Xinjiekou landmark building, Liangyou Department Store.
On the front of the towering building, a giant Ming Dynasty flag hangs from the top floor.
The bright yellow satin flapped fiercely on the gray marble floor, and the fiery red dragon seemed to be swimming on it, pointing straight to the sky, showing the strength and pride of this empire. Everyone who passed by felt excited in their hearts.
There were only a few cars in the parking lot at the entrance. Xiang Xiaoqiang's car drove up and immediately attracted the attention of the doorman. As soon as the car stopped, the uniformed doorman bent down and opened the door, saying "Sir" and being attentive in front.
Lead the way.
Xiang Xiaoqiang got off the car, holding Qiu Qiu in his arms, looking at the familiar scenes around him, sighing.
The large display window of the department store, Xinjiekou Square behind you, the Memorial to the Fall of Jiangbei...
When I came here for the first time, I had just been released from Jinyiwei. I was wearing a uniform and had no money. I was brought here by Qiu Qiu to buy clothes... If it weren't for Qiu Qiu, I would have been living on the streets.
When he first came to this world, he fell into the river and held the periscope of the Grasshopper. It was Qiu Qiu who risked his life to prevent the submarine from diving, so he avoided the fate of drowning due to exhaustion. He really owed Qiu Qiu a lot.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu looked at each other and smiled, both filled with emotion. But now it's still those scenes, but everything has changed.
The building was draped with the national flag, sandbags were piled up around the square, anti-aircraft guns were erected, giant air defense balloons stood in the sky, and there were far fewer cars and people on the streets...
Xiang Xiaoqiang held Qiu Qiu's waist and whispered with a smile:
"I still owe you a hundred dollars, right?"
Qiu Qiu said softly, "Hmm", and said in a timid tone:
"You are not allowed to pay me back. I want you to owe me forever."
…
Sitting on the sofa in the elevator, staring around. The elevator at this time was an out-and-out high-end equipment, only decorated in quite luxurious places. The four walls were not mirrored metal like in later generations, but thick walnut.
It is decorated with two small oil paintings with round frames. Above the elevator door is a clock dial. As the elevator moves, the pointer indicating the floor rotates. The last crisp ringing stops on the Roman numeral "seven".
We arrived at the top floor. The two doors slowly opened, revealing a dark jeweled ambience. The noble maids in evening clothes on both sides curtsied at the same time, lowered their heads and whispered softly:
"Welcome your lord, ma'am."
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled at Qiu Qiu, took her arm, and slowly walked into the most luxurious place in the Ming Empire.
Under the dim light, the diamonds everywhere reflected bright light on the black velvet cloth lining, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.
Xiang Xiaoqiang could clearly feel Qiu Qiu's breathing trembling slightly.
Alas, as soon as a girl sees these sparkling things, her soul is taken away.
Liangyou Department Store was originally the most luxurious department store in the Ming Empire, and its top floor was the most luxurious place. It was a place similar to a private club, a consumption place for the small circle of the upper class in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, specializing in top-notch jewelry and some
Luxury goods. Ordinary customers cannot reach the first floor by taking the elevator. Not to mention Xiang Xiaoqiang, even Qiu Qiu, who is a gangster lady, has never been here before.
The two of them entered this private club in a daze, not understanding what was going on inside. Mainly because Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu were dazzled by their straight military uniforms. Xiang Xiaoqiang was in an army uniform, and Qiu Qiu was in an army uniform.
Navy uniforms, one dark and one light, with a Vermilion Bird Medal and a Plum Blossom Medal, plus the small golden sword logo on the collar badge. As soon as you say you want to buy a ring, you will immediately know who is coming.
The lobby manager came up to him with a smile and said with a smile:
"Haha, Sir Xiang, Miss Qiu, welcome, I have been waiting for you two to come..."
The two of them were stunned and surprised. Xiang Xiaoqiang quickly recalled that his photo had never appeared in a newspaper.
