The First Jasmine - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Forced Buying, Forced Selling
Even before stepping past the threshold, the sheer clamor erupting from within the shop caused Ye Li to knit her brows. An antique shop was never meant to be a place of bustling crowds; such establishments were typically secluded, quiet, and elegant. Yet the voices inside this store could be heard with crystal clarity before one had even entered.
Upon stepping inside, the shop proved to be filled with a dazzling array of items on display. A manager dressed in luxurious silken attire that exuded immense wealth was looking upon a poorly clad young man with a face full of undisguised contempt. The young man's countenance was haggard and carried a sickly air, his once-handsome features rendered sallow and dry. Although his clothing was weathered, it was washed spotlessly clean, evoking no sense of revulsion; instead, he carried the faint, refined demeanor of a scholar. At this moment, however, the man appeared entirely awkward, anxious, and visibly ill at ease. "Manager, please take a closer look. This painting is truly an authentic masterpiece by Master Wu Zhikai of the former dynasty."
The manager gave the man a disdainful, sidelong glance and sneered, "Looking at your destitute appearance, how could you possibly possess an authentic work by... Wu Zhikai? This painting is clearly a forgery! However, our shop does accept imitations. Seeing that this copy is reasonably well-crafted, I will grant you two hundred taels for it, and that's that."
The young man's face flushed crimson with fury. "You... you... Master Wu Zhikai was a grand maestro of the previous dynasty! An authentic piece, even if it isn't one of his ultimate masterpieces, is worth at least two thousand taels, and it could fetch even more if bidded upon. This manager actually dared to offer a mere tenth of the price to purchase his family's ancestral treasure! If he weren't in truly desperate need of funds, how could he ever bear to part with this painting in such a manner? This was utterly preposterous! "This is outrageous! I am no longer selling it!" The young man furiously rolled up the scroll, intending to take his leave.
"Hold on!" Seeing that the man was about to depart, a trace of sinister malice flashed through the manager's eyes. He glared at the youth savagely and barked, "Lordship granting you two hundred taels is giving you face! Could it be that you stole this piece? Come to think of it, looking at your destitute state, how could you possibly possess such a famous painting? Let us take a trip to the government office!"
"If we go to the magistrate, then so be it! Do you think I fear you? For a manager to open a shop and act with such utter lack of reason!" The young man cried out, driven to the peak of rage.
The manager offered a disdainful laugh. "Reason? Do you even know whose household owns this establishment? Let me tell you, this is the business of the maternal family of Consort Ye in the imperial palace, and the Fourth Miss of our estate is about to become the Princess Consort Li. Do you think the magistrate will believe me, or believe a destitute wretch like you?"
"You...!"
"Young Master, I will purchase this painting. Two thousand taels," Ye Li stepped into the shop, her voice soft and measured.
The two individuals locked in dispute froze instantly. Once the young man processed the words, he beheld the refined and elegant lady standing before him and could not help but ask, "You... you believe me?"
In truth, Ye Li could not necessarily discern whether the painting was genuine or counterfeit. She had simply arrived at her conclusion based on the reactions of the manager and the youth, as well as the fleeting trace of guilt that had crossed the face of the appraisal master behind the counter. Furthermore, even if this painting were a counterfeit, she was buying it today regardless!
Beholding that a transaction practically within his grasp had been disrupted by a mere slip of a girl, the manager was instantly enraged. Observing that the fabric of Ye Li's attire was by no means extravagant, he concluded she did not hail from any prominent background, and remarked in a sinister tone, "Young lady, it would be best for you not to poke your nose into business that isn't yours." Ye Li swept a glance over him and offered a faint smile. "This young master was unwilling to sell it to you, and now I am purchasing it. How does that constitute poking my nose into your business?" The manager gave a cold snort and declared, "Today, it must be bought whether he likes it or not! The Fourth Miss of our estate is celebrating her grand wedding, and we happen to be searching for antique calligraphy and paintings to line her dowry trunks."
Ye Li sneered. "What a splendid 'it must be bought whether he likes it or not'. Coincidentally, this young lady is absolutely determined to buy it today. Qingshuang, hand over the silver."
Qingshuang smartly pulled out bank notes worth two thousand taels and stuffed them into the young man's hands, smoothly taking the painting as she smiled. "Young Master, here is your money. You should leave quickly."
The young man hesitated. "This will not do. The two young ladies..." If he were to leave, he feared these two ladies would not be able to walk out of the shop doors while holding that painting. Although he was in dire need of money, he could not bring himself to harm two kind-hearted women. Glancing at several shop assistants who had already moved to block the entrance, the young man shook his head firmly and said, "I will not sell this painting after all. Young lady, please return the painting to me."
Ye Li accepted the scroll from Qingshuang's hands, unfurled it slightly to inspect it, and nodded with satisfaction as she smiled. "Exquisite. This painting, 'Clear River Gazing at the Moon', happens to be exactly what this young lady requires to present as a gift. Young Master, simply take the money and depart. I would truly like to see if there is still any imperial law left under the feet of the Son of Heaven."
"Since that is the case, none of you shall leave!" the manager threatened.
Ye Li looked at him with amusement. "Could it be that you actually dare to murder us?"
The manager's expression stiffened, and he replied in a bone-chilling tone, "While I may not dare to murder you, I can certainly drag you to the government office to rot in jail! Men, fetch the Madam's official name card, and apprehend these three thieves to face the magistrate!"
