“Sir?” Zhang Biao wiped his eyes with his sleeve, “Why are you here?”
Bai Lixin: “I’m sorry, I overheard your conversation just now.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” Zhang Biao’s voice carried a hint of nasal sound. It was dark inside the prison. Beneath the dim yellow light, Bai Lixin vaguely saw a shimmer in the man’s eyes. “Sir, what brings you here?”
Bai Lixin: “I have something to tell you. I just came down from Qingcheng Mountain. I asked the constables, and they said you were here, so I came to find you.”
Zhang Biao: “Oh, what is it? Let’s talk upstairs, the environment here is not good. You probably won’t like this smell.”
Bai Lixin: “Okay, let’s talk outside.”
The two walked together, leaving the prison.
Outside, the weather was clear, and the bright sunlight suddenly spilled over, stinging Zhang Biao’s eyes.
Zhang Biao frowned in discomfort.
“Sir, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Bai Lixin: “It’s a long story, not only long but also somewhat bizarre. Follow me to my study, I’ll tell you slowly.”
Zhang Biao nodded, “Alright, sir.”
Just as the two reached the yamen’s courtyard, they heard a woman’s hysterical cries and curses from afar.
Mixed in with the cursing were the constables’ comforting voices.
“Madam, what are you doing? Please get up from the ground.”
“Yeah, we still don’t know the situation. Maybe it’s just a joke. The boss is most measured, he will definitely give you an answer.”
“Even if you knock your head unconscious now, it won’t help.”
“My Lin’er, I finally brought you back, and you haven’t enjoyed a good life with me for a few days, and now your heartless brother brings you here.”
“This is a family tragedy.”
“They are both my sons. Why are you so cold blooded, Biao’er? You don’t care about brotherly love, and you don’t even care about this old woman’s life, do you?”
“Why am I so unlucky? Do you want to force me to death?”
“If you’re going to arrest him, arrest me too. Let Lin’er go, what crime has he committed? He’s just a child.”
“Lin’er is still young, whatever crime he committed, let this old woman take the blame!”
“Damn Zhang Biao, you unworthy descendant of the Zhang family, you’re a bastard just like your gambling father!”
The old woman grumbled and sat at the gate of the yamen, attracting a crowd of onlookers from outside.
Upon seeing this, the constables quickly closed the gate, blocking everyone outside.
They were somewhat at a loss.
First, this was the boss’s mother, they definitely couldn’t treat her like any other person and throw her out.
Second, she was an old lady. If not handled properly, it could lead to fatalities.
No one dared to act.
Zhang Biao also heard the noise. He stood in the courtyard, hesitated for a while, then gritted his teeth and walked over. “Mother, this is the yamen, what are you doing?”
“If it weren’t for me being the Head Constable, and my brothers giving me face, you would have been thrown into the big cell already, you know?”
“You’re finally out. Good, go ahead and lock me up,” the old woman stared at Zhang Biao with wide eyes. “Our Head Constable Zhang is so mighty; he has already arrested his own younger brother. Why be afraid of adding his own mother? I’m not afraid. If you have the ability, arrest me too!”
Zhang Biao grabbed a handful of his hair with irritation. “I beg you, Mother. I arrested Zhang Lin because he really committed a crime. Go home, aren’t your knees bad? Kneeling all the time won’t do you any good.”
“You’re going to hurt your knees again.”
“I won’t get up.” The old woman was determined. “As long as you don’t release your younger brother, I won’t get up.”
As she spoke, she suddenly pulled out a pair of scissors from her pocket and pressed them against her neck. “A child is a piece of flesh fallen from the mother’s body. My own flesh, how can I watch him suffer? Even if I have to risk my old life, I’ll save Lin’er. If you don’t let Lin’er go, you’re planning to force me, a mother, to death. If you want to be an unfilial son who forces his mother to death, then go ahead with your stubbornness.”
Zhang Biao was so angry he almost wanted to curse.
He stood there, looking at his mother, who was causing trouble and being unreasonable. The image of his ungrateful brother in the cell flashed in his mind, and a sense of desolation suddenly arose within him.
He sighed deeply, his entire body suddenly losing strength, leaving only a sense of weariness. “Do as you wish. Don’t try to persuade her. She can kneel as long as she wants.”
