The family of four settled into the carriage. The middle-aged man driving the carriage asked Erhu where the guests were going.
Before Erhu could answer, the mother-in-law interjected, "First, take my daughter-in-law and me to Wang Ji Pawnshop on the west side of town, and then take you two to Bai Cao Tang on the south side."
"Alright, everyone get comfortable! The carriage is moving!"
"Oh, right, Deshun, when we get to Bai Cao Tang, ask Doctor Zhou to prescribe some effective medicine for Chunmei (Mother Cui), and some tonics. We need to treat illnesses quickly and not let them fester and harm our bodies."
"Xiao Lan, give Erhu thirty silver dollars. Erhu, you go with your father. After getting the medicine, you can wander around and buy what you need. Come back to Wang Ji Pawnshop on the west side of town to pick us up in an hour."
Chen Lan quickly handed Erhu a small cloth bag containing thirty silver dollars.
Then, she called Deshu aside and whispered, "Uncle De, ask Doctor Zhou to write down the prescription clearly and carefully, the more detailed the better! Later, I'll ask my father-in-law if he has anything with better efficacy!"
Uncle De nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I know what to do!"
Gu'an County town wasn't large, and soon the carriage arrived at the entrance of Wang Ji Pawnshop. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got off, watched the carriage turn and drive away, and then walked towards the pawnshop.
Upon entering Wang Ji Pawnshop, it was equally deserted. Neither a shop assistant nor the proprietor was in sight.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law called out several times, "Is anyone here? Is anyone here?" but received no reply.
Chen Lan was not giving up. Before the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were about to leave, she shouted out a couple more times, finally drawing someone from the back to the front.
The person who came was a young shop assistant, clearly not the proprietor, Mr. Wang.
The mother-in-law asked the shop assistant, "Is your Mr. Wang here?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Please wait a moment, I'll go call him from the back." With that, he turned and ran towards the back.
Mr. Wang came in from the back and cupped his hands in apology to the mother-in-law, "I apologize, Madam Xu, for the delay. My apologies, my apologies!"
The mother-in-law waved her hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
The mother-in-law got straight to the point, "Mr. Wang, are you looking to sell items from your pawnshop?"
Mr. Wang asked excitedly, "Madam Xu, do you have any connections?"
The mother-in-law shook her head.
Mr. Wang's spirits deflated like a leaky balloon.
The mother-in-law smiled and replied heartily, "Bring out all the good items in your shop. I'll pick a few. If they are indeed good items and Mr. Wang offers a fair price, I'll buy them all."
Mr. Wang's spirits instantly revived, and he replied repeatedly, "Certainly, certainly."
He then turned and instructed the shop assistant, "Qiangzi, go get those three chests I just sorted out and have someone help you carry them to the front. Be gentle."
Shop assistant Qiangzi went to the back to move the goods.
Mr. Wang ushered the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law into a side room. As soon as they were seated, he cupped his hands and excused himself, "Please forgive my rudeness, I must go and see to it!"
The mother-in-law waved indifferently, "It's alright, you go ahead!"
The items brought out by Wang Ji Pawnshop were quite varied, a veritable treasure trove of everything imaginable.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bought about ten items, totaling one hundred and fifteen silver dollars. Clearly, Mr. Wang had given them a fair price, and the mother-in-law's considerable influence played a part.
There was a Qing Dynasty Qianlong court-made statue of the Five Wealth Gods. The mother-in-law particularly liked it, and Chen Lan decided to keep it for her and not sell it.
Chen Lan also kept a white jade Guanyin. This white jade Guanyin was not an antique, but Chen Lan liked its fine, dense, and crystal-clear jade quality. She also kept a white jade boy pendant for each of the two children, the jade also warm and lustrous, flawless white jade.
The mother-in-law asked Mr. Wang to send someone to help place the three chests next to the pawnshop's main door. After thanking them, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law asked them to go about their business.
Chen Lan first checked the system time, estimating that Uncle De and his son would be arriving soon. Seeing no one around, she gave her mother-in-law a look. The mother-in-law immediately understood and nodded, giving Chen Lan a signal to proceed. This was the second time her mother-in-law had done this, and she was now quite adept at it.
Since they were still on the street, and although there weren't many people at noon, Chen Lan was still worried about accidents and put all three chests into the system warehouse.
Chen Lan pulled her mother-in-law and quickly left the pawnshop entrance, afraid of being discovered by anyone from the pawnshop that the chests had disappeared.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked while waiting for Uncle De and his son. They saw the carriage approaching from a distance.
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were seated, the carriage headed towards the south gate of the county town.