The manager immediately explained that they had kept records of all the high-ranking celebrities in Nanjing, especially those who had just emerged and might become their potential customers, such as members of the royal family, political and business leaders, and their wives.
They are all "VIP customers". Of course, Xiang Xiaoqiang and the future Mrs. Xiang were added to the list not long ago. Just now the supervisor below called to report that a pair of male and female officers came up, very young, both with People's Guard badges, male
He was an army colonel and the woman was a navy lieutenant. They fit the characteristics of Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu very well. So he went to receive them in person.
Xiang Xiaoqiang lamented that such service is truly unmatched by future generations.
Now during the war, there were very few customers, and business was bleak every day. Now Commander Xiang came with his fiancée, and the manager personally took action and took them to the top jewelry area attentively.
The top jewelry area is divided into three parts, namely: French Cartier in 1846, American Tiffany in 1837, and Greek Bulgari in 1884.
The three most powerful jewelers of later generations are all here now.
Xiang Xiaoqiang held Qiu Qiu, who was already dazzled, and walked among the jewels. An old bald French man in a suit and leather shoes, with a thick diamond ring on his hand, introduced in proficient Chinese how long their Cartier jewelry has a long history.
From Napoleon III's cousin Princess Mathilde, Queen Eugenie, Russia's Prince Saltikov, Belgium's Elizabeth II, Britain's Edward VII... all the way to the current Empress Zhu Yourong of the Ming Dynasty, they are all their customers... and they dug out a big pile.
The photo above is the letter of authorization from each royal family appointing them to process crowns... The implication is that if you, Commander, also spend money with us, your worth will be greatly increased...
The old French man snapped his fingers, and a black man brought a tray with several cigars. Xiang Xiaoqiang unceremoniously took one and smoked it. He listened to the old man's chatter, nodded his head, and hummed.
Qiu Qiu never took her eyes away from the jewelry in the cabinet. Xiang Xiaoqiang thought she was blinded, but Xiao Nizi quietly pulled his sleeves and whispered into his ear:
"Xiaoqiang...it's so expensive."
Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't take anything seriously at the counter, ranging from the cheapest of a few hundred mingyang to the most expensive of tens of thousands of mingyang. He originally had a capital of 500,000, and these days he secretly speculated on the futures of war supplies. This amount of money
It has already reached nearly 1 million.
Xiang Xiaoqiang also leaned against her ear and said with a smile:
"No matter how expensive it is...it's not worthy of you."
…
When I walked to Tiffany's, the tall and thin American manager immediately came up to me with a smile. With a wave, the blond lady held up a crystal cup and poured half a cup of amber brandy. Xiang Xiaoqiang was also polite.
He took it over, smoked a cigar, sipped brandy, shook his head and hummed to the American manager, listening to him talk about how many royal family members had customized jewelry with them, and how many Hollywood superstars were their loyal customers...
When we arrived at Bulgari, the Greek manager with black hair and big nose raised his hand, and a Greek lady in a white dress set up the violin and played Kreisler's "Joy of Love"...
…
In the end, Qiu Qiu stayed in front of a Cartier crystal glass cabinet and refused to leave, staring at a ring inside.
It was a gemstone ring. The surface of the ring was about one centimeter in diameter, with dozens of small white diamonds as the base, and a slightly larger sapphire in the middle to form a strange pattern. It was blue and white, shining brightly under the light.
.Qiu Qiu stared at it, feeling almost drunk.
Xiang Xiaoqiang saw that Qiu Qiu was so obsessed with this piece. With a gesture, the old French man immediately opened the glass cabinet and took out the tray. This piece of jewelry was instantly put on Qiu Qiu's hand. Qiu Qiu turned the back of his hand, and countless rays of light shone.
Eye-catching.
Xiang Xiaoqiang pressed her ear and asked:
"Like it?"
Qiu Qiu blushed and nodded:
"Um."
