Chapter 38 A little maid of Luo’s Mansion
He Danggui played with the tea-cup and nodded, “Since you offer the same price, I guess Shopkeeper Li was right about its value… Alas, now I have to go back and persuade the Madam to let me take it back and then sell it in Yangzhou.”
“Sell it?!” Shopkeeper Jing asked excitedly, “You want to sell this coffin? Can I have a look?”
He Danggui nodded, “Of course, please.”
Shopkeeper Jing turned to open the mahogany tool box on his counter, which contained several soft rulers and tools for testing the hardness of woods. As he stretched out the soft ruler and measured the coffin board, he looked up to find out the secrets of He Danggui, “Miss, you don’t sound like a native, do you? Where did you get the coffin?”
He Danggui took a sip of tea to moisten her throat and said, “The truth is, I’m a little maid of Luo’s Mansion in Yangzhou City, and the Miss I served is a cousin of the family. Early this month, the Miss died accidentally. The Madam was so depressed that she spent a lot of money to buy four kinds of superior fragrant woods, and then invited a craftsman of ‘Yu Hua Ji’ in Yangzhou City to make this fragrant wooden coffin. After that, she sent it to Shui Shang Temple to expiate the sins of my Miss. In the past, I only heard that the fragrant wooden coffin could make the soul rest in peace. Unexpectedly, it was more magical that my Miss was placed in the coffin for two days, and then she woke up again, as alive as before…”
“What?! Dead for two days and then resurrected?” Shopkeeper Jing felt so shocked.
He Danggui indicated him to keep calm and continued, “The Madam was very happy to learn this news. So, she went to Shui Shang Temple to pick up my Miss in person. A servant advised that although this coffin was noticeable for the Miss’s rebirth, it was not an auspicious object after all. We carried the coffin out of Yangzhou City before, and now we have a wonderful and happy event. We really shouldn’t take it back to Yangzhou City…”
“Right! That’s right!” Shopkeeper Jing nodded with might and main.
“So, the Madam accepted the servant’s proposal and asked us to take it here, expecting someone to offer a reasonable price. Even if the price only equals to 60% or 70% of the material, we can sell it for luck.”
Shopkeeper Jing was very happy, fondling the coffin and thinking, “I worship the God of Wealth in the early morning, and he does come to me! Half-year income of selling nanmu coffins is no match for such a piece of the fragrant wood! Well, I must buy it at the lowest price!”
He Danggui put down the empty tea-cup and took another full cup. She smiled at her reflection in the tea and said sadly, “Well, the Madam thought I’m clever, so she values me. If I do this job well, she will promote me to be a first-class maid when I’m back… Alas, guess I’ll miss the chance this time. Knight Gao, Zhen Jing, let’s take the coffin and go back to Shui Shang Temple!”
Gao Jue and Zhen Jing stood up immediately. Shopkeeper Jing opened his arms and stopped them at the corridor hurriedly, “What’s the matter? We haven’t finished our conversation yet. Didn’t you say you wanted to sell the coffin? I’ll buy it! Miss, do you think the price I offered is too low? How much do you think is appropriate?”
He Danggui said she would be going to leave, but she was sitting there all the time, still holding a small tea-cup and said, “I had inquired from a fella in town this morning, and I learned that your shop is the largest coffin shop in Tu’er Town. I wanted to ask you first, but your shop was not starting business, so I went to ask Shopkeeper Li, who was three blocks away. Although he was willing to give 140 liang of silver, it was still far from the price that the Madam expected. Before I left, I asked him if there were other coffin shops nearby. He told me that Tu’er Town was a small town with few wealthy and influential families. The nanmu coffins were bought or sold by the coffin shops for only 5 or 6 liang. Such coffin of fragrant wood could only be sold at a good price in Yangzhou City, so he advised me not to look for buyers in Tu’er Town anymore.”
Shopkeeper Jing’s little eyes swelled and said angrily, “Li Laosan is a poor man who talks nonsense. He is too poor to buy your coffin, but I have more money than he does. I could afford it! Miss, just now I was dazzled and didn’t see it clearly, therefore, the price I offered you was low. Just let me look carefully again, and I’ll definitely offer you a good price.”
