Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Hengtong Pawnshop.

"Are you guys done yet? My bracelet is top-notch stuff, what could possibly be wrong with it that would take so long to check?"

Lin Xi suppressed the irritability and anxiety in her heart, looked at the shopkeeper behind the counter, her tone full of fatigue.

"Don't worry, young lady. This bracelet of yours is of course a top-notch item. It's hard to find even with a lantern."

Meeting Lin Xi's condemning gaze, the short and fat pawnshop owner looked away guiltily.

He didn't want to keep holding the man back like this, but the owner of the teahouse, Song, had specifically asked him to hold the man back, so he had no choice but to force the issue.

"But our new clerk is so clumsy that he accidentally wrote 'live pawn' instead of 'death pawn' when writing your pawn ticket. The money he gave you is not enough. What's even more ridiculous is that in his haste he didn't even know where he put the wrong ticket."

As he said this, he acted very embarrassed and wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead.

"It'll take a while... Please bear with us. We'll look for it right away and immediately reissue it for you. We guarantee it will be perfect!"

Lin Xi's experience today was full of ups and downs. First, she had a scene with Shen Jingyuan at the dock, then she had an argument with the son of the wonton-selling old lady. Then, she was surrounded by homeless children and had her purse stolen. Then, the driver demanded her earrings...

Think about it, Lin Xi has always had everything provided for her since she was a child. Whenever she went out, she was always surrounded by people and everything was arranged by maids and servants. How could she have ever experienced such an embarrassing situation as today, where she had to do everything by herself?

At this moment, she felt exhausted both physically and mentally, her feet ached, and her stomach felt empty. She just wanted to quickly get some money, find a clean hotel to rest, and eat something hot.

But as the sky outside the window gradually darkened and the street lights lit up one by one, the pawnshop stuck to her like taffy, neither letting her go nor giving her the money readily.

On ordinary days, with Miss Lin's temper, she would have been furious and ordered the shop to be turned upside down, just like her mother usually called her a "little debt collector who bullies others at home."

Now she was alone and in this strange place. Even if she felt a thousand grievances and anger, she could only suppress it in her heart and dared not really show it.

Thinking of this, Lin Xi took a deep breath and tried to make her tone sound calmer. "If it's really troublesome, just return the bracelet to me first, and I'll find another pawnshop to exchange it for."

The shopkeeper glanced at the gradually darkening sky outside the door without leaving a trace, and couldn't help but groan inwardly. While praying in his heart that Shopkeeper Song would come quickly, he continued to fool Lin Xi with "earnest words".

"Oh, miss, you're right. I'm not exaggerating, but Hengtong offers the most reasonable prices for this old city wall. If you go to other places, you might get a hard-pressed price."

He lowered his head, pretending to ponder for a moment before clapping his hands and saying, "How about this... I'll have the waiter bring you some tea and snacks, and you can wait in the elegant room on the second floor? It's quieter and more comfortable there."

As soon as the words "tea and snacks" came out, Lin Xi's eyes suddenly lit up. Apart from the millet porridge in the morning and the bowl of watery wonton soup at noon, she hadn't even had a sip of water all day until now. Now her mouth was dry and her throat was burning. If only she could have a cup of tea to moisten her throat...

But as soon as this thought came to her mind, she suppressed it immediately. No matter how inexperienced she was, she grew up listening to the stories of "beating beggars" and "kidnapping children" told by the maids. She knew very well that a girl who was alone outside should never easily eat food given by strangers.

The shopkeeper had been working in the pawnshop business for many years and had already developed a pair of sharp eyes. He immediately noticed Lin Xi's hesitation and vigilance.

Therefore, without waiting for Lin Xi to refuse, he spoke first, and there was even a hint of grievance in his tone of being misunderstood.

"Miss, please don't worry. We are a legitimate pawnshop, a long-established brand that has been open for decades. We are not a pawn shop. That is a business that will cost you your life. We would never dare to do that!"

"Besides, look at your whole demeanor. You're obviously the daughter of a wealthy family. We're busy trying to curry favor with you, so how could we dare to have any bad intentions? That would only lead to trouble and ruin our future!"

His words were half true and half false. They pointed out the interests involved and praised Lin Xi. They sounded reasonable and made people feel convinced.

Hearing this, Lin Xi couldn't help but pursed her lips and looked around the entire pawnshop hesitantly.

The entire pawnshop was very bright, with the door facing the street wide open, and one could see people coming and going on the street at a glance. It certainly didn't look like a dirty place.

She didn't feel it when she was wandering aimlessly on the street, but now that she stopped, she realized that she was really tired and hungry, and her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

Besides, it was unknown how long it would take them to search for the pawn ticket, so going upstairs to sit in the private room did sound much more tempting than standing here and waiting.

After struggling for a while, the desire for rest and food finally overcame her doubts. Lin Xi pursed her lips and finally nodded and agreed.

Seeing her nod, the shopkeeper secretly breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and told the waiter beside him to prepare tea and snacks, then he personally left the counter and led Lin Xi upstairs.

Lin Xi was about to step onto the wooden ladder when she seemed to remember something and told the waiter who was about to leave, "No tea, just plain water will be fine."

The shopkeeper was stunned when he heard this, then curled his lips subtly, without exposing Lin Xi's little thoughts. He just bent down slightly and smiled at Lin Xi, "Please come in."

Lin Xi followed the shopkeeper upstairs. The so-called "private room" was just a corner separated by a screen. The furnishings were simple, but it was still clean.

The waiter quickly brought a glass of water and a small plate of sesame cakes that looked rather rough.

Lin Xi carefully picked up the water, looked at the color carefully, and sniffed it. After confirming that there was no peculiar smell, she carefully took a sip to moisten her dry and sore throat.

As for the sesame cake, she only broke off a small piece, barely suppressed the feeling of emptiness in her stomach, and did not eat any more.

Time passes slowly in silence.

Although the kerosene lamp was lit, the corner gradually became darker. The street market downstairs became more and more lively, and the noisy voices made the small compartment seem particularly deserted.

Fatigue came over her like a tide. Lin Xi leaned back in the chair, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, almost falling asleep, but she didn't dare to close her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly shuddered and came back to her senses from her half-asleep state. The fatigue all over her body was gradually replaced by a vague sense of uneasiness.

It’s been too long… Even if I can’t find the old pawn ticket, will it take so long to rewrite one?

Lin Xi suddenly woke up, frowned, and the doubts in her heart instantly reached a peak. She stood up, walked to the door, and reached out to open it.

The door didn't move.

Her heart skipped a beat and she pulled hard again, but to no avail. The door was actually locked from the outside!

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small theater

Shen Jingyuan: Drag the person (｀へ′)

Lin Xi: Ahhhhhhh! There are villains trying to harm me! ヽ(?? ?)?!!!