Chapter 160: There Really Are So Many Rich People

"Ah, it seems to be Grand Preceptor Pang's younger sister's private residence."

"Yes."

"If we want to buy, can we come to you?"

"Sure. This kind of hair accessory is priced at 10,000 taels of silver; there are even pricier ones. I'll leave at the end of September, and then you won't be able to find me."

The ladies licked their lips, "Are you in this line of work?"

"No, I just saw the sisters liked it, and it's so proper and fitting, unlike that miss who snatched mine, so I'm willing to share my good stuff."

"Hehe, thank you sister for the compliment."

Qiao Mai nodded at them, the crowd cleared the way, and she hurried the carriage away into the distance.

To her surprise, the next day many people delivered donation slips to Bichun Garden, and the old lady, holding a donation slip, found her.

"This is something you caused, right?"

"300,000 taels!"

The old lady sent the Keting's servant girls out to wait, leaving only their master.

"I suppose everyone has heard its price; it's expensive because it's inlaid with many diamonds, which come from a country across the great ocean, similar to our gemstones but brighter, so it sparkles. This piece, Colorful Butterflies Flying in Pairs, starts at 10,000 taels. Who will bid?"

"This is the last piece of jewelry, also the finale, but in a moment there will be ten dresses; those interested can take a look."

"What can I do? I'm being watched; if I don't sell these, someone will keep noticing me. But once they're sold, many people in Jingcheng will have them, so who will notice me later?"

"You can keep this money at home for peace of mind?"

"Then I'll accept the donation slip, arrange for them to come tomorrow morning to my house, and we'll sell these things in the front hall?"

"Child, a woman like you who worries about all the common folk is truly rare."

Qiao Mai thought, damn it, there really are so many rich people, they shouted without blinking, still adding 50,000 taels each.

"Indeed, we can't come to Jingcheng empty‑handed; we have to earn something to bring back."

"How many do you have here in total?"

"It's so far, no wonder we haven't seen it before."

She took the second item in hand, Qiao Mai smiled, slipped the silver note into her own bosom, then took out the third item.

"Right, as we travel there are so many disaster victims; although over two hundred thousand taels isn't a lot, we can still contribute a modest amount. Moreover, on our way back we must aid them; it gets colder later, and they can't survive without silver."

"I say, Madam Foot, your family is wealthy, you shouldn't do this; you've already bought one piece, you can't keep snatching from us, can you?"

Thus the remaining small ornaments were bought one by one; when she took out the final hair crown, the room lit up, truly beautiful.

In the end this hair crown was bought by a lady present for 350,000 taels.

What difference is there from the rich on Earth? An ordinary person pays two yuan for a bottle of mineral water, a rich person pays a thousand yuan; that's the gap. So when good stuff catches a rich person's eye, they will squeeze the money out; they truly aren't short of cash.

"I was stopped when I went out today; seems they all like this kind of hair accessory. Since they all like it, I'll try selling it, earn a little money."

She said that while picking it up, gesturing it on her own hair, and putting it on for everyone to see.

Qiao Mai smiled and presented this Colorful Butterflies Flying in Pairs to the lady, who took a silver note from her sleeve and handed it to her.

A lady raised her hand and called out a price; some people wanted to see what was behind, fearing that if they shouted a high price now they'd regret it if the next one was better, so they didn't bid further.

"Sell me the hair accessory I'm wearing."

"I will obey you!"

"Zhujia ladies and madams, now make your offers?"

"Who told you to keep silent on the price?"

The old lady watched with great interest; today there were only customers and sellers, no high or low status, whoever had money bought, which was fine!

Then she took out the second piece, "This hair accessory is called Twin Flowers Blooming, its meaning similar to the previous, starting at 10,000 taels."

"I only do what I can; you needn't praise me, else I'd become proud. Besides, you also often aid the common folk."

"I wasn't thinking of keeping it at home; Jingcheng still has many poor families, and outside the city many disaster victims; with this money I plan to buy grain and take it outside the city to distribute grain and silver."

"Setting out from the southern coast, the boat takes about a month and a half to arrive; that place is called South Africa."

"Who says we aren't shouting? 12,000 taels."

"That must be over 200,000 taels, right?"

The lady who just bought the first hair accessory raised her hand again; this time the other ladies couldn't stay calm, they couldn't let her have it all.

Then she smiled, took it, glanced at the amount, nodded at that lady, and took it away.

"10,000 taels!"

"You're too bold; Jingcheng is a place where dragons and tigers hide, a slip could bring disaster."

"Madam, how many hair accessories are you selling today?"

Madam Foot's neck tightened; the price she shouted seemed to choke others' throats.

"20,000 taels!"

"250,000 taels!"

Many families with thin means, even a passing indulgence felt quite good, truly opened their eyes; those who didn't purchase still kept asking about it.

Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl, shouldn't wealth be kept hidden?

"10,000 taels!"

Each time she goes over it in front of these ladies, letting them see clearly so they don't hesitate.

"Starting price 150,000 taels, begin the bidding."

"In Jingcheng among these wealthy families, tens of thousands of taels is nothing; below them the Prefect, County Magistrate, pay far more each year, which is the common people's blood and sweat money."

Qiao Mai gave a mysterious smile, took a hair crown from her own box—a crown that can be worn as a hat—and when she brought it out it shone like stars in the sky, continuously sparkling; the old lady quickly covered her eyes with her hand.

"Quick, place your bids!"

"Then what are you selling? Fruit? Vegetables?"

"Two hundred thousand taels!"

"I have a ten‑thousand‑tael silver piece like this, and even better ones—tens of thousands of taels of silver,"

Qiao Mai took out the first piece, opened the Exquisite box, revealed the glittering hair ornament inside, and then showed it before the assembled ladies.

"Ten small pieces, one large piece, ten sets of Horse-face Skirt,"

No one knows how this wind blew, but the next day Bichun Garden was crowded with many people, all the dignitaries from Jingcheng.

"You originally intended to come to Jingcheng to sell these?"

"Tens of thousands of taels? My heavens, what is that like?"

"To make a long story short, today everyone is here to see the hair ornaments, and there are so many people, let's look at them one by one."

"No, it's just incidental, only these, once sold they're gone."

Some of them were even sent by the palace's lady, my heavens, they're about to crush the Keting.

The old lady glanced up at her, "It's beautiful, indeed, how many do you plan to sell?"

"You're a good child; I was being too shallow. So you sell these for them?"

"Ten of these small ones, plus one large one; these were brought by my friend from abroad, once sold they're gone."

The old lady paused in her breathing, and watched Qiao Mai take a deep breath.

"This piece is called Colorful Butterflies Flying in Pairs; it can be pinned on the side of the head, on the hair, or at the back of the hair—any way you wear it is suitable, just gently clamp the hair like this."

"Where is the foreign country you mentioned?"

"Miss, when will your friend produce another batch of such hair ornaments?"

"It's not easy to make the trip; it risks one's life. You wouldn't know what it's like to go out to sea—if you encounter a whirlpool, everyone on the ship perishes, so when they go is uncertain."

"Didn't you say there are still skirts?"

Qiao Mai grinned, walked to the side, patted an Exquisite box on the table, opened one, and took out a skirt.

(End of chapter)