“Take your time.” He Danggui raised the tea-cup to her lips and drank the tea down, “Nice tea.”
Shopkeeper Jing looked carefully at the outside of the coffin and pushed it open to look inside. He asked with a frown, “Miss, why isn’t there a sleeper in the coffin? Didn’t little coffins like this have a carved sleeper?”
He Danggui nodded, “Yes, there was one in it, but the Madam asked me to take it off specially.”
“Why? Is this sleeper very valuable?”
He Danggui shook her head, “No, the Madam said that our Miss was an unmarried little girl and she had used this sleeper, so the next occupant of the coffin could not expect to use it. After all, sharing a pillow means a lot to everyone in the world, not to mention my Miss is still a preteen…”
“Ho ho, your Madam was so thoughtful. I haven’t thought of that in all my years of selling coffins.” Shopkeeper Jing felt his chin as he was convinced. He fixed his gaze at He Danggui’s face shrewdly, “Miss, how much did your Madam want to sell it?”
“300 liang silver.” He Danggui held out three delicate fingers.
Even if Shopkeeper Jing opened his eyes to the max, they still looked very small. He exclaimed aloud, “300 liang sliver? Really? How expensive it is!”
Gao Jue and Zhen Jing were both standing behind He Danggui. Gao Jue held his arms around his chest and watched a spider spinning its web on the beam above him. Zhen Jing clutched her hands under her sleeves guiltily because Xiaoyi said the cost of the coffin’s material was 230 liang silver...
He Danggui spread out her hands and said in disappointment, “You are a man of sense, but how can you talk like a layman? We spent more than that price to buy these fragrant woods. Not to mention this is a masterpiece designed by Master Zhang in Yu Hua Ji of Yangzhou City. Refute me if any ordinary family have this honor to invite him. I cannot tell you clearly how much this coffin costs and how effective it is in bringing people back to life. Because I’m just a little maid. I just follow my madam’s order.” Then she stood up and turned to Gao Jue, “Knight Gao, we already had the tea. Let’s go. Looks like we’ll have to sell the coffin in Yangzhou City.”
Gao Jue snatched the coffin from Shopkeeper Jing’s hands directly, held it on his shoulder and walked out of the coffin shop. He Danggui walked out after him and turned to wave goodbye to Shopkeeper Jing with a smile, “Thank you for your tea. Wish you brisk business, flouring source of wealth, bye!”
Shopkeeper Jing wanted to snatch the coffin with Gao Jue, but Gao Jue was so strong that it was easier for him to carry the coffin than carry a small wooden box. Shopkeeper Jing almost fell over and trotted hurriedly after He Danggui as soon as he found his balance.
He Danggui shook her hands with a surprising look, “Please stop, Shopkeeper Jing. I’m just a little maid. Don’t bother to see me off!”
Shopkeeper Jing stopped her and said hurriedly, “My shop also purchases classy coffins! We can negotiate the price, and I can afford a high price!”
He Danggui blinked her big innocent eyes but said nothing.
Shopkeeper Jing gnashed his teeth and said ostentatiously with one hand to two and the other hand to five, “250 liang!”
Zhen Jing was standing behind. Hearing this, she couldn’t help laughing out. Seeing Shopkeeper Jing and He Danggui looking back at her together, she felt frightened and covered her mouth hurriedly to say, “Sorry, I don’t know anything. Go ahead!”
He Danggui said to Shopkeeper Jing regrettably, “I’m really sorry. See, I’m just doing orders. I do not dare to decide the price the Madam had settled. If I change the price, I cannot afford the cost. You know, if I failed to sell this coffin, that only makes me incompetent at most; but if the coffin is sold at a fire-sale price, the Madam maybe get angry, and I...”
Shopkeeper Jing was quite helpless for this situation. He shook his head, sighed and said, “Ouch, why are you so stubborn? It’s clear that price is stationary, but people are alive. Also, I have been doing this business for decades and have not heard of any price which cannot be negotiated properly! Besides, your Madam is also an expert on the market and there is a depreciation on the coffin because it has been used once; Secondly, you took the sleeper away. So, I have to reselect the wood, redesign the pattern, redo the carving and make a new sleeper to match the coffin. These things should be calculated in the 300 liang sliver you claimed. Even if your Madam is here, you have to give us some space to negotiate the price!”
