章 19: Chapter 19 Ingenuity and Wisdom
Slowly reaching into his bosom, Xin Yun pulled out a small cloth pouch and gently placed it on the counter, "All the jewelry is in here, take a look..."
With a puzzled look, the clerk took the pouch, not understanding why these three oddly paired father and son would keep the gold and silver jewelry in the child's possession rather than on the adult.
The clerk shook his head in confusion, opened the cloth pouch, and suddenly... Two gold and four silver pieces, a total of six life-preserving plaques appeared before the girl. Carefully picking up the largest life-preserving plaque, the clerk began a thorough examination.
Then, opening a drawer beneath the counter, he took out a small black stone with a metallic luster and gently rubbed it a few times on the life-preserving plaque, before looking closely at the stone...
Watching the clerk's actions, Xin Yun remained composed, knowing that the stone was a touchstone that could test not only whether the metal was indeed Gold but also its content and purity.
Under Xin Yun's watchful gaze, the clerk meticulously inspected the other life-preserving plaques and then smiled at A Da, "Hmm, not bad... The purity of these two Gold Medallions is very high, and the craftsmanship is excellent. How much do you plan to sell them for?"
"This..." Faced with the clerk's question, A Da was left speechless. He could recall the purchase price of the Gold Medallions, but as for their selling price, he had no idea.
It was at this moment that Xin Yun's voice rose again, "This large Gold Medallion is not only of good quality but also quite hefty. If it were to be melted down and remade, at the very least it could be turned into four slightly thinner, smaller Gold Medallions, correct?"
Hearing Xin Yun's highly professional analysis, and though reluctant, the clerk had to nod his head; even a layperson could deduce as much from its size.
Seeing the clerk's nodding, Xin Yun revealed his sweetest smile, picking up the smaller Gold Medallion, "Such a Gold Medallion should be able to sell for One Gold and Five Silver Pieces. With a total of five such Gold Medallions, the overall price would be Seven Gold and Five Silver Pieces. After all, you are also in business and can't work without profit, so here's what we'll do... You give me five gold pieces, and these five Gold Medallions are yours. As for the four Silver Medallions, I'll not charge you for them; consider them a gift."
"Ah!" Upon hearing Xin Yun's offer, the clerk's eyes lit up with excitement, a gift of Four Silver Medallions! Each could fetch over a thousand copper in the market, and with the Gold Medallions offering a 50% profit margin, such an incredible deal could not be missed at any cost.
Overjoyed, and as if afraid that Xin Yun would change his mind or A Da would intervene, the clerk hurriedly produced five gold pieces and quickly placed them in Xin Yun's hand while swiftly collecting the six life-preserving plaques and said in haste, "Alright, we have a deal. The money and goods are both settled, we have no debts between us now."
Smiling as he took the five gold coins, Xin Yun laughed enigmatically, then nodded his head and turned to leave the jewelry shop, leaving the clerk beaming with joy.
Looking at Xin Yun with confusion, A Da was befuddled. After holding back for a long time, A Da finally caught up to Xin Yun and asked bewildered, "Hey... If you're not good at bargaining, then leave it to me. How could you just give away those Four Silver Medallions!"
"Hmm?" Glancing at A Da, Xin Yun strangely said, "You don't seriously think those Silver Medallions were a gift, do you? Do you, like that clerk, believe that pies fall from the sky?"
"Not a gift? What do you mean!" Hearing Xin Yun's words, A Da was utterly befuddled and did not understand.
Seeing A Da's confused appearance, Xin Yun shook his head resignedly and asked, "First, tell me, how much would it cost to buy those six plaques at a jewelry shop?"
Hearing Xin Yun's words, A-Da's spirits immediately lifted, he had genuinely studied the prices.
Raising his head high, A-Da declared with an expert's air, "That big gold lock should be worth three and a half gold pieces, the small gold lock one and a half gold pieces, and the four silver locks together worth four silver pieces. If you add them up, that should be five gold and four silver pieces... yeah, that's the price, absolutely correct."
"Huh?" As he said this, A-Da suddenly froze. Even if someone bought them at a store, it would cost no more than five gold and four silver pieces, so how did Xin Yun sell them for the price of five gold pieces? Doesn't that mean the store could only make a profit of four silver pieces?
