Shen Zhuxi’s heart lurched. She quickened her pace and hurried down the stairs.

In the main hall of Jinyin Tower, Li Kun was facing off against a young woman who appeared to be about the same age as Shen Zhuxi. The young woman wore her hair in the twin flat buns of an unmarried girl, without a single ornament on her head. She was dressed in a blue-green brocade gauze skirt embroidered with lively, leaping carp in various poses, with the tips of embroidered brocade shoes peeking out from beneath the hem.

Like the carp on her skirt, the young woman had her eyes stretched wide, glaring furiously at Li Kun, while Li Kun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, deliberately looking everywhere but at her, like a stubborn child being scolded by his mother.

“You big oaf — don’t think pretending to be mute will save you. You—”

The young woman was incensed. She shoved out her hand to push Li Kun. He looked displeased, but neither spoke nor pushed back — the very picture of a sulking child standing his ground.

Shen Zhuxi took two steps at once, placed herself between the two of them, and blocked the young woman’s rough shove.

“Why are you pushing people?” Shen Zhuxi said, frowning.

“And who are you?” The young woman’s brows arched sharply, and she shot a displeased look straight at her. Before Shen Zhuxi could answer, those sharp eyes had made two sweeping passes over her face. “…You’re the woman Li Wu brought home?”

Shen Zhuxi turned to Li Kun. “Are you alright?”

Li Kun shook his head, his gaze flickering back and forth between the young woman and the floor.

“How unfair of you!” the young woman said, voice rising. “Did you not just see him steal my hairpin? How is it that you’re the one asking if he’s alright? He’s that tall and that big — do you think pushing him a couple of times would leave any damage? He’d give me internal injuries before I could give him any!”

Shen Zhuxi was taken aback, and looked at Li Kun again. “Did you take her hairpin?”

“Steal! Steal!” the young woman repeated loudly. “And it’s not the first time, either! Last time he stole my coin purse!”

“You steal money too?” Shen Zhuxi’s expression darkened.

“I didn’t steal money!” Li Kun said quietly, defending himself. “I didn’t want her money!”

“That’s right — didn’t want my money! Stole my coin purse, threw the money away, and kept the purse.” The young woman advanced aggressively, both hands reaching toward Li Kun again. “You big oaf — give me back my coin purse! Give me back my hairpin! Don’t think I’m like everyone else and I’m afraid of you!”

Before the young woman’s hands could reach him, Li Kun executed a nimble sidestep and bolted straight out the door without a backward glance.

Gone in the blink of an eye.

He just… ran? Shen Zhuxi stared. Now who was going to help her carry everything she’d bought home?

The young woman rushed to the doorway and stamped her feet on the ground in frustration. “You oaf! Just you wait! I’m not letting this go!”

Passersby on the street cast puzzled glances her way. The two shop boys quickly surrounded her, pouring out sweet words to coax her calm.

“Miss Sui, please don’t let it upset you. That Li Kun — his body might look grown, but inside he’s still a child!”

“He stole your things, but just say the word to Li Wu and he’ll send them right back — or tell this young lady here, she can pass on the message. Your things will be back in no time.”

The lingering anger in Miss Sui’s gaze landed on Shen Zhuxi. “It’s not about the things themselves — I’m furious that he can do whatever he pleases with no consequences! Doesn’t the magistrate do anything about a thieving simpleton?!”

“Oh, Miss Sui.” The younger shop boy said. “These days, the magistrate doesn’t even handle cases involving clever people anymore — to say nothing of a simpleton.”

Shen Zhuxi didn’t know the full story, but after a moment’s hesitation, she spoke up: “I’ll bring this to Li Wu’s attention. If Li Kun truly did take your things, I’ll make sure he returns them.”

“Then you’d better!” Miss Sui said sharply, walking back over. She leaned against Jinyin Tower’s counter and looked at Shen Zhuxi with eyes that had cooled somewhat. “What’s your relationship with him? Why are you cleaning up after the big oaf? And since when is Li Diao’er called Li Kun?”

“Li Kun’s original name was Li Diao’er, but he’s since changed it to Li Kun. As for me…” Shen Zhuxi hesitated a moment. “I’m Li Wu’s fiancée. Once I’ve moved in, Li Kun will naturally be my younger brother too. If he does something wrong, of course I’ll see to it.”

“Fiancée?” The young woman immediately straightened, and the look she directed at Shen Zhuxi became several times more friendly than before. “Interesting. I’d like to see whether Li Qingman can still smile when she hears that.”

“As they say, a fight is the start of a friendship — now that the two of you have sorted things out, there’s no reason to keep stewing over unpleasantness,” Sang Niang said, stepping in smoothly. “You two look to be about the same age — why not browse together? You could give each other a second opinion.”

“…Hmph.” Miss Sui made a sound of ambiguous meaning and let her gaze drift briefly over Shen Zhuxi’s clothing.

“Ah Jin, Ah Yin — won’t you bring out the newest arrivals for Miss Sui?” Sang Niang said.

The two shop boys barely had time to reply before Miss Sui’s brows snapped together. “You’re sending two shop boys to attend me while you go look after someone else — are you looking down on me?”

Shen Zhuxi did not need anyone else’s input, so she took a step back and said, “I’m perfectly fine on my own — Sang Niang needn’t trouble herself on my account.”

“Then…” Sang Niang looked toward Miss Sui, who did not look at all pleased to have Sang Niang to herself and said, brow furrowed: “It’s not as if I’m giving birth — who says I can’t manage alone?”