He Danggui bit her lower lip hesitantly, and her expression seemed to say she had changed her mind.
Shopkeeper Jing felt a sense of success and continued, “Now that this Taoist nun laughed at me that the price was not good. So, I’ll add 10 liang, i.e. 260 liang. It means everything goes smoothly! How about that?”
He Danggui paused and hesitated. “Well, I don’t know... Well, what about this. I will let Knight Gao live in the inn with the coffin until I get the answer from my Madam. If she agrees, I’ll come to you tomorrow...” Then she went out again.
Shopkeeper Jing hurried to stop and was so angry that he stamped his foot twice, “Wait, wait, wait, ouch, My Lady! Why are you in such a hurry in the early morning? If the price is too low for you, there is still some space for negotiation. Also, you don’t have the ability to negotiate. I wonder why your Madam send you here? Even a fella who sweep in my shop is better at business than you! Think about it! Is it possible that the inn you live in doesn’t cost money? Is it possible that the knight you hired doesn’t cost money for another day? The inns in Tu’er Town are crowded and miscellaneous. I am not frightening you because there are all kinds of people! Such valuable stuff allows nothing dangerous to happen. Even a very tiny damage would cause loss!”
He Danggui blinked her big watery eyes, tilted her head and said, “You are so kind and considerate. Um... Since living in the inns here has a big risk, I hope you could offer me another fair price. Any price not too far from our quotation would be good enough for me to report the result. Otherwise, we dare not go to the inn. Then we will have to rent a carriage and find another buyer in Yangzhou City before dawn.”
Shopkeeper Jing’s left hand clenched as a fist and pounded heavily on the palm of his right hand, showing a determined expression, “No more bargain, 275 liang! It couldn’t be higher!”
“Deal.”
He Danggui accepted the price with pleasure. She turned around, looked at the door and saw Gao Jue carrying the coffin. His dark eyes were staring at her with a thoughtful look on his face. She waved her hands with a smile and said, “Well, don’t stand there, just bring it back. When I sell the coffin, we’ll go for breakfast! I’ll treat you with soybean milk and deep-fried dough sticks!”
Gao Jue stared at the girl whose expression was flexible and lively, whose eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy, and who ordered him, “the General of Killing Lord”, to do things. He had a strange feeling which included query, bewilderment, appreciation, regretting they didn’t meet earlier, and... a crush on her. fr(e)ewebn(o)vel
What kind of person was she? Why was her brain and courage so completely out of step with her age? How many hidden talents did she have? What kind of life did she like? What kind of man she would love?
She was only 10 years old now, but it could tell that she would definitely be a beauty. After 3 or 5 years, what kind of extraordinary beauty she would become?
Gao Jue was the Emperor’s favorite general, and worked for the Emperor all year round. He had seen various beautiful women in the Imperial Harem, but no one could make him so concerned that he could not look away. Those women had different figures. And they were beautiful, fascinating, effeminate or dissocial. But none of them were like the girl in front of him, just like... just like a new moon in the mist.
With He Danggui’s urge, Gao Jue put the coffin back to the coffin shop. And Shopkeeper Jing went into the counting-house for a moment, took several cheques and 5 liang sliver, handed them to He Danggui with great joy and said, “Little girl, count it. It’s 275 liang!”
He Danggui counted the money, put it in an apricot bag and said with a smile, “Well, we’ll leave then. Shopkeeper Jing, please stay.” She turned to talk to Gao Jue and Zhen Jing, “It’s all done. Let’s go to the market. There are many snack stands.” Seeing Gao Jue still staring at her, she asked with a smile, “Master Gao, is my face blossoming? Why are you staring at me like this?”
Gao Jue turned and strode out of the coffin shop, put his hands behind his back, looked at a sparrow pecking at the roadside and then asked with his back to He Danggui, “About Duan Xiaolou, why did you refuse him?”
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