Chapter Sixty: Sending Hairpins

Chapter 60: Gifting the Hairpin

Xiao Xun glanced at Sun Shi, then turned to Lin Qiuran.

Lin Qiuran seemed equally surprised to see him there, a hint of astonishment in her eyes.

Xiao Xun smiled, then turned back to the shop assistant. "This one, wrap it up."

Several hairpins lay on the counter—some shaped like plum blossoms, others like butterflies. Xiao Xun pointed to a gold hairpin with a Ruyi-shaped finial.

It was crafted entirely from gold, inlaid with a beautiful agate stone. The gold and red hues complemented each other perfectly, and with the New Year approaching, Xiao Xun found the hairpin particularly festive.

It weighed eight qian and cost ten taels of silver—precisely the amount Xiao Xun had on him.

He paid without hesitation. The shop assistant happily accepted the money, packing the item while effusively praising, "You have excellent taste, sir. This Golden Ruyi is one of our shop's signature pieces…"

The assistant chattered on, his movements slowing. Xiao Xun rapped the counter, urging, "Hurry up."

The assistant quickly fell silent, swiftly weighed the hairpin, placed it in a box, and handed it to Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun glanced at it and tucked it directly into his clothing.

The selection and payment took only a moment. After the purchase, Xiao Xun squeezed his way out of the crowd. It was much quieter here, and he looked at the two women. "What brings you here? What are you looking to buy?"

Sun Shi gazed at Xiao Xun’s chest for a while but couldn’t discern what was inside.

Lin Qiuran said, "We haven't decided yet. We thought we'd take a look first."

She didn't ask what Xiao Xun had just bought. She had seen him pay and take something, but the assistant had been blocked from view. It might have been something for Sun Shi, so it wouldn't be appropriate to ask outright.

Sun Shi withdrew her gaze, her face showing happiness, but she soon frowned. "Why didn't you come home first after returning?"

Xiao Xun smiled without answering.

He had indeed intended to go home first before coming out to shop, but when he returned, the main gate was locked.

No one was home. He climbed over the wall, but the house was also locked, and the courtyard was empty. The donkey shed and chicken coop were gone. Though he couldn’t enter the house, he could see through the crack in the door that it was empty inside.

It was just like the last time he returned to Xiao Village.

Xiao Xun even wondered if the house had been robbed, but after thinking it over, he guessed they had moved.

He didn’t ask the neighbors and went directly to the eatery, but no one was there either. Since Golden Ruyi was next door, he decided to come in and buy what he needed first. He could ask the neighbors later about where they had moved.

Lin Qiuran said apologetically, "We moved some time ago. You weren't here, but I told Aunt Xu next door and the others."

She hadn't expected Xiao Xun to look for them at the eatery, as it had ceased operations a few days ago.

Xiao Xun said, "It's my fault for not asking the neighbors."

Lin Qiuran replied, "It's good we ran into you here, saving you a trip… Let's not stand here. Father is waiting outside. Do you want to go home first, or…?"

During the New Year period, the jewelry shop was exceptionally crowded. Besides the customers around the first-floor counter, there were people coming down from upstairs and others entering from outside. Golden Ruyi’s shop was even larger than the eatery, a testament to its bustling business.

Lin Qiuran didn't want to squeeze through the first floor and decided to go upstairs.

The eatery had better decor on the second floor, and she assumed Golden Ruyi would be the same. Even if it wasn't, she could always come back down.

Xiao Xun said, "I'll go with you, and we can head home together."

Sun Shi belatedly realized that, of course, Xiao Xun hadn't known they had moved, which was why he hadn't gone home first. If he had gone back, no one would have been there, so running into him here was a coincidence.

Lin Qiuran said, "Let's go to the second floor. It's too crowded here."

Before going up the stairs, Xiao Xun extended a hand to help her.

Lin Qiuran shook her head. In such places, she felt it was safer to walk alone. She said, "The staircase is narrow. If two people walk together, others won't be able to pass."

She ascended the steps and reached the second floor, which was indeed more elegant and refined, with fewer people compared to the first floor.

