The Story of Pearl Girl Episode 5 Recap
> The Story of Pearl Girl Recap
Duan Wu was determined to find a way to leave the ship sooner. After some strategic persuasion, Yan Zijing agreed to let her go. But now that she was getting off the ship, what business should she pursue? Duan Wu pondered endlessly, knowing only that she could sell scrap materials.
In the past, Cao Tou sold them at eighteen coins per jin, but Duan Wu thought she could refine the scraps, with some even being sellable to pharmacies, which would yield extra profit. To gather enough scrap material, Duan Wu gathered her courage and approached Wei Yan at the guards' association, sharing her calculated profits with him. Since Duan Wu was willing to put in the effort and Wei Yan could make extra money, she agreed to help.
She led Duan Wu to the person in charge of producing the scrap, and Duan Wu managed to secure a total of two hundred jin of material. Duan Wu had no intention of keeping all the profits for herself. She shared the materials with her fellow slaves who worked in the ship's hold, and they were all delighted to help. They began diligently refining the scraps together.
When the day to disembark finally came, Duan Wu struggled to pull her cart full of goods, while Xiao Xiami could only see her off to the dock. He reminded her to move to the next buyer if her first negotiation didn’t work out. In her first business venture, Duan Wu lacked experience and faced many rejections.
The pharmacy owners, seeing her as a stranger and a non-resident, worried they wouldn’t have recourse if the medicinal materials were of poor quality, so they refused to do business with her. Meanwhile, after the fire at the He Pu Pearl Factory, Cui Shiqi realized he couldn’t fulfill the imperial order, so he secretly instructed his men to retrieve the required pearls for the court, regardless of the cost.
As Yan Zijing’s ship neared Guangzhou, he considered the importance of future business there and decided to go ashore to meet the local alliance leader. Yan Zijing had countless colorful gems from the Western regions in his cabin, and by presenting just a few as gifts, the local alliance leader would see him as a friend and agree to help him sell the pearls, as long as Yan Zijing adhered to the profit-sharing rules.
After much effort, Duan Wu finally found a buyer willing to take her goods. He gave her a silver note and directed her to a nearby bank to collect the money. But upon presenting the note, she was told that the stamp on it was fake. Panic-stricken, Duan Wu rushed back to confront the buyer at the pharmacy, only to encounter Cao Tou. He claimed that her delivery was short and immediately tried to drag her to Yan Zijing.
Yan Zijing was very surprised, but when Cao Tou mentioned two hundred and ten jin of goods, Duan Wu realized the truth. When weighing the materials earlier, only she and the swindler were present, so how could Cao Tou know the exact amount? Clearly, he had been in on the scheme from the start. Duan Wu was tied to the deck and punished with twenty lashes. Yan Zijing then ordered her to return to the hold as a slave.
Duan Wu pleaded with Yan Zijing for one more chance, promising to retrieve the lost goods. Yan Zijing, seeing her tear-filled eyes and recognizing a spirit similar to his own past struggles, granted her request. That night, Duan Wu quietly sneaked into Cao Tou's quarters. Pressing a dagger to his throat, she demanded the location of the swindler’s hideout. To save his life, Cao Tou disclosed the details, and Duan Wu ventured there immediately, successfully retrieving the money.
After submitting the required amount, Duan Wu kept her rightful share. Yan Zijing, however, was not pleased with her actions and insisted on punishing her for her negligence. Confused, Duan Wu didn’t understand why, after retrieving the money, she still faced such harsh treatment. Yan Zijing reminded her that selling scrap materials had encroached on Cao Tou’s business, so naturally, she would encounter obstacles. Duan Wu wondered why Yan Zijing continued to protect Cao Tou, despite his constant schemes.
Yan Zijing explained that as long as Cao Tou could accomplish tasks he assigned, he was valuable and wouldn’t be discarded. Determined, Duan Wu resolved to become someone valuable to Yan Zijing.
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