The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

The marriage between the Marquis's family and the Xia family was proceeding in full swing, while the Qin family was more relaxed than ever before.

For several days in a row, Qin Yao stayed at home to rest. She no longer had to worry about the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, had to go to the Marquis's mansion to please her future in-laws, and had to be mindful of other people's opinions. Life was indeed much happier.

The servants of the Qin family no longer had to worry about the Marquis's mansion coming to cause trouble, and they worked much harder without being on edge.

At noon, Qin Yao was lying on a chair enjoying the sun when a servant ran over and whispered something urgent in Qiu Liu's ear.

Qingzhi, who was fanning herself, looked around curiously, and soon Qiuliu returned.

"Miss, something has happened at Diancui Pavilion!"

……

Diancui Pavilion is a property of the Qin family; as the name suggests, it's a jewelry shop.

Qin Yao couldn't even say exactly how long this shop had been open; she had only heard the story of Diancui Pavilion since she was born.

The Qin family started out as a jewelry maker. They were just craftsmen at first, but after making a set of jewelry for a noblewoman in the palace, they received her help and were able to open their own shop.

The nobleman also admired his ancestors' craftsmanship, and gradually Diancui Pavilion's business improved, the shop expanded, and this led to the Qin family's rise to prominence.

Of course, the items from Diancui Pavilion have always been highly sought after by noble ladies in Kyoto.

The jewelry designs at Diancui Pavilion are always the most innovative, and the quality is always the best.

In many cases, the supply of goods cannot meet the demand.

In the past, because of the marriage with Qin Yao, the Marquis's mansion had raided the place quite a bit.

Manager Wang of Diancui Pavilion, having received Qin Yao's words, dared not say anything. He would send whatever he fancied to the Marquis's residence, and later on, he would send over newly released items for selection.

Choosing one or two items wouldn't be a problem, as Manager Wang could afford the loss. However, the Marquis's mansion was like a man-eating beast; once things went in and came out, they were basically all worthless items.

This caused Diancui Pavilion's business to plummet, leaving it struggling to breathe under the pressure from the shops next door.

Although Qin Yao didn't say anything, Manager Wang was also embarrassed and was thinking of going back to his hometown after these few months.

A few days ago, the two families broke off their engagement. Manager Wang was one of the happiest people, especially since Qin Yao sent someone to tell him that they were severing ties with the Marquis's mansion and that they no longer needed to put on jewelry.

Manager Wang felt it was unreal until he heard that the Marquis's mansion was preparing for the wedding, at which point it felt real.

As soon as the new product came out, he thought about competing with the jewelry shop next door to vent his anger.

Who says Diancui Pavilion has nothing of note?

Who says the masters at Diancui Pavilion are old and have lost their touch?!

Manager Wang had been holding back a big move, and he was just waiting for today!

Unexpectedly, three uninvited guests arrived at the store!

When Qin Yao arrived, the shop was already crowded with onlookers, including many young ladies who had dealings with her.

When they saw Qin Yao coming, everyone automatically made way for her to go in.

The people who were still arguing didn't even notice that Qin Yao had arrived.

Lady Liu, the wife of the Marquis, stood in the middle. To her left was Xia Qiutang, the future wife of the heir apparent, whom she was protecting, and to her right was Jiang Xiaoxiao, the young lady of the Marquis's mansion, who was charging into battle.

"I told you to hand it over! Did you hear me? My brother and sister-in-law are overjoyed. Don't you understand the rules? If you don't hand it over, I'll make sure you lose your job as manager!"

Shopkeeper Wang's lips twitched, and he almost couldn't hold back his smile on his chubby face.

What kind of weirdos are these?

Their young lady has already broken off her engagement with the young master. What connection do Jiang Xiaoxiao's brother and sister-in-law have with the Qin family?

Why did he take the things out?

In the past, they would just deliver the goods directly, and they were always quick to do so. Manager Wang had never seen the shamelessness of the Marquis's mansion before.

So when the mother and daughter from the Marquis's mansion opened their mouths, they shocked him to the core.

Qin Yao naturally understood them very well. Seeing Liu's superior gaze and her chin held high, she knew that Liu also agreed with Jiang Xiaoxiao's words.

As for Xia Qiutang standing next to her.

Hmm... that's alright. He kept his head down and didn't say anything, hiding behind Liu Shi, blocking most of the view and making himself seem innocent.

If she gets the item, she wins; if she doesn't, she's not the one who loses face.

The reason she's considered normal is probably because she knows that what the Liu mother and daughter are doing is utterly shameless!

Manager Wang remained silent for a long time, which greatly annoyed Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was used to being fawned over. Seeing that she had already reached for something on the table, Qin Yao was afraid that she would smash things, so she spoke up immediately.

