After returning to the capital and retrieving his deposit from the horse rental, Xu Qi An walked out of the shop and said to Xu Xinnian, “You go home first. I still have some business to attend to.”
Xu Xinnian nodded without asking further questions and headed home alone along the main street.
Xu Qi An bought some osmanthus cake from a street vendor and ate as he walked. Soon, he arrived at a jewelry shop called Baoqi Xuan.
The owner of Baoqi Xuan was a scholar. It was quite common for scholars to run businesses, especially among noble families. Relying solely on land rent wasn’t enough to support the extravagant lifestyle of a large clan. Many profitable businesses in the capital, such as large shops and brothels, had nobles backing them.
“The commerce in Great Feng is thriving, yet heavy taxes burden the farmers… I have reason to suspect the noble clans are behind this,” Xu Qi An mused. “How much silver can farming produce? To get rich, they must fleece the merchants. To improve the lives of common people and enrich the national treasury, reforms are necessary. But among the dignitaries in the imperial court, how could a lowly clerk like me have a say? Hmm, let’s set a small goal: first, groom Second Brother to become the Grand Councillor of Great Feng…”
Imagining his proud little brother in such a high position in the future, Xu Qi An’s lips curved into a slight smile.
As Xu Qi An entered the shop, his gaze swept over the counter. Various pieces of jewelry displayed on red silk caught his eye: hairpins, combs, hair ornaments, and more. It was dazzling.
The gold pieces were the most expensive, while jade varied in price depending on the type – some more valuable than gold, others comparable to silver.
Xu Qi An felt the three silver taels in his pocket and thought to himself, “This amount can’t buy any precious jewelry.”
As he lamented his lack of funds, his foot stepped on something hard. He naturally picked it up and pocketed it without changing his expression. Perhaps it was too natural, as no one seemed to notice.
“One silver tael is useless here. One gold tael might be more like it,” he thought. He felt like he was window shopping at a luxury store in his previous life. The only difference was that the shopkeepers here were more reserved, unlike the pushy salespeople of his past who would practically stick to you, urging you to make a purchase.
“Shopkeeper, do you offer any discounts?” Xu Qi An tapped on the counter.
The shopkeeper, an elderly man with a goatee and dressed like a scholar, wasn’t surprised by the question. He pointed to a sign hanging on the wall and said with a smile, “If you can solve the word puzzle, young sir, you can have any item in the shop at half price.”
This was a special feature of Baoqi Xuan.
Solving a word puzzle for half price… interesting… Xu Qi An walked to the wooden sign and glanced at the puzzle: “Clouds part, the moon appears, flowers play with shadows!”
With his vast knowledge and logical reasoning skills, he quickly solved the puzzle.
“Some jewelry pieces weigh several taels just in material, not to mention the craftsmanship…” Xu Qi An estimated that even with a half-price discount, he still couldn’t afford the better pieces of jewelry.
But he soon came up with a plan.
Women who could afford to shop at Baoqi Xuan were from well-off families and had some education. They weren’t illiterate.
Such women often had one flaw: they were half-learned and showy.
Considering themselves cultured, they liked to appear refined. Therefore, they were particularly fond of Baoqi Xuan’s little gimmick.
For jewelry of the same price, they preferred to buy from Baoqi Xuan, not for anything else, but for the chance to solve word puzzles.
If they solved the puzzle, the shop would engrave the correct answer on the wooden sign and gift it along with the jewelry.
Even if they couldn’t solve it, once they managed to crack one or two puzzles, they could brag about it to their close friends.
Xu Qi An deduced this shop strategy after overhearing two young women discussing it nearby.
As expected of a shop run by a scholar, they knew how to attract high-end clientele.
“Elder Sister Yu, I can’t solve any of these puzzles. They’re so difficult,” one of the young women said.
“Indeed, little sister. The shopkeeper is a scholar with an official degree. Naturally, his puzzles are challenging. Even well-read people might not be able to solve them,” replied Elder Sister Yu.
“My husband says the same thing. If I could solve a puzzle and take home a wooden sign, he would surely look at me with new respect.”
“You’re daydreaming.”
“Oh, you’re mean…”
The two respectable young ladies furrowed their brows at the wooden signs for quite some time, mumbling and grumbling.
They were both dressed elegantly, indicating good family backgrounds and some education, or they wouldn’t have attempted to solve the puzzles.
“Ladies,” a male voice suddenly sounded beside them.
The two pretty young women turned warily, but their guard lowered slightly when they saw the handsome and well-built Xu Qi An. However, they remained silent.
While the Great Feng Dynasty was relatively liberal, it was still improper for women to chat with strange men on the street.
Xu Qi An, undeterred, went straight to the point: “I can solve the puzzles for you ladies, but you’ll have to share half of the savings with me. If you save five silver taels, you give me two and a half. If you save four silver taels, you give me two.”
Hearing Xu Qi An’s proposal, the shopkeeper looked up in surprise, scrutinized him for a moment, then snorted and ignored him.
Though this man wore scholar’s robes, careful observation of his physique and skin tone revealed that he was merely putting on airs. Have you ever seen a scholar as muscular as an ox with tanned skin? The scholar’s robe didn’t even fit him properly.
The younger of the two women’s eyes sparkled with interest at Xu Qi An’s suggestion.
The older one, more reserved and cautious, said coolly, “Do as you please, sir. If you truly solve the puzzle, we won’t deny you your share.”
Her tone was very distant.
“Ladies, please choose one,” Xu Qi An smiled.
The older woman hesitated, while the younger one was eager to try. Seeing no objection from her companion, she pointed to one of the wooden signs: “Clouds part, the moon appears, flowers play with shadows.”
Her voice was soft and gentle.
Xu Qi An immediately replied: “It’s the character ‘neng’ (能) from ‘nengzhe duolao’ (能者多劳, meaning ‘the capable shoulder more responsibilities’).”
The two young women instinctively turned to look at the shopkeeper, whose dumbfounded expression said it all.
At once, the younger lady bought a golden hairpin, clutching it happily in her hand. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Xu Qi An.
After putting away the wooden sign, she turned her eyes, her tone becoming more familiar, and said, “Sir, could you continue solving puzzles for me?”
“Lian’er…” the woman called Elder Sister Yu tugged at her sleeve.
“Elder Sister Yu, we came here together. It wouldn’t be right if I have one and you don’t,” said the one called Lian’er, then looked at Xu Qi An expectantly.
This is exactly what I wanted… Xu Qi An showed a warm smile: “No problem. Please choose another one, miss.”
“Peacocks fly southeast,” she pointed to another wooden sign.
“Sun!” Xu Qi An said.
“…” The shopkeeper was stunned.
“Thank you, sir…”
The two young ladies picked their favorite pieces of jewelry and left the shop contentedly.
With his exceptional hearing, Xu Qi An heard Lian’er say, “This gentleman is truly talented, and handsome too. He’s much more robust than my husband.”
“Don’t speak nonsense,” the older woman scolded.
She seemed afraid that Xu Qi An might have overheard and come to pester them, so she quickly pulled Lian’er away.