“You look short, and there’s also the way you speak, the tone of your voice, and… This is your first time here at the ghost market, isn’t it?” The older man laughed.
Qi Qingyao: “…” He saw through her pretense and figured out that she was new to this. Damn it.
The older man caressed his beard and laughed harder. “In this market, the unit of currency we use is gold, or gold coins rather. No one uses silver. You sold them for way too cheap!”
“Ah.” Qi Qingyao froze.
“The young man just now agreed to a hundred thousand taels. He must’ve thought that you were talking about a hundred thousand taels of gold, but then you told him you wanted a hundred thousand taels of silver. He profited so much from this deal!” The older man continued to guffaw.
Qi Qingyao: “…”
The old man continued to pour salt onto Qi Qingyao’s wound. “So many people came to your stall and were intimidated by the price because they assumed that you wanted a hundred thousand taels of gold, myself included. Who knew that you meant a hundred thousand taels of silver? That’s dirt cheap!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Qi Qingyao’s paper money fell onto the floor. She held her head between her hands and started to wail painfully.
Jiang Yeqian walked over and patted her head. He reassured, “It’s fine. At least you’ll know to avoid that next time.”
Qi Qingyao looked up, about to cry. She wiped away non-existent tears and said pitifully, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I also assumed that you wanted a hundred thousand taels of gold,” Jiang Yeqian retorted. “Can you blame me though? I was only away for several seconds and you had already run your mouth. If you didn’t, Lu… That man would’ve given you a hundred thousand taels of gold.”
“Lu?” Qi Qingyao narrowed her eyes.
Jiang Yeqian fumbled. “That loser who passed by.”
Qi Qingyao harrumphed.
She looked all around, only to discover that the person with the cat had already left. Of course he had. He got so much out of the deal! Of course he would leave rather than wait here for her to catch up and wail about it to him.
Qi Qingyao picked up the notes silently.
After she counted them, she walked toward the exit.
“Aren’t you going to browse the ghost market?” Jiang Yeqian asked.
Qi Qingyao said crossly, “No, I am not! I lost so much money! The currency here is gold coins too. Gold! What would I use to trade? I’m poor!”
Jiang Yeqian: “…”
“C’mon, let’s go home.”
Still angry, Qi Qingyao stuffed the notes inside her clothes and took large strides outside.
She thought about what had happened as she walked and… She started to cry.
“Sob…”
She wiped her tears as she bawled.
In the eyes of the patrons of the ghost market, she looked like a koi fish that was crying hard and using its fins to wipe its tears. It made for a hilarious sight!
After they left the ghost market, Qi Qingyao took her mask off and continued to bawl.
Jiang Yeqian hurriedly took out a handkerchief for her to wipe her tears. “Don’t cry.”
“I want to!” She looked so sad that it almost seemed like she had lost her father. “I lost so much and you won’t even allow me to cry! Wahhhhh!”
Jiang Yeqian pulled her toward the carriage. She was crying all the while which, in the dead of night, where one could barely see the tips of one’s own fingers, sounded quite terrifying, like that of a crying ghost. Jiang Yeqian could only haul her up, mumbling, “The way you’re crying, other people would probably think that I’m bullying you.”
“You did! You didn’t remind me… You didn’t stop me… Wahhh…” She slumped on his back and kept on crying like a child.
“Okay, okay. Everything will be fine after you cry for a while.” Jiang Yeqian walked quickly to the carriage with her on his back.
“I don’t wanna! I will cry till the day where the heavens fall and the earth rends! My money! Wahhhh!”
She punched his back hard as she cried.
Jiang Yeqian did not know if he should cry or laugh.