As they reached the main gate, a rickshaw puller waiting nearby immediately came over.
Zhegui scanned the area first. Her eyes landed on a young man wearing a long-sleeved white cotton jacket, black cloth trousers tied at the ankles, and blue cloth shoes with layered soles.
He was dressed neatly, his hair cut short, and his build tall and straight. His rickshaw was polished to a mirror shine, making the other pullers look shabby in comparison.
Satisfied, Zhegui waved at him. “You, come here.”
The young man swiftly pulled the rickshaw over and steadied it. “Where to, Madam?”
Jiang Ci leaned on Zhegui’s hand to get in, then patted her hand to signal her to sit as well before saying, “To Huaxi Girls’ School.”
The puller acknowledged and started running.
At this time, rickshaw pullers were much like taxi drivers today; many were talkative and sociable.
This one certainly had a silver tongue.
After running a short distance, he asked with a smile, “Are you going to pick someone up, or are you going to study yourself, Madam?”
Zhegui lifted her chin proudly. “Do you think our Young Mistress has time to pick people up?”
“My apologies! So you are the Young Mistress of the Qin family!” The puller wasn’t offended by the rebuke; instead, he flattered her. “I heard recently that Huaxi School opened a special class for married ladies. I didn’t expect to actually meet one!”
It turned out that Huaxi Girls’ School had newly established a “Madam’s Class” that year, specifically for married noblewomen. Before this, such a thing was unheard of.
Jiang Ci didn’t know this. She had simply assumed that anyone could attend as long as they paid the tuition. Hearing the puller, she realized there was more to it.
“Young as you are, you seem to know everything.”
Pleased by the compliment, he said proudly, “I may just be a puller, Madam, but we run all over the city every day. We hear all the news!”
Why was he so eager to please?
First, good service was part of the job.
Second, strong young pullers like him were ambitious.
Waiting outside wealthy families offered three main advantages:
First, rich people cared about their face. They never haggled over the fare and always gave generous tips.
Second, masters and young masters often went out for banquets and dinners. While waiting, the pullers were usually fed well.
Just like in the story of *Kong Yiji*—those wearing long gowns sat upstairs to eat, while those in short clothes stood and ate downstairs, including the pullers waiting for their masters.
Third, wealthy families valued reliability and appearance. If a young puller performed well, he might be hired as a permanent private driver.
In that case, the family owned the rickshaw, and he only served them. The work was easier, meals were provided, no rent was due, and he earned a steady eight silver dollars a month.
Thus, the puller chatted non-stop throughout the journey.
Since Jiang Ci would need transport to and from school, she was thinking of buying a rickshaw. She asked, “You work in this trade, so you must know which companies make the best rickshaws. Tell me.”
Unexpectedly, the puller laughed. “Other people might need to buy one, but you don’t have to, Madam! Isn’t the biggest rickshaw company in the city, Baofeng Firm, owned by your own relatives?”
“My relatives?”
“Exactly! It’s Master Ninth from the Third Branch of the Qin family! He’s only two years older than Young Master Qin, but he’s two generations above him in seniority!”
Jiang Ci gave Zhegui a look. Zhegui immediately took a silver dollar from her purse and handed it over. “Our Mistress has just married into the family and hasn’t met everyone yet. Tell us everything you know.”
The puller stopped, wiped his hands on his jacket, and accepted the coin gratefully. “Thank you for the reward, Madam!”
He started pulling again and began his story.
“To understand the Qin family, you have to go back five generations. During the Daoguang reign, when this city was still just a county, there was a prosperous family with three sons and four daughters. The eldest son was a brilliant scholar. He passed the imperial exams in his thirties and rose to the rank of Fourth Grade Official—that was your late Great-grandfather, Young Master Qin’s ancestor. Now, the Second Branch…”
…
About three-quarters of an hour later, the rickshaw stopped in front of Huaxi Girls’ School.
Zhegui helped Jiang Ci down and gave the puller some small change. “Wait here. We’ll need you when we come out.”
“Yes, Madam!”
He pulled the rickshaw to the side and waited.
As Jiang Ci entered, she saw a large tennis court, and beyond that, a playground and running track.
Facing the main gate stood a massive Gothic building. It looked more like a church than a school.
At that time, most girls’ schools were missionary schools run by foreigners, so such architecture was not unusual.
Jiang Ci handed a handwritten card from the principal to the gatekeeper. After explaining her purpose, she was led to an office.
A seamstress was waiting there to take her measurements.
“Raise your arms, please.”
“Turn around slowly.”
