Baozhu had paid the goldsmith a rush fee. After spending most of the day browsing the streets, she figured her order ought to be finished and headed back to the gold and silver shop. She asked inside, and sure enough, it was ready. Leaving Wei Xun waiting outside, she inspected the finished pieces for purity, checked their weight, and paid the crafting fee.
When Wei Xun saw her come out, he made a point of looking at her hair. There was still only that sprig of osmanthus blossom.
"What did you buy?" he asked suspiciously.
Baozhu's brows lifted. "Hold out your hand."
Wary that she might be planning some hand-slapping game, Wei Xun hesitantly extended his paw.
Baozhu pressed a handful of something heavy and cold into his palm. Wei Xun looked closely and discovered a handful of gleaming gold Kaiyuan Tongbao coins.
"Count them."
Wei Xun shuffled the gold coins in his hand. Exactly ten. "These are...?"
Baozhu's eyes sparkled as she said earnestly, "When we set out, I was spending more than I had coming in, and I had no money to pay the deposit for hiring you. Today, I finally have a little to spare. Chen Shigu bought you for ten copper coins back then. Now I'm buying you back with ten gold coins."
On reflection, she thought that sounded a little too solemn, so she added teasingly, "This is your betrothal gift in place of dried fish. When I have time, I'll write you a formal letter for taking a Lynx into my household. Ten gold for ten copper-I'm hardly shortchanging a great master like you, am I?"
Clutching the gold coins, Wei Xun stood rooted to the street. All the clamor of traffic around him seemed to vanish, leaving only the words "I'm buying you