After leaving behind these words, he turned and left, without a hint of hesitation.
People looked at each other, and finally, all eyes fell on Bai Lixin.
Now, in their eyes, Bai Lixin was omnipotent, their backbone.
In such a tricky situation, only the backbone could save the day!
The old woman also looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin felt a headache coming.
“A child is a piece of flesh fallen from the mother’s body. Zhang Lin is your child, isn’t Zhang Biao your child too?”
“You’re worried about Zhang Lin’s safety, but aren’t you concerned that Zhang Biao might lose his position because of your actions? This is the yamen, the county magistrate is in charge, not Zhang Biao.”
“Zhang Lin committed a crime, and it’s the duty of a constable like Zhang Biao to arrest him.”
“Hey, old lady.” Looking at the old woman holding scissors to her neck, Bai Lixin tried to speak in words she could understand. “You only have two sons. You’re now old, and one son is already in prison, and for a serious crime. Let me put it this way, your later years can’t rely on this younger son anymore. The only one you can depend on is Zhang Biao, the elder son.”
“Zhang Biao also can’t make decisions.”
“Now, if you keep causing trouble like this, not only will Zhang Lin not come back, but Zhang Biao might lose his job as well. You might make him lose his meal ticket.”
“Think about whether Zhang Biao will resent you later. If you provoke him, he might really not care about you anymore. When you’re lying in bed unable to move, who will take care of your needs?”
“Be sensible, don’t harm both of your children.”
The old woman was stunned. She stared at Bai Lixin and asked hesitantly, “What crime did Lin’er commit? Can’t I take the blame for him? I don’t want to harm Biao’er, I just want to save Lin’er. After he comes out and becomes a top scholar, he can definitely come back and save me. Can’t I do that?”
“Is murder serious enough?” Bai Lixin chuckled, “You want to take the blame for him, and then wait for him to succeed and save his mother? But you probably won’t live to see that day.”
“A murder charge means either being sent to the frontier or execution after autumn. If it’s sending to the frontier, it’s a long and arduous journey with difficulties and dangers. You, who is old and wants to enjoy your later years, might not only suffer in the frontier but might even die on the way. Then, they’ll have to bury you on the road…maybe even directly throw you into the mountains to feed wild dogs.”
“If it’s execution after autumn, it’ll be too late.”
“Your son hasn’t participated in the provincial exam yet, right? After the provincial exam, there’s the general exam, imperial exam, and more.”
“Over this long period, you would have died long ago.”
“Even if you miraculously survived, with your son being so handsome, after making the top three, the Emperor might notice him and appoint him as a son-in-law.”
“A princess’s consort has authority over ten thousand people, do you think your son would admit to having a mother who killed someone? He wouldn’t, because upon closer inspection, they would find that you’re taking the blame for your son. The murderer is your son. Do you think your son’s position as consort would still hold? Of course not. After climbing so hard to that position, considering your understanding of your son, do you think he would come to save you?”
“You neglect the son who treated you well and instead favored the ungrateful one.”
“Check your conscience, doesn’t it hurt? I actually hope you take the blame for your son. That way, both factors causing trouble for Constable Zhang would be eliminated. Unfortunately, Constable Zhang still cherishes family ties, which is why he has tolerated you repeatedly.”
“All right, I’ve said what I needed to. If you want to kneel, go ahead.”
“Oh, get something for the old lady to eat later. We can’t let her starve to death in our yamen, otherwise, people might say Constable Zhang is unfilial. If she wants to go back later, arrange for a sedan chair to take her back. We need to handle matters in our yamen with elegance.”
After saying this, Bai Lixin paid no more attention to the bewildered old woman and left.
The old woman knelt there for a long time, pondering the words Bai Lixin said. After awhile, she suddenly felt a pain in her knees.
At this moment, a constable brought a cushion and some dry food and water.
“Old madam,” the constable placed the cushion on the ground, “Master Bai Lixin instructed us to bring this for you. He said if you want to kneel, use the cushion to avoid injuring your knees. Otherwise, our boss will have to run around fetching medicine and attending to you at your bedside. The yamen is busy now, and we can’t afford to lose the boss.”
The old lady looked at the cushion in front of her and listened to the constables’ words.
Of course, she knew this was Bai Lixin’s provocation.
