Every Action Has a Cost

  This madam was not the usual picky. In fact, she was looking at the jewelry before her with disdain. Those things that seemed like superior goods to Feng Yu Heng were not worth a cent to her. Even the maidservant at her side let out a faint snort and said: “If it wasn’t for us coming such a long distance, we definitely would have brought nice things with us. We thought that the capital would be a treasure trove, and we would be able to get anything that we wanted; however, who knew that this place known as the best in the capital would actually only have such low-quality items.”


  Qing Yu laughed angrily, looking at the madam and asking: “If these are low-quality items, then may I ask madam, what would be considered good?”


  “Tsk!” The wealthy madam did not speak, but the servant asked: “I must ask you, if the imperial concubines in the palace want to buy things, are you willing to send these into the palace?”


  Qing Yu smiled and replied: “Naturally, we could not. The imperial concubines of the palace receive higher quality things.”


  “Then there it is!” The servant’s eyes became fierce, “It’s clear that you’re looking down on our madam. Quickly bring the things that you send into the palace. Don’t waste your words.”


  Qing Yu let out a cold snort, “You want things that can be sent into the palace? Then may I ask this madam, would you be a consort of the palace?”


  “Why do you care so much……” The servant wanted to interject; however, she was stopped by the madam. She then asked Qing Yu: “We said earlier that we came from the South. Naturally, we cannot falsely declare ourselves to be imperial concubines, but I must ask you. If we did not say, how could you know that we are not from the palace? If I was, would you not have offended an imperial concubine?”


  Qing Yu looked at the madam as if she was an idiot then said after a long time: “Indeed, you are from the South; otherwise, anyone from near the capital would not say such a thing. Madam, if you really were an imperial concubine from the palace, you would have been easy to take care of.”


  “Oh?” The madam was puzzled, “How do you mean?”


  Qing Yu told her: “Because the imperial concubines of the palace definitely would not come to Nirvana Pavilion to cause trouble. They, even more, would not come here to try and cause trouble.”


  “You’re saying that our madam came to cause you trouble?” The servant began shrieking, “Are you running a business or not? We came here with money to buy things, yet you actually say that we’re causing you trouble?”


  Qing Yu spread her hands, “But I already brought out the best things that can be sold, but you were not satisfied. That’s just how doing business goes. This shop doesn’t have the things you want, and you can go to another shop. You cannot cause a disturbance because there’s nothing that you like. You said today that Nirvana Pavilion has low-quality items. I am not arguing with you because you came from a long way. Madam, please go back!” After she finished speaking, she immediately directed the clerk to put away the things on the table.

  The servant was extremely indignant; however, she also felt that Qing Yu was hard to deal with. She had to look to her madam and heard the madam say: “How about bringing out the accessories that are only sold to the imperial concubines in the palace? If there is anything I like, there will be no shortage of money for you.”


  Qing Yu shook her head, “No.”


  “Why not?”


  “You’re not qualified.”


  The two went back and forth, but it left the madam feeling ashamed. The servant, however, was unhappy once more, fiercely saying: “Do you know what you are saying? Our madam isn’t qualified? Aren’t they just some accessories? How could our madam not be qualified?”


  Qing Yu felt that explaining the reasoning to these two was truly difficult, and she could not help but get up and say: “Because those are things that only the imperial concubines of the palace can use. If madam feels that your position is on the same level as the imperial concubines, I would not mind immediately sending you into the palace to have the imperial concubines make the final decision. Also, I will remind madam that the so-called imperial concubines are all masters above a certain rank. What status do you think you have?”


  Qing Yu was very resolute when she said this. Whether it was in the capital or in the imperial palace, who did not know that imperial daughter Ji An, Feng Yu Heng, owned this jewelry shop. Who would have nothing better to do and come cause trouble here? Even the imperial concubines of the palace needed to give a bit of face. Even if the Empress herself visited, she would speak kindly. She definitely would not put on such airs and act so picky. The one before them really did not know the depth of the world.

  “Madam, watch your step. I won’t be sending you.” Qing Yu was a bit impolite, directly chasing them out.

  The servant wanted to say some more; however, she was stopped by the madam. She did not immediately go down the stairs and leave. Instead, she walked around the third floor until her gaze landed on Xuan Tian Ming and Feng Yu Heng; however, she let out a “huh” sound and stared straight at the box Xuan Tian Ming was holding.

  “Did you two also come to buy things?” She directly asked Xuan Tian Ming.

  How proud of a person was Xuan Tian Ming! Was he someone that just anyone could speak to if they desired? He immediately rolled his eyes then leaned back in his chair to rest.

  The madam was embarrassed, and the servant was furious, rushing to saying: “Hey! Our madam is speaking to you. Are you deaf?”


  Once this was said, the people in Nirvana Pavilion were scared witless. Qing Yu quickly went forward to step in front of Xuan Tian Ming, quietly saying: “You must not be rash. This place cannot stand up to a fight. If things are broken, it’s your own money being lost.”


  When Xuan Tian Ming heard this, his anger dissipated. The hand that was reaching into his sleeve for a whip pulled back. Qing Yu was right! If he started something here and broke something, his wife would feel extremely distressed. He could not hit them. He could not hit them.

