Chapter 90: Unjust

Perhaps due to being stored in the space for many years, those few gemstones had a clear and lustrous shine. In Chen Feng’s fair palms, they seemed to radiate even more brilliantly.

The shopkeeper, Bai, immediately smiled as he took the gemstones and carefully examined them by the window. He said, “Acceptable. How much are you looking to sell for, young lady?”

Chen Feng chuckled, “I’ve heard that your shop, Manager Bai, has an excellent reputation. The way you handle small transactions worth a tael or two is just as important as those worth a thousand taels. That’s why this poor person came to this jewelry store specifically, and nowhere else.”

The shopkeeper laughed heartily and said, “You really know how to speak. You’ve praised me so much, I can’t possibly haggle with you.” He turned to the window and examined the gemstones, saying, “These three rubies have average quality and aren’t large, but the shine is quite good. Even at its best, it’s worth about ninety taels. This emerald is quite good, with good luster and transparency… I’ll offer three hundred taels, how does that sound?”

This offer was much higher than what Chen Feng had in mind. Manager Bai was indeed a trustworthy and honest person, as he didn’t try to lower her price. She resolved to tell the Golden Swallow about this, so he wouldn’t even think about visiting this shop again.

However, she had to raise the price a bit more to make it seem like a business negotiation, she couldn’t just accept whatever he said. She smiled and said, “Manager Bai, although I may not know much about this trade, I do understand that emeralds are delicate, difficult to cut, and polish. This emerald is already formed and can be directly mounted on jewelry. Can we go a bit higher?”

Manager Bai said, “The price I offered isn’t low. How about adding another twenty taels, but not a tael more.”

At four hundred and ten taels in total, it was quite good. Chen Feng smiled with satisfaction and said, “Deal.”

The shopkeeper handed her two bills of two hundred taels each and a silver ingot.

As they left the shop, the shopkeeper smiled and said, “Young lady, why not buy some jewelry? Our jewelry is quite good, and the prices are reasonable.”

Chen Feng, feeling the ten taels of silver in her pocket, approached the counter and bought a few inexpensive silver hairpins. The attendant brought a small tray, and Chen Feng chose four intricately carved silver hairpins. She bought one for herself, Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Zhang, and Grandma Chen, and also bought a pair of silver lilac flowers for herself and Mrs. Wang, totaling eleven taels of silver.

Manager Bai gave her a discount, only taking ten taels.

After thanking him, they left the jewelry store.

Chen Feng looked around. This was the most prosperous street in Dingzhou Capital, with a blue stone road wide enough for six carriages to pass side by side. The shops were multi-story buildings with elaborate decorations.

On the opposite side was the Embroidery Workshop Chen Aman had mentioned.

The Embroidery Workshop was a three-story building with dark tiles, green walls, and red-carved doors and windows. Several pretty lanterns and colored flowers were hung around, and the huge plaque was clearly visible even from a distance.

She thought she would visit there tomorrow after getting those dolls.

She was about to turn her head when she saw the man she had met earlier leading several women out of the Embroidery Workshop. They got into three carriages, and he helped an elderly woman onto one of them. He then helped the others into their carriages, displaying a gentle and respectful attitude.

Was it an illusion? When he was ruthless, he was as hard-hearted as a stone towards the woman who had raised him and shared a bond of flesh and blood with him. It was fortunate that Mrs. Wang, her mother didn’t come, otherwise, she would have been heartbroken.

Chen Feng watched the carriages disappear into the bustling street.

Chen Dabao tugged at Chen Feng’s clothes and called out, “Mom, hug, hug.” He had been worried about the silver notes in his mother’s embrace, but she seemed unconcerned, which made him quite anxious.

Chen Feng lifted him up, and he whispered softly into Chen Feng’s ear, “Mom, let’s quickly find a donkey cart back to Grandpa’s house. You have so much money on you, don’t let anyone steal it.”

Teasing him, Chen Feng asked, “Don’t want to eat at the restaurant?” When they arrived, Chen Dabao had specifically mentioned wanting to eat at the restaurant.

Chen Dabao swallowed and shook his head, saying, “Not today. We’ll eat there another day.”

Seeing those people, Chen Feng lost her desire to continue strolling. She nodded and took Dabao to a nearby snack shop, where she bought two baskets of steamed buns, giving one to Dabao, and then hailed a mule cart.

Back at Chen Shi’s house, it was just lunchtime, and the hired help had also arrived. Two boys, around thirteen or fourteen years old, were sitting at the side, eating from a large bowl.

Chen Feng took out the buns from the oiled paper and had lunch together with everyone.

After the meal, she presented a hairpin to Mrs. Zhang, saying, “I went to West Street and bought this from the Jade Qilin Silver Jewelry Shop. Auntie, please don’t refuse.”

Mrs. Zhang exclaimed, “Goodness, you’ve already given our family the secret recipe for braised skewers, and we haven’t properly thanked you. How can we accept such a valuable hairpin?”

Chen Shi also joined in, suggesting, “Keep it for sister-in-law to wear.”

Seeing her daughter had been to the shop, Mrs. Wang guessed that she had already sold the gemstones. She smiled at Zhang, “If A’Feng is giving it to you, then you should accept it. I certainly won’t be left out.”

After much persuasion, Mrs. Zhang delightedly accepted the silver hairpin.

Feeling weary, Chen Feng excused herself and went to rest with Dabao and Lu.

She couldn’t sleep despite the snoring of the two children, the face that resembled hers kept flashing before her eyes.

The older girl, who seemed to be only slightly younger than herself, indicated that it hadn’t been long since Mrs. Wang’s family had driven her out, and he had taken a wife.

Thinking of that elegant and imposing noblewoman, as well as those delicate and charming young girls, and then thinking of Mrs. Wang, who was sold into the Chen family, tirelessly supporting the sickly Chen Ming, as well as the foolish and bullied Chen Feng, Chen Feng’s heart was filled with unresolved emotions…

Hearing the laughter of Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Zhang, and the others in the courtyard, Chen Shi and Mrs. Zhang’s laughter was much louder, while Mrs. Wang, although laughing and speaking, was much more refined.

Thinking of Mrs. Wang, Chen Feng’s eyes became slightly teary. Sold to the Chen family as a child bride at the age of ten, she had nurtured a naive and ignorant five-year-old boy into a fifteen-year-old youth. She even had a child. They must have had a certain emotional foundation, right?

Certainly! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so affectionate towards his own flesh and blood, an affection that even exceeded that for their own son.

Was it a maternal bond, a sibling bond, or a romantic bond? Most likely, it was the faint spark of love, right?

She had been able to conceive, so she should have had some mutual affection with her ex-husband, right? But that husband turned hostile after gaining success, and she was sent back to her maternal home, pregnant and sold again by her stepmother.

Mrs. Wang, delicate, intelligent, and resilient, had no time for grief and pain. She was married off to another Chen family. She married so readily and chose the dying Chen Ming. Perhaps she was already prepared to be a widow and had found a legitimate birth for her unborn child.

It’s truly… unjust to her.