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling lowered her head and deliberately put on a very sad look, slowly saying, "Shopkeeper, you don't know this. I'm just passing through Changning Town. Some time ago, my husband was a very wealthy merchant. But alas, fate was cruel. When my husband went out to do business again, he was harmed by villains. Although he escaped by luck, he is now mentally impaired, like a child of a few years old. I have spent all my wealth in the hope of curing my husband."
"But now..." Jiang Ling even squeezed out a few tears as she said this, making her look very pitiful.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I was just being nosy!" The pawnshop manager quickly reassured him.
Jiang Ling wiped away her tears with her sleeve, lowered her head and continued, "It's...it's alright. We're just passing through Changning Town, and we don't have much money left. If it weren't for this ordeal, I wouldn't have taken out my husband's family heirloom!"
As she spoke, Jiang Ling took out a yellow brocade box from her bosom. She deliberately showed a reluctant expression and added, "This box is my husband's family heirloom. I would never have pawned it if it weren't for this critical moment."
The pawnshop owner's gaze immediately fell on the brocade box in Jiang Ling's hand. Jiang Ling secretly glanced at the pawnshop owner, then reached out and slowly opened the brocade box with a crack about one finger's width. Before the owner could see it clearly, she slammed it shut.
"Madam, what... what is this?" The pawnshop manager looked up and asked with a puzzled expression, not understanding Jiang Ling's meaning.
"Shopkeeper, this treasure of mine shouldn't be exposed to the light all the time," Jiang Ling said, looking up at the window inside the room.
The shopkeeper immediately understood and got up to draw the curtains, making the room much darker. Jiang Ling slowly opened the brocade box again.
Inside the brocade box was a pearl, about the size of a baby's fist, perfectly round and radiating a faint glow.
When the shopkeeper saw the pearls inside the brocade box, his eyes widened immediately, and he almost lost his composure and reached out to touch them.
Jiang Ling slammed the brocade box shut, and the room became somewhat dim again. The shopkeeper then seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly drew back the curtains to ask, "Madam, how much silver do you intend to pawn?"
"Manager, have you forgotten the rules of this pawnshop? Who asks for a price when they are pawning their goods?" Jiang Ling reminded him with a slight upturn of her lips.
"I'm sorry, Madam, you must be embarrassed. How do you think this price is?" the shopkeeper said, holding up five fingers.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ling gave a cold laugh and said in a detached tone, "Shopkeeper, don't think you can bully me just because I'm a woman! My husband used to be incredibly wealthy, and I'm not as easily fooled as a country bumpkin!"
Hearing Jiang Ling's words, the shopkeeper blushed. He swallowed hard and said to Jiang Ling, "Madam, please don't be angry. How about I add another three hundred taels to this amount?"
"Eight hundred taels?" Jiang Ling sneered inwardly. This time, she did not answer the shopkeeper, but instead put the brocade box down and stood up to leave.
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