But thinking carefully, every time she lay sick in bed, it was Zhang Biao who was busy fetching medicine and taking care of her.
Her younger son only occasionally came to see her and uttered a few words like, “Mother, get well soon,” nothing more.
If she had to rely on only one person now, it would ultimately be Zhang Biao. The old woman knelt on the ground for a long time, long enough for her stomach to start growling, before seeing Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin coming out of the room.
She looked at Zhang Biao, and was ready to say something more, but Zhang Biao walked straight past her, and with Bai Lixin, they left the yamen.
A few constables remained to watch her. The rest had disappeared.
Her knees were hurting badly now. The dry food was in front of her, but she hadn’t eaten because of her pride.
Now she was hot, hungry, and in pain.
Ever since Zhang Biao became a constable, she hadn’t gone out to work. Zhang Biao brought money back to support the family. How long had it been since she suffered such a grievance? When Zhang Biao took care of her, he never let her suffer such grievances.
Originally, she knelt here to intimidate Zhang Biao into releasing the person quickly.
Now that Zhang Biao was determined to ignore her, kneeling here all day won’t help.
Was Zhang Biao really not going to care about her anymore?
Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of crisis spread in her heart.
If Zhang Biao also abandoned her, how many days could her old bones survive?
She has already lost one son, she couldn’t lose another!
“Ah.” The old woman suddenly exclaimed.
The nearby constables immediately approached, and they heard the old woman saying, “I want to go home, take me home.”
The two constables’ eyes lit up. “Old madam, you finally thought it through. Let’s go, the sedan chair has been waiting outside for a long time.”
The old woman hesitated, “When did you call for the sedan chair?”
“When else?” one constable said, “When the boss went out. He saw you kneeling here, felt sorry for you, and had a sedan chair ready outside. Once you say you want to go back, we would quickly and safely take you home.”
On hearing this, the old woman’s nose suddenly tingled, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
“Biao’er, my good child.”
Over the years, she had seen Zhang Biao’s efforts.
But before, she despised Zhang Biao, finding him untamed and uncouth, and disliked him for being brutal and vulgar.
Between her two children, she always favored the younger one.
Her younger son was polite and humble, and she showered more care on him.
She was partial, and she knew it.
When her younger son was at home, she secretly gave him extra meals. When Zhang Biao returned, she would casually make something for him.
Honestly, that’s how she had been doing things ever since she brought Zhang Lin back.
Suddenly, a sense of guilt emerged in her heart.
Both her children were her own, yet she gave all the good things to Zhang Lin and all the danger and criticism to Zhang Biao.
But in fact, Zhang Biao was the child who treated her best.
The old woman: “…”
What has she been doing over the years?
The old woman stumbled into the sedan chair as she cried uncontrollably.
…
“Boss, the old madam has gone home. She went back in the sedan chair. She cried on the way and kept apologizing to you.”
A constable hurriedly ran to Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin, and delivered the message.
Zhang Biao’s face showed no reaction. He calmly nodded, “Okay, I know. It’s good she’s gone back. You’ve worked hard.”
After saying this, he took out a few silver coins from his pocket, “Go to the restaurant, buy a few bottles of good Daughter’s Red, consider it a reward for the brothers.”
The constable didn’t dare to accept so Zhang Biao directly stuffed the silver into his hand, then impatiently started driving the person away. “Hurry back, Master Bai Lixin and I have an important case to handle.”
After sending away the constable, Zhang Biao refocused his attention on the paper in front of him.
They were in a very small pawnshop. It was usually not crowded, and occasionally did some pawn business.
Pointing at the drawing on the paper, Zhang Biao asked, “Take another good look. Is it identical to the jade earrings you received back then?”
The shopkeeper was a little old and a bit hard of hearing, so Zhang Biao had to speak loudly.
The old man held a magnifying glass, earnestly examining the paper Zhang Biao held.
After a long time, he nodded, “Yes, if I remember correctly, these are the jade earrings.”
Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin exchanged a glance. Zhang Biao asked urgently, “Do you remember what the person who pawned this item looked like? Were they male or female? Are these jade earrings still here?”
The shopkeeper cupped his ear and shouted, “What? What did you say? What does this thing look like? Isn’t it the same as in the painting?”
Zhang Biao took a deep breath, suppressed the urgency, and patiently repeated the question.
