Volume 1 Chapter 26: Trust Fubao’s Luck and Shop Till You Drop!

If the restaurant business were truly booming, Zhu Liangyou wouldn't have had to partner with the proprietor of the Shunfeng Escort Agency to travel to the foreign nation of Bastan in search of exotic treasures for a "Treasure Hunting Gala."

Jiang Xian understood Zhu Liangyou's situation. After all, game meat is difficult to tenderize and consumes a lot of firewood and oil. With the current economic hardships, fewer people were coming to the restaurant to dine. In the days before the famine, the Tianwei Pavilion would buy every bit of game she brought in, but since last year, the demand had gradually declined.

"Proprietor Zhu, my father already processed the game at home yesterday, removing the internal organs and skin. The net weight is estimated to be around two or three hundred jin. If you can take it all, I will sell it to Tianwei Pavilion at the lowest rate in the county: six wen per jin."

"Miss Jiang is certainly straightforward!" Zhu Liangyou, thinking of giving Shen Junxi a small favor, shouted to the manager, "Manager Liu, go with Miss Jiang’s people to weigh the goods. Take all the game, have it salted, and prepare it for sale in three days."

"Right away, sir!"

The short, stout manager scurried out of the restaurant and soon returned with the figures.

"Sir, Miss Jiang brought in two hundred and eighty-nine jin of game. At the market price of six wen per jin, that comes to one tael of silver and seven hundred and thirty-four wen."

Zhu Liangyou smiled and said, "Just give Miss Jiang two taels of silver. We can't have people hauling goods into the city for nothing."

Jiang Xian curled her lips into a smile, letting sweet words flow effortlessly. Before leaving, she made sure not to let Zhu Liangyou’s generosity go unacknowledged. She nudged Tangtang, "Tangtang, hurry and thank Uncle Zhu for buying our game. Wish him a smooth and successful Treasure Hunting Gala!"

"Thank you, Uncle Zhu, for buying my mother’s game! A kind person like you will surely host a successful gala and make a fortune!"

Tangtang bowed politely, her soft, sweet voice warming everyone’s hearts.

Zhu Liangyou felt as if he had tasted honey. Laughing heartily, he immediately ordered the manager to bring out the finest pastries and tea to entertain Shen Junxi and the others.

While Shen Junxi and Zhu Liangyou went to register the treasures for the gala, Jiang Xian whispered to Tangtang, "Good girl, remember what Mother told you: when you're out and about, smile more and be sweet-tongued. It will always bring good things and keep you from being taken advantage of, understand?"

Tangtang drank the warm white fungus and lotus seed soup, nibbling on a soft, sweet pine nut cake. Her smile widened, and she nodded vigorously. "Mm, Tangtang remembers! Mother, you have some too; this cake is so delicious! I’ve never eaten so many yummy things before!"

"If you like it, eat more. On the way back, Mother will buy you other pastries. We made a lot of money today, all thanks to you, Tangtang."

The more Jiang Xian looked at Tangtang, the more she adored her. She thought that Chen Sanlai and his wife must have been out of their minds to abandon such a blessed daughter.

While Shen Junxi and Zhu Liangyou were busy registering their treasures, Jiang Xian wandered the lobby with a full and happy Tangtang. On the shelves at the back of the hall were several stones. She picked up Tangtang to look at them—the surfaces were smooth and black. These were likely jade raw stones, weren't they?

The other exotic treasures were nowhere to be seen; they were likely locked away, waiting to be unveiled in three days.

The manager of Tianwei Pavilion, finishing his chores, noticed the mother and daughter looking at the stones. He didn't know much about raw jade either; they were just stones the owner had brought back from Bastan. Rumor had it that once polished, they could reveal jade of various qualities, and if one were lucky enough to find high-grade green jade, it would be worth a fortune!

Manager Liu walked over with a smile and asked, "Miss Jiang, are you interested in raw jade?"

Jiang Xian shook her head. She didn't know anything about it, but she casually replied, "Not really, I don't know much about these. But I was thinking of buying one to have a bracelet and a hairpin made as a birthday gift for my mother."

"In that case, Miss Jiang, you can come to the Treasure Hunting Gala in three days. Anyone who can enter Tianwei Pavilion is welcome to compete fairly; the highest bidder wins. By then, Tianwei Pavilion can even help our guests find professional craftsmen to carve the raw stones and craft them into jewelry!"

"Great, then we will come back in three days!" Jiang Xian agreed with a smile. She looked over the eight raw stones of varying sizes with Tangtang, then probed, "Tangtang, which one do you like best?"

Tangtang possessed the fate of a "Heavenly Blessed Girl," with overflowing luck. Perhaps the stone she picked would contain high-quality jade.

Tangtang looked at the eight stones but didn't choose any of them. Instead, she pointed to a pile of palm-sized stones scattered in the corner. "Mother, can I pick one from over there?"

"Uh..." Jiang Xian looked at the stones in the corner and asked Manager Liu, "Manager, are those stones in the corner not part of the event?"

Manager Liu glanced back and shook his head. "No, those were gifts from the Bastan merchants. There’s nothing good in those leftover raw materials. Our boss said only these eight stones we purchased will be in the gala. We’ll see what we can get out of those small gift stones later—maybe make some jade pendants or Buddhas to give away as gifts."

