The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 127: All Because of the Matchmaking Helper

Jingyue Building, first floor lobby.

At this time, the hall was crowded with hundreds of people. As more and more people came, finally Manager Su simply asked the waiter to remove some tables in the back row to make more space.

The guests today came for the glass mirror, not for drinking tea, so they didn't care about these details.

While waiting, people in the hall were talking in groups of three or five.

"Why are there so many people here today?"

"I expected that. Who wouldn't want to have a mirror like that?"

“I heard that only 100 were sold this time.”

"One hundred? There are at least five or six hundred people here, right? Doesn't that mean only one out of five people can buy one? Isn't this just teasing us?"

"What can we do? This kind of rare thing must not be easy to make."

"How do I buy it?"

"Who knows? Just wait and see what Jingyue Tower can come up with."

"I don't know what the background of Jingyue Tower is. If there really is such a good thing, aren't they afraid of attracting covetousness?"

"Ever since the three Dukes of Ning, Zhi, and Qi were confiscated and questioned by His Majesty, who dares to commit crimes openly now?"

"It's hard to say. In the capital, there are many top dignitaries. It's possible that some people are blinded by the benefits."

Most of the people who came today were young men from wealthy families, and even some were children of high-ranking officials.

On the one hand, he came to Jingyue Tower because he had nothing to do and wanted to join in the fun, and on the other hand, he was thinking of buying a glass mirror to give to his wife or concubine, or to please the courtesan.

In addition, some maids from wealthy families also came. Because those girls were not convenient to show their faces in public, they were sent here to make the purchases on their behalf.

"Is this glass mirror really that good? How come it is said to be the best in the world?"

"Of course, otherwise why would your lady ask you to come here?"

"Our girl has been pining for this glass mirror these days, and she looks like she is determined to get it."

"That's really hard for you. There are only 100 mirrors for sale today, and most people can't buy them. Fortunately, our girl is just curious, so whether she can buy the mirror or not is up to fate."

"."

After waiting for a while, it was already three quarters past three in the evening. The hall could no longer accommodate any more people and some people were already getting impatient.

"How long have we been waiting? When will it start?"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone walked onto the platform. It was Su Yu Niang, the female owner of Jingyue Tower.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, let's get started now.

Next, we will give each guest a number plate, which will be related to the glass mirror purchased today."

After Su Yu Niang finished speaking, a dozen waiters came out and handed out number plates to the guests in batches.

While issuing the number plates, Shopkeeper Su continued, "Before the glass mirror goes on sale, I want to tell you a story."

When everyone heard this, they suddenly became interested, and the anxiety they had just felt while waiting disappeared.

Su Yu Niang smiled warmly and slowly said, "It tells a love story about a white snake who was saved by a shepherd boy, practiced for a thousand years, and came back to repay his kindness."

"It is said that a thousand years ago, there was a kind-hearted little shepherd boy who saved a little white snake from a snake catcher. Before the white snake escaped, the image of the little benefactor was deeply imprinted in its eyes."

"A thousand years later, the white snake cultivated in a cave in Qingcheng Mountain and transformed into a beautiful woman named Bai Suzhen."

"."

Su Yu Niang started with the story she heard from her employer and told it word for word.

When Bai Suzhen was crossing the West Lake with Xu Xian on the same boat, she started to smuggle contraband.

"On a drizzling day in March, Xu Xian and White Snake met by chance on a ferry. Due to the magical bond of fate in their previous lives, they fell in love with each other. Xu Xian gave her an umbrella, and White Snake gave her her glass mirror. They exchanged tokens, and this was the beginning of their love in this life."

"."

When talking about the reunion at the Broken Bridge, he said: "It was because of the guidance of the glass mirror that Mr. Xu and Mrs. White were able to meet again at the Broken Bridge thousands of miles away. It can be said that 'fate brings people together thousands of miles apart, all because of the matchmaking of the glass mirror'."

At this point in the story, Su Yu Niang's slightly ethereal voice came to an abrupt end.

The reactions of Daiyu and the other girls were exactly the same. Everyone’s thoughts were drawn into the story, as if they had been transported into that bizarre and strange world.

After a long while, everyone came back to their senses from the story. Someone was still not satisfied and asked, "What happened next? Why don't you say more? Keep going!"

Some people also thought of the glass mirror in the story and asked: "What is the connection between the glass mirror of White Snake and the mirrors sold today?"

