Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Upon hearing Jia Can inquire about the price, the shopkeeper put down the celadon bottle he was holding, took out the white porcelain bowl, gently placed it on the counter, pushed it in front of Jia Can, and calmly quoted a price:

"Twenty taels."

Jia Can, feigning seriousness, picked up the white porcelain bowl, examined it from all angles, and held it up to the light to check the glaze. He then shook his head, a look of dissatisfaction on his face, and placed the bowl back on the counter, saying:

"It's too expensive, not worth the price."

You have to understand that in this era, the total annual expenses of an ordinary family of five were no more than twenty taels of silver. Most people would really not be willing to spend that much on a bowl.

The shopkeeper was neither angry nor did he try to persuade him to stay. He simply smiled faintly, as if he were used to such customers.

He calmly put the white porcelain bowl back in its place and continued wiping his celadon bottle, as if whether Jia Can bought it or not was none of his business.

Jia Can keenly noticed a detail: when the shopkeeper was picking up teacups and handling porcelain, his hand was extremely steady, with long, slender fingers and a thin callus at the base of his thumb.

The calluses on his hands are different from those of ordinary people. They are not from holding a pen, but rather from holding a knife or drawing a bow for many years. An antique shop owner should not have such calluses on his hands.

Jia Can immediately made up his mind, but he remained calm on the surface and turned to leave without lingering.

Just before leaving, he deliberately paused slightly, tilted his body gently, and a jade pendant tied at his waist fell to the ground silently with a crisp sound.

Hearing the noise, the shopkeeper looked up and saw Jia Can's jade pendant on the ground. He put down what he was holding, bent down to pick it up, and handed it back to Jia Can.

"Sir, please handle your jade with care."

Jia Can accepted the jade pendant and solemnly bowed in thanks:

"Thank you, shopkeeper. This is my mother's keepsake. It's not worth much, but it came from the East."

He deliberately emphasized the word "Dong" and glanced at the shopkeeper's face to observe his expression.

The shopkeeper's expression changed slightly the moment he heard the word "East," as if that one word had touched something.

But he quickly regained his composure, tucked his hands back into his sleeves, nodded slightly, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Then please keep this safe, sir. Take care."

Jia Can said no more, put the jade pendant away, and turned to leave Baoguzhai.

I walked a few steps slowly along the street, turned into a small bar diagonally opposite, went up to the second floor, and chose a seat by the window.

The waiter rushed over eagerly, ordered only a pot of tea, and then sent him away.

He arranged the teapot and teacups, poured himself a cup of tea, and held it in his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on the entrance of Baoguzhai across the street through the window.

Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, a man walked out of Baoguzhai; it was the thin shopkeeper.

Reaching the doorway, he reached out and closed one of the two fully open shop doors halfway, leaving only one door half-open.

After doing all this, the shopkeeper turned around and went back, disappearing into the dimly lit shop.

Upon seeing this, Jia Can's lips curled up slightly, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

He picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and set it down, a smile playing on his lips. He thought to himself:

"Looks like this is the place, I'm sure of it."

At the same time, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that my efforts hadn't been in vain.

Not long after, a person wearing a straw hat entered the antique shop. He was dressed in black and had a strong, wiry figure. The veil hanging from the straw hat completely covered his face, with only the outline of his jawline vaguely visible.

His steps were nimble and his landings were silent; one could tell at a glance that he was a martial artist, and quite skilled at it, exuding an indescribable aura.

Upon seeing this, Jia Can knew in his heart that the person he was looking for had arrived.

Without lingering, he turned and went downstairs, paid for his tea at the counter, and then leisurely left the tavern, crossed the street, and re-entered Baoguzhai.

The shopkeeper was standing behind the counter tidying up items when he looked up and saw Jia Can return. His face showed no surprise; instead, he smiled broadly, warmly greeted him, and bowed, saying:

"Oh, young master, you've come again. Did you leave something behind? Please come in and have a seat."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to lead the way, gesturing for him to come back. His attitude was much warmer than before, as if he had already expected him to return.

Jia Can nodded slightly, said nothing more, and calmly followed him inside.

After passing through a hanging flower gate and crossing a threshold, the shopkeeper led him to a room deep in the back hall and stopped in front of it.

He bowed and stepped aside, gesturing for Jia Can to go in by himself, then turned and left, his steps light and quick, disappearing into the end of the corridor in the blink of an eye.

Jia Can looked around the room. It was small and dimly lit, with only an oil lamp burning against the wall. The flame flickered and cast shadowy shadows on the objects in the room.

The windows were covered by thick curtains, blocking out all the daylight, making it seem like a completely different world from the bright and bustling streets outside.

The man wearing the straw hat was already standing in the house, waiting, his body as straight as a pine tree, motionless.

Jia Can stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. The moment the door closed, the noise from outside was significantly reduced, making the room quite quiet, like a private room with excellent privacy.

The person wearing the bamboo hat tilted their head slightly, their gaze from behind the veil falling on Jia Can. They looked him up and down before speaking:

"Who are you? How do you know this place?"

Jia Can, without blushing or skipping a beat, calmly replied:

"You've come on someone's behalf; who are you, sir?"

Seeing Jia Can's response, the person wearing the bamboo hat and behind the veil flickered slightly, seemingly surprised that this young man was so composed, and snorted:

"Tell me your background first, and I will naturally tell you."

Jia Can frowned slightly upon hearing this. Although he was certain that this place was most likely the rendezvous point Qin Keqing had mentioned, and that the person wearing the bamboo hat in front of him was very likely the person he was to meet.

But if something goes wrong, or if this person is not from the old crown prince's faction, and he rashly reveals Qin Keqing's background, it will be an irreversible disaster.

Qin Keqing's life, and his own, will likely be at stake.

With this in mind, Jia Can composed himself and replied calmly:

"I can tell you, but you have to reveal your identity first. Otherwise, I will risk my life to ruin your reputation."

These words were spoken lightly, yet they carried a strong sense of oppression and an unwavering conviction. They were not empty threats, but a genuine determination to die.

Upon hearing this, the man wearing the straw hat narrowed his gaze slightly behind the gauze curtain, secretly amazed by the young man's courage and boldness.

She stared at Jia Can through the thin gauze curtain for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

"Okay, you go first."

Jia Can sensed the dismissive tone in the other person's words, as if they didn't take him seriously, but he didn't let it bother him. His expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied:

"My name is Jia Can, the illegitimate son of Jia Jing of Ningguo Mansion, and I was born in the Eastern Palace."