"There are five big shops in the capital. Which one do you want to visit first?" Xue Rui asked Yu Shu as they got into the carriage.
"There's no need to look at other shops. Let's go straight to the Xin family." After Yu Shu finished speaking, she saw Xue Rui raise his eyebrows, so she explained to him, "I got to know the Sixth Young Lady of the Xin family at the Double Suns Meeting. I heard that she was also going to study at the Taishi Library, so I inquired about what I need to prepare before I enter the school. This morning, she gave me a detailed list. I presume that it's all sold in their trading house, so why would I need to run errands elsewhere?"
As she said this, she took out the list and showed it to Xue Rui.
Most of the names of the books were written on a piece of paper, while the rest were sorted into different categories. There was paper, ink, and some strange things, such as sheep bone grass ash, snakeskin, cow tendons, and so on. It was very confusing to read.
Xue Rui looked through the list and nodded, "That's good. Prepare in advance so you don't have to rush to buy things when you enter the school."
There were five big shops in the capital. Other than the main one in the north of the city, there were branches everywhere. But the main one was the most complete.
Yu Shu and Xue Rui talked along the way. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the door of the Xin family's big shop in the middle of Changming Street.
They got out of the carriage and stepped on the bluestone pavement. When they looked up, they saw the Xin family's century-old plaque. It was two feet above the ground and was ten square and five feet long. The four words "Xin Ri Zhong Guang" were engraved on it.
Yu Shu gazed at the ancient door plaque, and she asked Xue Rui with a puzzled expression. "What does this mean?"
She thought that the plaque on the door of the new shop would say "Xin Da Yi Shop". Who would have thought that it would be so confusing?
Xue Rui knew that she didn't read much and it was inevitable for her to ask this question. He smiled and said, "According to 'Er Ya Shi Tian', Tai Sui is in Xin and is called Zhong Guang. This' Xin 'is the eighth Heavenly Stem. Don't tell me you don't know? "
Yu Shu laughed. "Of course I know that, but I don't understand why you're using this as a signboard."
Xue Rui coughed lightly. He leaned closer to her and whispered, "A century-old aristocratic family naturally has to have a great name. It's better if it's something that people don't understand … A good plaque. Xue Rui's explanation turned out to be deliberately mystifying, which really made Yu Shu not know whether to laugh or cry. Only then did she realize that Xue Rui also had such a frivolous time.
"Let's go in." Yu Shu noticed that the two waiters at the entrance of the shop kept glancing at them. She was afraid that they were blocking the entrance.
"Yes."
To be able to be called a 'Great Fortune Shop', it had to meet certain standards. First of all, there had to be at least five proper fortune tellers in the shop to help people with their divination. Secondly, there had to be a library that could accommodate hundreds of ancient books. Thirdly, there had to be a treasure room that could provide top-notch items to exorcise evil spirits and ward off evil spirits for guests of high status.
Lastly, there had to be a Great Fortune Teller in the shop to guarantee the reputation of the shop.
This was only the standard of a 'Great Fortune Shop'. To be able to be ranked among the top five shops in Shang Jing, each of them had the backing of a high official of the Celestial Commissioner.
For example, the Left Magistrate of the Celestial Commissioner in the Xin family. He was the Third Master of the Xin family, who was also the grandfather of Miss Xin, whom Yu Shu knew.
This was the first time Yu Shu came to the Xin family's Great Fortune Shop. Once she entered, she was confused. The hall on the first floor was crowded with people. There were two staircases leading to nowhere.
Xue Rui was familiar with the place. He beckoned a waiter over and asked, "Which steward is here today?"
"It's Steward Zhou."
"Invite him over."
When the waiter heard that he was looking for the steward, he became alert and did not dare to be negligent. "May I know who you are?"
"Just say that my surname is Xue. Go ahead."
"Please wait a moment, Young Master."
When Yu Shu heard Xue Rui instructing the waiter to find the steward, she turned her head and asked him suspiciously, "Why do you know the steward here?"
Xue Rui smiled without saying a word. He waited in place for a while. Then, Yu Shu saw the waiter leading a middle-aged man in a hurry. Before he got close, he put on a smile and bowed to Xue Rui.
"Greetings, Young Master. I am Zhou Qun."
Xue Rui nodded. He asked Yu Shu for the list and handed it to the steward. He ordered, "Prepare everything on the list."
The steward took the list without saying a word. He turned to the waiter and said, "Take Mr. Xue and this lady to the tea room on the third floor to have a rest. Ask Guard Two to pick some new things from the Treasure House for Mr. Xue to have a look. "
The waiter was about to answer, but Xue Rui interrupted, "No need. We will just walk around in the building. You go ahead."
Zhou Qun hurriedly said yes. He left the waiter to follow him and walked quickly with the list.
After he left, Yu Shu looked at Xue Rui with a faint smile. "The name of the eldest brother is really useful everywhere."
After being teased by her, Xue Rui finally told her the truth, "Not at all. My Second Aunt was originally the Young Miss of the Xin Residence. That's why the steward here recognized me. Don't you know the Sixth Young Miss of the Xin Residence? In terms of seniority, she has to call Second Aunt aunt aunt."
After Yu Shu figured out this layer of relationship, she couldn't help but be surprised. So it turns out that the Xue Clan has an in-laws like the Xin Clan. No wonder that manager was especially respectful to Xue Rui earlier.
"There is nothing to see on the first floor. However, there are a lot of strange things in the Treasure House on the second floor. I come here occasionally and have found some good things. Let's go. I will show you."
