It’s nothing. Zeng Juemi waved his hand, his gaze falling on Old Man Ge. He wiggled his fingers a few times, trying to recall something, and then asked, “You… didn’t you used to work at Jubao Zhai?”
“You have a good memory, Second Young Master. Unfortunately, I don’t work there anymore.” Old Man Ge looked somewhat dejected. He sighed and muttered, “I’m old, I’m old…”
“Jubao Zhai?” The young man next to Old Man Ge was shocked. “That’s one of the top jade shops in Shencheng! You actually worked there?”
Old Man Ge felt a pang of sadness. He waved his hand and said, “That’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it anymore! Let’s not talk about it!”
Just then, Jiang Ci walked a few steps forward to stand in front of Old Man Ge and said, “Master Ge, the shopkeeper just said you were dismissed because of illness. Is that true? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to bring up old sorrows, but I have a job opportunity that you might be able to do.”
Master Ge gave a bitter smile. “He wasn’t lying about that. Ever since I fell seriously ill last year, I’ve been left with a lingering condition. My hands can no longer hold a carving knife.”
“But just now, when I saw you holding that stone, your hand was quite steady.”
“That’s different. Jade carving is a delicate craft. Even the slightest tremor can ruin everything! You never know when my hands might start shaking like a sieve. Which jade shop would dare hire me? I worked at Jubao Zhai for thirty years. According to the rules, they should have taken care of me in my old age. But to save money, they tricked me into signing some foreign contract, and before I knew it, I was kicked out!”
Jiang Ci guessed that Master Ge had probably signed something like a waiver agreement.
After pouring out his grievances, Master Ge cupped his hands to Jiang Ci and Zeng Juemi, then turned to leave.
In his eyes, no matter who this girl in a school uniform was, after hearing his story, she would never offer him a job.
“Wait!” Jiang Ci stopped him. “Aren’t you even going to hear what kind of job I have for you?”
Master Ge’s expression finally changed slightly.
“It seems you don’t recognize me. I also own a jade shop – Royal Purple, Longchang Jade Shop. Surely you’ve heard of that?”
“It’s you!” Master Ge’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my! You look so different from last time! I didn’t recognize you at all!”
Jiang Ci laughed and said, “To tell you the truth, the jade we gambled on last time is still sitting in the shop untouched! All the craftsmen in our shop are young. They have solid basic skills, but lack experience. So I want to hire a teacher to guide them regularly. Would you be interested in this job?”
Jiang Ci knew very well that jade carvers trained by Jubao Zhai were all highly skilled and not easy to find elsewhere.
Moreover, Master Ge had thirty years of experience there – that was an invaluable asset.
That was why many startups were willing to spend heavily to poach talent from big companies.
Master Ge, however, hesitated. “But my hands… can I really do it?”
“Tell you what. I’ll write you a note. Take it to Longchang Jade Shop and try working there for a month. At the end of the month, you can decide whether to stay or leave. As for pay, let’s start with thirty silver dollars a month. If both parties are satisfied after the trial period, we can discuss further terms.”
Jiang Ci took out paper and pen from her school bag and quickly wrote the note.
Master Ge was at a loss for words, repeatedly saying “I’ll do my best!” before leaving the gambling house and heading towards the jade shop.
By now, other customers in the gambling house were also gradually leaving.
After all, with what had happened at Daxin Gambling House, business was sure to pick up elsewhere! “Wait a moment, I’ll go to the kitchen and get it ready for you right away!”
Although the pork knuckles were all braised in advance, packing them still took some time.
Jiang Ci was sitting in the private room looking around when suddenly the sound of a huqin fiddle drifted up from below.
Following the sound, she saw a stage downstairs where an older male performer and several clowns had taken their places.
The setting looked like a courtroom scene.
The lead actor wore a deep blue robe and an official hat. When he spoke, his voice was clear and resonant.
“Wearing a black hat, I serve the country with loyalty. Thinking of the founding of the dynasty, all people rejoice. My father once told me and my brothers: We must be as broad-minded as the ocean and the sky.”*
Just then, Zeng Juemi asked Jiang Ci, “Do you like watching operas?”
Jiang Ci shook her head. “I’ve been in poor health since I was little and rarely went out, so I don’t know much about operas.”
“That’s okay. You’ll understand after watching a few. And today’s play is based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so you’ll follow the story even if you don’t know much about opera.”
Though she didn’t understand why Zeng Juemi was being so enthusiastic, Jiang Ci played along and asked, “So who is the actor in the blue robe playing?”
“He’s playing Chen Gong. Later, Cao Cao will appear. The actor playing Chen Gong is Feng Zhusheng, a star of the Rongchun Troupe. She’s one of the best female performers around.”
“Female performer?”
“Yes, that’s what we call female opera singers. They often play male roles. In the next scene, Xuetang Chun will come on – he plays female roles. Even though he’s a man, once he puts on the makeup and costume, he looks more feminine than any real woman!”
“Is the one playing Cao Cao also a woman?”
“No, not really. In opera roles, there are sheng (male roles), dan (female roles), jing (painted face), mo (middle-aged male), and chou (clown). Cross-dressing is common for sheng and dan roles, but not so much for the other three.”
As they were talking, the shopkeeper came in carrying a food box and said, “Second Young Master, it’s ready.”
Zeng Juemi, who was still in the middle of conversation, glanced at him and said, “You’re quick!”
Jiang Ci stood up, took the food box, and said, “Second Young Master, Master Jiu, I’ll be taking my leave now.”
After Jiang Ci left, Zeng Juemi watched the opera for a while, then suddenly turned to Qin Yanchi and asked, “Is Longchang Jade Shop a member of the Songjiang Chamber of Commerce?”
Qin Yanchi shook his head. “No.”
“Then what a wasted opportunity! Why didn’t she ask you for help?”
“Opportunity?” Qin Yanchi laughed wryly. “It was their first meeting, and they’re from different genders. Do you think every girl is as casual as you are?”
“A girl…”
When Zeng Juemi repeated those words, Qin Yanchi was taken aback, suddenly realizing something was off.
Jiang Ci had been wearing a school uniform today, and he had temporarily forgotten that she was already a married woman.
But Zeng Juemi quickly changed the subject. “Speaking of which, she’s really young – only eighteen. Qin Huai’an is older than her but doesn’t know how to be considerate at all!”
“Watch your words. You’re around the same age. Next time you see her, mind your behavior.”
“I don’t have any bad intentions!” Zeng Juemi argued stubbornly. “One has to eat three meals a day, right? If I see something beautiful, it makes my meal taste better. Is that wrong?”
…
Meanwhile, Jiang Ci returned home and gave one portion of the pork knuckle to her in-laws. She excused herself by saying she wanted to eat the other portion with her sister-in-law, thus avoiding dinner with the whole family.
Madam Qin was pleased that she thought of the family even on her first day of school and didn’t ask any further questions.
Jiang Ci’s sister-in-law, Qin Huainan, brought her maid Danqing to Jiang Ci’s room to eat together.
Halfway through the meal, Qin Huainan couldn’t help but ask, “Sister-in-law, is the foreign school fun? Tell me about it!”