"Presumptuous! Watch out lest this young lady chops off your paws!" Qingshuang shielded Ye Li, swiftly knocking down a shop assistant who had lunged forward to seize her mistress. She glared furiously at the manager and barked, "You dog of a servant, open your blind eyes and look clearly—this Shende Pavilion belongs to my mistress!"
The crowd froze once more. The manager's face turned somewhat pale as he looked at Ye Li with deep suspicion. "You... you are..."
Ye Li gazed at him steadily and said calmly, "My surname is Ye, and I rank third."
"The Third Miss?!" the manager blurted out, his expression turning thoroughly unsightly in an instant.
Ye Li handed the rolled painting back to Qingshuang, sweeping a frigid gaze over the surrounding assistants as she said coldly, "Still not backing down? Do you no longer wish to keep your employ?" The several assistants looked listlessly at the manager, then back at Ye Li, before retreating to the side.
The manager was quick to react. After a mere moment of hesitation, he stepped forward with a sycophantic smile. "Third Miss, why have you come?"
After taking a leisurely stroll around the shop, Ye Li turned back, completely feigning ignorance of the fact that an assistant had quietly slipped out the door. She asked, "The name Shende Pavilion was personally inscribed by my Eldest Maternal Uncle. What is the meaning of 'Shende'? The manager presumably does not know. Master He, why don't you explain it?"
The appraisal master who had been hiding behind the counter walked out casting trembling glances, and murmured in a low voice, "Replying... replying to the Third Miss, the Master of the Xu family hoped that we who deal in antiques would place great importance on moral virtue: speaking with caution, acting with prudence, and cultivating virtue carefully."
"Excellently spoken. In that case... what were you all just doing? Treating an authentic masterpiece as a forgery to force a purchase?"
The manager argued defensively, "Third Miss does not understand the ways of commerce. We also acted for the sake of Shende Pavilion's business. Trade is by no means easy to conduct these days."
Ye Li sneered. "I indeed do not know how to conduct business, but I do know that commerce prizes the concept of credibility above all else. Furthermore, I know that a person cannot establish themselves without trustworthiness; who would ever conduct business with you if you possess no reputation? Moreover... the way you manage this trade... currently, the ledgers of Shende Pavilion show nothing but absolute desolation."
"I..."
Ye Li cut him off coldly, "You need not explain. From this moment onward, you are relieved of your duties. As for what occurred with the prior accounts, the rest of you had best explain it to me with absolute clarity. Once it is cleared up, those who are innocent and wish to remain may stay, and I shall personally reward each of you with an additional fifty taels of silver. If the matters remain murky and unresolved, you may all go and reside in the grand prison! I shall see whether that master of yours will truly come to fish you out!" The several shop assistants began to waver. They had all heard that the Third Miss was to marry Prince Ding. Now that this shop had returned to her hands, it would naturally accompany her as part of her dowry to the Prince Ding Estate. If they spoke the truth, they could transition to the service of the Prince Ding Estate; if they remained silent, they would be thrown into jail. Furthermore, fifty taels of silver was no meager sum; it was virtually equivalent to two years of their regular wages.
Beholding the shifting resolve of the crowd, the manager stepped forward hastily and shouted, "Third Miss, I am the Madam's person! You have no authority to cast me out."
Ye Li offered a shallow smile. "My apologies, but this Shende Pavilion is mine. Once you have accounted for every discrepancy in the shop's ledgers, you may return to wherever you came from. If you cannot account for them... it will be useless even if you are the Madam's own biological brother. Could it be that all members of your Wang family share a fondness for utilizing other people's belongings until you comfortably mistake them for your own?"
"You... you...!" The manager's face flushed crimson and turned ash-white in turns.
Ye Li stopped looking at him, turning instead to address the young gentleman who stood frozen in place. She had long since known that the manager of Shende Pavilion had been replaced several years ago by Madam Wang's youngest brother. "Young Master, to have forced you to endure such humiliation is due to my lack of strict discipline over my servants. I pray you will show forbearance."
"No... it... it does not matter." The youth waved his hands with a degree of restraint. He had never expected this serene and elegant lady to actually be the owner of the establishment. After a brief pause, though he felt he might be overstepping, the youth could not resist adding, "Since the young lady is the master of this Shende Pavilion, I pray you will... exert greater care over its affairs. If... if I had not encountered the young lady today, I fear I would have been wrongfully thrown into the grand prison. Looking at that manager's conduct, I suspect this was by no means the first time."
Ye Li showed no trace of anger, nodding with a smile as she replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master. This maiden has also only recently taken charge of this shop, and I will certainly govern it with strict discipline in the future. I perceive that you bear a great deal of reluctance to part with this painting; you may take it back with you for now. Consider the silver as a loan from me, which you may simply repay whenever it becomes convenient for you in the future."
The man shook his head repeatedly, though in his heart, he was indeed extremely loath to part with this ancestral painting. He said, "One should not accept rewards without merit. I only beg the young lady to temporarily retain this 'Clear River Gazing at the Moon' for two months. Within two months, this humble servant will certainly find a way to repay your silver."
Seeing his steadfast insistence, Ye Li did not mind, replying with a smile, "I shall keep this painting within the shop then; you may come to redeem it at any time. Qingshuang, allocate an additional one hundred taels to present to this young master by way of apology.”