A shop assistant, noticing Lin Qiuran was pregnant, brought over a stool and placed it in front of the counter for her to sit and browse. "Madam, what kind of jewelry are you interested in? We have everything here—gold, silver, jade, pearls, and gemstones. You're so beautiful; gold and silver would suit you well. We also have lovely hairpins that would look great on you."

Lin Qiuran said, "Let's start by looking at hairpins, bracelets, and earrings. How are the prices here?"

"I'll bring a few for you to see," the assistant said as he searched. "Gold and silver jewelry are priced by weight, plus a crafting fee. Pieces with gemstones are naturally more expensive. Copper accessories have fixed prices, depending on the craftsmanship, with a range of options."

The assistant brought out a variety of items, even some Lin Qiuran hadn't mentioned. The more, the merrier—the more she saw, the more likely she was to find something she liked.

He noticed that although Lin Qiuran was dressed plainly, she wasn't hesitant. Some customers didn't dare to look or touch anything, but since she was here during the New Year, she likely wouldn't leave empty-handed.

Lin Qiuran looked at the two trays filled with dazzling jewelry. The bracelets varied in thickness and shape—some flat, some round, some with fish-scale patterns that shimmered beautifully.

Others were carved with patterns like auspicious clouds or lotus flowers. Most were in the traditional antique colors Lin Qiuran had seen before, with fewer of the highly polished, shiny ones.

The assistant said, "Madam, don't just look. You have to try them on to see if they suit you. We allow trying here—it's fine even if you don't buy. You can only tell if something looks good when you wear it."

In a jewelry shop, how else would you know if something suits you? Some pieces might not look appealing at first glance but look entirely different when worn. What seems ordinary in the tray might make your skin appear fairer and your wrists as delicate as snow, looking absolutely stunning.

Lin Qiuran nodded and put a bracelet carved with auspicious cloud patterns on her right wrist. The assistant explained, "This type is non-adjustable and stiffer, so it's less likely to deform. Although you're pregnant, you're not heavy, so this size is fine. No need to deliberately buy a larger one."

Lin Qiuran rotated her wrist. She didn't go out often, so her skin was fair. Her wrist wasn't thick, and the gold bracelet hung loosely, leaving some space. Compared to her other wrist, this one indeed looked slimmer.

It was beautiful.

Xiao Xun, watching from the side, was about to say it looked nice when Sun Shi tugged his sleeve and spoke up, "Qiu Ran, I think this one is just average."

It wasn't that Sun Shi thought it looked bad—she actually found it very beautiful—but if she showed too much satisfaction, the shop wouldn't give her a chance to bargain. If they thought you wanted to buy, the assistant would have the upper hand.

Xiao Xun frowned, then heard Lin Qiuran also say, "It is average."

She tried on a lotus-patterned bracelet, which was even prettier than the cloud-patterned one. The cloud patterns weren't as intricate or beautiful as the floral ones. Moreover, the cloud-patterned bracelet was slightly rounder, while the lotus one was wider, making it appear larger.

The assistant brought out many hairpins, some with lotus-shaped heads and others with Ruyi designs.

With the New Year approaching, the Ruyi one had an agate stone inlaid. Lin Qiuran picked up the Ruyi hairpin to examine it and was about to try it on when Xiao Xun said from beside her, "...I think this one is a bit average."

Lin Qiuran glanced at Xiao Xun. The assistant quickly smoothed things over, "Ah, there are plenty more here. Madam, you can try others too."

Harmony brings wealth—he didn't want them to argue and leave without buying anything.

Lin Qiuran’s gaze fell on Xiao Xun’s chest but she said nothing, putting the hairpin down and picking up a lotus-shaped one to try instead. The assistant promptly placed a bronze mirror in front of her. In the smooth reflection, the lotus hairpin was tucked into Lin Qiuran’s hair.

It looked nice, but wearing just one seemed a bit plain.

She looked at it for a while before taking the hairpin off.

