Chapter 54 Heaven's Treasure and Earth's Jewel Hidden in the Wooden Box (5)

  "You told me it was 500 taels of silver!" Duan Shichen burst into a rage, if it were just 100 taels, he could have afforded it when he first met Lan Zhi, how did things end up like this?

  Liu's mother snorted and didn't bother to respond to him.

  This time, Shi Chen fell in love with Lan Zhi at first sight. With Liu's mother's ability, how could she not take advantage of him? How could she bear to let him redeem Lan Zhi? She must have opened her mouth wide like a lion.

  Moreover, if an ordinary person were to ransom Lan Zhi, it would cost at least 300 taels. This Lan Zhi is in the prime of her youth and beauty, and among all his daughters, she is exceptionally outstanding. If not for the sake of the young lord's face, he wouldn't have let her go for even 160 taels.

  Zhou Wenbo naturally knew that the old prostitute had given him a friendly price, and this hundred yuan was equivalent to only twenty-five taels of white silver. Compared with the prices of Yangzhou's thin horses in the late Ming dynasty, which were often several hundred or even thousands of taels, it was still extremely cheap.

  Zhou Wenbo smiled slightly and pulled out a handful of glittering golden leaves from his sleeve.

  This is the twenty taels of gold he just exchanged for a gold coin, worth about two hundred guan. When exchanging the system, the gold can be changed into any shape, and this weight of gold is generally beaten into gold leaves. The small gold bars are easy to lose and not convenient to carry.

  Liu's mother saw many golden leaves, laughed so hard that her eyes couldn't open, she took them over with a smile, picked up the top one, and gently bit it with her teeth, and indeed left tooth marks on its surface.

  The old man brought a small scale, carefully balanced and weighed, and finally weighed out the exact weight.

  "Twenty taels of pure gold, worth two guan of money, redeemed Lan Zhi and still owed forty guan to Master Zhou." Liu's mother happily put away the gold bars, completing the transaction. She turned her head to face Lan Zhi, who was still in a daze, and said: "Daughter, don't blame your mother for not being filial, Master Zhou is a wealthy and noble young master, handsome and elegant, if I were ten years younger, I would be willing to marry him even if it meant paying a dowry. Your mother has found you a good family, from now on you will follow Master Liu and live a life of luxury and comfort!"

  This Liu mom, as soon as she received the gold, began to comfort her daughter, and indeed deserved to be called dedicated.

  Even the dozen or so women in this room are looking at their sister with extremely envious eyes. This young master is not only wealthy and noble, but also young and handsome, talented and outstanding, can be called a top-notch young master, Lan Zhi's sister was redeemed by him, jumped out of this fire pit, it's really the blessing of eight lifetimes.

  The plump woman who was originally sitting on the left side of Zhou Wenbo's eyes were about to spew fire, she really hated to replace him, and then looked at Master Zhou with a loving gaze, hoping he could buy himself together.

  Unfortunately, this charming glance was in vain. Zhou Wenbo was busy showing off his acting skills at the time and didn't have the energy to notice the extras around him.

  Lan Zhi was stunned at this moment, she never thought it would be such a dramatic turn of events. In the blink of an eye, she had fulfilled her greatest dream and escaped from this dirty brothel. However, the person who had redeemed her was not Duan Gongzi, the one she had been pining for in her dreams. What was she to do now?

  Duan Shichen's fists were clenched tightly, but he couldn't say a word. This young master Zhou had spent a whole 100 taels of silver to redeem Lan Zhi, and naturally, he didn't dare to dream that young master Zhou would turn around and give Lan Zhi to him. Moreover, this young master Zhou had deliberately chosen Lan Zhi from among the more than ten people to sit by his side and serve him, and now he was generously spending money to redeem Lan Zhi, presumably because he had taken a liking to her.

  Forget it, forget it. If Orchid can serve this young master, even if she doesn't become rich and noble, at least it's better than welcoming guests in a brothel. If Master Zhou redeems Orchid, he'll surely take good care of her himself.

  Zhou Wenbo watched as the young couple's reaction became more and more inappropriate, almost to the point of bursting into tears. He knew that the play had reached a perfect climax, and if it went on for another minute, it would be counterproductive.

  "Mrs. Liu, you don't need to return these 40 taels of silver. Consider it as my gratitude for raising such a good girl like Lan Zhi."

  Zhou Wenbo still had to give Liu Mama a sweet deal, and Liu Mama, relying on her own power, only dared to charge the cost price. If she didn't give herself some profit, it wouldn't be reasonable.