Su Yu Niang took in the expressions of the people below and couldn't help but admire her boss's brilliant plan.

Gathering her thoughts, she followed the previously agreed-upon words and said with a smile, "This story of Lady White will soon be written into a vernacular novel and published by Hanmozhai. Please look forward to it."

After a brief pause, Su Yu Niang continued, "As for White Snake's glass mirror, it only exists in the story, but we hope that the glass mirror in Jingyue Tower can also become a symbol of love and bring good luck to everyone."

"."

Jingyue Building, third floor.

Shen Yuan and Baochai, Xiangyun, Qiu'er, Ying'er and other girls stood on the balcony of the room and had a panoramic view of everything that happened in the hall on the first floor.

"Madam, you can actually think of such a thing. It really surprises me constantly." Shen Yuan looked at Baochai with a smile, and couldn't help but sigh at the beauty's talent.

Baochai was praised by her husband in front of her. Her face was shy and she said with a quiet smile, "My husband, you are too kind. These are just some small thoughts."

"This is not a small trick." Shen Yuan said: "Madam, this move can be said to kill two birds with one stone. It is very wise."

"Kill two birds with one stone?" Xiangyun looked puzzled when she heard this and asked curiously, "Brother Shen, which pair of eagles are you talking about?"

Before Shen Yuan could answer, Qiu Er said, "Sister Bao did this to not only promote the upcoming White Snake Legend, but also gave everyone a different idea of ​​the glass mirror, right, Brother Shen?"

Shen Yuan nodded. Qiu'er seemed smarter than he thought. Maybe she could help Baochai in the future.
Xiangyun couldn't help but admire: "Sister Bao is so smart."

In the past when they were together in the boudoir, she only knew that Sister Bao was popular and treated people very well, but she didn't know that she was so capable.

From this incident, we can see that Baochai is indeed very intelligent. She took the opportunity to promote the White Snake story. Most importantly, she gave the glass mirror magical properties. Even though Shopkeeper Su has clarified it, people will inevitably still make associations and even regard the glass mirror as a symbol of marriage.

Qiu'er thought for a moment and asked, "Since Sister Bao wanted to link the glass mirror with White Snake's magic mirror, why did she let the shopkeeper clarify it?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Even if people will make associations, most people will not take the stories and legends seriously. So we might as well explain it ourselves, which will gain everyone's trust."

"Madam handled it very well." Shen Yuan looked at Baochai with doting eyes and held his wife's hand tightly.

"My husband is so smart that he can make such a rare thing as a glass mirror." Baochai felt that she was far less intelligent than Shen Lang, and said expectantly, "And my husband's suggestions are also clever."

"."In the lobby on the first floor.

The discussion about the Legend of the White Snake gradually died down, but everyone's expectations for the dialogue version were extremely high.

Everyone's thoughts returned to today's glass mirror. Now everyone felt that this item was even more rare. They concentrated and held their breath, waiting for Manager Su's next arrangements.

Su Yu Niang announced: "The sale of the glass mirror will officially begin next. For the sake of fairness, this sale will be conducted by lottery."

Then she bowed to the audience and introduced the rules: "Everyone has a number plate in their hands now. We will draw 100 numbers from the cardboard box later. The guest whose number plate matches the number we drew will win the lottery.

The guests who are drawn can come on stage and buy a glass mirror. Each mirror costs twenty taels. If the guests who are drawn give up the purchase, we will draw again.

I'm going to introduce it this way, do you understand?"

Someone in the front row responded, "I understand, but twenty taels each is indeed a high price. We have only seen the drawings and descriptions in Hanmozhai's tabloids before. Before the draw, we should at least bring out the real thing for everyone to see. That way, we can also judge whether it is worth the price."

Su Yu Niang smiled and said, "This guest's request is very reasonable."

After saying that, she clapped her hands.

Soon, a dozen waiters, each holding a double-sided glass mirror, showed it to the guests in rows.

When seeing the silky smooth glass mirror up close, everyone was amazed.

"This mirror is so bright! The reflection is so clear." The man's tone contained an inexplicable excitement and surprise.

"Sir, please turn the mirror over and take a look at it again."

After receiving a tip from the waiter, the man remembered the description in the Hanmozhai tabloid: "The front and back of the glass mirror are different. The front side reflects the self, and the back side can be magnified three times. It is extremely wonderful."

With an expression of curiosity and anticipation, he turned the round mirror over, took another look at it, and was suddenly startled.