The earrings came in various shapes—small gold beads, tiny flowers… The pins at the back were curved so they wouldn’t fall off once worn. There were also hoop earrings with long tassels, beautiful pearls, or small pieces of jade. Both gold and silver were available, and there were even prettier copper accessories inlaid with various attractive small stones. The shapes were diverse, likely because copper, being harder than gold and silver, allowed for more intricate designs.

Lin Qiuran had seen many people on the street wearing such earrings.

There were also silk and velvet flowers. Lin Qiuran looked at everything the assistant brought, trying on the ones she liked and leaving the others untouched.

The shop assistant, observing Lin Qiuran's expression, said, "There are more gold items; let me bring some others for you to see."

Lin Qiuran replied, "No need. Please calculate the cost of these for me."

She pointed to the lotus-patterned bracelet and the pearl earrings.

The assistant brought out a small scale and said, "For gold, it's 1.2 taels of silver per qian. The workmanship fee varies for each item. This lotus-patterned bracelet has a workmanship fee of five mace and weighs one tael and four qian, totaling 17.3 taels. The earrings are a set price of two taels. These pearls are of excellent quality—look at their luster. You won't find such beautiful pearls elsewhere."

Lin Qiuran felt the price was a bit high. The craftsmanship wasn't as good as what she had seen before, and with just a simple lotus pattern, it still cost half a tael in workmanship fees.

Half a tael, just for the workmanship. The earrings only had gold at the part that went into the ear; the rest was copper. She wasn't sure about the price of pearls, but two taels was about what our eatery earned in a day.

Lin Qiuran said, "This price isn't cheap."

The assistant replied apologetically, "Ma'am, this is already a very fair price. You can check elsewhere. Gold and silver jewelry are different from other expenses—they require refining to enhance their appearance, unlike copper. If you compare prices like that, it's not a fair comparison. Otherwise, why not just keep the gold and not buy jewelry? These pearls are gathered with great effort by coastal pearl divers and then transported here. To make a pair of earrings, we have to select perfectly matched pearls, or they wouldn't look good."

Lin Qiuran said, "If you're sincere about selling, give me your best price. Whether I buy more or less depends on whether the price is right."

She also planned to buy a bracelet for Sun Shi. The fish-scale pattern one was quite beautiful, and its wider shape would look quite elegant on her.

For women of her age, a wider bracelet suits better than a thin one.

There was also the lotus-patterned hairpin, which matched the pattern of the bracelet Lin Qiuran had chosen. They would look best worn together.

Besides, she hesitated to wear gold pieces daily, so she could buy a silver one as an alternative. There was also that copper butterfly hairpin set with many beautiful stones. When pinned in the hair, it looked like a butterfly had landed on her head. Lin Qiuran thought it was quite lovely too.

She had several items in mind to buy, and there were other jewelry shops besides this one. If the prices here weren't reasonable, there was no need to insist on buying here.

Sun Shi chimed in. Another customer was also bargaining with the assistant serving her. Sun Shi said, "How can it be that you set whatever price you want?"

The assistant sighed. "I can't make this decision; I'll have to ask our shopkeeper."

He gathered the items and went inside for a while before returning.

He looked troubled and said quietly, "For the bracelet, we can charge 1.1 taels per qian, and the workmanship fee can be discounted a bit. If you buy more, I really can't go any lower. There are other customers here, and if I give you a discount but not them, it wouldn't be fair for business. However, I can throw in some silk flowers and velvet flowers."

Compared to gold, silver, and jade accessories, silk flowers weren't worth much. If Lin Qiuran bought more, these could be given as gifts. It was all negotiable.

Lin Qiuran nodded and pointed to the fish-scale bracelet. "Discount the workmanship fee for this bracelet and the hairpin as well. I also want a silver bracelet. As for this butterfly hairpin and the silk flowers, just include them as gifts."

There were many customers buying jewelry. Lin Qiuran was purchasing two gold bracelets, a gold lotus-patterned hairpin, a silver bracelet, and pearl earrings—a significant customer.

The copper hairpin originally cost three mace, so giving it away was acceptable. As long as she returned in the future, it would be good for business.

