Raw materials of jade stone with such luster and translucence were something the pawnshop shopkeeper very rarely encountered.
Holding it in his hand, he caressed it fondly and scrutinized it closely, completely unable to figure out how much he should offer for a moment.
After all, it wasn’t a polished fine jade, so it was unavoidable that the price would be pressed down heavily.
After hesitating for a long while, the shopkeeper finally extended two fingers and cast an inquiring gaze toward Song Nianxi.
Song Nianxi’s gentle eyes instantly revealed joy.
A single raw piece of jade stone was actually worth two guan of coins?!
This was simply too wonderful; a single piece could be worth two guan.
Then Mianmian had dug out six pieces in total, and there were ones even larger than this. Combined together, wouldn’t they be able to sell for more than twelve guan?
This was something the entire family couldn’t save even after farming for several years!
Song Nianxi wasn’t greedy, nor was she good at haggling with others, so she pursed her lips and agreed.
“Since the shopkeeper believes it is worth this much, then let it be so.” Within the woman’s pleasant voice, a hint of excitement was faintly revealed.
The shopkeeper also let out a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand.
He had been terrified that Song Nianxi would refuse to accept the price he offered.
“Alright, then I shall give you twenty guan of coins.”
What?!
Song Nianxi was slightly dazed. It was twenty guan, not two guan?
She hadn’t heard wrong, had she?
Such a tiny piece of jade could actually be pawned for twenty guan of coins?!
Seeing that Song Nianxi’s expression was unusual and her face had flushed a peculiar red, the pawnshop shopkeeper believed she was having some regrets.
So he bit his teeth and added a bit more.
“Do not be vexed either. Who told you that this is raw material and a bit small? Being worth this much is already quite decent. At worst, I shall just add another two guan of coins for you.”
Looking at the twenty-two guan of coins laid out before her, waiting for her to count them, Song Nianxi’s feet grew unsteady, and she even felt a bit dizzy.
Fortunately, Zhou Mianmian extended her little hand in time, tugging at the corner of her sleeve.
“Mother, quickly count the money.”
Her own daughter’s milky voice brought Song Nianxi back to her senses.
She looked down, only to see Mianmian looking up with her palm-sized round little face, blinking her eyes at her.
Seeing that Song Nianxi was shocked to such a degree, Zhou Mianmian even let out two playful giggles.
This little appearance was incredibly precious.
Song Nianxi’s heart instantly softened into a puddle, and she quickly followed Mianmian’s words, counting all twenty-two guan of coins thoroughly.
Naturally, there was no problem with the amount of money. When they left the pawnshop, Song Nianxi had a small hemp sack in her hand.
Inside it was filled with heavy copper coins!
Song Nianxi was so happy her feet swayed as she walked.
In her excitement, she almost stumbled, and her already broken and thin shoe sole was worn through by a small patch.
Song Nianxi couldn’t bother to care about herself; she only wanted to rush back quickly to tell Third Zhou and Old Madam Zhou the good news.
However, Zhou Mianmian refused to comply, tugging tightly at her arm instead and pulling her toward another direction.
“Mother, buy food-food.”
Only then did Song Nianxi slap her forehead. How could she forget that Mianmian hadn’t eaten yet?
If she shortchanged her daughter’s little belly, that would truly be a sin.
“Good, good, good. Mother knows Mianmian is hungry, so let’s go buy some delicious food.”
Who would have thought that Zhou Mianmian shook her little round head?
“Mianmian isn’t hungry. Mianmian is afraid the brothers are hungry, Mother is hungry, Father is hungry, Grandma is hungry, the uncles and aunts are hungry.”
“Go buy food-food for everyone!”
She spoke a whole string of words in a somewhat slurred manner, causing Song Nianxi to be stunned.
Mianmian was anxious to buy food, yet it wasn’t because of her own greed.
Instead, she was thinking about her family?
At this moment, Zhou Mianmian turned her body around again, looking down at Song Nianxi’s shabby shoes.
Pouting her tiny mouth, she mumbled, “After buying food-food, must buy shoes-shoes for Mother.”
A warm current instantly flooded Song Nianxi’s heart!
Holding the money sack in her hand, she no longer cared about the copper coins inside; her heart and eyes were filled entirely with her sweet darling.
At such a young age, she was sensible enough to make one’s heart ache.
Song Nianxi was incredibly moved and agreed to Mianmian’s words.