"Oh, can they be sold?" Jiang Xian asked timidly. Fearing that Manager Liu might be suspicious, she quickly added, "Manager, you know I’m just a country hunter. How could I afford to bid in the gala? Even if I come back in three days, I won't have the money to bid. But my mother has suffered her whole life and doesn't have a single decent piece of jewelry. Finished jade in the jewelry shops is so expensive; I can't afford it. Could you ask Proprietor Zhu if I could pick a few from this pile so I can have a piece of jade jewelry made for my mother?"

Manager Liu waved his hand. "No need to bother the boss; he told me to handle them as I please. If you want them, just pay one tael of silver each—you can take them all if you like!"

"This... wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Jiang Xian said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "After all, these are fine goods your boss brought from abroad. Why don't you ask him?"

"Alright, wait here a moment!" After Manager Liu left, Jiang Xian hurried to the corner with Tangtang and asked, "Tangtang, which ones do you like?"

Tangtang looked at the dozen small stones, pointed to three or four, and looked at Jiang Xian with serious eyes. "Mother, I like these!"

Jiang Xian picked them up and placed them in front. With her lucky charm’s instincts, she had to buy them all!

Manager Liu returned from the second floor shortly after and looked at Jiang Xian. "Miss Jiang, our boss said if you like them, just take them. Just pay two taels of silver for travel expenses, and the stones themselves are free!"

Zhu Liangyou hadn't taken these gift stones seriously at all.

Jiang Xian immediately pulled out two taels of silver, fearing they might change their minds. She tucked the four jade stones Tangtang had chosen into her basket. As for the Treasure Hunting Gala, she would come back in three days to see if she could find any more bargains.

For some reason, Jiang Xian had a gut feeling that the four pieces Tangtang had chosen would yield something extraordinary!

Shen Junxi and Zhu Liangyou soon came down from the upper floor together. Zhu Liangyou pointed upstairs, "Brother Shen, you can rest assured leaving your items with me; I guarantee you won't lose out. Be sure to come on time in three days, and bring Miss Jiang along to support me!"

"Very well, Brother Liangyou, we shall take our leave now!" Shen Junxi bid farewell to Zhu Liangyou and then brought Jiang Xian and her daughter out of the Tianwei Pavilion.

Seeing the four stones in Jiang Xian’s basket, Shen Junxi looked surprised. "Miss Jiang, you are interested in raw stones as well?"

Jiang Xian grinned. "Not at all. I don't usually get involved with these things. I’m just joining in the fun and trying my luck. If I can get some good material, I’ll make a bracelet and a hairpin for my mother so she can finally have some decent jewelry!"

Shen Junxi noted her words calmly, a gentle smile on his face. "Haha, if you like jade, you can come and bid at the Treasure Hunting Gala in three days!"

"My small savings aren't enough for such things. I’ll just see if there are any cheap items I like, and take the opportunity to see the exotic treasures from abroad and broaden my horizons!"

"Then I shall send someone to pick you and Tangtang up from Taoyuan Village, and you can accompany me to Tianwei Pavilion!" Shen Junxi pressed his advantage. Jiang Xian didn't even notice that he was being unusually enthusiastic today.

She was going to Tianwei Pavilion anyway; she might as well take the free carriage. Besides, the century-old ginseng Shen Junxi was auctioning would surely fetch a high price, so Jiang Xian felt comfortable accepting. "Very well, then I will trouble the young proprietor to send someone, saving us from riding the donkey cart in the cold wind."

"Then how about I take you and your daughter back to the village myself, to save you from the cold?" Shen Junxi stared intently at Jiang Xian with burning eyes, making no effort to hide the affection overflowing in his heart.

Jiang Xian felt a shiver run down her spine under his gaze.

Good heavens, is Shen Junxi falling for her?

An inexplicable sense of unease welled up in her heart. Jiang Xian calmly declined, "No need, Young Proprietor. Brother Daniu came with us and still has to pick up a friend, so we won't trouble you!"

"Very well!" Shen Junxi didn't insist and let her have her way.

When the carriage stopped in front of Songhe Hall, Jiang Xian hurried off with Tangtang and quickly climbed onto Chen Daniu’s donkey cart, urging him, "Brother Daniu, hurry to the vegetable market!"

Chen Daniu grunted and cracked his whip, and the cart moved forward slowly.

Once they were a safe distance away, Jiang Xian finally let out a sigh of relief.

Strange, why was she afraid of Shen Junxi just now? There was nothing wrong with his character or his demeanor!

Tangtang looked at her curiously. "Mother, what’s wrong? Why did you sigh so heavily?"

Jiang Xian gathered her thoughts and made up an excuse. "Mother is fine, I was just feeling sad for that uncle we saved today!"

Tangtang blinked her bright, apricot-shaped eyes, her fair little face full of seriousness. "Then shouldn't we be going to the clinic to visit that 'Divine Lord Uncle' now? But Uncle Daniu is taking us further and further away!"

"Uh—the uncle is still seeing the doctor, we will go see him later. Mother wants to take Tangtang to the market first to buy supplies for the New Year!"

Jiang Xian wondered to herself, are children this hard to fool nowadays?