“Yi Liang, you may go down now. And have one of those two brats bring tea for the guest. If they refuse, just throw them out directly—saves wasting my grain when they eat so much at every meal.” Settling leisurely into the seat of honor, Jin Yin instructed the old man standing with hands hanging respectfully in the hall.

Yi Liang? Mo Zi looked at the gray-haired old man. Not the “yi liang” she was thinking of, right? But since the master was called Jin Yin, having a servant called Yi Liang actually fit the household. Her face twitched inadvertently, and she pretended there was a mosquito, reaching up to brush it away.

“Young Master, I’ll go tell those two right away.” Yi Liang withdrew.

“I wonder if Young Master Jin summoned me because of the item I entrusted?” She had originally thought someone wanted to embezzle it, but now it seemed she was overthinking. Otherwise, why would the owner himself want to see her?

Speaking of which, the owner of Jinyin Money House was really young—or perhaps he was very good at maintaining his appearance, looking about twenty-five or twenty-six. Five years ago, he would have only been around twenty. How could he have opened over a hundred money houses at once? His background was probably significant.

“Brother Mo is astute.” Educated ancients loved to be politely verbose. Obviously both parties understood the matter clearly, yet they still had to praise each other.

However, after being praised many times since creating her poem “Nong,” Mo Zi could now remain quite unmoved and accept it without changing expression. “You’re too kind. But has something gone wrong with the item I entrusted?”

When encountering matters, Mo Zi’s greatest strength was her composure. This was also her biggest difference from Qiu Sanniang. No matter how anxious she felt inside, her expression absolutely wouldn’t show half a trace of worry.

“Oh? Certainly not. How could Brother Mo think such a thing?” At some point, Young Master Jin had produced a fan in his hand, which he opened with a flourish.

Mo Zi immediately felt waves of golden light assaulting her face, making her momentarily “blinded.”

“Young Master Jin, your fan is truly… beautiful.” Squinting her eyes, Mo Zi maintained a polite smile. “Truly… golden.”

“Brother Mo truly has an eye for quality. This fan of mine—not to mention the paintings and calligraphy on it were personally created by the current dynasty’s master calligrapher and painter Fan Ding…” He fanned himself proudly twice more.

You’ve already mentioned it, okay? Mo Zi took advantage of Jin Yin looking at the fan surface to quickly roll her eyes, otherwise she feared she couldn’t help but retort sarcastically.

“It uses pure gold fan ribs, pure gold fan surface, and even this tiny little rivet is ten-parts gold.” Jin Yin’s left index finger, wearing the cat’s eye stone, pointed at the fan handle, his fingertip delicate as jade.

When she said “truly golden,” she meant truly golden and gleaming, thinking at most it was just layered with gold sand paper. She hadn’t expected it was actually a fan made of gold. Naturally speechless, she just stood there laughing awkwardly.

“If Brother Mo likes it, I can give it to you as a meeting gift.” Closing the fan, Jin Yin placed it on the cliff pine wood table surface.

One sentence immediately raised Mo Zi’s vigilance. One was a money house owner, one was a young miss’s maid. Their statuses differed so greatly—him giving such an expensive meeting gift, the deeper meaning was—?

“Young Master Jin, this is our first meeting, yet you’re giving me such a grand gift—” Mo Zi looked directly at Jin Yin’s face, having no time to banter with him. “Something really has gone wrong with my item, hasn’t it? Young Master, just say it plainly. I’m mentally prepared.”

“I already told Brother Mo it’s not that. Why doesn’t Brother Mo trust me? Since Jinyin Money House began the custody business, we have never lost or damaged a single treasure. It’s just that the item Brother Mo entrusted is truly unusual. The clerks have minor positions and little authority, and didn’t dare respond to Brother Mo’s inquiry on their own. Since I happened to be here, they insisted I come out personally. We’re just following the establishment’s rules—Brother Mo needn’t be too nervous. After all, items valued at two hundred thousand taels aren’t commonly seen.” Jin Yin extended a hand toward Mo Zi. “Please let me see the receipt and household registration book.” He wanted to verify again.

