Chapter 36: I Have Been Waiting for You for a Long Time (1)
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Sun Huan nodded, then took Wen Qingyan’s hand. “Sister Qingyan, don’t worry. My elder brother still has two hundred thousand taels. The Pearl King will definitely be yours.”
The corners of Wen Qingyan’s lips curled upward. Surely no one would compete with her over a single pearl at the price of two hundred thousand taels.
She gently touched the faint mark on her forehead once more, her heart overflowing with delight.
She had not expected that, after introducing the Pearl King’s rarity, Mr. Ding would announce, “This time, the Pearl King will be exchanged for another item rather than purchased with money.”
The entire auction hall erupted in an uproar.
An exchange of goods?
They had never heard of such a thing!
Wen Qingyan froze at first, then suddenly thought: Could the master of the Treasure Pavilion have assumed that she was out of money and made an exception for her?
If the pearl were exchanged for another item, who could say with certainty which object was more valuable?
Given her status in Jin City, who would dare claim that anything belonging to her was inferior?
While Wen Qingyan was indulging in her own vanity, Changge Yue frowned.
The Treasure Pavilion had never before conducted an exchange of goods, and she truly had nothing precious on her. She pursed her lips slightly. If only she had known, she would have brought all those counterfeits with her.
Perhaps that Mr. Ding fellow might even discover a few “genuine treasures” among them.
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Mr. Ding gestured for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. “There are nine hundred and ninety-nine people in this auction hall. My master’s time is precious, and he cannot inspect everyone’s treasures one by one. Therefore, any honored guest wishing to exchange an item must first pay a fee of one hundred thousand taels in order to qualify for the exchange of the Taihu Pearl King.”
After only a few words from Mr. Ding, the people below were practically cursing him.
One hundred thousand taels?
Just to obtain the right to exchange an item?
Was he joking?
One hundred thousand taels was enough to support an ordinary family for three generations!
With one hundred thousand taels, how many famous courtesans could a man spend the night with?
Changge Yue merely smiled faintly. The master of this Treasure Pavilion truly knew how to do business.
The Taihu Pearl King had not even been sold, yet one hundred thousand taels of silver had already flowed into his coffers.
“You may decide for yourselves. The exchange will begin after the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. Those who wish to participate may pay the fee now,” Mr. Ding said bluntly.
The auction hall immediately fell silent. Everyone wanted to see who would be the greatest fool of the day.
Changge Yue chuckled softly, a trace of interest flashing through her eyes. “One hundred thousand taels in banknotes. Mr. Ding, send someone to verify them.”
Perhaps because the money had come so easily, she did not feel the slightest pain at parting with it.
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Wen Qingyan gritted her teeth and glanced at Sun Huan. Sun Huan immediately said, “We will also pay one hundred thousand taels. Mr. Ding, send someone to verify it.”
Her words flowed smoothly, but her heart was bleeding.
After a long while, within the private room of the Changge Residence, Changge Yuqing spoke again. “We will also pay one hundred thousand taels.”
In the end, among the bustling crowd, only three parties were willing to pay one hundred thousand taels for the right to exchange an item.
Yet Mr. Ding showed not the slightest displeasure. Instead, he said, “Please follow this old man to the rear.”
Zhuge Suyun led Changge Yuqing out of the private room first. Wen Qingyan followed behind. Changge Yue came after them, looking somewhat absent-minded, though she did not forget to carry a large, round apple in her hand.
Seeing Zhuge Suyun, Wen Qingyan gave a graceful curtsy. “Qingyan pays her respects to Aunt.”
Zhuge Suyun took Wen Qingyan’s hand. One displayed an aunt’s affection, the other a niece’s filial devotion; the pair seemed entirely unaffected by the bidding that had just taken place.
Following Mr. Ding, the group passed through the auction hall and entered the inner courtyard. As they crossed the corridor, Zhuge Suyun seemed to notice Changge Yue for the first time. In a kindly tone, she asked, “May I ask which family’s young lady you are?”
From her bearing and graceful composure, it was clear that she was in no way inferior to Yuqiao. She might even rival her own daughter, Yuyan. It was only that no one had yet seen her true face.
Changge Yuyan was Zhuge Suyun’s most cherished eldest daughter.
Meanwhile, Changge Yuqing kept looking at Changge Yue, deep in thought.
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