South Bridgе wаs а fаvоred spot аmоng the cаpital's nоbilitу, оffеring а vаriety оf entertainment venues аnd divеrsions. Еven thе mоst рrоpеr уоung gеntlеmen еnjoyed sееking amusеment here. Тhose with rеfined tastеs аррrесiаted the еlеgant surrоundings, finding рlеasurе in sipрing tеa and listеning tо the zithеr in a tasteful tеahouse—а dеlightful рastimе.
Beneаth Sоuth Вridge stооd а shор, sрaсiоus and bright, simрle уet eхuding an ехtrаordinаrу sеnsе of wealth. Аbove the door hung а plaque with а single goldеn chаrаctеr: "Pawn." It was, in fact, a pawnshop.
Inside, the elderly shopkeeper was busy. The second floor of the pawnshop featured an elegant railing, resembling a winehouse.
From the second-floor vantage point, one could not only observe the bustling crowd below but also glimpse the clear, jade-like waters flowing beneath South Bridge to the east, pristine and vibrant.
"This place is truly wonderful, capturing the finest scenery of the area," remarked a man in red, taking a sip from his wine cup. His enchanting eyes shimmered with a captivating light—had they belonged to a woman, they would have been considered peerless.
The hanging gauze curtains were dyed in the capital's latest "sky after rain" hue, swaying gently and refreshingly, evoking the image of a sky washed clean by azure waters. Beyond the beaded curtain, two beautiful women plucked their pipas softly, their melodious notes like pearls falling onto a jade plate, enchanting and mesmerizing.
Seated casually nearby was another man, dressed in opulent attire: a crimson woolen coat embroidered with gold and trimmed with stone-blue silk, its buttons meticulously stitched with silver thread. He wore a red velvet cap adorned with purple-gold pearls and held jade chopsticks, picking up a morsel of food as he spoke. "I’ve never seen someone freeload like you. I don’t entertain idlers here. What’s the point of coming here every day? The young master of the Helian family mooching meals at my Prosperity Tower—people would laugh their heads off if word got out."
Helian Yu chuckled in response. "What’s there to fear? You, Jiang Yulou, are the wealthiest man in the land. A single meal shouldn’t make you so stingy. Besides, I’m not the only one freeloading." He gestured with his chin toward the opposite side. "Why not say the same to him?"
"He paid his share. You didn’t." Jiang Yulou looked him up and down. "Why not join my Prosperity Tower? Sing a tune or two. With your beauty, within three days, countless young masters would shower you with red silk."
"You!" Helian Yu hated nothing more than being told he had feminine features, yet the man opposite him was thick-skinned and impossible to argue with. In frustration, he shifted his gaze. "Yunxi, you’ve been staring downstairs since earlier. What’s so interesting? Have you taken a fancy to some young lady?"
The man was Fu Yunxi, who sat leaning against the railing, his dark eyes fixed on an ordinary carriage below.
The coachman stopped the carriage in front of the pawnshop. Moments later, two maids emerged from the carriage. The one in a blue blouse stood before the carriage, lifted the curtain, and helped someone inside step out.
It was a young girl, around twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a plain ink-patterned silk-padded jacket and a simple blue satin vest. Her hair was styled in two round buns, and from above, her face was unclear. She carried a wooden box nearly half her height.
Helian Yu had already leaned over, and at first glance, he was taken aback. In his surprise, he forgot his earlier displeasure and asked Jiang Yulou, "Isn’t your shop supposed to accept only treasures?"
Jiang Yulou shook his head. "As long as it’s valuable, there’s no reason to refuse. Whether it’s a treasure or not is secondary.""That is strange," Helian Yu muttered to himself. "Dressed so shabbily, yet daring to enter your shop. Could it be they took a wrong turn?"
"Do you think my Fuguilou is some place anyone can just wander into by mistake?" Jiang Yulou chimed in. "True wealth does not show itself. The more treasures one possesses, the more they tend to conceal them."
Helian Yu snorted, but then noticed that Fu Yunxi beside him had rarely shown such an intrigued expression, so he followed his gaze downward.
The plainly dressed young girl was none other than Han Yan, accompanied by her maids Ji Lan and Shu Hong. Today, they had come to pawn an item. However, this item was likely not something an ordinary pawnshop would accept. Only Fuguilou, the largest pawnshop in the capital, might possibly take it—though even that was merely a possibility.
The shopkeeper was an elderly man with a graying beard. Upon seeing the three girls enter, he did not treat them lightly. Instead, he welcomed them into the main hall, served them tea, and said amiably, "Young lady, have you come to pawn something?"
A glimmer of admiration flashed in Han Yan's eyes. In the capital, every merchant was skilled at reading people, having become shrewd through experience. Today, she had deliberately dressed plainly. In any other shop, seeing her lack of wealth and young age, she would likely have been met with disdain and contempt. Yet this shopkeeper not only showed no such attitude but was so courteous. No wonder he had managed to make his shop the most successful in the capital.
"Troubling you, shopkeeper. I have a small trinket here. Could you take a look and see how much it's worth?" With that, she instructed Ji Lan to open the large wooden box.
A thick cloth curtain separated the main hall of the pawnshop from the outer area, and guards were stationed there to prevent trouble. Thus, Han Yan had no concerns. Ji Lan stepped forward and lifted the lid of the box to the side, revealing its contents to everyone present.
"This..." The shopkeeper was greatly astonished.
Han Yan tilted her head and smiled. "Shopkeeper, please appraise it."
"What do you mean by this, young lady?" The old shopkeeper's expression turned serious. "Are you making a fool of this old man?"
Han Yan replied, "Does the shopkeeper not recognize this item?"
The shopkeeper was taken aback. To be honest, he truly did not recognize the object before him, and it looked far too ordinary at that. Since starting his business at Fuguilou, he had seen countless treasures daily, and his eyes were sharp. Earlier, although the young girl before him was plainly dressed and unremarkable in appearance, the careful way she held the box had made him wary of underestimating the item in her possession. Yet, upon opening it, it turned out to be such a thing.
He examined the contents of the box again, confirming it was no treasure, and immediately grew displeased. "Even if I recognized it, it would be worthless! If you have nothing else, young lady, you may take it to another shop."
Before Han Yan could speak, Shu Hong interjected, "Old shopkeeper, if you let our young lady leave like this, I fear your master will hold you accountable once he finds out."
The pawnshop and restaurant of Fuguilou were not owned by the old man before them but by Jiang Yulou, the current wealthiest man in the capital. This man possessed exceptional business acumen; despite being only around twenty years old, he had built such a vast enterprise and even opened such a respectable establishment in the capital.The old shopkeeper looked at the young girl before him. She was petite, her still-chubby face wearing a confident smile as she calmly stared back at him, as if entirely certain the item was a treasure. He grew suspicious, but then heard Han Yan say, "Old shopkeeper, rest assured. Once your master arrives, he certainly won’t blame you."
The old shopkeeper glanced at her and finally made up his mind, turning to a young attendant beside him. "Go inform the young master. This young lady has a major transaction to discuss."
Just as Jiang Yulou was savoring the fine grape wine imported from the Western Regions, worth a hundred taels of silver, he saw a servant in gray standing outside the beaded curtain. "Young master, there’s a young lady downstairs who wishes to pawn a treasure. Fang Zhanggui can’t discern its origins and requests you to take a look."
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