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Wu Meifen retrieved a small wooden seal from her satchel and stamped the scroll, leaving the clear and precise impression of her family crest. The courier examined the seal and nodded in approval.
"Aside from the official document, I would also like to apply security services for the bulk personal letters," Wu Meifen added.
The courier boy nodded, making a note in his ledger. He adjusted the total to include the additional service and began calculating with his specialized abacus designed for the jade currency system.
As the courier counted, Wu Meifen quickly did the math in her head. She knew she had a bulk of letters (five Yùlíng tokens), one official document needing secure handling (two Yùlíng tokens), and the additional security service for the bulk personal letters (another two Yùlíng tokens). This brought her total to nine Yùlíng (Jade Spirit) tokens. She smiled slightly as the young courier finished his calculations.
"That will be nine Yùlíng tokens, Miss," the courier said, looking up from his abacus.
Wu Meifen reached into her money pouch, initially pulling out a Báiyù Zhū (White Jade Pearl) token. After a moment's thought, she replaced it with a Qīngyù Qián (Blue Jade Coin). In this world, currency is not simple copper and silver coins but intricately carved jade tokens of varying sizes, shapes, and colors, each representing different denominations and values. This system reflects both the economic and aesthetic values of the society, integrating art, craftsmanship, and commerce.
- Yùlíng (Jade Spirit) Tokens: Equivalent to copper coins, these are small, round tokens about the size of a thumbprint. They feature simple carvings with basic patterns, often depicting common symbols like leaves or waves. They are thin, light, and easy to carry in large quantities.
- Báiyù Zhū (White Jade Pearl) Tokens: Comparable to silver coins, these tokens are slightly larger and oval-shaped, about the size of a coin. They have more intricate carvings, including animals or geometric patterns, indicating higher value. They are still thin and light, but larger in size.
- Qīngyù Qián (Blue Jade Coin): Representing the equivalent of gold coins, these tokens are larger and rectangular, roughly the size of a small matchbox. They boast highly detailed carvings, often depicting mythical creatures or historical scenes, showcasing superior craftsmanship. They are slightly heavier due to their larger size but still manageable.
- Huángyù Bǎo (Imperial Jade Treasure): Reserved for substantial transactions or imperial use, these tokens vary in size and are often customized for high-value exchanges. They feature exquisite carvings, sometimes inlaid with precious metals or gemstones, depicting imperial insignias or revered deities. They can be heavier depending on size and inlays but are used less frequently.
The Qīngyù Qián was worth five Báiyù Zhū tokens or fifty Yùlíng tokens. Wu Meifen handed the Qīngyù Qián to the courier as payment.
The young courier's eyes widened at the sight of the Qīngyù Qián. It was rare to see such a high denomination used for sending personal letters. Trying to maintain professionalism, he excused himself and went to the back room, where he found his superior, who was doing an inventory check. He informed his superior about the customer paying with a Qīngyù Qián for sending a bulk of personal letters along with a single official document. Initially, the senior courier didn't believe him but decided to check nonetheless.
Escort Hua Meilin observed the transaction with a mix of curiosity and respect. She considered advising Wu Meifen on the impracticality of her payment but held back, recognizing her role as merely an escort to someone of apparent high status. Wu Meifen's demeanor suggested that such matters were routine for her.
When the senior courier arrived, he was initially surprised to see a Qīngyù Qián being used for a relatively simple transaction. Such payments were typically associated with noblemen handling large shipments in the capital or dealings with the royal court. However, recognizing Wu Meifen from Dragon's Edge Woodcutters and noting her calm and assured demeanor, he chose not to question it further. With a smile, he took over the transaction process.
The senior courier checked the token's authenticity. The intricate designs made counterfeiting difficult, as each token's carvings were unique to the artisan who created them, often including a small, hidden mark identifying the craftsman. Jade's unique properties, such as its translucence and texture, made it difficult to replicate. Trained to recognize jade through touch and visual inspection, the senior courier quickly confirmed its authenticity. Wu Meifen acknowledged this with a gentle smile, indicating her familiarity with such scenarios.
"Now that the storm has passed, your letters will reach their destination promptly," the courier assured her.
After checking, the senior courier began calculating the change with the abacus, preparing to give Wu Meifen four Báiyù Zhū tokens and a Yùlíng token. However, Wu Meifen requested her change in forty-one Yùlíng tokens instead. Although jade tokens are light, carrying a large number can still be cumbersome.
Initially puzzled, the adult courier followed her request and retrieved forty-one Yùlíng tokens from his secure pouch. He handed them to Wu Meifen, who accepted them with a nod and a smile, then carefully placed the small tokens into her pouch, adjusting it to accommodate the added weight.
As Wu Meifen and Hua Meilin left the courier station, Hua Meilin turned to Wu Meifen and asked, "Mistress Wu, why..." she hesitated, "why did you request so many Yùlíng tokens for your change?" In truth, she wanted to ask why she used the Qīngyù Qián as her payment.
Wu Meifen merely smiled and replied vaguely, "I have a particular use for them."
The young courier scratched his head in bewilderment. It was his first time seeing a Qīngyù Qián up close, and he didn't even dare to hold it. He also wondered why a wealthy young miss would pay such a large amount in one go but request all her change in small jade tokens.