  "Duan Gongzi, may I take a look at your family heirloom?" Just as Duan Shichen's soul was about to dissipate in despair, Zhou Wenbo's question, like heavenly music, reached his ears.

  Duan Shichen couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at this young master Zhou, and asking him questions at this time didn't that mean...

  Zhou Wenbo walked forward and took the purple sandalwood carving from Duan Shichen's stunned hands, carefully admiring it.

  After a moment, he suddenly spoke up: "This purple sandalwood carving is truly a masterpiece of the gods, a treasure of the world. I am willing to pay for it and buy this family heirloom from Master Duan. What does Master Duan think?"

  "How much is the young master willing to spend?" Duan Shichen's gaze at this moment was extremely complex, with a mix of anticipation and excitement, yet also a hint of fear that it might all be just a dream. His voice was low and hoarse, barely audible.

  At this moment, whether it was the more than a dozen women in the house, or the guard Liu Meng, the old madam Liu, Lan Zhi, and Duan Shichen, they all stared tightly at Zhou Gongzi, who stood as still as a jade tree in the wind, waiting for his next words.

  "Two hundred and five taels of silver, not a single penny more or less. I wonder if Master Duan is willing to part with it?" Zhou Wenbo smiled slightly, but his words shocked everyone.

  Duan Shichen's emotions were extremely complicated at this moment. He knew that Zhou Gongzi was trying to help him and Lan Chi with this method, and also gave himself enough face. He and Lan Chi had been childhood sweethearts, and now they had been in love for more than half a year. He always thought about being able to redeem Lan Chi and live happily with her. Now that his wish was about to come true, how could he not be overjoyed and extremely excited?

  However, before his downfall, he was deeply influenced by Confucianism and did not want to take such a great advantage of others for nothing. How could he repay such a great kindness?

  Zhou Wenbo clearly saw that Zhou Gongzi was so excited that he couldn't express himself in words, and his whole body was slightly trembling.

  He had no choice but to continue acting according to the script.

  "Unfortunately, I came out in a hurry and didn't have any spare money on me. However, I just bought Lan Zhi from Liu Mama for 200 taels, why don't I transfer her to you, Master Duan?"

  Liu Lanzhi was also overjoyed, her brain completely stopped working for a moment, and according to the deepest desire in her heart, she rushed into Duan Shichen's arms, like a swallow returning to its nest, tightly embracing Duan Shichen.

  Zhou Wenbo watched as the female lead of this play did not follow the script, very uncooperative, making him, the director and screenwriter and male supporting actor, very dissatisfied, but he could only continue acting.

  "Liu Meng, haven't you paid Liu Mama the five taels of silver yet? I still owe Duan Gongzi five taels of silver, which just happens to offset the debt that Duan Gongzi owes Liu Mama."

  Liu Meng was about to take out the money, but was stopped by Liu's mother, who pressed his hand: "Zhou Gongzi, originally the ransom for Lanzhi was 160 taels of silver. You paid 200 taels of silver, and I'm already uneasy about it. How can I still dare to accept these five taels of silver from you? This is tormenting me!"

  Zhou Wenbo saw that Liu's mother was very understanding and didn't insist on paying anymore.

  On the other side, a young couple hugged for a while, but then saw Duan Shichen whispering in Lan Zhi's ear, and after adjusting their clothes, they walked to Zhou Wenbo's front.

  The two of them lifted their clothes and immediately knelt down.

  Zhou Wenbo hastily helped them up.

  "Great kindness and great virtue, unforgettable even in old age. If there's any use for me to get involved with Duan, I'd be willing to sacrifice my life, no regrets." Duan Shichen naturally knew that in this world, there was no such thing as unconditional love. He had fallen on hard times, with nothing to his name, and the only reason Zhou Gongzi would take an interest in him was probably because he hoped Duan would die for him.

  In this world, martial artists are arrogant and domineering. What's the use of having a good family background and talent? At least this Lord Zhou seems to be a man of feeling and righteousness, treating hundreds of taels of silver as if they were nothing. A master like him is worth serving.

  Zhou Wenbo's eyes lit up, knowing that although this Duan Gongzi was poor and down on his luck, he wasn't a bookworm who didn't understand the ways of the world. This made Zhou Wenbo feel like he had struck gold.

  "I see that the two of you have nowhere to go, why not rest in our military camp for tonight first?" Zhou Wenbo's face was full of warm spring breeze, and he had indeed reached the extreme in the aspect of respecting and honoring talents.

  "How dare you disobey orders!" Duan Shichen had already made up his mind to risk his life, and his response was equally resolute.