  “Madam, please have your servant know some manners!” Qing Yu turned around and raised her voice, “This is a place that conducts proper business. It is not a place that tolerates impudence! All of the businesses in the capital are protected by the government. If madam’s servant truly does not know how to speak, I can have her sent to the government office to be taught.”


  Qing Yu’s words were totally rude, and her gaze was frigid. The madam clearly understood how to read the situation. Seeing that a worker in a shop dared to speak to her like this despite knowing that she was the madam of an official, she knew that the supporter of this shop had some sort of background. She recalled what her husband had said on their way. He had said that the capital could not compare to the outer provinces. The imperial family is near, and any random person could be related in some way to a large family. Some of the shops in the capital might be owned by people with great power. It’s even possible that some are owned by the imperial family. That’s why she had to be extremely careful in the capital. She must not act as recklessly as she did in the South.

  Thus she held down her servant and no longer allowed her to speak. She then walked past Qing Yu and asked Feng Yu Heng with a smile: “Are you with this gentleman?”


  Feng Yu Heng rolled her eyes at her, “If madam wishes to ask me a question, you should at least say may I ask before that question. You also cannot just use you. You must use miss.” After she finished speaking, she shook her head, “People from the South really don’t know the rules.”


  The madam was still angry, but she did her best to suppress it, repeating her question: “May I ask this miss. Would you be with this gentleman?”


  Feng Yu Heng nodded, “That’s right.”


  The other side then said: “I saw that you have a wooden box that looks very expensive. For such an expensive piece of wood to have been turned into a box, the contents must be quite expensive. Was that something that was purchased in this Nirvana Pavilion?”


  Qing Yu was also getting angry and immediately replied for Feng Yu Heng: “There is no need for madam to worry about it.”


  Feng Yu Heng, however, stopped her and said with a smile: “That’s right. Indeed, it was some good jade materials. I was preparing to bring it back to have it made into some things.”


  The madam’s eyes lit up. Jade materials, she loved jade the most. She had been wanting to visit the capital to search for some top-quality jade. Who knew that she would actually end up running into such a treasure.

  She quickly asked: “Could I be allowed to see?”


  Feng Yu Heng was puzzled: “Why must I let you see?”


  “If our madam thinks it’s good, we will buy it at a high price. We guarantee that it would not be a loss for you.” The servant was quick to speak and could not stop herself from interjecting.

  After the madam heard this, she also nodded, expressing that she had such an intention.

  As a result, once she nodded, it was Xuan Tian Ming that laughed, saying: “There really isn’t a lack of strange things in this world. I really have not seen such a strange matter or such fools in many years.”


  Feng Yu Heng, however, did not feel that it was funny, as she thought quickly and said: “You can look, but you cannot look for free.”


  “Oh?” The madam also became interested and asked: “Do tell, how much would be considered enough?”


  A trace of a sly smile appeared on her lips; however, it was not noticed by them. Feng Yu Heng then said: “Madam has good eyes, recognizing the materials used for this box as out of the ordinary. It is as you said, the contents of a box made with materials that are out of the ordinary will naturally be out of the ordinary. But as for how out of the ordinary, and whether it will be enticing to madam is not something that I can take responsibility for. Either way, this box is mine, and the thing inside is also mine. Madam is asking me to take a look, thus I will allow you to take a look with compensation.” After thinking a bit, she spread her five fingers: “500 tales of silver to take a look.”


  “What?” The servant shrieked, “Are you stealing money?”


  Feng Yu Heng nodded, “That’s right, I am stealing money. Who told your madam to insist on looking at my things. Why should I show my things to people at random?”


  “Who do you think you are?” The servant was sizing her up with great disdain. Although she was wearing quite nice clothes, she was far inferior compared to her madam. People like this were mostly young misses with a bit of money. At most, they would be young misses from officials’ families. They could not possibly have too high of a status. Thus the words that she said were even more impolite, “Our madam wants to see your things. That is a favor to you. Don’t turn down face when given it.”


  Smack!

  Qing Yu suddenly raised her hand and very fiercely slapped the servant’s face. A handprint immediately appeared on the left side of the servant’s face. “Little girl does not pay attention to the weight of your words. I will teach you a lesson for your master. It will also save your master the trouble of losing face when going out.”


  The servant was dazed from being hit. She had been with her madam for many years. When they were in the South, they would move as they pleased. No matter what they did, nobody dared to offend them. Why was it after they came to the capital, a person doing business dared to slap her like this?

  And this slap also gave the madam a shock. She did not pay attention to her own servant. Instead, she pointed at Feng Yu Heng and asked Qing Yu: “What is her relation to you?”


  Qing Yu replied: “Master and servant.”


  “Nirvana Pavilion’s owner?”


  Qing Yu nodded, “Indeed.”


  The madam was puzzled. She was just the owner of a jewelry shop, but she had such a grand bearing. She could not help but look at Feng Yu Heng once more, wanting to ask who exactly this little girl was.

  But at this time, she heard Feng Yu Heng ask her once more: “500 taels of silver, will you take a look or not?”