While talking, Xue Rui led Yu Shu to the second floor. They passed through a hollow aisle and entered another attic. In front of the Chuihua door, there were two large pink pottery vases, each of which was inserted with a green vine. As soon as they entered the room, they smelled a sandalwood fragrance.
Looking up, bead curtains blocked their sight. Under the white wall of Xitou, there was a horizontal row of Eight Treasures grid. There were all kinds of jade, bronze, and wood utensils on the square and round shelves. Separated by a layer of glass gauze, except for two guards with sharp eyes, there was only an old man with white hair sitting on a cane chair and playing with some utensils. No one disturbed him.
In the distance, there were a few tea tables scattered around the east window. Occasionally, a few guests sat there drinking tea. There was a lot of voices.
Yu Shu looked around and randomly glanced at something on the shelf. It was estimated to be more than a thousand taels of silver. The dazzling array of rare treasures dazzled her, a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. She secretly marveled at the financial resources of the Yi School in the capital.
She and Yu Xiaoxiu once looked forward to opening a Yi School in the capital in the future. Now it seemed that they were really arrogant. Even if she was sold by weight, she would not be able to compare with this shelf.
Of course, she could not be sold by weight.
"Eh." Xue Rui looked at the old man who was sitting on the rattan chair and exclaimed in surprise. He turned his head to the side and said to Yu Shu, "We're quite lucky today, we actually ran into Old Mister Xin."
As he said this, he took Yu Shu forward to greet him. At first, Yu Shu thought that the old man was the Celestial Commissioner's Xin Zuo.
However, when they came in front of him, they heard Xue Rui raise his hand and say, "Old academician, you are too polite."
Academician? What kind of official title was that?
Mr. Xin slowly put down the broken rosary in his hand. He raised his head and squinted his eyes to look at Xue Rui for a while. It seemed that he recognized him.
"Oh … It's the young master of Minister Xue's family."
"Yes, I am." Xue Rui bowed and then turned his body to reveal Yu Shu. He pointed her out to the seventy year old man, "This is Miss Yu. She's a scholar in the Great Divination Technique this year. Soon, she'll be studying at the Imperial Historian's Library. Today, she's here to buy some."
Yu Shu stepped forward and bowed. "Student Yu Shu greets you."
Mr. Xin squinted his eyes and looked at Yu Shu for a while. He slowly nodded and said, "The Taishi Library is a good place … Hard work can make up for one's lack of talent. Young lady, learn well."
Although Yu Shu felt that the old man's words were strange, she showed a serious face and said, "I will remember."
Xue Rui had the intention to chat with Mr. Xin. He saw the rosary on his knee and asked with a smile, "I wonder where did you get this antique from? May I have the honor to listen to your story? "
"Haha." Mr. Xin suddenly became energetic when he mentioned his love. He gestured for Xue Rui and Yu Shu to sit on the round stool at the side. He straightened his back and twirled the string of prayer beads in his hand a few times with great care. He then said to them in a mysterious manner,
"This is a string of Buddhist prayer beads. It's not very famous. It's at least four hundred years old. Look at the nineteen beads. The biggest one is called the main bead. The other eighteen small beads are engraved with Sanskrit characters. It's a wonderful work of art. The strange thing is that this string of Buddhist prayer beads is heavier than ordinary wooden beads. I pondered for a few days and it turns out that there's something hidden in it. I was hesitating whether to cut it open to take a look, but I was afraid of destroying the treasure. The boy from the Xue family came at the right time. Jingjing often praises you for being smart. Give me some ideas. "
Mr. Xin gave Xue Rui a difficult problem. The value of a four-hundred-year-old Buddhist prayer beads was imaginable, but he wanted Xue Rui to help him. If Xue Rui asked him to cut it open, wouldn't Xue Rui be responsible if it was destroyed? Or, if Xue Rui stopped him from cutting it, it would make him seem like he had no idea and was stupid.
Yu Shu saw the flash of stiffness on Xue Rui's face. She turned her head and snickered. She thought that Xue Rui had let him do something stupid.
Xue Rui's sharp ears heard Yu Shu's snicker. He turned his head and pretended to glare at her. He cleared his throat and said to Mr. Xin seriously,
"I can't make a conclusion so easily. How about you lend me this string of Buddhist prayer beads for a few days?"
Hearing this, Mr. Xin immediately squeezed the string of beads in his hand. He looked at Xue Rui with a face full of reluctance and asked hesitantly, "How many days?"
Xue Rui smiled and stretched out a finger. "Just one month. I'll give you a good idea in a month."
Waiting for Xue Rui to stretch out his finger, Mr. Xin's beard twitched. He was reluctant to send the treasure to someone else. He shook his head firmly and said,
"Forget it, forget it. I'll make the decision myself."
Yu Shu couldn't help but pout when she saw Xue Rui successfully deceive the old man by advancing in a single move, and she said in her heart, He's cunning.
Staring at the string of antique prayer beads in the old man's hand, Yu Shu was moved. She couldn't help but ask,
"Old man, do you have any research on ancient weapons? I've seen an ancient sword. It looked like it was unearthed from the ground. I just don't know where it came from. "
Mr. Xin's white eyebrows trembled. He raised his chin and said, "I've lived for eighty years. I've been obsessed with antiques for sixty years. Not to mention weapons, as long as you've seen it, I'm afraid I can name it. Tell me about it, little girl."
Yu Shu's eyes lit up. When she was in Yiyang, she got a rusty ancient sword from a Taoist priest. She brought it to Jing Chen. She wanted to find a master to identify it, but later she gave it to Jing Chen and left it unsettled. However, she always had one thing on her mind.
Now that she had a chance to know the origin of the sword, her curiosity was aroused again. She recalled and described it with her fingers.
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