“Sir?” Zhang Biao wiped his eyes with his sleeve, “Why are you here?”
Bai Lixin: “I’m sorry, I overheard your conversation just now.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” Zhang Biao’s voice carried a hint of nasal sound. It was dark inside the prison. Beneath the dim yellow light, Bai Lixin vaguely saw a shimmer in the man’s eyes. “Sir, what brings you here?”
Bai Lixin: “I have something to tell you. I just came down from Qingcheng Mountain. I asked the constables, and they said you were here, so I came to find you.”
Zhang Biao: “Oh, what is it? Let’s talk upstairs, the environment here is not good. You probably won’t like this smell.”
Bai Lixin: “Okay, let’s talk outside.”
The two walked together, leaving the prison.
Outside, the weather was clear, and the bright sunlight suddenly spilled over, stinging Zhang Biao’s eyes.
Zhang Biao frowned in discomfort.
“Sir, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Bai Lixin: “It’s a long story, not only long but also somewhat bizarre. Follow me to my study, I’ll tell you slowly.”
Zhang Biao nodded, “Alright, sir.”
Just as the two reached the yamen’s courtyard, they heard a woman’s hysterical cries and curses from afar.
Mixed in with the cursing were the constables’ comforting voices.
“Madam, what are you doing? Please get up from the ground.”
“Yeah, we still don’t know the situation. Maybe it’s just a joke. The boss is most measured, he will definitely give you an answer.”
“Even if you knock your head unconscious now, it won’t help.”
“My Lin’er, I finally brought you back, and you haven’t enjoyed a good life with me for a few days, and now your heartless brother brings you here.”
“This is a family tragedy.”
“They are both my sons. Why are you so cold blooded, Biao’er? You don’t care about brotherly love, and you don’t even care about this old woman’s life, do you?”
“Why am I so unlucky? Do you want to force me to death?”
“If you’re going to arrest him, arrest me too. Let Lin’er go, what crime has he committed? He’s just a child.”
“Lin’er is still young, whatever crime he committed, let this old woman take the blame!”
“Damn Zhang Biao, you unworthy descendant of the Zhang family, you’re a bastard just like your gambling father!”
The old woman grumbled and sat at the gate of the yamen, attracting a crowd of onlookers from outside.
Upon seeing this, the constables quickly closed the gate, blocking everyone outside.
They were somewhat at a loss.
First, this was the boss’s mother, they definitely couldn’t treat her like any other person and throw her out.
Second, she was an old lady. If not handled properly, it could lead to fatalities.
No one dared to act.
Zhang Biao also heard the noise. He stood in the courtyard, hesitated for a while, then gritted his teeth and walked over. “Mother, this is the yamen, what are you doing?”
“If it weren’t for me being the Head Constable, and my brothers giving me face, you would have been thrown into the big cell already, you know?”
“You’re finally out. Good, go ahead and lock me up,” the old woman stared at Zhang Biao with wide eyes. “Our Head Constable Zhang is so mighty; he has already arrested his own younger brother. Why be afraid of adding his own mother? I’m not afraid. If you have the ability, arrest me too!”
Zhang Biao grabbed a handful of his hair with irritation. “I beg you, Mother. I arrested Zhang Lin because he really committed a crime. Go home, aren’t your knees bad? Kneeling all the time won’t do you any good.”
“You’re going to hurt your knees again.”
“I won’t get up.” The old woman was determined. “As long as you don’t release your younger brother, I won’t get up.”
As she spoke, she suddenly pulled out a pair of scissors from her pocket and pressed them against her neck. “A child is a piece of flesh fallen from the mother’s body. My own flesh, how can I watch him suffer? Even if I have to risk my old life, I’ll save Lin’er. If you don’t let Lin’er go, you’re planning to force me, a mother, to death. If you want to be an unfilial son who forces his mother to death, then go ahead with your stubbornness.”
Zhang Biao was so angry he almost wanted to curse.
He stood there, looking at his mother, who was causing trouble and being unreasonable. The image of his ungrateful brother in the cell flashed in his mind, and a sense of desolation suddenly arose within him.
He sighed deeply, his entire body suddenly losing strength, leaving only a sense of weariness. “Do as you wish. Don’t try to persuade her. She can kneel as long as she wants.”
After leaving behind these words, he turned and left, without a hint of hesitation.
