Hongluan still wanted gossip, but Zheng Qian told her to go to the carpenter's shop and collect the items she had ordered.
"It's been almost an hour. Go get them now," Zheng Qian said.
Reluctantly, Hongluan left, still intrigued.
As soon as she left, the storyteller continued recounting tales of Prince Xiao, now focusing on romance and courtship.
"Prince Xiao and Miss Cheng Lanqing of the Cheng family were a match made in heaven…"
Zheng Qian found love stories a bit boring, listening only halfheartedly. Unexpectedly, the cat in her arms suddenly bristled, leapt from her arms, and pounced on the storyteller.
She had been distracted and caught off guard—too late to stop him.
"Ah!" The cat descended like a meteor, landing on the storyteller's face.
Three streaks of blood appeared on the left cheek.
Zheng Qian froze, placing a hand to her forehead. Heavens! I don't even have money on me—how can I make up for this?
A mischievous little troublemaker!
The teahouse fell into a brief chaos.
Zheng Qian hurried to the storyteller's side, grabbed Achou, and held his paws tightly while apologizing profusely.
"I didn't bring any silver today. Let this gold bracelet compensate you. Buy some wine and calm your nerves," she said.
The bracelet weighed a full tael and a half of pure golden yellow gold, flawless.
It was worth more than half a year's income for the storyteller. His slightly clouded eyes couldn't hide his delight.
He accepted it, and the fiery pain in his face seemed to fade.
"Watch your cat!" he warned lightly, his voice not loud.
The cat bared his teeth at him, fiercely.
Zheng Qian gently covered his mouth. "Sorry about that."
She didn't feel she could stay in the teahouse any longer. Holding her cat and the three strands of Buddhist beads, she returned to her carriage.
Once inside, Zheng Qian held both of the cat's paws, fuming.
"You little spendthrift! My bracelet was worth money, and you just destroyed it! Do you want a beating?"
The cat glared at her with a look of pure anger, still fuming.
Zheng Qian, her heart softening toward the cat, sighed. "Fine, fine… money comes and goes. But don't hurt anyone again, got it? If you do, I'll really hit you."
The cat sat quietly, perhaps waiting for her to say, "If you mess up again, I'll throw you out."
Instead, she said, "It's the mother's fault if the child misbehaves. Did you learn from today's mistake?"
Then she flicked his nose.
The cat's nose was soft. The flick caused a sharp sting, and he instinctively struggled.
The girl continued, teaching him: "No scratching people in the future, understood?"
The cat shot her a glance—a soft, remorseful, pleading meow.
Delighted, she brought him up closer. The flick hurt enough that tears welled in his eyes, and he looked at her with a pitiful, watery gaze.
Zheng Qian's heart melted immediately.
"I'm not hurting you, I'm teaching you to be a good pet cat. Without rules, nothing works. I love you—you're my life!" she whispered, holding him gently.
Her eyes were exceptionally tender. She lifted him and kissed him.
The cat stiffened, his fur puffing up again.
Zheng Qian panicked for a moment, thinking he might scratch her—but instead, he softly tapped her face with his paw, causing no harm.
"Good boy, Achou, you're such a good son!" she cooed, still seeing him as an angel. Her heart was completely melted.
The cat, however, was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions.
Soon, Hongluan returned with the items.
Zheng Qian took the wood and began disassembling the beads, threading them together to make an abacus.
The color of the wooden frame closely matched the beads, and the bead sizes were just right.
"Considering the rush, this turned out really well," Zheng Qian said, satisfied.
Hongluan looked on curiously. "Miss, what is this?"
"An abacus," Zheng Qian replied.
"Abacus? What's that?"
"It's for calculating accounts—faster, easier, and less prone to mistakes," Zheng Qian smiled. "Big families or major merchants usually need this."
"That sounds impressive," Hongluan said.
"Of course," Zheng Qian replied.
Hongluan had a hundred more questions, but Zheng Qian ignored them, telling the carriage driver to take them to the famous "Zhai Yu Xuan" in the capital.
Zhai Yu Xuan specialized in jewelry—not just jade, but all kinds of gems. The quality was top-tier; even simple gold hairpins were far purer than those in other shops, costing seven or eight times more.
It was the largest jewelry store in the capital, with several branches, booming business, and daily revenues in the tens of thousands.
Rumor had it that the owner was extremely influential, possibly connected to the royal family. However, the owner remained a mystery; no one knew their true identity.
The carriage stopped outside, the white jade-carved sign looming above. Hongluan felt intimidated.
The store was lavish: fragrant woods for beams, jade trim on the facade, pristine blue tiles on the floor. Women adorned with jewelry entered and exited—a clear sign of high prices.
"Miss… what are we doing here?" Hongluan asked nervously, swallowing hard.
The Jing'an Marquis House had fallen on hard times. If not for Third Madam's dowry, they couldn't maintain even this much dignity. Only Third Madam and the matriarch, and perhaps Second Miss Zheng Yutan, could own one or two pieces from Zhai Yu Xuan. The rest had no right.
The young lady had nothing—entering this store seemed like humiliation. Hongluan instinctively wanted to step back.
Zheng Qian held her, smiling: "Why panic? I'm not buying anything. Just hold my abacus and follow me."
Hongluan: "…."
So Zheng Qian carried her cat, Hongluan held the abacus, and they stepped down from the carriage.
The driver glanced at them, a faintly disdainful smile on his lips, shaking his head at their backs.
Zheng Qian walked in confidently, relaxed and composed, with no hint of restraint.
A young clerk hurried over. "Miss, how may I help you?"
"Is the manager available?" Zheng Qian asked.
The clerk froze.
"I have a large order and wish to speak with your manager," Zheng Qian said, her expression gentle yet commanding. "Please inform them that I am a lady of the Jing'an Marquis House."
Xia Yang City, the capital of the Daliang Kingdom, had over a million residents. Noble families numbered only a few hundred. Mentioning "Marquis House lady" made ordinary people tremble instinctively, ready to submit.
Those who truly looked down on the Jing'an Marquis House were families of equal status but far wealthier—not a small clerk or a shop manager.
Even so, the clerk's expression changed, eyes filled with awe.
"Please wait… no, please come inside, have some tea. The manager will be right with you."