Chapter 509: Chapter 509, Probing the Truth (13th Update)
She glanced at me, really took a glance.
Her smile was so beautiful. How wonderful it would be if I could speak to her just once?
I didn’t even consider the fact that she was already a mother, after all, she still dressed like a maiden.
Ye Hang sat by the second-floor window, and had laid eyes on her the moment Xie Zhinuan appeared.
He had never thought that the owner of the boat would be such a beautiful maiden. He considered himself handsome, but when he saw Xie Zhinuan, he still felt a twinge of shame.
And a bit of a desire to hide away.
He was a specter living in the darkest places, specializing in murder and smuggling, unconcerned with morality, only caring about earning silver.
And this maiden, with her truly tender smile and warm gaze, was exactly what people like him longed for yet could never reach.
He slowly stood up, then slowly sat back down, and when Xie Zhinuan’s gaze swept his way, he pretended to take a sip from his teacup.
His heart raced, and when he looked back, Xie Zhinuan had already turned her attention elsewhere.
A sudden twinge of disappointment arose in his heart, regretting his earlier avoidance and hoping she would look his way again, but she had moved on.
Xie Zhinuan aimed for precisely this effect, making a high-profile entrance into everyone’s field of vision, letting all of Gaocheng County know that Xie Zhinuan had come to do business.
Therefore, she dressed up specially today, not by riding in a carriage, but by walking.
She also took the opportunity to observe whether Gaocheng County was prosperous.
Gaocheng County, like Fengping County, was situated by a river with docks, plentiful roads, thus the county town was quite prosperous, with well-dressed pedestrians and numerous merchants, and ongoing streams of mule carts, but no caravans of horse-drawn carriages. There were individuals driving horse-drawn carriages, all single-horse, none with a pair.
“Why are there no carriages drawn by a pair of horses?” Xie Zhinuan asked the guard beside her.
The guard promptly replied, “Carriages drawn by a pair of horses are usually for the nobility, high-ranking officials, or those with special permits!”
“…” Xie Zhinuan nodded slightly.
Indicating that she understood.
Even the carriages had their own complexities.
Xie Zhinuan looked ahead at the road, wondering how to get to the Pawnshop. She scanned around and approached a small stall by the roadside to inquire, “Excuse me, how do I get to the Pawnshop?”
The stallholder was flustered but pointed, “Just go straight ahead, after passing two forks, you’ll find the Zhaoji Tea House—head in there and you’re at the Pawnshop!”
“Thank you!” Xie Zhinuan said softly.
“No, no need for thanks!”
Seeing how nervous the stallholder was, Xie Zhinuan smiled, slowly making her way forward, looking left and right. It was still too early for a meal, but the restaurants and tea houses had customers, conversing over tea, and the shops bustled with people coming in and out.
In their hands were items, more or less.
The purchasing power was strong.
The three of them walked slowly until they reached the entrance of the Pawnshop, “Ding Ji Pawnshop!”
Xie Zhinuan stepped inside.
The clerk immediately approached as he saw Xie Zhinuan, “Miss, are you looking to buy a residence, a manor, a shop, or maybe servants?”
Xie Zhinuan observed the clerk, noticing his tidy clothes—not brand new, but well-kept.
“Hmm, I am considering all these aspects. I came to have a look first. Can you make decisions here?” she asked.
“If the miss wishes to buy a shop, a manor, or a couple of servants, I can decide on that. But if the miss wants to buy in bulk, I cannot make that decision. The shopkeeper will be here shortly!” The clerk ushered Xie Zhinuan into an inner room of the courtyard.
“Miss, please take a seat!” The clerk was very enthusiastic, ordering tea to be served while he stood to the side and asked in a low voice, “May I know what the miss wishes to purchase?”