Chapter 158: Unaccustomed to Their Quirks

As long as it's not Ginseng or Lingzhi, the smaller ones can be decided by me.

Unfortunately, it's just these.

Then, um, please wait a moment.

The assistant immediately ran to the back and called someone over, and the Shopkeeper gave her a smile.

Little brother, may I have a look at your goods?

Qiao Mai also smiled at him and placed the items from behind the back basket, one package at a time, onto the counter.

They're all freshly picked, the price is reasonable, and I also have large items.

The Shopkeeper in Jingcheng is not comparable to those of other places; he's worldly, and he opened each package to inspect.

Hmm, the medicinal herbs are fine, all top grade. Dendrobium ten Taels of Silver per jin, this Ginseng is thirty years old, good condition, thirty Taels of Silver per root, the Lingzhi is about the same age, twenty Taels of Silver per piece, the Sanqi, two Taels of Silver per jin, what do you think?

Alright, go to the scale.

Since you consider our shop's prices reasonable, what about the larger items?

Is your family at odds with his family?

These soldiers can only scoop up a little, but they don't want to cheapen her belongings for these people.

Help yourself!

Bichun Yuanzi has also been searched.

After a brief inner struggle, a soldier stepped forward, took a handful of items from his chest, and thrust them into the squad leader's hand.

Yes, Master!

The children finally relaxed, and after a short while, Yuehong and Yuexia walked out of the house.

She was unhurried, returned to her own courtyard, where Yuehong and Yuexia protected the children standing in the courtyard, while several soldiers were searching the house.

Then why are you here selling medicine?

They are soldiers, not bandits; they aren't used to these quirks.

Thank you, Shopkeeper, for the reminder!

The assistant stood aside, each item was weighed one by one, the Shopkeeper packed the silver notes and coins into a money pouch and handed it to her.

It's that old fellow, always feeling that the Grand Preceptor is a rank above him, constantly resentful, always trying to bring up matters concerning my Niang Jia.

The sharp‑eared Qiao Mai heard that soldier brat still complaining to the squad leader, "Chief, this jewelry looks very valuable, why are you making me return it to her?"

Qiao Mai, unhurried, said, "I live in Bichun Yuanzi, I'm a friend of the old lady of the Wang Family, and I'm here to attend the Little Prince's wedding at Shun Qin Wangfu."

Alright.

The Shopkeeper pointed at the pile of herbs on the counter for the soldiers, explaining that these were freshly dug herbs, but they have nothing to do with the Fu Family.

Qiao Mai walked over with a cold expression, shielding Yuehong and the others behind her.

Confirmed, the people who just searched my courtyard, everyone…………………………………………………………………………………………

Master, the children's pouches are missing, the miss's hair ornaments are missing two pieces, and also one of your hairpins, all of the latest shiny style.

Your Niang Jia is?

The children were somewhat nervous, but the soldiers didn't do anything to them, only seemed a little frightened, and they looked at Qiao Mai and asked.

The squad leader turned around, placed both hands before Qiao Mai, and said, "My apologies, my discipline was lax; after returning, I will certainly enforce military law."

In fact, she hadn't lost much money outside; most of it was stored in her personal space.

I don't know what you're doing?

A wealthy household in Jingcheng was robbed, so the soldiers are going house to house looking for contraband; this is already the second day.

I heard from the servant that they slipped a few good items away from you?

Before noon, the old gentleman and the old lady returned, not for any other reason but because the search caused a commotion.

Qiao Mai hummed, "Watch over the children."

Qiao Mai took the silver note, left the Yiguan and headed back, but just as she arrived home, she saw soldiers entering the mansion.

Qiao Mai took a cloth bag from her chest and said, "Take a look at this."

She stood at the door and said, "Who took the hair ornaments of me and my children? Come out, otherwise I'll go to the Yamen to report you."

"This is Grand Preceptor Pang's sister's private residence; this woman can block us from retrieving her belongings, she's definitely not someone to mess with, you don't know anything."

Mother, what's happening?

Thirteen thousand Taels, can't be any more.

The squad leader turned around, looked at Qiao Mai, and asked, "Are you sure these were lost?"