Looking at Qiu Qiu's expression and staring at the ring on her finger, she almost suffocated. She finally regained her breath and murmured to Xiang Xiaoqiang:
"You know, Xiuxiu has a brooch with this pattern on it...I really like it...but the one she has is silver and not valuable, so she won't show it to us...this...huhu..."
Xiao Nizi's salivating look seems like she really likes it... Of course, she also wants to buy it back and show off to Xiu Xiu.
Xiang Xiaoqiang saw that there was no price tag inside and said:
"Excuse me, what's the price of this?"
"Hmm," the old French man adjusted his glasses and stared at the ring, hesitating, "I want you to know, sir... this is a royal jewel..."
Qiu Qiu was admiring it when she heard the words "royal jewels" and was startled. She carefully took it off and put it back in the velvet tray. She knew that no matter how rich Xiang Xiaoqiang was, royal jewels were not for people like them to play with.
Started.
Xiang Xiaoqiang's face also changed color slightly. Could it be that this old man saw that Qiu Qiu liked this thing, so he put on a "royal" hat and wanted to kill people?
The old French man smiled peacefully and raised the ring under the lamp:
"Look at the emblem on the ring..."
On the surface of the ring, three strips of sapphire are curved and intersected into a vortex shape against the background of a small white diamond. This pattern is very balanced and comfortable, a bit similar to the Tai Chi pattern, but it has three cantilevers, giving it a strong
The rotation feels like a whirlpool in the blue sea.
The old French man explained:
"This one is called the 'Ba pattern', which is a traditional pattern in East Asia. Many ancient families in the East use it as their family emblem... As for this ring, the Queen of Ryukyu ordered it from us at the beginning of the year. Ryukyu is on the ring.
The emblem of the royal family. Haha, so this is a piece of royal jewelry.”
Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that since the Ryukyu Kingdom was occupied by Japan in the 19th century, the Ryukyu royal family has been divided into two groups. One was kidnapped by the Japanese to Tokyo, and the other fled to the suzerain country of the Ming Dynasty. They have been in exile in the Ming Dynasty. They are now in Nanjing, led by the Ming Dynasty.
Funded by the royal family.
Xiang Xiaoqiang frowned and said:
"Since someone else ordered it, that means we can't buy it?"
The French manager smiled and said:
"But the Ryukyu royal family has been in financial straits in recent years, and the current crown prince of the Ryukyu King likes gambling. He often steals and sells family heirloom jewelry. Last time, he even stole and sold the diamond ring 'Ryukyu Star' that symbolizes the Ryukyu kingship.
...The queen then re-customized a 'Ryukyu Star' for us, which is this one. Because of the limited financial resources at the time, the design was much simpler. Instead of using blue diamonds, sapphires were used. So you see, on the ring
Apart from these small white diamonds, there are only three sapphires over one carat...Later, the 'Ryukyu Star' set with blue diamonds was bought by your Majesty and rewarded to them, so this sapphire'
Ryukyu Star' authorized us to handle it..."
"Oh, so..."
"So," the old French man bowed and said with a smile, "it is our honor at Cartier to be able to use this 'Ryukyu Star' to serve you and your lady."
"Uh..." Xiang Xiaoqiang pondered. It is estimated that with such a legendary experience and a Ryukyu star, it will definitely not be cheap. "How much does it cost?"
"Not much," the old French man smiled sweeter than honey, "With only sixty-eight thousand mingyang, your wife can own this 'Ryukyu Star'."
Xiang Xiaoqiang immediately started making a fuss:
"What? You don't even have a single carat diamond, just three rubbish gems for 68,000? You're robbing money, I don't want it anymore, I don't want it anymore..."
Qiu Qiu also cooperated very talentedly:
"Even so, I don't want it anymore. We still have to live our lives... Besides, this is not a 'Ryukyu Star'. It has not even entered the Ryukyu royal family."
The young couple sang together, and the old French man was shocked.