The two shop boys burst out laughing. Sang Niang frowned. “Miss Sui…”

“There’s nothing wrong with saying that — you’re all so tiresome,” Miss Sui grumbled. But her gaze was already sweeping along the row of display shelves behind the counter. “That one — yes, that swallow hairpin. Let me see it.”

The younger shop boy immediately said, “Miss Sui has such a discerning eye! This arrived just a couple of days ago from the capital. Spring is when ladies love to wear swallow hairpins, and ours are made with the finest pearls and the finest gold. Wear it out and everyone will be able to tell at a glance that Miss Sui is unlike the rest.”

“Is what he’s saying true?” Miss Sui asked Sang Niang.

Sang Niang nodded. “It is indeed a style that arrived from the capital just a few days ago.”

Whether the pearls and gold were truly the finest — she didn’t say. Miss Sui didn’t notice the omission, and said with open delight: “Set it aside for now — let me look at a few more things.”

Between two silver-tongued shop boys and a seemingly impartial Sang Niang, the counter in front of Miss Sui was quickly covered in ornaments.

Beside her, things were quite different — forming a stark contrast. Most of what Jinyin Tower carried was beneath Shen Zhuxi’s standards. Occasionally something caught her eye, but after the shop boy retrieved it, she would set it back down over concerns about the quality of the material or the craftsmanship.

Looking and looking, she ended up choosing only two things: a pale green jade lotus-petal hairpin — not particularly dazzling, but its design was distinctive, and the color of the jade was acceptable; and a pear-wood bed incense burner the size of a palm, carved in the motif of a jade rabbit racing toward the moon — fresh and charming.

She was especially taken with the incense burner. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, and she found herself asking, “Is this the work of the Liu family craftsmen of Guangzhou?”

Sang Niang was startled. “How could you tell?”

“By the style.” Shen Zhuxi smiled faintly and gently ran a finger along the smooth, rounded lines of the burner. “The renowned makers of incense burners are only around a dozen in number. Among those who specialize in bed incense burners, it narrows to about half that. Among those six or seven, some have a bold and unrestrained style, some are elaborately ornate, some have an otherworldly refinement. Lady Liu is the only woman among these masters, and her works tend to be round on the outside and sharp within — an elegance that conceals an edge.”

Sang Niang was struck speechless. And not just Sang Niang — the others in Jinyin Tower were equally stunned.

“You’re making that up,” Miss Sui said, unconvinced.

“What Little Sister Shen said is entirely correct. Lady Liu’s work truly is like that — I had noticed it before, but I hadn’t observed it with nearly as much precision as Little Sister Shen,” Sang Niang said. “Since you see so clearly, may I ask why you chose the lotus-petal hairpin? Is it also the work of a master craftsman?”

Shen Zhuxi shook her head. “I don’t know who made it, and their skill falls far short of a master’s — but this hairpin has a kind of spirit to it. The lotus petals are vivid and lifelike, full of vitality. One can tell at a glance that the maker put in real effort. A person willing to work this hard and with such dedication is already a cut above many craftsmen. Given time, there’s no saying that their name won’t also become known.”

“This person is indeed a self-taught craftsman who came to the trade late, but their gift is exceptional — in the space of two years they’ve surpassed what others take ten years to achieve. The owner of Jinyin Tower also believes they will distinguish themselves one day,” Sang Niang said with admiration. “Little Sister Shen’s eye for craft is truly exceptional.”

Shen Zhuxi felt a little embarrassed. In the palace she had nothing much to pass the time besides admiring and handling rare treasures, so when she’d come out into the world she’d been helpless and at a loss about nearly everything else. Sang Niang’s praise only made her feel more ashamed.

“…Since you’re so knowledgeable, look at all of these for me and tell me which are worth buying,” Miss Sui said, half-skeptical, and pushed the heap of jewelry on the counter toward her.

“I won’t choose for you,” Shen Zhuxi said.

“You look down on me?” Miss Sui’s eyes rounded again.

“Even if I pick something with excellent quality or a master’s provenance, if you don’t like it, what’s the point?” Shen Zhuxi said. “Just pick what you like. If the price is fair, then it’s worth it.”

The greatest mistake in collecting was following the crowd. When one doesn’t truly know the field, choosing what one genuinely likes is the wisest course. This was something Fu Xuanmiao had told her — back when she had no real experience with connoisseurship, and could only look to others’ reactions to guide her own. If others praised something, she would join in the praise; if others criticized it, she would echo the criticism. Fu Xuanmiao rarely offered his opinion on other people’s things, but he often sent her all kinds of treasures. Shen Zhuxi had looked at them for so long, handled them so much, that gradually she came to understand what was good and what was not.

Miss Sui heard her words and appeared to turn them over in her mind, though whether she truly took them to heart was another question.

Shen Zhuxi had made her choices. “Put it on Li Wu’s tab,” she said.

Sang Niang, like the other shop owners, accepted the credit without any concern. Seeing that she had no one to help carry things, Sang Niang kindly offered to have two shop boys deliver everything to her home after the shop closed.

Shen Zhuxi was naturally glad to accept.

Walking out of the shop, Shen Zhuxi worried about running into the head beggar, and her gaze barely settled for the entire walk.

Nearing the end of the market, Shen Zhuxi passed a small bookshop. She lingered at the door for a moment, bought a few newly published poetry collections, and then, thinking of the illiterate Li Wu, also picked up several elementary primers for children.

The shop owner, as before, readily agreed to the credit arrangement.