People looked at each other, and finally, all eyes fell on Bai Lixin.
Now, in their eyes, Bai Lixin was omnipotent, their backbone.
In such a tricky situation, only the backbone could save the day!
The old woman also looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin felt a headache coming.
“A child is a piece of flesh fallen from the mother’s body. Zhang Lin is your child, isn’t Zhang Biao your child too?”
“You’re worried about Zhang Lin’s safety, but aren’t you concerned that Zhang Biao might lose his position because of your actions? This is the yamen, the county magistrate is in charge, not Zhang Biao.”
“Zhang Lin committed a crime, and it’s the duty of a constable like Zhang Biao to arrest him.”
“Hey, old lady.” Looking at the old woman holding scissors to her neck, Bai Lixin tried to speak in words she could understand. “You only have two sons. You’re now old, and one son is already in prison, and for a serious crime. Let me put it this way, your later years can’t rely on this younger son anymore. The only one you can depend on is Zhang Biao, the elder son.”
“Zhang Biao also can’t make decisions.”
“Now, if you keep causing trouble like this, not only will Zhang Lin not come back, but Zhang Biao might lose his job as well. You might make him lose his meal ticket.”
“Think about whether Zhang Biao will resent you later. If you provoke him, he might really not care about you anymore. When you’re lying in bed unable to move, who will take care of your needs?”
“Be sensible, don’t harm both of your children.”
The old woman was stunned. She stared at Bai Lixin and asked hesitantly, “What crime did Lin’er commit? Can’t I take the blame for him? I don’t want to harm Biao’er, I just want to save Lin’er. After he comes out and becomes a top scholar, he can definitely come back and save me. Can’t I do that?”
“Is murder serious enough?” Bai Lixin chuckled, “You want to take the blame for him, and then wait for him to succeed and save his mother? But you probably won’t live to see that day.”
“A murder charge means either being sent to the frontier or execution after autumn. If it’s sending to the frontier, it’s a long and arduous journey with difficulties and dangers. You, who is old and wants to enjoy your later years, might not only suffer in the frontier but might even die on the way. Then, they’ll have to bury you on the road…maybe even directly throw you into the mountains to feed wild dogs.”
“If it’s execution after autumn, it’ll be too late.”
“Your son hasn’t participated in the provincial exam yet, right? After the provincial exam, there’s the general exam, imperial exam, and more.”
“Over this long period, you would have died long ago.”
“Even if you miraculously survived, with your son being so handsome, after making the top three, the Emperor might notice him and appoint him as a son-in-law.”
“A princess’s consort has authority over ten thousand people, do you think your son would admit to having a mother who killed someone? He wouldn’t, because upon closer inspection, they would find that you’re taking the blame for your son. The murderer is your son. Do you think your son’s position as consort would still hold? Of course not. After climbing so hard to that position, considering your understanding of your son, do you think he would come to save you?”
“You neglect the son who treated you well and instead favored the ungrateful one.”
“Check your conscience, doesn’t it hurt? I actually hope you take the blame for your son. That way, both factors causing trouble for Constable Zhang would be eliminated. Unfortunately, Constable Zhang still cherishes family ties, which is why he has tolerated you repeatedly.”
“All right, I’ve said what I needed to. If you want to kneel, go ahead.”
“Oh, get something for the old lady to eat later. We can’t let her starve to death in our yamen, otherwise, people might say Constable Zhang is unfilial. If she wants to go back later, arrange for a sedan chair to take her back. We need to handle matters in our yamen with elegance.”
After saying this, Bai Lixin paid no more attention to the bewildered old woman and left.
The old woman knelt there for a long time, pondering the words Bai Lixin said. After awhile, she suddenly felt a pain in her knees.
At this moment, a constable brought a cushion and some dry food and water.
“Old madam,” the constable placed the cushion on the ground, “Master Bai Lixin instructed us to bring this for you. He said if you want to kneel, use the cushion to avoid injuring your knees. Otherwise, our boss will have to run around fetching medicine and attending to you at your bedside. The yamen is busy now, and we can’t afford to lose the boss.”
The old lady looked at the cushion in front of her and listened to the constables’ words.
Of course, she knew this was Bai Lixin’s provocation.
But thinking carefully, every time she lay sick in bed, it was Zhang Biao who was busy fetching medicine and taking care of her.