The assistant no longer objected and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll calculate the total for you."

Xiao Xun, listening nearby, couldn't help but rub his nose.

The assistant quickly weighed the items and calculated using the abacus. The fish-scale bracelet was heavier, weighing one tael and six qian. The hairpin weighed six qian. The total for all items came to 44 taels.

He also included a copper butterfly hairpin, two silk flowers, and one velvet flower as gifts. The displayed colors were bright, but Lin Qiuran asked the assistant to find more subtle, elegant colors. Since there were no fresh flowers in this season, the velvet and silk flowers sold very well.

With this trip, she had bought everything she needed, spending a significant portion of the family's savings. However, gold and silver jewelry could be converted to cash in the future.

The assistant re-weighed the jewelry and asked Lin Qiuran if she wanted them wrapped or to wear them immediately.

Lin Qiuran took out the fish-scale bracelet. "Wrap the others. Just the box for this one."

She took the fish-scale bracelet and reached for Sun Shi's hand.

Sun Shi, caught off guard, quickly pulled her hand back as the bracelet was about to slide onto her wrist. "What are you doing?"

Lin Qiuran held Sun Shi's hand and slipped the bracelet on. "I bought this for you. Try it on."

Sun Shi looked at Lin Qiuran, her mouth slightly agape, unable to say a word.

The assistant finally realized. The older woman had said it was 'just average' earlier to bargain. He said, "It's a gift of filial piety. You should accept it."

He hoped she wouldn't return it—returns were accepted before leaving the shop.

The bracelet felt heavy on Sun Shi's wrist. She had never worn such jewelry in her life. The family had always struggled to make ends meet, unable to afford even a silver hairpin. This bracelet weighed one tael and six qian, made of gold. Including the workmanship fee, it was nearly eighteen taels of silver.

Sun Shi felt it was too extravagant. How could she deserve such a fine thing? Yet, wearing it, she genuinely liked it.

The assistant praised, "It looks very elegant on you. So beautiful! As they say, 'Clothes make the man, and gold adorns the Buddha.' It's your child's filial piety. You should wear it, ma'am!"

Lin Qiuran nodded. "Then it's settled."

She had Xiao Xun carry the items for safety. Sun Shi could wear the bracelet, covered by her sleeve. Unless she deliberately showed it, no one would notice.

Honestly, these items weren't cheap. They could have bought a donkey cart and their previous house. Such valuable things were beautiful to wear, but Lin Qiuran was more afraid of losing them.

Anyone would be upset to lose money, so it was better to be careful.

She had already forgotten what the previously pawned bracelets looked like. This new one, along with the others, was heavier, and she had chosen it herself, so it was more to her liking.

With over a hundred taels of silver, she had spent a significant portion today. Lin Qiuran originally thought that having two houses in the county town, a shopfront, over twenty mu (about 3 acres) of farmland, and some savings meant they were doing quite well. But there were still many good things to buy.

Money really goes quickly.

They went downstairs, and Xiao Dashi saw them. He first asked, "Finished shopping?"

Then he added, "Oh, why is Xiao Xun back too?"

Xiao Xun smiled. Sun Shi quickly said, "Where else would he go for the New Year if not home? Let's go, let's go!"

Lin Qiuran also wanted to return quickly to examine the jewelry more closely. The gold bracelet wasn't suitable for wearing out often, but the silver bracelet with the same lotus pattern could be worn regularly.

The gold bracelet could be worn occasionally in the future.

Earlier, the assistant had shown Lin Qiuran a few gold locks, probably because he noticed she was pregnant. They were engraved with "Long Life" and tied with red strings, perfect for a child.

But since she had already spent a lot today, she bought her own items first. The locks could wait until the child's full moon celebration. There was still money left.

With Xiao Xun here, Xiao Dashi naturally asked him to lead the donkey cart. However, Xiao Xun had returned on horseback. With both a donkey cart and a horse, Xiao Dashi had to lead the horse back.

Sun Shi specifically told Xiao Dashi to go slowly. Unlike Lin Qiuran, she hadn't expected Xiao Xun to buy gifts for others. But he was quite thoughtful, knowing to buy something.

