Chapter 24: The Poor Wretch

Madam Zhou looked at Wufu curiously. They had been walking for half a day, and she couldn't help but ask, "Wufu, what are you buying that for?"

Girls of reputable families ought to buy embroidery needles and thread or little trinkets, but her daughter, a knife?

Wufu touched the carving knife hidden in her sleeve, smiled, and said, "It has its uses."

"Then you need to be careful not to hurt your hand," Madam Zhou hesitated before reminding her again.

Wufu nodded.

"Come on, let's have your mother buy you a pair of silver pendants to wear," said Madam Zhou, pulling her into a jewelry shop.

Wufu looked up and saw the sign: Hundred Treasures Silver Building. The name was indeed interesting.

Walking inside, they saw a shopkeeper fiddling with an abacus behind the cash counter and attendants introducing jewelry to customers. Seeing the mother and daughter enter, the attendants' eyes quickly swept over them but did not come forward to greet them.

Madam Zhou's face grew hot, her hands clenching the hem of her garment with a sense of awkwardness and embarrassment.

The shop assistants working in the store were all trained, and as sharp-eyed as they come. They could tell whether the newcomers were wealthy or poor just by looking at their attire.

Pretending to be nonchalant, Madam Zhou approached the counter. An attendant came over to greet them and asked what they were looking for.

"I was hoping to see some earrings suitable for a young lady," said Madam Zhou, slightly ashamed, then pursed her lips and added, "They should be made of silver." Then she glanced at Wufu with an apologetic look.

Wufu felt somewhat puzzled, then realized what her mother's regretful eyes implied. Their finances were tight.

She smiled indifferently. Jewelry wasn't something she cared about; to have it or not was all the same to her, but clearly, her mother felt differently.

In the shop, Wufu glanced over and noticed a jade piece displayed in a cabinet.

The jade was white with a hint of green, carved into an image of the God of Longevity leaning against a green pine tree. The God of Longevity himself was all white, lifelike, while the green in the stone had been carved into the pine.

However, the branches and leaves of that pine seemed a bit crude. If it had been her, she could have carved those pine needles finely, as vivid as real ones.

"Is this your store's treasure?" Wufu asked the attendant, pointing at the white-haired deity.

The jade looked pristine and was placed in such a prominent spot; it was no doubt the pride of the store.

"The young girl has good taste. Indeed, this is the pride of our Hundred Treasures Silver Building, crafted by the jade master himself, Lin Gonyun. Do you know of him? A master known as the Yulin Ghost Hand, many prized items of our Silver House came from his hands," boasted the shopkeeper, who had finished tallying an account and came over, stroking his beard proudly as he introduced the piece.

So this was considered a 'Ghost Hand' skill, Wufu mused silently, her face betraying no sign of her thoughts, only replying, "May I see your shop's jade jewelry and larger pieces?"

Hearing this, Madam Zhou was startled, pulling Wufu to one side, whispering, "Wufu, we don't have enough silver for jade. Let's buy it another time, okay?"

Wufu patted her hand reassuringly, "It's okay, I'm just looking."

She always had to have a look at the craftsmanship of the times. After all, making comparisons was essential before she started working on other things.

"Dressed in patched clothes and still think you can afford jade? If you break something, even selling yourselves might not cover the cost," sneered two female customers, already looking at jewelry and dressed in fine silks and satins. They glanced disdainfully at Wufu and her mother, muttering, "Paupers."

Madam Zhou's face flushed, and she lowered her head.

Wufu just gave them a cool look, quickly turning her gaze away and towards the shopkeeper. "Does the shopkeeper share that opinion?" she asked.