"Fang Yi, wear it on your wrist. This piece has such a substantial patina; as long as it isn't submerged in water, it should remain intact…" Sun Lianda examined the string of Vajra beads for a considerable time before returning them to Fang Yi. However, through this bracelet, Sun Lianda gained a renewed understanding of Fang Yi.
To play with beads requires not only meticulousness but, most importantly, patience. The fact that Fang Yi could handle these beads so beautifully and empower them into a sacred artifact speaks to a state of mind that is as tranquil as still water—something that most individuals simply cannot achieve.
Yet, Sun Lianda was unaware that Fang Yi indeed possessed such a state of mind. He had worn several strings of beads in the past, but this particular string was not one he had cultivated over many years; rather, it was a hastily crafted product of his supernatural abilities.
"Teacher, I… I would like to inquire about the value of this string of beads?" After a moment of hesitation, Fang Yi finally posed the question.
"Sell it?" Sun Lianda was taken aback, responding, "Fang Yi, do you find yourself in need of money? Why would you wish to part with this string of beads?"
Sun Lianda was not a dealer in antiques; he harbored a disdain for the mercenary nature of merchants who would sell anything. In his view, something that had been personally cherished and handled for over a decade was not something one could easily relinquish—it was akin to a part of one's own being.
"Teacher, it's not about needing money…" Fang Yi shook his head, explaining, "I am currently in this line of business. I would never sell the items my master left for me, but as for this string of beads, I doubt I will have many opportunities to play with it in the future, so it might be better to sell it…"
As Sun Lianda had mentioned, had this string been something Fang Yi had painstakingly nurtured over a long period, he would surely be reluctant to part with it. However, having merely rolled it between his fingers for a night, how deep could his attachment truly be?
"But… but this is a sacred artifact…" Sun Lianda found himself at a loss for words. In his mind, Fang Yi had always exuded an air of indifference towards material wealth; it was perplexing to see him suddenly become so mundane.
"Teacher, initially, I had no intention of selling it, but the chubby one promised someone he would find a good item. Aside from what you've given me, this string of Vajra Bodhi beads is the only worthwhile piece I have…"
Fang Yi understood his teacher's sentiments. After all, as a consecrated artifact, it possessed the power to attract good fortune and ward off misfortune. Wearing such an item, while it may not guarantee complete protection from all evils, still offered a degree of merit that safeguarded against malevolent forces.
"Is that so?" Upon hearing Fang Yi's explanation, Sun Lianda pondered for a moment before responding, "Since you have made your decision, I won't dissuade you. However, I am not well-versed in pricing; you should consult Hongtao at noon. His appraisal will be fair…"
Sun Lianda also held a fondness for this string of Vajra beads, but he understood that if he expressed even the slightest interest, Fang Yi would undoubtedly offer it to him without hesitation. Thus, despite his affection, Sun Lianda refrained from revealing his desire.
"Alright, it's almost nine o'clock; you should hurry to the market…" Glancing at the clock, Sun Lianda issued a gentle dismissal, fearing that if Fang Yi lingered, he might inadvertently express a desire to purchase the beads.
When Fang Yi arrived at the antique market, he found that the chubby one and San Pao had already set up their stall. At this hour, the market was still relatively empty, with visitors fewer than the vendors, and a group of fellow traders was gathered around the chubby one and San Pao, engaged in lively conversation.
"Alright, disperse, my friends; we'll continue our chat later…" Upon spotting Fang Yi, the chubby one hurried over, throwing an arm around Fang Yi's shoulder. "Hey, Yi Ge, how did it go with that matter we discussed yesterday? Show me what you've found…"
"Fatty, you're so fickle; just this once…" Fang Yi shot the chubby one a glare before removing the string of Vajra beads from his wrist and handing it over.
"Wow! What a fine piece! Why haven't I seen you wear it before?"
After spending several days in the antique market, the chubby one had not only sharpened his tongue but also developed a keener eye. While he couldn't make definitive judgments like Old Sun, he could at least discern some quality.
"I have plenty of items you've never seen," Fang Yi scoffed at the chubby one's comment, though he felt a twinge of insecurity. He was too familiar with the chubby one and San Pao.
"Forget that; Fang Yi, how much is this worth?" The chubby one was not concerned about whether he had seen the item before; his focus quickly shifted to the monetary value.
"I'm not sure…" Fang Yi shook his head, saying, "I asked my teacher, and he mentioned that the price is difficult to estimate. I'll check with Brother Zhao at noon and see…"
"Alright, then I'll call Officer Bai and set up a meeting…" The chubby one nodded excitedly. Yesterday, due to their intention to purchase items, the girl named Bai Chuxia had given them her number, and the chubby one had been eager to find an excuse to call her.
"Once I find out the price, I'll give you the item, and you can sell it. Just hand the money over to San Pao…" Fang Yi said nonchalantly. Knowing that he could empower such ancient artifacts through his practices and that, so far, there had been no adverse effects, he felt that he could acquire as many as he wanted in the future, thus not overly concerned about this one.
