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Jiang Mixia and her group quickly found an ox cart on East Street and made their way towards the county town.
The road to the county town was bustling with people, and the cart became increasingly crowded as more and more individuals hailed and boarded it. By the time they were halfway there, the cart had doubled in occupancy.
Naturally, the cart felt cramped, and everyone had to sit as close to the edges as possible, with their legs dangling over the cart’s sideboards.
After over two hours of continuous travel, everyone’s legs were numb by the time they arrived in the county town.
Jiang Youcheng and Song Jingyun were also feeling a bit worse for wear, their legs slightly unsteady as they disembarked.
Having only been to the county town a couple of times, Jiang Youcheng wasn’t familiar with the roads. They had to inquire along the way to find the bustling East City District in the county town.
The area was bustling with activity, with various shops lining the streets, and many people coming and going. It was quite lively, with shop assistants bustling about and customers coming and going.
The group eventually arrived at the entrance of a shop called “Treasure Pavilion.”
“This shop is really grand,” Jiang Youcheng remarked as he looked at the grand and delicate entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, complete with a gilded signboard. He then leaned in and whispered to Jiang Mixia, “A shop this grand must have a lot of money. They probably won’t haggle too much.”
These two things might not necessarily be related.
“Let’s give it a try,” Jiang Mixia replied.
As they spoke, the three of them headed into the shop.
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s the rush? Why are you rushing in?” A shop assistant at the entrance halted them, eyeing them up and down.
They were all dressed in coarse clothes, looking like ordinary rural folk. Jiang Youcheng even had a string of needle and thread baskets slung over his back.
They all seemed to exude an air of muddy boots!
The shop assistant didn’t bother hiding his disdain and contempt, rolling his eyes, “This is the Treasure Pavilion, where we sell gold, silver, jade, and various kinds of jewelry. Are you sure you haven’t walked into the wrong shop?”
“No, we’re in the right place,” Jiang Youcheng replied with a wide smile.
The assistant crossed his arms, “What are you here for?”
“We found pearls in some freshwater clams we caught from the river. They’re of decent size, and we wanted to see if you’d be interested in buying them,” Jiang Youcheng answered.
Just as expected, they certainly weren’t here to make a purchase.
The Treasure Pavilion had quite a reputation, and many people, especially rural folk, came here hoping to sell old family jewelry or items like jade found in the mountains or pearls found in the river, hoping for a good price.
Encounters like this were not uncommon, and the assistant was used to it, “Could you show it to me first?”
Jiang Youcheng reached for the small cloth pouch.
Jiang Mixia stopped him and said to the assistant, “With so many people around on the street, it might not be safe. Besides, the pearl isn’t a large item. If it gets lost or someone snatches it, it would be difficult to explain.”
“We assume a reputable shop like the Treasure Pavilion has experts for appraisals. Could you please take us to see them?” she added.
The assistant had initially assumed that these peasants were naive and could be duped into selling at a low price, but it seemed these individuals were a bit shrewder than he had anticipated.
The assistant, unable to deceive them, sneered and begrudgingly said, “Fine, come with me.”
He then led Jiang Mixia and her group from a small alley next to the shop to the back of the Treasure Pavilion, through a courtyard, and into a house in the corner of the yard.
Inside the dimly lit room, a leisurely old man with long whiskers was sitting behind a large table, sipping tea. When he saw someone approach, he raised his eyelids, “Selling something?”
“We found pearls in some freshwater clams and wanted to sell them here.”
The assistant nodded and bowed, wearing a forced smile, then turned to Jiang Mixia’s group, “This is our shop’s treasurer.”
“Hello, Mr. Treasurer,” Jiang Mixia greeted.
The treasurer nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then set down his teacup slowly after a brief pause, “Our local river waters are shallow, and the wild clams don’t grow very large. They generally don’t produce pearls. It’s quite rare for you to have found pearls.”
“However, wild river clams, even if they produce pearls, usually have poor quality. They wouldn’t fetch a good price,” he continued. “It’s like ginseng; the price varies depending on the age. Just having the word ‘ginseng’ doesn’t guarantee a high price. I’ll give you a heads-up, don’t complain later that our offer wasn’t reasonable.”
“We understand the principle of assessing a product before pricing, but we’d appreciate it if you could offer a fair price,” Jiang Mixia said, and together with Jiang Youcheng, she unfastened the small cloth pouch at her collar and placed the three pearls on the table.
“Mr. Treasurer, please take a look at these three pearls and tell us how much you’re willing to offer,” she continued.
The treasurer examined each pearl and then glanced at Jiang Mixia’s group. After a moment’s consideration, he responded, “These three pearls are of poor quality, small, and not well-rounded. They have numerous flaws. If you wish to sell them, I can offer three taels of silver.”
Three taels of silver? It was less than what he earned from making baskets for the tea plantation.
Jiang Youcheng was immediately disappointed and blurted out, “It’s well-known that pearls, even for medicinal use, are valuable. Offering three taels for three pearls seems quite meager.”
“Too little? Then go to the pawnshop and see what they’ll offer. Even if you pawn them, you might get at most two taels and five mace,” the treasurer retorted.
The assistant, looking furious, interjected, “The Treasure Pavilion is reputable for offering fair and honest prices. If you don’t trust us, you’re welcome to try elsewhere.”
As he spoke, the assistant moved to usher Jiang Mixia’s group out.
The treasurer raised his hand to signal the assistant to stop but then turned to Jiang Mixia’s group, “My assistant speaks frankly, but don’t take it to heart. However, the market for these pearls truly doesn’t allow for a higher price.”
“Given the effort it took for you to come to the county town, and considering my own approach to business, I’ll add another two hundred coins. If that’s still not enough, then I’m afraid we won’t be able to proceed,” the treasurer said, seeming somewhat impatient.
Observing the treasurer and the assistant’s impatience, Jiang Mixia picked up the pearls, placed them back into the small cloth pouch, and said, “Thank you, Mr. Treasurer, for your time. We’ll inquire elsewhere about the price. If we can’t secure a better offer, we’ll return.”
“Alright,” the treasurer nodded, adding, “But I must emphasize that if you return later, I can only offer three taels of silver, on top of the extra two hundred coins you’re receiving now.”
“Thank you for the reminder. Goodbye,” Jiang Mixia said as she tucked away the pearls, gave a slight bow to the treasurer, and left.
The assistant escorted them out, wearing a displeased expression.