Chapter 24: The Pawn Shop

Yun Lao San nodded repeatedly when he heard his father say this, “Father, I understand.”

Then he went with Yun Lao Da, taking Yun Nian’an and the other villagers to go out and buy things.

This small city was actually a small town, but it was a different world.

The roads were paved with bluestone slabs, and the houses were arranged neatly.

The streets were bustling with people, but it seemed that most of them had already fled famine.

Yun Nian’an turned her head and saw a pawn shop. Yun Lao San saw his daughter standing at the door of the pawn shop and didn’t move.

He pulled Yun Nian’an’s sleeve, “Nian’an, what are you doing? That’s a pawn shop, not a store.”

Yun Lao Da nodded from the side.

Yun Nian’an looked at her eldest uncle, “Uncle, I have some things I want to ask the pawn shop if they will take. You go with the group to buy things first. We’ll go by ourselves later.”

Yun Lao Da frowned when he heard this and looked at his younger brother.

Yun Lao Da was a little worried about his precious niece. If she was lost or something happened, his mother would skin him alive.

Yun Lao San quickly nodded, “Just listen to Nian’an. Although it might be a little chaotic in the city, we’re dressed in rags. Who would want to rob us? Don’t worry.”

Yun Lao Da nodded when he heard his third brother say this, “Okay! I’ll go with the village head and the others to buy things. I’ll buy some candy and buns for Nian’an and then come back. You two don’t need to buy anything else. Come back early.”

Yun Lao San nodded. After Yun Lao Da left, Yun Lao San looked at his daughter and asked, “Daughter, what do you want to pawn?

We don’t have anything to pawn. You wouldn’t have taken the ginseng from your mother, would you?”

Yun Lao San thought that there was nothing in the family that his daughter could pawn, except for the ginseng, which was the most valuable thing.

Didn’t his wife say that they would sell the ginseng when they got to the capital?

Nian’an shook her head, “Master gave it to me. Let’s go. Let’s go to the pawn shop and ask if they’ll take it.”

Yun Nian’an said this and took out a glass cup from her sleeve. Yun Lao San saw this and widened his eyes.

“What kind of treasure is this? How…”

He stopped and covered his mouth.

He cautiously looked around, seeing that no one was looking at them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yun Nian’an pulled her father into the pawn shop. The pawn shop was empty at this time.

Only an old shopkeeper was sitting at the counter, looking at the accounts. Yun Nian’an went forward and saw that the counter was so high that she could only see the top of her head.

Yun Nian’an frowned at the counter. She had heard people say before that some counters in ancient times were high to cheat people and switch things.

Or they would make you look up at them, making you feel inferior.

Yun Nian’an didn’t want to worry about that for now. She looked up and shouted, “Shopkeeper, I have a treasure. Do you want it?”

The shopkeeper heard the voice and looked down. He saw a girl of about ten years old speaking, and a man behind her, presumably her father and daughter.

But seeing their patched-up clothes, he curled his lips.

His shrewd eyes flashed with disdain, as if to say, “With your looks, what kind of treasure could you possibly have to pawn?”

He said casually, “What do you want to pawn?”

Yun Nian’an saw the shopkeeper’s condescending attitude and couldn’t help but snort coldly. She took the glass cup from her sleeve and held it in her hand, refusing to hand it over.

She said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, take a look at my treasure. See if it catches your eye.”

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened in surprise. He quickly stretched out his hand, “Come, come, let me have a look.”

Yun Nian’an snorted.

“People say that pawn shops have many rules. We’re in a difficult situation, so we’re thinking of pawning our family heirloom.

Shopkeeper, if you’re sincere, how about we go inside to talk?”

The shopkeeper heard that the little girl was so smart at such a young age and nodded, “Okay! Come, come, please come in.”

He got up from the counter and led them to a private room. They had a private room specifically for those who wanted to choose treasures or pawn things.

The shopkeeper had traveled far and wide in his younger days. He knew that this was a top-grade glass cup.

There were probably only a few in the entire Great Dynasty, and yet the little girl had one.

Moreover, it looked even better than the glass cups he had seen in wealthy families before!

It was the best of the best. If he missed this opportunity, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Yun Nian’an saw that the shopkeeper was a connoisseur and nodded in satisfaction.

She took her father and followed the shopkeeper to the private room. The shopkeeper took out a tray, which was lined with a piece of fine cloth.

Yun Nian’an gently placed the glass cup on the tray. The shopkeeper carefully looked at the glass cup!

He gently touched it with his hand and nodded repeatedly, “Good! Good! It’s truly a fine treasure!”

He then looked at Yun Nian’an, “Little friend, how much silver do you want to sell it for?”

Yun Nian’an looked at the shopkeeper, “Since I’m here, naturally, you should make the first offer. If the price is right, I’ll sell it to you.”

She coughed lightly and looked at the shopkeeper, “Don’t think that just because we’re fleeing famine, we don’t know the value of this glass cup.

Shopkeeper, you can judge for yourself. Although we’re fleeing famine now, if this treasure were to be sold in the capital, it would fetch a sky-high price.”

She then looked at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper heard the little girl say this and his heart sank.

He had been thinking that he could buy this thing from the little girl at a low price and then sell it in the capital. Wouldn’t he be worry-free for the rest of his life?

But the little girl was very smart. The reason why Yun Nian’an didn’t want to go to the capital to sell it was because the people in the capital were all old foxes.

An ordinary family couldn’t possibly have such a rare and precious item.

The Yun family didn’t have any backing now. They could slowly become rich, but they couldn’t sell such a valuable treasure directly in the capital. If someone with ulterior motives investigated them, it wouldn’t be good.

Moreover, she remembered that although the Great Dynasty had some good treasures, they were mostly in the hands of the royal family.

The shopkeeper held the item and couldn’t help but feel conflicted. If this thing were to be sold in the capital, it would probably fetch tens of thousands of taels. It was a treasure that was in high demand but scarce.

But in their small town, how could it really sell for tens of thousands of taels?

Yun Nian’an saw the shopkeeper’s conflicted look and said, “Shopkeeper, to be honest, this was accidentally obtained by an elder in our family from a foreign merchant. It has been passed down for generations.

We wouldn’t have taken out such a family heirloom if we weren’t in such a difficult situation.

I believe you are a connoisseur. Even if you went to the capital, you wouldn’t be able to find a glass cup of such quality, would you?”