In the end, Tang Mingfan still didn’t eat at home. Under Tang Zhuojun’s worried gaze, he shakily made his way to the office.
Tang Zhuojun lay on her bed, staring at the pale blue canopy after the rain, cursing. What kind of mess had she picked up!
After a few complaints, she still had to face reality.
The urgent task now was to make the three men in her family see her differently, while not showing any weaknesses. If they found out she had taken over the original owner’s body, wouldn’t they think she was some kind of demon or monster?
Moreover, she had to quickly figure out how to repay the high- interest loans outside, or it might affect her father’s and brother’s careers.
Poor her— she hadn’t even liked using credit cards in the modern era, and now she finds herself living in the past era, and indebted to loan sharks. Was there any justice in the world!
Since she was already here, Tang Zhuojun decided to make the best of it, fully stepping into the role of the original owner.
As for the Prince of Jin and that troublesome Ruan Anruo, they had long been pushed to the back of her mind.
First, clean up her own mess; then, when her hands were free, she could settle scores and repay grudges.
Without hesitation, Tang Zhuojun called Xiu’er and began sorting through the things from her the original owner’s life.
The money she owed, with interest compounding, should have reached around 120 taels by now. She had to sell off everything she had acquired over the years, pawn or auction it, and gather the silver as quickly as possible.
However, seeing the items Xiu’er brought out, Tang Zhuojun could only curse.
What kind of junk had the original self bought! These things had cost five or six hundred taels, but in reality, they were barely worth half that.
Tang Zhuyun suppressed her anger and picked out some jewelry and the winter furs.
“Miss, you… you’re going to do what?” Xiu’er stammered, terrified. “You wouldn’t be thinking of eloping with the Prince of Jin, would you?”
Tang Zhuojun: “…I’d like to, but do you think he’d go with me?”
Was the Prince of Jin deaf or blind? Had he never heard of his own reputation, or never seen his own appearance?
“Then… who do you want to elope with?”
Tang Zhuojun slammed her hand down. Why did it have to be elopement?
From what she remembered, Xiu’er was loyal to the core, but unfortunately, there was way too much water in her brain— enough to pour out half a bowl in a blink.
“You stay home and help your mother cook. I’m going out for a bit!” Tang Zhuojun grabbed her bundle and said irritably.
“No, no, Miss! I won’t let you go! If you leave, what will I do?”
“I’m not leaving. I’m just going out to sell things— or to collect debts from those who gave out loan notes, and pawn you to them if necessary,” Tang Zhuojun said fiercely.
Xiu’er shivered in fear. “Miss, I don’t want…!”
“Then let go, and help your mother properly. I’ll be back soon!”
Only then did Xiu’er release her, tears welling in her eyes as she watched Tang Zhuojun leave.
Tang Zhuojun went to the pawnshop. Hearing the clerk inside look down on her and ask, “Redemption or permanent pawn?” she gritted her teeth and said, “Permanent pawn.”
Then the shopkeeper fiddled with the abacus a few times and, in a singsong voice, announced: “Three torn fur jackets, thirteen pieces of broken jewelry, permanent pawn: one hundred taels!”
What? That’s outrageously low!
“No, those pieces of jewelry are real gold, silver, and precious stones! And that gray squirrel fur jacket— I paid fifty taels for each one…”
“Take it or leave it. If you don’t like it, get lost.”
Tang Zhuojun was furious.
The counter in the pawnshop was very high. The staff stood on a platform behind it, looking down at the customers outside.
Unless absolutely necessary, people didn’t come to pawn items, so these clerks were used to taking advantage of customers.
There was no help for it. The tears she shed now were for all the foolishness she had indulged in back then.