While cooperating, Jiang Ci sorted through the information about the Qin family branches in her mind.
The family had split during the generation of Qin Huai’an’s great-grandfather.
That great-grandfather was the eldest son. If he were alive, he would be over ninety now.
He had been the glory of the family, but his descendants had gradually declined.
He was a proper scholar-official of the fourth rank. His son, Qin Huai’an’s grandfather, only inherited a nominal sixth-rank position.
By Qin Huai’an’s father’s generation, it was even worse—he was merely a director in the Department of Internal Affairs.
As for Qin Huai’an himself, he was just a low-ranking clerk.
However, the Second Branch had gone into business. They ran freight companies, operated on both legal and illegal sides, and controlled a massive caravan network and trade routes.
The Third Master of the Third Branch was the only one of the three brothers still alive, having just turned seventy last year.
He was a formidable figure who owned a private bank and did extensive investment business.
Furthermore, his father-in-law was the “Ship King” of the city, owning hundreds of vessels that imported goods from the West, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
The Third Master and his wife had a daughter and a son. The eldest daughter, Yanting, married General Zeng, the current Governor-General. The youngest son, Yanchi, was the president of the powerful Songjiang Chamber of Commerce, overseeing countless businesses.
One of those businesses was Baofeng Firm—the largest rickshaw and car dealership in the city. They sold and rented not only the best quality rickshaws but also top-tier domestic automobiles, which sold for three thousand silver dollars each—almost comparable to Fords.
Jiang Ci made a mental note to visit that firm after checking on her dowry shops.
After the measurements were taken and a twenty-dollar uniform fee paid, they left the building.
Huaxi was an elite school; the annual tuition was four hundred dollars, so the uniforms were naturally expensive.
Jiang Ci had seen the design: a white silk blouse with wide sleeves, a grey wool pleated skirt, and black Mary Jane shoes. It cost as much as an intricately embroidered silk cheongsam.
*I hope this place isn’t as chaotic as “Elliston,”* she thought to herself.
She got back into the rickshaw. “To Longchang Jade Shop.”
This time, the puller remained quiet and efficient, bringing them there swiftly and smoothly.
As she got down, Jiang Ci glanced at him and said, “Later, when we go to buy a car, you will choose it.”
Understanding immediately that this meant he was being hired as her personal driver, he beamed. “Thank you, Young Mistress!”
Jiang Ci waved at Zhegui to keep it low-key. She walked in slowly, just like any other customer.
Although the original owner wasn’t actually illiterate, it was true that she had never stepped out of the house.
That was due to poor health, not because she was uneducated.
None of the staff or managers recognized Jiang Ci.
When the shop assistants saw a woman enter, they didn’t pay much attention.
“Have a look around, Madam.”
After that perfunctory greeting, they went back to what they were doing.
Jiang Ci looked like a wealthy woman, of course.
However, as she looked around, she noticed that the shop was filled mostly with large ornaments, small handheld carvings, and snuff bottles. Surprisingly, there was not a single piece of jewelry on display.
Jiang Ci couldn’t help but frown.
She had come not only to inspect the business but for another reason entirely.
Her special ability allowed her to level up not only by absorbing zombie cores but also by absorbing the spiritual energy within jadeite.
After the apocalypse, no one cared about jewelry. Her base wasn’t near any major jade markets, so the jade she found was mostly low-to-mid grade from department stores, far less potent than cores.
Even when she found good quality pieces, the quantity was negligible.
Now, transported to this era, she had expected it to be easier. Today, however, she was disappointed.
Longchang Jade Shop clearly specialized in large carvings.
The jade used for ornaments was mostly lower grades like *Douzhong* (bean species) or *Nuozhong* (waxy species)—hardly considered high-quality.
And judging by how empty the shop was…
It would be a miracle if they had anything good here.
Jiang Ci picked up a snuff bottle. Her X-ray vision told her it was just old waxy jade. She closed her eyes briefly and said, “Call your manager.”
Immediately, Zhegui took out a ring made of red agate, showing the carved pattern on the setting, and said sharply, “Open your eyes and see who is here!”
“That ring… it’s the owner’s mark!”
An older clerk recognized it instantly and rushed to the back to call the boss.
The others were shocked. Some hurriedly brought chairs, others poured tea, and one rushed to the door to hang up the “Closed” sign.
As Jiang Ci sat inside, she nodded toward the accountant. Zhegui walked over sternly. “Bring out the ledgers.”
The manager came out from the back just in time to see this scene, and his face fell immediately.