After crossing, I was forced to hold on to my thighs and build a kingdom

"Hello, ladies!" A neatly dressed, energetic young man greeted us warmly at the door. "What would you like to see today? Gold, silver, or jade? Jewelry or ornaments?"

"We sisters happened to be passing by here today, so we came in to take a look. Brother Er, you can go and do your thing, and we'll just take a stroll around."

Huizhen smiled and refused the second brother's guidance.

She had been here several times and was familiar with the jewelry display areas in the store. She pulled Jinchu and walked quickly towards the small jewelry area in the east.

"Then please make yourselves at ease, ladies." Seeing Huizhen go straight in with a clear purpose, the waiter knew that this girl must be a regular customer. Without saying anything more, he bowed and turned to leave.

As expected of the largest jewelry store in Lincheng, Jinchu walked along the way and saw all kinds of jewelry that were either dazzling or delicate and warm, as well as some small items. These included headdresses, earrings, necklaces, jewelry, and small playthings, etc., made of materials ranging from gold and silver to gems and pearls.

Each piece of jewelry is meticulously crafted by artisans, with ingenuity evident in every detail, such as bows woven with gold wire and floral patterns carved from jade.

At first glance, I felt that the surroundings had turned into a world of jewels and treasures.

If each of these pieces were brought to the modern world, they would probably be the treasure of the store! Jin Chu was dazzled by the sight and couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the ingenuity of the ancients in their jewelry.

"Jin'er, it seems like the Bodhisattva has really blessed me!" Huizhen excitedly put her arm around her shoulders and whispered in Jinchu's ear, "Look, the earrings are still there."

Following the direction of Huizhen's finger, Jinchu saw the earrings she was talking about.

A small pair of earrings lay quietly on the black velvet cloth in a corner of the display cabinet.

The fish's body is made of blue water jade, while its tail and head are decorated with gold. A small sapphire is embedded in each of its eyes, and in its mouth, it holds a water-drop-shaped, lustrous pearl.

When the earring moves slightly, the fish eyes inside roll back and forth, and the pearls underneath also sway constantly. It looks really small and elegant, and quite lively.

No wonder Huizhen is so obsessed with it.

The guy in charge of this counter was about thirty years old, short and fat, with a big black mole on the right side of his cheek that was extremely conspicuous.

He saw that Jinchu and the other person were only staring at the earrings, so he looked them up and down. When he saw that Jinchu was wearing a coarse cotton jacket that was obviously faded from washing, he retracted his raised foot and just turned his head slightly to curl his lips imperceptibly.

Just as Jin Chu looked up, the fat guy's extremely subtle expression of disdain happened to fall into her eyes.

She lowered her head to glance at Huizhen, who was still staring at the earrings with joy beyond words, and then calmly looked away.

This girl is so happy, don’t spoil her fun!

This fat waiter was obviously a person who treated guests differently based on their appearance. Huizhen must have been looked down upon because of her attire today. Otherwise, the waiter should have stepped forward to greet the customers instead of just watching from the sidelines.

Regarding the waiter's behavior, Jin Chu could only treat it with indifference, except for secretly scolding him: "He looks down on people with his dog eyes."

Respect the clothes first and then the person!

This sentence is applicable throughout history, especially to those working in the sales and service industries. It is directly linked to their interests, and they cannot afford to be so snobbish.

It seems that I still need to work hard to earn more money. With money on hand, at least I won't have to endure the humiliation of being looked down upon by any random Tom, Dick, or Harry.

Jin Chu, who was disgusted by the waiter, no longer had the heart to walk around. She nonchalantly put away the jewelry that was still in her eyes with a bit of curiosity, and just waited quietly for Huizhen to choose the jewelry so that she could pay and leave.

Jin Chu was very grateful to Huizhen, the girl who showed kindness to him and helped him directly when they first met.

If it weren't for her introduction, he would not have had the chance to meet Wang Weiyuan, let alone the possibility of him taking the initiative to offer to guide Zhao'er in his studies.

"Jin'er, are there any jewelry you like?" Huizhen, who finally came back to her senses from her excitement, looked at Jinchu who was distracted and asked in a low voice.

Jin Chu chuckled to herself, "I rarely go out and don't have many sisters I know well, so I don't need jewelry very often. Plus, my brother's whereabouts are still unknown, so I don't feel like wearing it. If I buy it and wear it, I'm afraid people will envy me, but if I don't wear it, it'll just gather dust. It's too much trouble, so I'd rather not buy it."

Huizhen blushed and apologized, "I'm so sorry, I was so happy at the moment that I forgot about your current situation! Aunt Sun is so greedy, if she saw you wearing jewelry, she would take it away in no time!"

She paused, then looked at Jin Chu and said solemnly, "As for the sisters you know well, there weren't any before, but won't I be there in the future?"

After saying that, she winked mischievously at Jin Chu and asked with a smile, "Could it be that you still despise me and don't want to be my sister?"

Jin Chu smiled and shook his head at the kindness shown by the girl again, but his heart felt a little warmer.

After calming down, Jinchu changed the subject: "Huizhen, besides those earrings, do you have any other jewelry you like? If so, I'll buy them for you!"

As soon as the words fell, Huizhen's eyes widened, revealing a look of disbelief. "Jin'er, what nonsense are you talking about? Compared to the two of us, I should be the one giving you a gift! You're having such a hard time, and you're taking care of your brother all by yourself. How can I have the nerve to accept your gift and let you spend money!"

Seeing the girl's face flush with anxiety, Jinchu quickly pulled her aside and whispered, "Huizhen, although I don't have a fortune, I still have enough money to live on, so giving you a small trinket is no problem. I suffered so much before because I didn't dare let Sun know that I had money. I always imagined that she would have a change of heart and treat my sister and me better, so that we could all end up in peace."

Thinking of the vicious Sun, she smiled bitterly. "Now it seems that parting ways amicably is impossible. In this case, why should I put myself and my brother in such a difficult situation? I might as well just use the money my brother left behind."

"What will you do if Aunt Sun finds out? She is not someone you can easily deal with!" Huizhen felt a greater sense of crisis about Jinchu's situation.

When I have no money, I worry about being hungry and cold. When I have money, I worry about being plotted against by villains. I feel difficult and caught in a dilemma.

"If no one offends me, I won't offend anyone. Aunt Sun has already caused my death once. If she still refuses to repent and continues to push her limits, I'm not a pushover. I can't let her do whatever she wants."

A cold glint flashed in Jin Chu's eyes, and his aura was as cold as snow. "If that really happens, the worst that can happen is that we'll just break up and go our separate ways!"

Huizhen no longer had the heart to look at the jewelry. After a moment's thought, she felt uneasy. "But this isn't a long-term solution. As the saying goes, 'A thief can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't be on guard against thieves for a thousand days.' You and your sister are both living in her yard now. If Aunt Sun really wants to plot against you, how can you handle it alone with a child?"

"It's freezing cold today, and I have no relatives. Even if I have other plans, it's not a good time to leave. I can only be careful and defend myself, and make plans next year!" Jin Chu frowned slightly and whispered helplessly.