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Outside Qiqiao Pavilion, Bai Tang happened to see An Ping sending guests off. An Ping looked a bit fatter and fairer than when Bai Tang first bought him, with fewer wrinkles on his face, and he appeared full of energy. The two young people behind him had also lost their initial gauntness; with their tall stature and handsome features, they could be considered quite good-looking. Unfortunately, they were both ancient men and still under Bai Tang's command; a rabbit does not eat the grass near its burrow. However, if Bai Ma kept nagging about her not finding a boyfriend, she would push one of them out as a shield.
An Ping bowed and sent the guests away. When he looked up, he saw his long-lost master standing twenty meters away outside the shop, lost in thought.
"Young Master!" An Ping exclaimed in surprise, running over to greet him along with Andongming and Ma Shi.
Bai Tang was interrupted from his thoughts by the three of them and smiled, "I’m back!"
"That's good, that's good!" An Ping grinned widely. Although he had considerable authority while the master was away, managing the shop and the household, he knew his place; no matter how much power he had, he was still a servant and could never betray or deceive his master.
"Young Master, I'll go brew you some tea!" Andongming smartly ran off first. The shop had just purchased a jar of fine Longjing tea for entertaining distinguished guests, which should suit the Young Master's taste.
"I'll go find my mother and have her prepare your favorite dishes," Ma Shi followed him out. His mother would surely be happy to hear that the Young Master was back.
Bai Tang was touched by their enthusiasm; it made him reflect on how simple-minded ancient people were compared to those cunning servants in Jia Mansion who were spoiled by their masters.
Bai Tang sat down in the main seat, and An Ping respectfully bowed before starting to report on the situation in the shop and household.
"…The Glazed Mirror has been the most popular item and has sold out quickly. However, the batch of mirrors you brought has sold out in just two months…"
The business at Qiqiao Pavilion was as good as Bai Tang had anticipated. The modern goods he brought helped establish Qiqiao Pavilion's reputation. Although his goods sold out quickly, An Ping managed to connect with a coastal shipping fleet and purchased a batch of foreign goods at a high price to keep the shop running without closing due to lack of stock. Bai Tang was very glad she chose An Ping; having such a capable servant was a great advantage for her. Of course, Aunt Ma and the two young men were also quite good; she had an eye for people in this regard.
"Young Master, tea!" Andongming entered holding freshly brewed fragrant tea. The tea was emerald green and aromatic; even though Bai Tang did not know much about tea, he could tell it was definitely top-quality.
"The aroma is exquisite, and it tastes light yet refreshing. The tea is excellent, and so is your brewing skill!" Bai Tang's praise made Andongming beam with joy.
Ma Shi walked in carrying a plate of pastries: "Young Master, my mother is already cooking. Please have some snacks to fill your stomach."
"Put it down!" Bai Tang smiled. Aunt Ma, excited after hearing her return, wanted to bow to her. As she reached the door, she remembered that Bai Tang must be hungry after her long journey, so she immediately turned back and entered the kitchen. She asked her son to bring something over while she quickly started a fire to boil water and prepare food for Bai Tang. All her actions fell into Bai Tang's keen ears, and she couldn't help but admire the simplicity of ancient people.
An Ping left her son and Aunt Ma in the house to serve, then stepped outside. After a while, she returned with a wooden box in hand. An Ping presented the wooden box flatly to Bai Tang. Bai Tang took the box, opened the lid, and saw it filled with a thick stack of silver notes, the amount was substantial.
"I don't want to count it; just tell me the total!" Bai Tang said, pointing at the silver notes inside the box.
An Ping replied, "A total of three hundred sixty-eight thousand taels!"
Bai Tang was taken aback: "So much?"
An Ping smiled and said, "Everything left by the young master is rare and valuable. I wouldn't dare to price it low; even if it's ridiculously expensive, many wealthy families are still fighting over it."
"I brought even more this time; you can handle everything!" Bai Tang instructed Andongming and Ma Shi to take her travel bag and start pulling things out. She had packed mostly items that didn't take up much space; Bai Tang kept half in her backpack—this was for Xue Family Shop—and the other half fit comfortably in the travel bag.
Andongming and Ma Shi carefully took out each item one by one, knowing that everything in this bag was precious, each worth thousands of taels of silver; even together they wouldn't match the price of a single item.
An Ping's eyes widened as she saw those gems shining brilliantly; some were as big as pigeon eggs, others as big as a thumb—all were treasures. She had never seen such fine gems even in Duke Rong's residence. Once these gems were displayed, they would surely cause a frenzy among women. Besides mirrors and jewelry, there were other items that she didn't recognize at all!
"Young master, what are these items?" An Ping naturally needed to clarify the name and function of each item; otherwise, how could she sell them in the shop if she didn't understand them?
"This is a folding scissors. Look, it can open like this and close like this!" Bai Tang demonstrated for the three of them.