Mo Zi naturally couldn’t refuse to give them, but while handing them over she said, “Isn’t this too much trouble? I just wanted to ask if the item has arrived.”

Jin Yin only smiled without speaking. After receiving them, he lowered his head as if examining them very carefully. After finishing, he stared at Mo Zi up and down for quite a while.

“Is Brother Mo’s appearance the same when dressed as a woman?” So dark and dull?

“That question has nothing to do with identity verification, does it?” Mo Zi didn’t answer.

“Just curious…” Jin Yin laughed heartily and returned the items to Mo Zi. “Then, the secret phrase is—”

To allow Yuan Cheng alone to retrieve it, she had set a secret phrase. As long as the person who came could recite it word for word, they could take away the Water Purification Pearl. This naturally had risks, but it was also the only method. She couldn’t give the pearl directly to Yuan Cheng—a serious criminal couldn’t possibly hide things on his person. She herself was a maid, and after entering Prince Jing’s mansion in the future, her comings and goings would definitely be inconvenient, and Yuan Cheng would have no way to find her. So she could only leave it at the money house and wait for Yuan Cheng to have the opportunity to retrieve it.

“I’m the one who entrusted the item—do I still need the secret phrase? Besides, I only want to know if the item has arrived here.” There was no need to be so complicated.

“Brother Mo, you set the secret phrase yourself. The condition for retrieval is anyone who comes to the main branch and states the secret phrase. May I understand it this way—you want the item to be taken by the right person?” Jin Yin looked at her.

His eyes were dark green? Mo Zi cleared her throat. “I understand your meaning now.” That is, no matter what she came for, when asking about the item, she had to state the secret phrase first. “Present pearls to the gentleman, Jin Yin may retrieve. Your establishment’s clerk asks the person’s title, and they must answer ‘the number one good official.'”

“The number one good official? I don’t know what kind of person that would be. I’ve never seen a truly good official.” Jin Yin’s smile suddenly became slick and oily. “Could it be Brother Mo’s sweetheart?”

This person was more beautiful than a woman and more gossipy than a woman. Mo Zi snorted. “When a woman helps a man, must that man be her sweetheart? How shallow. Young Master Jin should return to the main topic. I came with my master, and I’m afraid she’ll finish her business, look for me and not find me, then become suspicious of me again.”

“Brother Mo needn’t worry. I believe our second clerk is discussing a newly opened three-year interest plan with her—it won’t be finished for quite a while. If she really finishes, naturally someone will come notify me. Your master absolutely won’t know about your affairs.” Jin Yin spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

This man was not only beautiful but also very clever, having surveyed the entire situation early on.

“Brother Mo is right. When a woman helps a man, any kind of relationship is possible. My thinking was too shallow.” After admitting his own shallowness, Jin Yin said, “How has this tea still not arrived?”

Mo Zi heard the nerve called patience in her brain stretch to the point of creaking. “Young Master Jin…”

“Tea is here!” Accompanied by two cheerful laughs, suddenly two cyan-colored winds swept in, one stopping in front of Jin Yin, one stopping in front of Mo Zi.

They were actually two youths in cyan robes, and moreover identical twins, probably sixteen or seventeen years old, with round eyes like a pair of little tigers, with very cute and mischievous expressions.

“Eh?” The youth standing in front of Mo Zi suddenly moved close to her nose.

Mo Zi quickly leaned back. Sorry, but she didn’t like old cows eating tender grass.

“Sister, you’re wearing disguise makeup?” Little Tiger Eyes blinked and blinked.

Not knowing how he saw through it at a glance, Mo Zi uncomfortably touched her face. This couldn’t really be called disguise—at most it was just makeup technique.