"It's so big, is this still me?"

As he spoke, he made several movements in succession: shaking his head, nodding, blinking, and opening his mouth. Seeing the same movements in the big face in the mirror, he was no longer in doubt.

People who see the mirror basically have the same reaction and expression as this person.

After being amazed, when I looked at the round mirror again, I felt extremely curious.

This mirror is worth twenty taels!
With the help of this mirror, I might be able to please the courtesan tonight and have her become his lover.

Even if you can't win the love of the queen, you can still make your wife and concubine happy when you go home, and change a few more positions at night
At this time, many playboys imagined
After everyone had finished watching, Su Yu Niang began to arrange the drawing of lots.

"Number ninety-nine!"

"Number sixty-seven!"

"Number one hundred and eight!"

"."

"I'm hit! I'm hit!"

"I got hit too!"

As the numbers were drawn one after another, the winners were extremely excited and cheered loudly.

Those who didn't win had gloomy faces, and until all the hundred numbers were drawn, their faces fell completely.

“This is too little!”

"Yes, it's too little! Can't you make more? I have plenty of money."

"Yes, I'm not short of money!"

"."

There were more than 500 people at the scene, and the majority of them failed to buy anything, and more and more people began to complain.

With the Ningguo Mansion case in mind, these people did not dare to cause trouble. They just urged loudly and said that they had no shortage of money and were even willing to pay double the price to buy it.

Su Yu Niang was not in a hurry when she saw the noisy crowd in the audience. Everything was within her expectations.

After waiting for a while, she said loudly: "Please be patient, today's sale is not over yet."

When the noisy crowd heard the shopkeeper speak, they stopped talking for a moment and turned their eyes to Su Yu Niang on the stage again.

"In view of everyone's enthusiastic anticipation, we at Jingyue Building have prepared eight extra glass mirrors today."

As she spoke, Su Yu Niang signaled the waiter to bring eight mirrors onto the stage.

The people in the audience were delighted at first, but then a little disappointed. There were still hundreds of people who hadn't bought the tickets yet. How could eight of them be enough? It was simply a drop in the bucket.

But the speaker on the stage continued, "Unlike the previous lottery, these eight mirrors will be sold by auction. The starting price for each mirror is fifty taels. If you want one, you can raise the price freely, but each increase must not be less than ten taels. In the end, the highest bidder wins."

"Do you understand?"

Before anyone could respond directly, someone said, "Why did you suddenly raise the price? Is Jingyue Tower playing tricks on us?"

"Yes, why didn't you take out the mirror earlier? Why are you auctioning it now? And why do you start the price at fifty taels?"

More and more people began to criticize, even those who had previously said they were willing to pay double the price started to complain.

"Whether you want to bid or not is up to you, the guests. There is no reason to force a sale." Su Yu Niang on the stage said calmly, "Moreover, these eight mirrors are our custom-made ones. Each one is unique."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent again and looked at the eight mirrors on display on the stage.

Because of the distance, everyone looked at the mirror on the table for a long time but couldn't find any difference between it and the one sold by lottery before.

"What do you mean by unique? Don't try to fool me with these excuses."

"You are far away, so you may not have seen it clearly." Su Yu Niang explained, word by word: "Each of these eight mirrors has a poem written by Shen Zhuangyuan himself on the frame."

"Who cares about poetry or not?" As soon as the words came out, the person who spoke reacted: "Whose poem? Shen Zhuangyuan? Wu Zhuangyuan Shen Huaizhong?"

"It is the commander of the new army, the third-class General Yunwu, and the new top scholar, Lord Shen." Su Yu Niang responded loudly, as if she felt honored.

The hall fell silent for a moment, and was silent as everyone pondered this information.

The martial arts champion writes poetry?
Oh, yes! Mr. Shen once wrote a soul-stirring poem Linjiangxian at a poetry meeting in Jinling.

Soon, more and more people began to connect this information in their minds, and then they were sure that they had heard it correctly.

It was indeed the incomparably brave Shen Zhuangyuan, who actually wrote a poem specifically for today's Jingyue Tower sales event.

"What is the relationship between Shen Zhuangyuan and Jingyue Tower?" Someone finally asked the question in his mind.

Su Yu Niang smiled and said slowly: "This glass mirror was created by Shen Zhuangyuan."

boom!
This statement was like a thunderbolt, exploding in everyone's heart.
(End of this chapter)