Ruifeng Pawnshop sat on the busiest cross‑street of Qinghe County.
One corner of its signboard was broken, and the giant character for “pawn” was painted in wild, bold strokes.
Shen Xian stepped inside and slapped the pawn‑ticket onto the countertop.
“Shopkeeper, I wish to redeem my item.”
A plump shopkeeper poked his head out, squinting at the ticket.
He looked Shen Xian and his two companions up and down.
“This is a dead pawn.
Cannot be redeemed.”
“I know that.” Shen Xian leaned forward onto the counter.
“I only want to ask: what sort of man brought this item to pawn half a month ago?”
“House rules.
We never ask about origins of pawned goods.”
“Shopkeeper.” Shen Xian smiled.
“Let me rephrase.
Is the object pawned half a month ago still stored in your vault?”
The shopkeeper’s eyelid twitched.
“What if it is?
What if it is not?”
“If it remains, you are stuck with hard‑to‑dispose‑of contraband.” Shen Xian drawled.
“A Red Spirit Ginseng like this rarely appears in Qinghe County in a whole year.
Legitimate apothecaries dare not accept goods of unknown provenance.
To sell it you would have to transport it to the prefectural city, passing countless checkpoints.
Imagine if officials seize it mid‑journey.
Shopkeeper, you know full well what punishment awaits for fencing stolen goods.”
The pawnshop fell quiet.
“I am the aggrieved party.” Shen Xian lowered his voice.
“This ginseng was stolen from our household.
Our master frets himself sick over its loss.
If you hand it over now, you are praised for returning lost property.
If government troops raid your shop and find it hidden away, you will be charged with harboring stolen goods.
Same ginseng, two very different outcomes: either honor and praise, or prison meals.
As a businessman, I need not explain which choice benefits you more.”
Silence hung for a moment.
The fat shopkeeper waved and called toward the back yard.
“Fetch the long box from Storage Bin C.”
Presently an apprentice carried out an ornate box.
Sandalwood, carved golden cloud patterns, one‑and‑a‑half‑feet square —‑‑ an exact match for the box Shen Xian carried.
Shen Xian lifted the lid.
Red velvet lined the interior.
The velvet lay empty.
“Where is the ginseng?!”
“Calm down, calm down.” The shopkeeper wiped sweat from his brow.
“Such a precious item would never sit inside the box.
It is preserved back in our ice cellar…” He paused and suddenly realized something.
“Wait —‑‑ how did you know this box held ginseng?”
“This box originally belonged to our household.” Shen Xian closed the lid.
“One more question, shopkeeper.
Describe the man who pawned this.”
This time the shopkeeper did not hold out long.
“I cannot say for certain.
He spoke with an out‑of‑town accent.
Half his pinky finger on his right hand was missing.
He wanted pure silver for the ginseng.
When I asked its origin he claimed it was a family heirloom.
But the knot binding the ginseng root was the three‑loop knot used by medicine merchants in Qingzhou —‑‑ no one in Qinghe County ties ginseng roots like that.” Visit novelping . com for the full chapter.
Right hand, missing half the pinky finger.
Shen Xian circled that detail firmly in his mind.
“Anything else?”
“One more thing.
He dropped something on his way out.” The shopkeeper pulled a wooden token out of a drawer.
“I hurried out to return it, but he was already gone.”
The wooden token was half‑palm‑sized, black‑wood branded with a dice symbol.
Laifu leaned forward.
“Hey, dice!
Third Young Master, this guy is a gambler!”
“Not just a gambler.” Shen Xian flipped over the token.
Two small characters were branded on its reverse: Tongbao.
“This is a token for the Tongbao Gambling House.” He stood up and folded the pawn‑ticket into his robe.
“Shopkeeper, keep the ginseng safely in your ice cellar.
I shall come collect it tomorrow.
As for this pawn‑ticket…”
“I will burn it right away!”
“Do not burn it.
Keep it safe.” Shen Xian held down his hand with a friendly smile.
“We may need it as court evidence someday.
Better to preserve proof for everyone’s sake.”
Outside the pawnshop, the sun hung low near sunset.
“Third Young Master, where to now?” Wangcai asked.
Shen Xian hefted the wooden token in his palm and stared toward the street corner.
Lantern lights were flickering to life, brightest around one crowded doorway where dice‑shaking clatter drifted halfway down the street.
“Time to pay a visit to our unlucky gambler friend.”