The squad leader waved his hand to his soldiers, and this troop opened the side door and left.

Later I'll ask my elder brother from my Niang Jia to look into matters with the Fu Family; apart from Grand Tutor Fu who has some learning, the younger members of his family are insignificant, that Ministerial position is somewhat lacking, if it weren't for his father, he'd be nothing.

The soldiers glanced at those herbs, indeed fresh, then turned and led the soldiers behind them to the back.

The squad leader immediately blew a whistle, and soon the soldiers gathered together.

She instantly turned and rushed to the main gate of Bichun Yuanzi, closed the side gate and the main gate; the soldiers had not yet left.

He turned back and shouted, "Step out right now, otherwise the consequences are beyond what you can bear."

"Taking things without regard to location, the more valuable, the higher her status; do you know who owns this residence?"

Qiao Mai was instantly amused, "The Wang Family is right next to the Fu Family, they should have searched them yesterday."

I don't know.

The leader looked at the Shopkeeper and Qiao Mai, then at the items in their hands.

Qiao Mai rolled her eyes, returned to Haitang Yuanzi, and had Yuehong and Yuexia put away the jewelry.

The leader, who knew the Shopkeeper, quickly bowed to him and said, "Sorry, I have been ordered to search for the missing property of Grand Tutor Fu's family; please cooperate, Shopkeeper."

"Who just searched this lady's courtyard, took the hair ornaments from inside, and voluntarily handed them over? Otherwise, after I find them, they'll be dealt with by military law."

"Thank you!"

As soon as the person left, she said to Yuehong and Yuexia, "Check the items we brought, see if anything is missing, and write it down on paper."

Qiao Mai took it, pulled a ten‑tael silver ingot from her sleeve cuff, and stuffed it into his hand.

"Hard Work! Take it and have tea!"

"A six‑hundred‑year‑ginseng, not bad, not bad. Though it's not quite Rarity, its medicinal effect is still good."

The lead searching soldier, upon hearing that, turned around and looked at her.

"We're not thieves, so we don't have to be scared, right?"

These are the few on her Shelf, two sold, four left, and this one is one of the four.

When she returned, she went to Qiao Mai to vent, "They've been searching for three days, Cheng Men is closed, ugh, what is the Fu Family? Someone daring to steal from them shows the thieves have skill, they can't even be found, yet they keep searching, searching his grandma's diamonds."

"Hmm, you don't need to be scared."

"Name your price."

The Shopkeeper opened the Cloth bag, saw it, and a smile appeared on his face; he nodded.

"So what is it?"

"When going out, it was gathered from the big mountain at home, fearing it would spoil."

Sure enough, three pieces of jewelry, and four Exquisite Pouches.

In no time, the soldiers came out, gave them a glance, and left Haitang Yuanzi.

The Shopkeeper hurriedly stuffed a silver note into her, "Hurry back, don't wander outside these two days. The Fu Family loses ten taels and writes twenty, and when they see anyone's belongings they think it's theirs. You never know your house might be searched too, so get back quickly and keep an eye on things."

"For big households like the Wang Family, they wouldn't dare search without permission; when they do search, there are always people present, so those soldiers don't dare act recklessly."

"What all was lost?"

"Three hair ornaments, very bright, not from our country, my friend brought them from overseas, plus four Pouches, inside are my child's pocket money."

"Hmm, I'm going back again."

Qiao Mai raised an eyebrow; those two originally sold for twenty thousand taels, and a single one in Jingcheng fetched an extra three thousand taels—indeed, just by flipping they could earn that much.

The Shopkeeper saw she had no objection, took out the silver note, was about to trade with her, when soldiers entered the shop.

"The only Grand Preceptor's residence in Jingcheng, the late Grand Preceptor Pang was my father, and the current Grand Preceptor Pang is my elder brother."

"Oh wow, that's something, I have a golden thigh to cling to, oh oh, I'm floating, I'm floating."

"To you, always teasing me, haha!"

The old lady couldn't hold back her laughter; Qiao Mai grinned, feeling a bit proud.

(End of chapter)