Meanwhile, after watching the two ladies leave the station, the senior courier advised his apprentice to prioritize the bulk of letters and the official document, making it a top priority without requiring additional fees. He recorded the transaction in the ledger, noting that Wu Meifen was considered a person of special importance.
Wu Meifen entrusted the letters to the courier, confident they would reach their intended recipients. The trip to the river dock was a brief but necessary detour.
With their errand complete, Wu Meifen and Hua Meilin made their way to the ancestral home. The morning air was crisp, and the path was lined with greenery, providing a serene backdrop to their short journey. Escort Hua Meilin carried a small bag with Wu Meifen's drinking water, tea leaves, and a selection of light snacks, ensuring she had everything she needed for her vigil.
They arrived at the small ancestral home. Wu Meifen took her position, preparing for another day of dedication to her first 100-hour prayer vigil. The room was filled with the reverence of the past, and she settled into her duties with a calm and focused spirit.
After Escort Hua Meilin arranged and prepared extra incense sticks for future use on the humble wooden altar, she turned her attention to setting up food and tea, ensuring Wu Meifen would have everything she needed to sustain herself during her prayer vigil. Hua Meilin moved with deliberate care, her actions graceful and respectful.
First, she laid out a small silk cloth on the table, its delicate embroidery depicting scenes of nature, adding an elegant touch to the low wooden table in the corner of the ancestral home. She then placed a lacquered tray in the center, its surface polished to a high sheen, reflecting the flickering light of the incense.
Hua Meilin carefully arranged an assortment of snacks on the tray. She started with a small plate of dried fruits—plump apricots, sweet dates, and tart plums, each piece meticulously chosen for its quality. Next, she placed a bowl of assorted nuts, their rich, earthy colors contrasting beautifully with the smooth lacquer. There were also delicate rice cakes, their surfaces dusted with a light sprinkling of sugar, and a selection of savory pastries, filled with spiced meats and vegetables.
Turning her attention to the tea, Hua Meilin knew it was essential to keep it warm throughout the day. She took out a sturdy yet elegant clay teapot that Cook Gu had selected ahead of time, known for its excellent heat retention properties. The teapot was decorated with intricate carvings of dragons and clouds, symbols of strength and grace. Inside, she placed a generous amount of finely rolled oolong tea leaves, their dark green color promising a rich, aromatic brew.
To ensure the tea remained warm, Hua Meilin used a small brass brazier that was already available within the ancestral home, filled with glowing charcoal embers. She set the brazier on a heat-resistant mat beside the tray and placed a trivet over it. The teapot was carefully positioned on the trivet, allowing the gentle heat from the charcoal to keep the tea at the perfect temperature. A small, hinged lid on the brazier allowed her to adjust the airflow, ensuring the embers glowed steadily without producing too much smoke.
She also used a small pot of hot water, already kept at the home, on the brazier, ready to replenish the teapot as needed. Next to the teapot, she placed a pair of delicate porcelain cups, their surfaces painted with scenes of bamboo forests. Each cup had a matching lid to retain heat, ensuring Mistress Wu could enjoy warm tea throughout her vigil.
Hua Meilin poured the first steeping of tea, allowing the fragrant steam to rise and fill the air with a soothing aroma mixing with the calming scent of burning incense. She then placed the teapot and cups on the lacquered tray, along with a small dish of honey and a porcelain spoon, in case Wu Meifen preferred her tea sweetened.
With everything in place, Hua Meilin took a step back, surveying her work with a satisfied nod. She temporarily bid farewell to Wu Meifen, informing her in a low voice that she would return later tonight after her prayer vigil. With a respectful bow, she took her leave, ensuring the door closed softly behind her.
The room fell silent, save for the soft rustling of leaves outside and the faint crackle of the incense burning nearby. After the first three incense sticks burned out, each with an hour-long burning time, Wu Meifen prepared the fourth incense with elegant movements. Once it was lit, she quietly took out her money pouch and carefully extracted all forty-one Yùlíng (Jade Spirit) tokens.
As she arranged the tokens, she recalled a low whisper that seemed distant yet familiar, echoing in her mind. It was a timid, deep voice that had once proposed a covert deal.
'Then, how about… forty-one Yùlíng?'
"Here it is, forty-one Yùlíng tokens." Wu Meifen softly said to herself, her voice barely audible in the quiet room. She placed the last token on the stack, her movements precise and deliberate. "You'll forgive me for this once, right?" she asked no one in particular, while absent-mindedly staring at the neatly stacked tokens in piles of ten and one single pile on the low wooden altar in front of her, next to the burning incense.
The Jade Spirit tokens were, in fact, Wu Meifen's discreet payment to Ling Kai for allowing her to sneak some sleep during her 100-hour prayer vigil at his ancestral home. These tokens were part of a covert arrangement, but the full details of this secret remained undisclosed for now, destined to unfold as part of a story yet to be revealed.
Satisfied with her arrangement, Wu Meifen took a deep breath, her gaze softening as she looked at the neatly stacked tokens for the last time. The room's atmosphere, filled with the scent of incense and the quiet reverence of her vigil, was a stark contrast to the secretive transaction that had just taken place. She closed her eyes, ready to immerse herself once more in her prayers, meditating then silently catching some sleep knowing that her actions, both seen and unseen, were all part of a hidden tapestry yet to be fully woven.