flstandardbreds Chapter 496
Chapter 496
"Waiter, how much is this pearl you're selling?"
Just as Zhou Chu finished speaking with the shopkeeper, a woman walked over. This woman was very beautiful and young, and had an indescribable charm.
The shopkeeper next to him was about to speak when Zhou Chu stopped him with a look.
Zhou Chu turned his head and looked at the woman in front of him with a strange expression.
When Zhou Chu went out, he wore a casual outfit that didn't match the attire of a waiter. The woman in front of him was either brainless or doing it on purpose.
"You mean this pearl? This pearl has a very impressive history. Have you ever heard of pearl divers?"
Zhou Chu looked at the woman and said in a serious tone.
The woman nodded upon hearing this.
“My mother told me that the women who were specifically responsible for diving for pearls in the East China Sea were called pearl divers or pearl slaves, and these women usually had tragic fates.”
Zhou Chu was somewhat surprised to hear this.
"Since you know that, why do you still want to buy it?"
Zhou Chu looked at the woman and said.
"Whether I buy or not, it won't change their fate. If I don't buy, there will be plenty of others who will."
The woman said it was only natural.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu nodded, his gaze toward the woman growing increasingly strange.
"This pearl was found by a pearl diver. She originally had someone she loved, a scholar. To support him in his imperial examinations, she voluntarily became a pearl diver. Unfortunately, after the scholar passed the examinations, he betrayed her and abandoned her. This was the last pearl she ever found. After that, she jumped into the sea."
Zhou Chu made up a story off the top of his head.
"Huh? Who is that scholar?"
The woman said, her face filled with shock.
"He was investigated and beheaded by the Northern Garrison Command last year."
Zhou Chu made up a story.
"Serves him right, this is retribution."
The woman's words were pointed.
"We've kept this pearl all along and never thought of selling it. Of course, it would be wonderful if it found a suitable owner. You can decide on the price; whatever you think is appropriate, that's all we'll offer."
Zhou Chu looked at the woman and said.
"The story of this pearl is too tragic; giving it too little would tarnish it. How about ten thousand taels?"
After the woman finished speaking, she looked at Zhou Chu with some trepidation.
Pearls were extremely expensive in both the Ming and Qing dynasties. The price of pearls reached its peak in the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty's "Yanbao Zaji" (Miscellaneous Records of the Eaves) contains a detailed record of the price of pearls. A pearl the size of a longan cost 10,000 taels of silver.
The pearl in Zhou Chu's hand was a synthetic pearl, but there is not much difference between synthetic and natural pearls. In fact, because synthetic pearls are produced in large quantities, they can produce pearls with more perfect shapes and better quality.
The pearl in Zhou Chu's hand was about the size of a longan and was one of the best among this batch of artificial pearls. The reason the shopkeeper put it on the counter was simply because the shopkeeper knew where it came from and didn't think it was worth much.
At that time, the price of pearls was not as outrageous as it was in the Qing Dynasty. A pearl the size of a longan was generally worth only three to five thousand taels of silver, far less than ten thousand taels.
Even though pearls the size of longan are rare, and this is the only one among this batch of artificial pearls, the price still left the shopkeeper speechless. The shopkeeper was a little scared at this moment. He had just casually placed this pearl on the counter. If someone had taken it, he would have had nowhere to die.
"Isn't that too low? But that's all the money I have right now."
Seeing that Zhou Chu didn't respond, the woman became a little anxious.
Zhou Chu sighed upon hearing this.
“I told you, you are destined to have it. Give me whatever you want, ten thousand taels it is.”
Zhou Chu looked like he had been taken advantage of.
"Great."
As she spoke, the woman took out a stack of banknotes from the Royal Bank and handed them to Zhou Chu, seemingly afraid that he might change his mind.
Zhou Chu took the silver note and handed the pearl to the woman.
The woman carefully placed the pearls into her purse before leaving Yun Gui Fang with her maid.
After the woman left, Zhou Chu's expression immediately changed.
"Has this woman been to the shop before?"
Zhou Chu looked at the shopkeeper and said.
"I've been here before. This is Wang Mingyue, the daughter of the wealthy merchant Wang Long."
The shopkeeper hurriedly said.
“Wang Long...”
Zhou Chu kept repeating Wang Long's name.
"Investigate Wang Long and Wang Mingyue."
After Zhou Chu left Yun Gui Fang, he looked at Shen Liandao.
Upon hearing this, Shen Lian nodded and waved to the shadows. Instantly, a member of the Imperial Guard appeared in front of Zhou Chu, Da Zhu, and Shen Lian.
"Go and bring over the files of Wang Long and Wang Mingyue. The master wants to see them. Also, have someone investigate this father and daughter again."
Shen Lian gave the instructions.
"My subordinates will do it now."
After speaking, the Imperial Guard bowed and turned to leave.
Just now, Zhou Chu deliberately told the story of the pearl diver. Judging from Wang Mingyue's reaction, she is not the kind of brainless woman; she should be quite rational.
Her behavior before and after is contradictory.
"I think this Miss Wang may have long been in love with you, sir, and is trying to attract your attention."
Shen Lian joked.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu glanced at Shen Lian.
"I rarely see you joke around. By the way, do you have a girl you like? If so, I'll have someone act as a matchmaker."
Having followed Shen Lian for so long, Zhou Chu naturally knew where his weaknesses lay, and a single sentence from him made Shen Lian blush.
Shen Lian scratched his head.
"No....."
"Take a look, look around more. If there's one you like, tell me. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. You should consider this as soon as possible."
Zhou Chu patted Shen Lian on the shoulder and said.
Dazhu, who was standing nearby, chuckled as he watched this scene unfold.
"What are you laughing at? I only talked about him, not you. You should also keep an eye on things. Some girls I like have told me that your parents aren't in the capital, so I have to worry about your marriage."
Zhou Chu said with a hint of disappointment.
Upon hearing this, Dazhu immediately stopped laughing.
As soon as Zhou Chu returned home, the Embroidered Uniform Guards delivered the files on Wang Long and his daughter. Zhou Chu read them while drinking tea.
Wang Long was a famous merchant in the capital, mainly dealing in coal. He seemed to have close ties with merchants in Shanxi and was worth millions of taels of silver.
Wang Mingyue is Wang Long's daughter, and she is his only daughter. Wang Long only had this one daughter, and he never remarried after his wife died.
Seeing this, Zhou Chu felt even more that there was something strange about Wang Mingyue.
Judging from Wang Mingyue's reaction to the story of the pearl diver, this woman was not the kind of person who was very irrational. Ten thousand taels of silver was a considerable sum of money for anyone.
In particular, the Wang family's total assets amounted to only a few million taels of silver, yet this woman spent ten thousand taels to buy a single pearl without batting an eye.
Something doesn't look right.
Even though Wang Long loved his daughter dearly, his family only had so much money, and the total amount of money determined how much a person could spend on a daily basis.
If the Wang family only had around one million taels of silver, with Wang Mingyue spending money like this, their fortune would probably have been gone long ago.
"Have them investigate this Wang Mingyue thoroughly."
Zhou Chu looked at Shen Lian and said.