Still, the donkey cart was also arranged by Xiao Xun. He noticed what the household needed. This was good—Lin Qiuran shouldn't have to worry about everything alone.

They walked slowly, not realizing that Xiao Xun, having just returned, didn't know the way.

Xiao Xun led the donkey, unsure which direction to go. Lin Qiuran had to guide him along the way. Fortunately, they didn't get lost and arrived home safely.

At the doorstep, Lin Qiuran said, "There are steps here. The donkey cart needs to enter through the side gate. With more people in the household now, the old place wasn't enough, so we moved to a new one."

Xiao Xun nodded, letting Lin Qiuran enter first while he went to tie up the donkey cart.

After waiting for a while, Xiao Dashi and the rest got back. Sun Shi hurried back to her room and took the bracelet off.

It was heavy—her hand had been aching on the way back—and she was worried about getting robbed, so she had to watch her step. It wasn't something she could wear every day, so she quickly found a place to stash it.

She had to hide it well and make sure it didn't get lost.

She'd accepted it not just because it was beautiful and Lin Qiuran had bought it for her, but also because it was valuable. It was like money—the more savings the family had, the better. Besides, when she was gone, all of this would belong to Lin Qiuran anyway.

Lin Qiuran also returned to her room, but the items were still with Xiao Xun. She sat at the table and waited for a while until Xiao Xun came inside.

It was cold outside, but the room was extremely warm.

The jewelry was tucked inside Xiao Xun's coat. He stood by the table and began taking things out. Fortunately, his padded coat was thick, and the boxes were small, so they weren’t noticeable when carried inside.

The box for the bracelet was even smaller, flat and made of wood. It wasn’t as pretty as the one they had picked up earlier, nor did it have a golden clasp—it was just an ordinary wooden box with a layer of cloth inside to prevent scratches.

There were two flat boxes for the bracelets, a small one for the earrings, and the velvet flowers and butterfly hairpin were placed together. The box for the lotus hairpin was particularly petite.

Xiao Xun dumped everything out at once. Lin Qiuran counted them and noticed an extra box on the table, identical to the one for the lotus hairpin.

Lin Qiuran looked at Xiao Xun.

Xiao Xun’s breath caught. He first patted down his chest to make sure it was empty, then looked at Lin Qiuran. Lin Qiuran’s lips curved up at the corners. This guy.

Lin Qiuran asked, “Which one did you buy?”

Though she hadn’t looked yet, Lin Qiuran had already figured it out.

Even though Lin Qiuran was sitting and Xiao Xun was standing, it somehow felt like Xiao Xun was the one who was flustered.

He opened the two boxes containing the hairpins, then handed one of them to Lin Qiuran. “This one.”

Lin Qiuran looked inside and saw a Golden Ruyi hairpin. The ruyi was heart-shaped, adorned with a cheerful-looking agate stone, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. This had actually been the one she had her eye on first.

But Xiao Xun had said it was nothing special.

Lin Qiuran took it out for a closer look, then went to the dressing table and held it up to the mirror. “What did it run you?”

Xiao Xun looked at Lin Qiuran’s face and said, “Not much.”

He hadn’t bargained, but seeing how beautiful Lin Qiuran looked wearing it, haggling didn't matter much anymore. Xiao Xun felt the money was worth it, especially since this was the one Lin Qiuran had her eye on first.

At the time, he was both happy that Lin Qiuran had chosen the same one and worried she might actually buy another identical piece.

Lin Qiuran asked Xiao Xun, “Does it look good?”

Xiao Xun nodded.

After wearing it for a while, Lin Qiuran reached up to take it off, but Xiao Xun said, “Keep it on. If it’s bought, it’s meant to be worn.”

That was true.

Lin Qiuran put the butterfly hairpin on too. The bronze mirror was a bit blurry, but she could still see the woman in the reflection had a lovely face and a gentle expression.

She looked it over a few times, then looked back at Xiao Xun. On the table, there was still the bundle Xiao Xun had come back with.