He has been selling jewelry for so long, but he has never seen people buying wedding rings like this. A normal young man brings a girl to buy a ring. If the price is affordable, he will buy it directly. If he cannot afford it, he will take it off quietly. Never.
I have seen people haggling over the price in front of their fiancée. Even rarer, the fiancée also helped to negotiate the price, as if what he bought was not a sacred wedding ring that represented love, but a handful of leeks.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu sang together, and often threatened to go to Tiffany's and Bulgari next door, but the manager of Cartier had already seen that this "Mrs. Quasi-Xiang" was definitely on the side of her fiancé. As long as Xiang Xiaoqiang said
If she doesn't buy it, she really has no complaints.
In the end, the deal was sold for 55,000 Mingyang, and the "Ryukyu Star" customized by the Queen of Ryukyu to symbolize royal power became the wedding ring that Xiang Xiaoqiang gave to Qiu Qiu.
Although the old French man didn't feel any pain, he really didn't make much money. But he understood that the young couple were newly wealthy and had just knocked on the door of Ming Dynasty's upper class. They had a long future and he had another high-quality customer.
The manager asked the Ryukyu royal family to take out the letter of authorization entrusting Cartier to order the "Ryukyu Star" and the power of attorney authorizing them to sell it, and handed it to Xiang Xiaoqiang. This is the identity certificate of the royal family that this "Ryukyu Star" belongs to
.
Then the manager generously presented Qiu Qiu with some matching small jewelry and a matching evening dress.
Then, the old French man poured three glasses of champagne, and respectfully took out a gilded customer signature book, asked Qiu Qiu to sign it as a souvenir, and said with a smile:
"Can we celebrate the addition of another noble lady to the upper class of the Ming Dynasty?"
Opening the large gilded book, there are various signatures on it. Many of them are very familiar names. The handwritings of famous ladies such as Zhu Yourong, Zhu Youmei, Zheng Yucong, etc. are all clearly written on it.
When Xiang Xiaoqiang glanced at these shining names, the old French man's face turned red with pride.
Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly found a name signed at the end: Zhao Fang.
Fourteenth Princess? Princess of Liaoyang?
Haha, I never thought that this girl, who is so low-key, would sneak out to enjoy life.
No, Xiang Xiaoqiang immediately thought that this was part of her concealment. Even if Zhu Yourong couldn't see it when she signed her name, people like Zheng Yucong would be able to see it next time. She was using this method to hint to the royal family of the Ming Dynasty that she was a
Girls like them also like to spend money, like jewelry, and enjoy life. Other than that, they don’t have any big ambitions. Yes, a girl can receive 700,000 yuan a year, so it’s hard not to squander it.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang was lying on the sofa, sipping brandy, smoking a cigar, enjoying the violin, and watching a group of blond and blue-eyed girls surrounding Qiu Qiu, trying on evening dresses for her, as well as various jewelry inlaid with crystals and pearls.
jewelry……
The service is really good. The check has been written, and these are all gifts. They are still so considerate and considerate. It seems that Qiu Qiu is already a good long-term customer in their hearts.
Haha, so what? Qiu Qiu, who was about to faint while admiring the happiness, sighed to Xiaoqiang from the bottom of his heart: If I have money, I can make Qiu Qiu the happiest woman in the world.
It feels good to have money.
He played with the "Ryukyu Star" on his finger, squinted at its dazzling brilliance, and admired the sapphire "Bawen" in the middle, which symbolized the Ryukyu royal family. He couldn't help but think: Ryukyu, Ryukyu, the Ming and Qing Dynasties fought for each other, but they were defeated.
Japan, the fisherman, benefited from both the north and the south. The north swallowed Korea of the Qing Dynasty, and the south swallowed the Ryukyus of the Ming Dynasty. If the north and the south were not enemies of each other, Japan, this kid, would not be able to catch anything.
I can buy a "Ryukyu Star" today. Who knows when the Ming Dynasty will take back Ryukyu?