"Don't be like that; it's your property, so you should handle the negotiations. The money from the sale should rightfully belong to you…" When it came to matters of principle, the chubby one was never one to joke. Originally, he and San Pao had brought Fang Yi down the mountain to explore the world, but now it seemed they were the ones benefiting from Fang Yi's success. He felt it would be inappropriate to take money from Fang Yi's personal items.
"Must we be so formal?" Fang Yi shot a glance at the chubby one. When had this money-obsessed fellow ever turned down a chance to profit?
"It's not about formality, Yi Ge. We owe our current situation to you and San Pao…" The chubby one lowered his head, speaking softly.
"What are you saying? Aren't we brothers?" Fang Yi was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected the usually boisterous chubby one to express such sentiments.
"Fatty, if I were in mortal danger, would you come to my aid?" Fang Yi suddenly shifted the topic, leaving the chubby one momentarily speechless.
"That's a given! If it costs me my life, I wouldn't hesitate…" The chubby one replied without a moment's hesitation, resolutely stating, "Fang Yi, both San Pao and I owe you our lives. You can take what you need anytime…"
San Pao had been bitten by a poisonous snake as a child, and Fang Yi had treated him. Recently, during a car accident, it was Fang Yi who had pushed the chubby one out of harm's way. Though they hadn't spoken of it, both understood the debt clearly.
"Then that settles it. We're brothers who would risk our lives for one another, so why bother with money? Let's pool our resources; whoever needs it can take it…" Fang Yi gave the chubby one a hearty pat on the shoulder, establishing a clear understanding regarding finances.
"By the way, my teacher gave me two thousand yuan for living expenses, and I won't be sharing that with you two, so don't even think about it…" Fang Yi thought for a moment and mentioned the two thousand yuan. Aside from not yet confirming the extent of his supernatural abilities, he had nothing else to hide from the chubby one and San Pao.
"It would be awkward to accept that from you…" The chubby one felt a rare flush of embarrassment at Fang Yi's words.
"Alright, people are starting to arrive; hurry up and sell your items…" Fang Yi nudged the chubby one. He was so used to the chubby one's carefree demeanor that he found it odd to see him suddenly become serious.
"Don't worry; our business will undoubtedly be the best in the market!"
Yesterday, the chubby one had indeed sold ten strings, which was quite an achievement during a slow weekday. After deducting the capital owed to Man Jun, the trio had made a net profit of one thousand yuan.
With business flourishing, the chubby one was brimming with energy. Each day brought in real money, and his earnings far exceeded those of office workers, making him feel as if he were wound up like a clock, almost ready to draw in customers from other stalls.
"By the way, Fang Yi, we need to establish our supply channels early…" The chubby one said, "San Pao calculated that the goods borrowed from Man Ge can only last us for two months at most. Some popular items may run out quickly, so we need to prepare in advance…"
The chubby one was a natural at sales, while San Pao managed the accounts. This assessment was based on their observations of the past few days' business.
"I'll discuss it with Man Ge later to see whether we should source our goods from Jinling or go to Beijing…" Fang Yi nodded. It had been previously agreed that the chubby one would handle sales, San Pao would manage accounts, and Fang Yi would oversee the procurement channels.
After chatting with the chubby one and San Pao for a while, Fang Yi wandered back into the market. He needed to purchase more ornamental beads to conduct experiments later, aiming to discover the precise conditions under which his skill could imbue objects with the patina of age.
This time, Fang Yi refrained from entering the shops and instead sought out stalls. To his surprise, he overheard several vendors discussing Gu Guoguang's situation. It seemed that nearly everyone was eager to cast stones at him, as Fang Yi heard not a single commendation for Gu Guoguang.
Although the events of that day had stirred considerable commotion, in the vast antique market, many were familiar with the chubby one and San Pao, but few knew Fang Yi. The vendors regarded him merely as a student idly browsing, and thus did not take care to include him in their discussions.
"Did you hear? Vice Director Wu was also taken in yesterday..." one vendor whispered conspiratorially. "I heard Gu Guoguang was promoted by him, and half of the money Gu Guoguang earned in this market was given to Vice Director Wu as tribute..."
"Damn it, he deserves it! How much blood has that Gu siphoned from us these past few years?"
Another vendor grumbled indignantly. Setting up a stall in the antique market required paying a basic stall fee, but there were also additional costs such as sanitation and fire safety fees. What was most infuriating was that Gu Guoguang had recently introduced a pollution discharge fee, as if this market were a factory producing waste.
"Who can argue with that? The police came to investigate yesterday, and I shared all the details. I hope they give that scoundrel a lengthy sentence..."
It appeared that Gu Guoguang was indeed widely despised; the entire antique market rejoiced at his arrest, and some bolder individuals even went to the police station to report his various misconducts.
"What goes around comes around; the law of karma is indeed unforgiving..."
Upon hearing the vendors' conversation, Fang Yi realized that Gu Guoguang had confessed to everything the very next day after his arrest. Not only was he guilty of bribery, but he had also used the proceeds of his corruption to bribe a certain official at the museum. Consequently, that official had also been apprehended the previous day.