“Young Master, this sister is very pretty. Where did you trick her from?” The other little tiger, though at some distance from Mo Zi, spoke every word very loudly.

“Bai Liang, Qian Liang, I told Yi Liang to have one of you bring tea, didn’t I?” Jin Yin completely ignored the twins’ words.

Hearing this, Mo Zi thought, well then, this whole household’s names were all relatives of silver.

“Young Master dislikes that we only eat and don’t work, and wants to throw us out, so of course we have to be more diligent. Bai Liang, isn’t that right?” The youth standing by Jin Yin asked the one beside Mo Zi.

“Young Master, Sister, don’t listen to him. He’s Bai Liang. I’m Qian Liang.” The one beside Mo Zi claimed to be Qian Liang.

Other families’ twins competed over who was older or younger—this family’s twins competed over who had more liang. Could it be said, as the master is, so are the servants?

“You two want to argue over the name Qian Liang, go argue elsewhere. I’m speaking with a guest right now—either be quiet or get out.” At the master’s command, Bai Liang and Qian Liang immediately obediently fell silent.

“Young Master Jin…” Mo Zi had lost count of how many times she’d opened her mouth to ask if the item had arrived. Those two twins being allowed here should mean they were people who had gained Jin Yin’s trust.

“The item has naturally already arrived at the main branch. Brother Mo, I said you needn’t worry. As this concerns Jinyin Money House’s reputation, we absolutely wouldn’t be careless.” Jin Yin said with a smile.

When this person smiled, how to put it? Very golden too.

“Brother Mo, please look.” Jin Yin took out a small square wooden box from his sleeve. Opening it, the Water Purification Pearl lay quietly nestled in purple velvet cloth, yet it made the entire room shine.

The twins widened their tiger eyes. Not knowing if it was Bai Liang or Qian Liang, one of them exclaimed in wonder.

Mo Zi was careful. She stepped forward to place the pearl in her palm and examined it thoroughly to make sure no one was passing off fish eyes as pearls.

Confirming it was indeed the Water Purification Pearl, she cupped her hands. “Since the item has arrived safely, then please continue to keep it safe until that person comes to retrieve it. That Young Master Jin personally received me—I’m deeply honored. Then, I’ll take my leave.” Though she still didn’t think it necessary for him to receive her personally.

“Brother Mo, wait.” Someone still had things to say.

Mo Zi turned around, but the expression on her face had already changed, carrying an imposing air. “Young Master Jin, I don’t think there’s any need to wait.”

As expected, this Jin Yin had other purposes. But what were they?

“Does Brother Mo know the value of the Water Purification Pearl?” Jin Yin’s unreasonably beautiful face suddenly took on a layer of seductive color, as if trying to lead someone astray. “I imagine you should know, otherwise you wouldn’t have insured it for two hundred thousand taels. How about I make a deal with Brother Mo?”

Mo Zi looked at him, raising both eyebrows. A deal?

“Two hundred fifty thousand taels. Sell this pearl to me.” The value of the Water Purification Pearl could no longer be estimated in silver taels.

“Does Young Master Jin know that I’m not currently the owner of this pearl?” She, poor thing, had only been its owner for a few days.

“Brother Mo is generous. Presenting pearls to the gentleman? Or offering Buddha with borrowed flowers?” Jin Yin’s slender fingers toyed with that golden fan. “I’ve never heard of the number one good official. However, the name of the number one corrupt official is thunderous indeed.”

Mo Zi slowly exhaled, playing dumb. “Whether number one good official or number one corrupt official, since I’ve already given the pearl to someone, how could I sell it again?”

“The number one good official might come to retrieve the pearl, but this number one corrupt official—I’m afraid he won’t be able to come.” Jin Yin snapped the fan open with a clap. “Brother Mo, those who understand the times are outstanding individuals. Stored with me, it’s just a dead pearl. Sell it to me—you get silver, I get the pearl. Why not?”

The number one corrupt official won’t be able to come?