I trade in both worlds

"This ruby has a bright color and high transparency. It is a top-quality gemstone."

"This emerald has a soft color and a warm texture."

"Diamond is the hardest gem. Its sparkle and brilliance are unmatched by other gems." Shana introduced while pointing to different gems for Xu Ziqing to see.

Xu Ziqing listened with great interest. Following Shana's instructions, she carefully observed the color, transparency and cutting process of each gem.

After careful selection, Xu Ziqing finally chose three top-grade rubies, two sapphires and ten pink diamonds.

The ruby is as bright as fire, the sapphire is as deep and mysterious as the night sky, and the pink diamond sparkles with a gentle light like a girl’s dream.

"Shana, I've made my choice. How much do these three rubies, two sapphires and ten pink diamonds cost in total?" Xu Ziqing asked.

Shana did the math and said with a smile, "My lady, you have a good eye. These gems are all the best in our store. The three rubies are worth nine hundred taels, the two sapphires are worth three hundred taels, and the ten pink diamonds are worth two hundred taels."

"The total is 1,400 taels. However, since you like our gems so much, I will give you a discount. How about 1,200 taels?"

Xu Ziqing nodded. The value of these gems in modern times is far more than this amount, but he still has to bargain when it’s time to bargain.

"Can't it be cheaper?" Xu Ziqing looked at her.

Shana shook her head and said, "This is already the cheapest price. It can't be any lower."

Xu Ziqing continued to grind and said, "A little less, I will come to your house to buy gemstones from now on."

"No, if it's any less, I'll lose money." Shana frowned and said, "We brought the gems here from Persia, the cost was very high, we really can't have any less."

Xu Ziqing looked at her, thinking of the risks they had gone through along the way, and suddenly he couldn't bear to continue bargaining.

"Okay." She took out the banknote and handed it to Shana, saying with a smile: "Shana, your gems are really beautiful. I hope I will have the opportunity to visit again in the future."

Shana took the banknote and smiled happily: "My dear, thank you for your compliment. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."

Xu Ziqing and Li Wan'er left the shop with the gems and continued strolling on Shuimen Street.

In the evening, when Xu Ziqing returned to the inn with a full load, Xu Ziqi had been waiting for a long time.

As soon as he saw the brocade box in Xu Ziqing's hand, he asked curiously, "Xiaoqing, did you buy all these?"

Xu Ziqing smiled and nodded, put the brocade box on the table, opened it and said, "Brother, Sister Li and I went to Shuimen Street today. There are many shops opened by foreign merchants, and each one is full of exotic customs. The gems in this Persian Gem Shop particularly attracted me, and I couldn't help but buy them."

As the brocade box was opened, three dazzling rubies, two deep blue sapphires and ten pink and crystal diamonds came into view. Each of them exuded an alluring luster that made people unable to take their eyes away.

His eyes widened in surprise. The color and cutting of these gems were extremely exquisite, obviously they were priceless treasures.

Xu Ziqi couldn't help but feel a little regretful. The last time he came to Shuimen Street, he only looked for calligraphy and painting shops and jewelry shops, ignoring those exotic shops and missing out on a lot of good stuff.

"How much did you spend today?" Xu Ziqi asked.

Xu Ziqing replied proudly: "One thousand two hundred taels."

This number made Xu Ziqi slightly stunned. One thousand two hundred taels might be a huge sum of money for ordinary people in Dayun Dynasty, but for people like them who had traveled through time, it could be an extremely cost-effective investment.

"So cheap?" Xu Ziqi asked in disbelief.

At modern auctions, these gems often fetch several times the price.

Xu Ziqing smiled and nodded: "Yes, brother, it's a pity that you didn't go. There are still many treasures in those foreign merchants' shops! If we go around more, maybe we can buy more good and cheap things."

Xu Ziqi pondered for a moment, thinking about their financial situation.

"How about buying some more gems to take back?" Xu Ziqing suggested.

Xu Ziqi nodded, but was a little worried: "Okay, but our total money is a little over 10,000 taels, don't buy more than you want."

Xu Ziqing said indifferently: "It's okay. Xuxu still has more than 9,000 taels with me. If it's not enough, use hers first and return it to her later. This is a rare opportunity for us, we can't miss it."

"This isn't a good idea." Xu Ziqi still felt that this approach was inappropriate.

Xu Ziqing waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Xuxu won't mind. When we go back, we'll see whether she wants money or gems. Let her choose."

"If Xuxu chooses the money, you don't have that much money to give her." Xu Ziqi said helplessly.

Xu Ziqing was not worried about the money at all. How could he exchange it for money? "It's nothing. We can just sell some glass to Manager Liu. Modern glass crafts are rare here. Didn't we make a lot of money easily this time? If it doesn't work, we also have silver and gold bars in modern times. We can exchange some of them to make up for it."

"Okay, then follow your plan. But don't worry, go shopping these few days and see if you can find other good things. It won't be too late to look for gems when we are ready to go back." Xu Ziqi reminded, his eyes full of concern.

Xu Ziqing smiled and nodded.

In the next few days, the sky in the capital was exceptionally blue, and Xu Ziqing took Li Wan'er through the streets and alleys of the capital.

That day, when they reached the end of a narrow alley, a faint woody fragrance wafted in the wind, causing Xu Ziqing to stop involuntarily.

She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Li Wan'er: "Sister Li, do you smell what this smell is?"

Hearing this, Li Wan'er also sniffed the air. She frowned slightly, then relaxed her brows. "There should be a carpenter's shop nearby. This smell is like a mixture of newly sawn wood and paint."

Xu Ziqing's eyes lit up. Isn't this antique furniture? The materials used for furniture at that time were very exquisite. I wonder if it would be considered an antique if it were moved back to the modern era.

She looked around in the alley and said, "Sister Li, can I go take a look?"

Li Wan'er nodded, and the two of them followed the scent and turned into the end of the alley. Soon, they arrived at a carpenter's shop called Muxiang Pavilion and quietly came into view.

Outside the shop, there are several unfinished pieces of furniture, some of which still retain the color of the original wood, while others have been painted with varnish and have a warm luster.