"What's going on here?"

As soon as Qin Yao spoke, everyone's eyes turned to her.

Manager Wang's eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior.

I was just about to come over and explain when someone beat me to it.

"Sister Yao Yao, look at this old man! He actually bullied me! Help me! Make him get out of here right now and find someone else!" Jiang Xiaoxiao linked arms with Qin Yao in a very intimate and natural way, as if their relationship remained the same as always.

This surprised the onlookers. What was going on?

Is Qin Yao really that carefree? How can she maintain the same relationship with her former sister-in-law?

Before Qin Yao could speak, Liu Shi also spoke up.

"Xiaoxiao is right, this dog needs to be obedient. Qin Yao, you should deal with this person who disrespects his elders as soon as possible!"

Because of her status, Liu only argued with Manager Wang for a couple of minutes at the beginning, and then it was the nanny and Jiang Xiaoxiao who were fighting it out.

Seeing Qin Yao arrive, he finally spoke, using his status as an elder to put pressure on her and prevent her from easily forgiving him.

Qin Yao was not surprised at all. After ten years of getting along, how could she not know what kind of person Liu was?

Some people only believe what they want to believe, and no matter how much you argue, it won't change anything.

It's likely that Jiang Su's ideas about concubines have long been deeply ingrained in Liu Shi and Jiang Xiaoxiao, coupled with Qin Yao's usual indulgence towards them.

Even if the gifts are returned, and rumors spread that the Qin family and the Marquis's mansion have broken off the engagement and have no further connection, they might not believe it.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao smiled slightly. Since they didn't believe her, she could only shatter their illusions.

"Madam Hou, Miss Jiang!" Qin Yao's address startled the two women, and a strange feeling arose in their hearts.

However, after that, they realized they had been overthinking things.

“Diancui Pavilion is open for business and will not refuse any customer. Manager Wang is indeed wrong.”

"Manager Wang, why don't you bring out your best stuff?"

Shopkeeper Wang didn't understand, but he did as he was told and took out the newest pieces of jewelry from below.

Jiang Xiaoxiao smiled from ear to ear, pointing to the tassel butterfly hairpin at the top, "This is it, this one is perfect for my sister-in-law."

He reached for it, but Qin Yao stopped him halfway through.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, displeased.

"Miss Jiang, this is Diancui Pavilion's newest design."

"I know! I don't want anything that isn't the latest style!"

Qin Yao ignored her words and instead asked Manager Wang, "Manager Wang, how are the new styles handled according to usual practice?"

Manager Wang immediately understood, "Miss, the new styles are always sold to the highest bidder!"

"Then let's get started!"

Qin Yao stepped aside, and Manager Wang immediately took the tray and was about to walk to the middle of the stands.

Not only were Jiang Xiaoxiao and her two companions bewildered, but the people around them were also confused about what was going on.

After a long pause, someone muttered, "What does this mean? We can all participate? It's the same as before, highest bidder wins?"

Shopkeeper Wang had already gone up and was the first to take the tassel butterfly hairpin.

"Look everyone, this is a butterfly hairpin made by Master Jiang from Diancui Pavilion..."

At that moment, the signal came, and the ladies all gathered around.

How long has it been? At least three years, if not five. The jewelry of Diancui Pavilion has never been auctioned like this before. They were about to give up because they couldn't compete with the Marquis's Mansion. But now it has happened again!

Everyone knows that anything produced by Diancui Pavilion is a masterpiece! And some of their pieces are limited editions, one of a kind!

Wearing this to a banquet will definitely make you the center of attention.

The commotion attracted the attention of those outside, and soon it was heard that bidders for Diancui Pavilion were coming in one after another. Fortunately, the place was large enough that it wasn't crowded at first.

They were happy, and the expressions on the faces of the three people who were left hanging were quite interesting.

"Wh...what do you mean?" Jiang Xiaoxiao was the first to react, looking at her mother and then at Qin Yao, completely puzzled.

"Qin Yao! I've already ordered the items! What are you doing?!" Liu was a little better than Jiang Xiaoxiao; she already knew what she meant and immediately became dissatisfied.

Qin Yao maintained her smile.

“Madam Hou, Diancui Pavilion has its own rules. Although I am the owner, I cannot break the rules, can I?”

"Since Madam has taken a liking to the items from Diancui Pavilion, Qin Yao is naturally pleased. Madam, please step forward to bid."

As he spoke, he moved aside to make room for him.

At this time, the prices there also began to rise steadily.

"Three hundred taels!"

"Three hundred and fifty taels!"

……

Jiang Xiaoxiao: "What we want is ours! Why should we compete with them for it? We'd have to pay them!"