Her younger son only occasionally came to see her and uttered a few words like, “Mother, get well soon,” nothing more.
If she had to rely on only one person now, it would ultimately be Zhang Biao. The old woman knelt on the ground for a long time, long enough for her stomach to start growling, before seeing Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin coming out of the room.
She looked at Zhang Biao, and was ready to say something more, but Zhang Biao walked straight past her, and with Bai Lixin, they left the yamen.
A few constables remained to watch her. The rest had disappeared.
Her knees were hurting badly now. The dry food was in front of her, but she hadn’t eaten because of her pride.
Now she was hot, hungry, and in pain.
Ever since Zhang Biao became a constable, she hadn’t gone out to work. Zhang Biao brought money back to support the family. How long had it been since she suffered such a grievance? When Zhang Biao took care of her, he never let her suffer such grievances.
Originally, she knelt here to intimidate Zhang Biao into releasing the person quickly.
Now that Zhang Biao was determined to ignore her, kneeling here all day won’t help.
Was Zhang Biao really not going to care about her anymore?
Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of crisis spread in her heart.
If Zhang Biao also abandoned her, how many days could her old bones survive?
She has already lost one son, she couldn’t lose another!
“Ah.” The old woman suddenly exclaimed.
The nearby constables immediately approached, and they heard the old woman saying, “I want to go home, take me home.”
The two constables’ eyes lit up. “Old madam, you finally thought it through. Let’s go, the sedan chair has been waiting outside for a long time.”
The old woman hesitated, “When did you call for the sedan chair?”
“When else?” one constable said, “When the boss went out. He saw you kneeling here, felt sorry for you, and had a sedan chair ready outside. Once you say you want to go back, we would quickly and safely take you home.”
On hearing this, the old woman’s nose suddenly tingled, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
“Biao’er, my good child.”
Over the years, she had seen Zhang Biao’s efforts.
But before, she despised Zhang Biao, finding him untamed and uncouth, and disliked him for being brutal and vulgar.
Between her two children, she always favored the younger one.
Her younger son was polite and humble, and she showered more care on him.
She was partial, and she knew it.
When her younger son was at home, she secretly gave him extra meals. When Zhang Biao returned, she would casually make something for him.
Honestly, that’s how she had been doing things ever since she brought Zhang Lin back.
Suddenly, a sense of guilt emerged in her heart.
Both her children were her own, yet she gave all the good things to Zhang Lin and all the danger and criticism to Zhang Biao.
But in fact, Zhang Biao was the child who treated her best.
The old woman: “…”
What has she been doing over the years?
The old woman stumbled into the sedan chair as she cried uncontrollably.
…
“Boss, the old madam has gone home. She went back in the sedan chair. She cried on the way and kept apologizing to you.”
A constable hurriedly ran to Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin, and delivered the message.
Zhang Biao’s face showed no reaction. He calmly nodded, “Okay, I know. It’s good she’s gone back. You’ve worked hard.”
After saying this, he took out a few silver coins from his pocket, “Go to the restaurant, buy a few bottles of good Daughter’s Red, consider it a reward for the brothers.”
The constable didn’t dare to accept so Zhang Biao directly stuffed the silver into his hand, then impatiently started driving the person away. “Hurry back, Master Bai Lixin and I have an important case to handle.”
After sending away the constable, Zhang Biao refocused his attention on the paper in front of him.
They were in a very small pawnshop. It was usually not crowded, and occasionally did some pawn business.
Pointing at the drawing on the paper, Zhang Biao asked, “Take another good look. Is it identical to the jade earrings you received back then?”
The shopkeeper was a little old and a bit hard of hearing, so Zhang Biao had to speak loudly.
The old man held a magnifying glass, earnestly examining the paper Zhang Biao held.
After a long time, he nodded, “Yes, if I remember correctly, these are the jade earrings.”
Zhang Biao and Bai Lixin exchanged a glance. Zhang Biao asked urgently, “Do you remember what the person who pawned this item looked like? Were they male or female? Are these jade earrings still here?”
The shopkeeper cupped his ear and shouted, “What? What did you say? What does this thing look like? Isn’t it the same as in the painting?”
Zhang Biao took a deep breath, suppressed the urgency, and patiently repeated the question.
