I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 275 Auspicious Omens in Chang'an
In the Wei River, Jiang She found a place to take a nap.

For the past month, he has seen countless deities and spirits in the hall, heard the constant sounds of stringed instruments, and drunk fine wine with the Water God. It's time to rest for a while.

Before long, the cat followed, stumbling and wobbling as it crawled over.

Wherever people go, this cat just happens to pass by.

Jiang She didn't ask, and pretended not to have noticed.

The cat breathed a sigh of relief, curled up in the blanket, and after a long time, even breathing and soft purring came from beside Jiang She, which gradually made people feel sleepy.

Jiang She smiled, and as the distant music drifted by, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

On the Wei River.

From the beginning of the Thousand Autumns Festival until now, the shore has been very lively.

Some scholars even stood on the shore, observing the occasional flashes of five colors, sighing and remarking that it was the virtue of water, a sign of a prosperous era.

Many fishermen and jewelry shop assistants also waited on the banks of the Wei River, casting their nets one after another, hoping to find those precious pearls again.

For a moment, people were packed together.

The residences along the Wei River were crowded with people, some there to see the auspicious signs, others to catch pearls and shellfish.

The shop owner was overjoyed, having earned a lot more money in the past two months.

After watching the excitement for a long time, the group got tired and rested and ate in the lobby.

Some people started discussing it.

"You're asking about that old fisherman, Tao? He's made a fortune now!"

The man spoke with such conviction, as if he had witnessed the grandfather and grandson fishing with their nets. He was so excited that he even put down his chopsticks, stood up, and gestured with his hands.

"Such a big pearl, yet it was caught in a net by the grandfather and grandson."

"What kind of luck is this?"

"Now their family is living a life of luxury. They've even moved to a new house, and I heard that one pearl was sold for over a hundred strings of cash!"

The onlookers were in an uproar.

They had never seen so much money in their entire lives.

Someone picked up a piece of scallion and vinegar chicken and sighed with emotion.

"No wonder when I ran into that guy surnamed Tao last time, he didn't respond to me even after I called him several times. He's made so much money. How could he have such good luck after fishing for forty years and even catch a pearl? It must be the blessing of the heavens."

His face was full of envy.

Everyone sighed in dismay.

"This is life."

"Why didn't I manage to retrieve any pearls...?"

The shopkeeper wiped his hands with a towel, then stood in front of the counter listening to the diners and guests talking, a smile on his face.

After the group sighed and discussed for a while, he turned around and continued to work on the accounts with his abacus, while the young shop assistant busied himself with the task for a long time.

After seeing the customer off, the waiter noticed the shopkeeper's indifference.

He asked curiously.

"Third Uncle, you think something's not right?"

The waiter looked up, his hands still busy clearing the dishes.

"Could there not have been a pearl at all? The fishing net is full of holes, and the pearl is so small and slippery, how could anyone have caught it?"

The shopkeeper laughed.

"Haha, I'm laughing at these customers for underestimating the market value of pearls."

"Eh?!!"

The young man's eyes widened.

"One hundred strings of cash isn't enough?"

He defeated his brothers and sisters and worked for his third uncle, earning only four or five hundred coins a month. One hundred strings of cash would be enough for him to work for twenty years and support himself to marry a dozen wives.

The shopkeeper laughed heartily, and looking at the clueless young man, he offered a few rare words of guidance.

“If they are ordinary fine beads, or small, rough ones, you can actually afford them, it will only take a year to save up.”

The young man was taken aback.

"Third Uncle, why would I buy this? I work myself to the bone all year, without eating or drinking, just to buy a tiny pearl the size of a grain of rice?"

The shopkeeper glared at him. "I'm just using this as an example, kid. You talk too much."

The shopkeeper then gave an example to the young waiter.

"If it is a top-quality product from Lingnan, or a second-quality product from Donghai, and of medium size, the market price will be between a few strings of cash and several tens of strings of cash."

"That's not something ordinary people can afford. Not to mention you and me, even those with lower official ranks, like the constables in the yamen, wouldn't buy it. The ones who actually bid are either high-ranking officials or powerful figures."

"Persians, Southeast Asians, and those foreign merchants, if they have the financial means, do business in this way."

"He can be called extremely wealthy."

The young man listened with anticipation.

He wished he were a foreign merchant, riding a camel all the way from Persia, selling pearls to wealthy officials, while his servants filled the carriage with chests of money, which were filled with real gold and silver...

Wow, that's a lot of money...

The young man was lost in thought.

The shopkeeper continued, "Above these, there are even finer pearls. A single Persian pearl, only an inch in diameter, can be worth a hundred taels of gold."

The young man didn't understand.

"What kind of bead is that? Why is it so expensive?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard, also sighing with emotion.

"That is a precious pearl with a diameter of one inch, which has always been the property of the imperial family and was presented as tribute to the palace. Its luster is brilliant and it has the beauty of pearls and jade."

"And what the fisherman caught was even more extraordinary. Such large pearls are rare in rivers and lakes. And since it was the Emperor's birthday banquet, they had already been presented to the Emperor."

"This is an auspicious omen, which cannot be bought with any amount of gold or silver."

The waiter was carrying a stack of dirty bowls and chopsticks.

"Third Uncle, how much do you think that grandfather and grandson can sell for?"

The shop owner thought about it.

“The nobles buy pearls from fishermen at prices not much higher than those from foreign merchants. They can still afford to pay two or three hundred strings of cash. If they spend it frugally, it will be enough for a lifetime of peace.”

The young waiter carried the heavy bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen. He first scraped the leftover scraps from the bowls into the slop bucket, and if there was any leftover meat or vegetables, he would sneak a few more bites.

Put these bowls and chopsticks into the freshly boiled water and sprinkle in some wood ash to soak them.

While thinking about pearls, the young waiter sat on the ground and washed stacks of clean dishes.

But how did Third Uncle know so much?

……

In the mansion.

The shopkeeper was calculating his recent accounts, humming a happy tune.

Halfway through calculating the abacus, the curtain outside was lifted, and a handsome young sorcerer with strange attire walked in, taking off the wine pouch from his waist.

"Buy a pound of wine."

The shopkeeper reached out to write down the last bill, then hurriedly asked another waiter to come forward and buy more wine, greeting him with a smile.

"Mr. Xing is here. Would you like the same sake as before?"

Xing Hepu responded.

He found a place to sit down. The residence was located on the banks of the Wei River, and he could see the river as soon as he opened the window. The water rippled outside, shimmering in the sunlight, and he could vaguely see wisps of the five elements.

Outside, there are scholars enjoying the spring scenery, boats shuttling back and forth, and many fishermen.

The shopkeeper was somewhat intimidated by this renowned figure in the capital, but also filled with curiosity about his ability to foresee life and death.

The shopkeeper asked proactively.

"What is Mr. Xing looking at?"

He then said with a smile, "Mr. Xing, you look really good today, even better than before. Is there some good news for you? Did you really win the pearl you mentioned last time?"

Xing Hepu smiled.

"There is indeed good news."

Before the shopkeeper could offer his congratulations, Xing Hepu spread out his palms, letting the shopkeeper look at them as he pleased, whether it was palmistry, face reading, or even, if he was skilled, observing aura.

What can you tell?

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)