"This folding scissors is convenient to carry!" An Ping pointed out its advantage.
"Exactly!" Bai Tang gave An Ping an approving smile.
"And what about this one?"
"This is a nail clipper!" Bai Tang demonstrated how to trim nails to the three of them. Each of them took a nail clipper and found it much more convenient than scissors.
"Young Master, what is this?" Andongming asked curiously, holding up a pack of Lighters.
"This is a Lighter!" Bai Tang replied.
This illustrates the gap in technology! The modern inferior colored plastic appeared to be an incredibly beautiful treasure in the eyes of ancient people.
"Not bad! However, a Lighter is much more convenient than flint." Bai Tang opened the packaging, took out a Lighter, and with a slide of his thumb, a flame burst forth.
"It's on fire! It's on fire!" An Ping and the others stared in shock at the beautiful flame quietly burning in Bai Tang's hand, completely losing their composure.
Bai Tang relaxed his hand, and the flame extinguished.
"Convenient, right? Just a little manual action can create fire, and it's not afraid of water—much better than flint," Bai Tang asked proudly. Were they scared?
The three nodded repeatedly. An Ping took a deep breath and asked Bai Tang, "Young Master, may I try it?"
Bai Tang directly handed the Lighter to An Ping: "It's yours!"
An Ping was startled and quickly refused: "Such a precious item, I cannot accept it. Young Master, please take it back!"
"It's not that valuable to me; just accept it. And you two, take one each to play with!" Bai Tang then handed one Lighter each to Andongming and Ma Shi.
The three exchanged glances and bowed deeply to Bai Tang: "Thank you, Young Master!"
At that moment, their loyalty increased once again. Originally at eighty percent, their loyalty rose to ninety percent—now they were at a point where they could give their lives for Bai Tang. Seeing the system panel made Bai Tang very happy.
"Young Master, what is the price of this Lighter?" An Ping asked.
"You can decide," Bai Tang replied, unable to think of a price.
"How about selling it for a thousand taels?" An Ping suggested.
"What?" Bai Tang was surprised.
"A thousand taels!"
"Isn't that a bit expensive?" She bought it for nine coins; this was more than just a markup!
"Not at all. The Lighter is wonderfully practical and looks so beautiful; even a thousand taels seems too little to me." An Ping could imagine the sensation the Lighter would cause once it hit the market.
"Then it's up to you!" Bai Tang didn't have a strong concept of money. She never thought about flying on private jets like those wealthy people in Television shows. Now that she had a house and her family was healthy, she felt satisfied. As for the money she earned, most of it was kept in her backpack for trading in the game store.
"Young Master, is this a Music Box?" Andongming asked, holding a Music Box.
"You know about Music Boxes?" Bai Tang was astonished.
"I saw one with the fleet boss once; they are said to be very precious. Only wealthy and powerful people from foreign nations can own them. The fleet boss bought his at a high price from a fallen noble." Andongming recalled the fleet boss boasting about the Music Box and remembered how surprised he was when he first heard it play, feeling embarrassed when others laughed at him. He scoffed internally; their young master had pulled out twenty Music Boxes at once—far more impressive than the fleet boss.
"If you like it, I'll give you one," Bai Tang said with a smile.
"No, no, I can't accept!" Andongming quickly set the Music Box down and waved his hands repeatedly.
Seeing Andongming refuse, Bai Tang didn't insist further. One act of kindness was enough; giving too much would only spoil a servant's appetite. Bai Tang smiled and asked, "Would you like to listen to some music?"
Andongming and Ma Shi were full of excitement and anticipation, nodding repeatedly.
Bai Tang smiled as he wound the music box tightly, and a beautiful piano melody flowed out, filling the room. The three of them listened to the wonderful music, completely enchanted! An Ping and Andongming had heard the sound from the Music Box once before, and they were still amazed; they felt that the music from their master's Music Box was even more delightful!
"How beautiful! It's so magical!" Ma Shi exclaimed with his mouth wide open in admiration.
"Alright, you all put these things away in the storeroom! As for pricing, Uncle Ping can arrange it himself!" Bai Tang closed the Music Box upon hearing Aunt Ma's footsteps. After a while, the door opened, and Aunt Ma entered with a steaming tray of food.
"Young Master, the meal is ready; please eat quickly!" Aunt Ma said with concern as she looked at Bai Tang. "I have boiled hot water, so after you finish eating, you can take a bath."
"Thank you, Aunt Ma!" Bai Tang nodded to her and took out a faux agate bracelet from the bag of jewelry, handing it to Aunt Ma.
"Young Master?" Aunt Ma exclaimed in surprise, her eyes wide.
Bai Tang smiled lightly: "Uncle Ping, along with the others, all have rewards; this bracelet is your reward."
Aunt Ma looked at her son, and Ma Shi nodded at her. Excitedly, Aunt Ma accepted the bracelet. "Thank you for your generous gift, Young Master!"
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