“Mother will listen to Mianmian. We will buy whatever Mianmian wants to buy!”
Thus, amidst the bustling shops of the town, one could see a three-and-a-half-year-old baby girl walking briskly with tottering steps, clutching a woman’s arm, buying things here and there.
Thinking that Second Zhou and the other boys were craving bird eggs, Zhou Mianmian went to the western market and bought a full basket of roasted bird eggs.
Thinking further of the lotus root starch crystal cakes that her brothers couldn’t bear to eat, Mianmian pulled Song Nianxi to the pastry shop in the eastern market, buying several kinds of small pastries.
Lotus root starch crystal cakes, jujube paste yam cakes, almond crisps, preserved cherries… she bought a full six or seven varieties, all wrapped inside oil-paper bags.
Aside from these, the most important thing was still buying meat to eat.
提到了肉，周綿綿最愛吃肉，覺得全家定都愛吃。
“Meat-meat!” Taking short steps with her little legs, she pattered over to the butcher shop.
She imperiously bought a full ten jin of beef leg meat.
She then bought out the freshly baked pork and sauerkraut big buns along the street.
After buying the food, Mianmian noticed that the clothes on Song Nianxi’s body were thin.
Tilting her little head, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
“Go buy clothes-clothes to wear too.”
It was already early spring now, and although it wasn’t as cold as winter, one should still dress warmly.
Song Nianxi wore an old, thin blouse that had been washed too many times, filled with dense clusters of tiny holes everywhere; how could it still shield her from the wind?
Thus, Zhou Mianmian took a full two guan of coins and made the decision herself.
After buying shoes, she went to buy several sets of thick and simple garments.
Worn inside the adults’ outer robes, they were both warm and not very conspicuous.
“This is for Mother, this is for Grandma, this is given to Father, and Second Aunt, Fourth Uncle…”
Zhou Mianmian counted along with her fair, soft fingers, tilting her head as she counted a whole string, her black-pearl-like eyes blinking continuously, her little demeanor incredibly earnest.
She was simply terrified of leaving out anyone who shouldn’t be left out.
Naturally, she also refused to buy anything extra for anyone who didn’t deserve it…
It just so happened that the shoe shopkeeper was about to throw away a pair of poorly made shoes, so Mianmian asked for them as well.
Over on the Zhou family’s side, they had waited left and right without seeing the mother and daughter pair of Song Nianxi return, just starting to feel a tiny bit anxious.
Right at this moment, they saw a little figure ahead, swaying as she rushed back toward this direction.
Old Madam Zhou grinned with joy the moment she saw her, “My sweet granddaughter is back!”
Not only had she returned, but she had also brought back many things.
Mianmian’s small body was draped all over with oil-paper bags containing pastries, hanging so much that they almost covered her body, making her walk appear exceptionally clumsy.
Yet it also carried a hint of adorable charm.
Song Nianxi followed behind with a beaming smile, carrying a sack of copper coins in her hand.
And some garments and footwear.
The moment Old Madam Zhou saw this, she knew that the jade pawn must have fetched a high price; otherwise, Third’s wife wouldn’t have the heart to buy so much.
So she hurriedly went over and grabbed Song Nianxi’s hand, “Quickly tell Mother, how much did it pawn for?”
Song Nianxi smiled and handed the hemp sack to Old Madam Zhou.
“Mother, look for yourself.”
Old Madam Zhou feared that outsiders would see, and she needed to guard against Second Zhou and Li Chunzhu even more.
She only dared to open a small slit, sticking her head inside to take a swift glance.
When Old Madam Zhou raised her head again, her eyes were wide open, “Actually this much?!”
“A full twenty-two guan,” Song Nianxi said, lowering her voice.
Old Madam Zhou’s face radiated joy, and she quickly tried to stuff the money sack into her bundle.
But her bundle was too ragged and small; she stuffed it several times, yet she simply couldn’t fit this money sack.
After all, out of twenty-two guan of coins, they had spent nearly two guan, and the remaining twenty guan took up quite a lot of space.
This blissful worry left Old Madam Zhou at a loss for what to do for a moment.
With nimble movements, she could only throw out all the rags and tatters inside her bundle first, but even so, it still wouldn’t fit.
Old Madam Zhou slapped her thigh, unable to restrain herself from laughing with tears of joy.
“When has our old Zhou family ever had a time when there was too much money to fit? Third’s wife, can you believe it? Can you believe it?!”