On the surface, a profit of four silver pieces still seemed like a profit, but in reality, it was not the case. There were always expenses involved: the wages of the employees, the rent for the premises, and various fees charged by the town. After a careful calculation, this transaction would make the jewelry store lucky to break even, let alone make any profit.
A-Da looked at Xin Yun in amazement, speechless. He couldn't understand... how this child's mind worked. Those four silver medallions weren't gifts, they were clearly bait hanging on the hook, and one bite would have you hooked!
A-Da didn't refrain from cursing the clerk for being stupid, but as he did, his own face turned green. If he called the clerk stupid, then what did that make him? After all, he too had thought Xin Yun had been overly generous, making a loss-making deal. If the clerk was stupid, then he wasn't much sharper.
Perhaps some might wonder, why didn't A-Da simply take the money from Xin Yun's hands? It was five gold pieces, after all. Indeed... A-Da had entertained the thought, not with the intention of committing robbery or murder, but because he felt it unsafe for a child to be carrying so much money and that it would be better managed in his hands. Regrettably, Xin Yun's indifferent expression didn't give him the chance to speak up, nor did it feel right to do so.
As of today, although five gold pieces was a considerable fortune, having gone through the exchange of millet for mushrooms and the selling of the life-preserving plaque, A-Da had come to recognize Xin Yun's intelligence. Despite still being a child, this kid had outsmarted two adults and even doubled his earnings. How could he dare to offend such a person? A single misstep, and without even needing to harm him, Xin Yun could simply withhold good ideas, leaving A-Da clueless.
The five gold pieces were substantial, but given Xin Yun's displayed wit, it wouldn't take long for him to help A-Da earn it back. Therefore, the idea of taking the money only flickered in A-Da's mind before he tossed it away completely. One must look beyond just money when living life! Although A-Da was somewhat naive, anyone who has done business has a bit of shrewdness and foresight.
While A-Da was pondering, ahead of him... Yi Luo Xiang wore a full smile, squinting her eyes and hugging Xin Yun's arm affectionately, "You're really cunning, you know... I was so scared at that moment, but to think, you actually wrapped that clerk around your finger."
"Cunning?" Hearing Yi Luo Xiang's words, Xin Yun smiled. In fact... this kind of trick is a common ploy used by swindlers, and many smart people have been fooled. It's called cunning, but it's actually just exploiting the human desire for a bargain. Not many people can see through it on the spot.
Glancing at Yi Luo Xiang, in an attempt to test just how clever she was, Xin Yun deliberately said, "It's not really cheating. Look... if you melt down that biggest gold plaque, you can indeed make four smaller gold plaques. Then, they can sell for seven gold and five silver pieces. Plus, the four silver medallions I gave for free, that's seven gold and nine silver pieces. They make a clean profit of two gold and nine silver pieces, a fifty percent profit. I think I'm at a loss here."
"Smack!" Just as Xin Yun's words fell, A-Da suddenly slapped his forehead hard, drawing Xin Yun and Yi Luo Xiang to turn and look at him, only to hear him muttering, "Right! That's how it works, they're not really losing... Good thing I'm clever and wasn't fooled."
Hearing A-Da's words, Xin Yun could only show a helpless expression, but Yi Luo Xiang couldn't help but laugh so hard she struggled to breathe. Seeing Yi Luo Xiang's reaction, A-Da's eyes widened with indignation, "What's so funny? This calculation is absolutely correct, they really aren't losing..."
Listening to A-Da, Xin Yun shook his head with a wry smile, unable to utter a single word, whereas Yi Luo Xiang jumped in, "Sure, the calculation is correct, but doesn't turning gold into jewelry require craftsmanship fees? When have you ever seen someone sell jewelry based on weight? If one tael of gold is worth only one gold piece before being crafted into jewelry, would it still be priced the same after being turned into a beautiful necklace?"
"That, I..." Hearing Yi Luo Xiang's words, A-Da was on the verge of tears. Indeed... sometimes, the cost of crafting the jewelry is more than the material value itself. Rough jewelry might be an exception, but most of the time, you really can't buy jewelry by weight.
Helplessly watching the two children in front of him, for a moment, A-Da felt like he was the real seven-and-a-half-year-old, while the two opposite seemed like they were the savvy veterans who had lived thirty or forty years. Are these kids even human? So smart at just seven and a half! Where's the justice in that? Is there no law in this land!
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