I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 27 Madam Li!
Judging from the sounds, Chunlan should be standing outside the shop door, knocking and shouting.

Xie An hurriedly entered the pawnshop through the back door and went to open the door.

There was still snow piled on the street outside the door. Chunlan, wearing a brand new cotton jacket, stood in the snow. Her little face was red from the cold. She kept rubbing her hands and blowing on them to keep warm.

"Miss Chunlan, why are you here? Come in quickly."

Chunlan didn't go in, but said anxiously: "It's too late, I won't go in."

Xie An had a bad feeling in his heart.

Is there any change in the redemption situation?
Before Xie An could think further, Chunlan came up and said, "Master Xie, Madam Li and the master had a quarrel over your ransom money. It was a fierce quarrel. Madam Li will come to see you soon, so you'd better be careful with your words. Don't let anything go wrong. I have to hurry back, and it would be bad if Madam Li found out."

Xie An understood.

Chunlan came here alone in the snow and ice to tell him the news.

Looking at Chunlan standing in the snow, stamping her feet, blowing hot air into her hands to keep warm, and her face flushed red from the cold, Xie An was deeply moved.

Although I am a slave, there are still people who care about me.

You know, living in troubled times and being a slave, it's really rare to be cared for by others.

Xie An understood this deeply.

"Thank you, Miss Chunlan. By the way, do you know what the mistress and the master were arguing about?"

Chunlan said this while looking around.

Madam Li had insisted on accepting only 20 taels of silver from Xie An, but Li Shaoyun privately told Li Ru that he wanted 200 taels. His reasoning was that Li Shaoyun's martial arts training was very demanding, and he had also given a generous gift to Zhang Biao of the Tiger and Wolf Sect during the New Year. Li Ru, convinced by this, refused to relent. He also blamed Xie An for the 200 taels of silver he had lost earlier, which Zhang Bing had caused.

This is the origin of two hundred taels.

Later, Madam Li refused, and an argument ensued between the two. In the end, Li Ru was only willing to give up 20 taels, still holding on to the 180 taels.

Li Shaoyun...

"Thank you, Miss Chunlan, for telling me."

"Be careful with your words later. Mrs. Li is in a bad mood." Chunlan repeatedly reminded him and then turned and left.

Xie An stood at the door of the pawnshop and watched Chunlan walk away. The smile on his face slowly froze.

According to the ransom for slaves in the town, twenty or thirty taels is the market price.

Li Ru asked for two hundred taels!
It's really a big mouth for the lion.

I knew Li Ru was mean and stingy, but I didn't expect him to be so excessive.

However, what surprised Xie An was Mrs. Li.

He actually quarreled with Li Ru over his ransom.

In Xie An's impression, Madam Li was a maidservant of a wealthy family in the county town. She had learned to read and write since childhood and was kind to others. However, she could not be said to have any friendship with Xie An.

It was simply that when Li Ru got married, Xie An was still a young man, and he went to welcome the bride, carried the sedan chair for Mrs. Li, and lit the brazier.

But it shouldn't be to the extent that Mrs. Li would be like this, right?

Just as Xie An was lost in thought, footsteps were heard outside the door. "Old Xie."

Xie An looked up and saw Madam Li standing in the snow in a brown mink gown. She was over forty, with gray hair on her temples, but she was very elegant and had the dignity and grace of a hostess.

Xie An hurriedly bowed and welcomed Madam Li into the house.

"It's freezing and snowy, how can we let Madam Li go there?"

"I've been feeling bored staying in the mansion for a long time, so I thought of going out for a walk." Madam Li walked into the pawnshop, sat on the chair used to entertain pawnbrokers, and placed an exquisitely packaged box on the table.

"I thought it was New Year's Eve, and I didn't have anything to give as a gift, so I bought some Wufangzhai snacks. Old Xie, you can try them."

Wufangzhai’s dim sum is unique in the whole Wuqiao Town and is very valuable.

But this was something Xie An had never dared to think about before.

Faced with Madam Li's sudden kindness, Xie An was very unsure and did not accept it. Instead, he said, "How can I, an old man, let Madam spend so much money?"

The atmosphere of favoring boys over girls was still quite strong in Daqian. The daughters of ordinary wealthy families were kept in seclusion, never leaving the house. Even the mistress of the household rarely appeared in public.

It was rare for Mrs. Li to come to the pawnshop in person to visit.

Mrs. Li asked Chunlan to open the exquisite packaging and then open the mulberry paper inside to reveal the sweet osmanthus cake.

When Xie An saw the osmanthus cake, he seemed to think of something.

Madam Li said, "When I first married into the Li family, I especially loved sweet-scented osmanthus cake. Unfortunately, the Wufangzhai in town wasn't open yet. I remember you, Old Xie, went to the county town and bought it for me. It was also a snowy day like this. Time flies, and more than twenty years have passed."

Xie An's thoughts were racing and he felt deeply moved.

"Yeah, it's been over twenty years in a flash."

Madam Li picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, put it in her mouth and chewed it slowly. "But the taste is still the same."

Xie An did not refuse anymore and picked up the osmanthus cake and started eating. "Thank you, madam."

Mrs. Li can be said to still have the same flavor.

But Xie An couldn't say that.

Because at the beginning he was only responsible for running errands to buy the food, but he didn't have the pleasure of eating it.

I didn't expect it, but now I have tasted it.

Perhaps because both of them had eaten osmanthus cake, the unfamiliarity between them was no longer so distant.

Madam Li seemed to recall the past and sighed slightly, "I was once a maid, but I was lucky. I met a good lady. She taught me to read and write, and even let me redeem myself. Finally, I had the opportunity to become the lady of the Li Mansion. On the day of my wedding, the lady told me that as a mistress, I must treat others kindly and accumulate virtue and blessings.

When I got married, Old Xie carried my sedan chair and heated the brazier for me. He even walked dozens of miles up the mountain to buy sweet-scented osmanthus cake. I remember it all. For the past thirty years, Old Xie has managed the shop for my Li family diligently and without fail. I've watched it all.

The master was born into a wealthy family and grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Naturally, he couldn't understand the suffering of the servants. But in troubled times, the lives of slaves were worthless. But slaves were also human beings. Who wouldn't want to live a good life?
Old Xie has worked hard for our Li family his entire life. As his wife, I would be deeply troubled if I couldn't give him a peaceful end."

After saying that, Mrs. Li took out a cloth bag and slowly handed it to Xie An.

"The master insisted on taking one hundred and eighty taels from you as ransom. I couldn't resist, and I also know the master's temper. This is my private money, Old Xie, you take it. Come back to my Li Mansion and pay the ransom."

(End of this chapter)