"Hey, gentlemen, are we still in the business of selling?"
Noticing that the vendors were engrossed in their conversation and that no one had attended to him, Fang Yi picked out two strings of one hundred and eight small leaf red sandalwood beads, two strings of small golden beads, and four strings of star and moon bodhi beads. He then spoke up, "How about a thousand yuan for these eight strings, boss? Are you willing to sell?"
Based on the sales over the past few days, star and moon bodhi beads seemed to be the best-selling items, followed by the small golden beads. Most buyers of small leaf red sandalwood beads were men, which is why Fang Yi only selected two strings as samples for his experiments.
"A thousand for eight? Isn't that a bit low? How about fifteen hundred for you to take them away?" A young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, rushed over upon seeing a potential sale. After glancing at the beads in Fang Yi's hands, he offered a price.
"Come on, the star and moon beads are from Vietnam; your cost can't exceed fifty, right?" Fang Yi weighed the beads in his hand and remarked, "These small leaf red sandalwood beads are made from scraps. If I give you a thousand, you'll still make at least half. If you refuse, I'll just go to another vendor..."
As the saying goes, a master leads you to the door; it's up to you to walk through it. After hearing so much knowledge about ornamental beads from Zhao Hongtao and Old Sun, Fang Yi could immediately tell that the star and moon bodhi beads were not sourced from Hainan. According to Zhao Hongtao, such items were commonly found in Panjiayuan.
"Wow, we have an expert here..."
Upon hearing Fang Yi's words and noticing the deep-colored golden bead bracelet on his wrist, the young man quickly understood. He cheerfully accepted the money from Fang Yi, saying, "I'll take the money; you can take the beads. However, prices have gone up this year; making a profit isn't easy, it's just a bit of hard-earned cash..."
"Alright, could you get me a bag to put these in?" Since Fang Yi had a class with Zhao Hongtao later that afternoon, carrying these items was inconvenient. After receiving the bag with the beads, he decided to return to his residence first.
"How much did those two drink yesterday? They're still not awake..." It was already past ten in the morning when Fang Yi opened the door to find Man Jun snoring on the sofa. As he stepped further in, he could hear Sun Chao's snores from the bedroom, equally loud.
Fang Yi chose not to wake them and went upstairs to place the beads in his room. He had already decided that these experimental beads would ultimately be destroyed, as suddenly possessing seven or eight antique items would be difficult to explain.
After securing the door and leaving the courtyard, Fang Yi returned to the market. He had only spent about half an hour away, and when he arrived back at the stall, the chubby one was energetically promoting their beads, occasionally lifting his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Business isn't as good today as it was yesterday..." Upon seeing Fang Yi return, the chubby one remarked, "It seems that artifacts are primarily purchased by men. Despite selling so many strings, aside from Officer Bai ordering one, they've all been bought by men..."
"Huazi, that's a problem with your merchandise..." The chubby one's complaints caught the attention of Old Ma nearby. Originally, Old Ma had already begun calling the chubby one by that nickname, but after the incident, he reverted to calling him Huazi.
"Brother Ma, aren't the items all the same?" The chubby one asked, puzzled. He had wandered around the market and noticed that the items sold by others were quite similar to those displayed in his glass case.
"Did you notice that many vendors add accessories to their beads?"
Old Ma, eager to befriend Fang Yi and the others, pointed to a nearby stall owned by Old Li and said, "Look at Old Li's star and moon beads; the Buddha head and the three sections are made of ivory, the waist beads are cheap agate, and the top bead resembles a crane's red crown. With these additions, girls are much more inclined to buy..."
"Ah, you're right! Those accessories really do enhance the appearance!"
Following Old Ma's gesture, Fang Yi and the others looked over and found that, indeed, as Old Ma had said, just by adding a few simple trinkets, the star and moon beads seemed to come to life, exuding a vibrant charm.
What Fang Yi and the others did not realize was that accessories were an incredibly important component of ornamental crafts.
To pair with the finest accessories, the cost could easily exceed the price of the beads by several or even dozens of times. Items such as sky beads, agate, turquoise, and amber were exceedingly precious even in ancient times.
The merchandise Man Jun had acquired in the past consisted solely of plain beads. He had initially planned to procure some accessories to re-string the beads, but coincidentally, he encountered an opportunity in the antique business, leading him to stash this batch of ornamental beads in a corner of his shop until he met Fang Yi and the others.
"Brother Ma, are those accessories expensive? Where can I buy them?" Upon seeing a girl wrap Old Li's star and moon beads around her wrist, the chubby one's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked Old Ma.
"There are both expensive and inexpensive options. For beads like yours, some affordable accessories will suffice; a full set of accessories for a string of beads will cost no more than ten yuan..." Old Ma replied. "We have a wholesale market for these little trinkets right here in Jinling. How about I take you there this afternoon?"
Old Ma's stall sold coins and imitation bronze artifacts, which attracted coin enthusiasts on weekends. Business was generally slow, and missing half a day at the stall didn't significantly impact his sales.
bình luận đoạn văn
Tính năng bình luận đoạn văn hiện đã có trên Web! Di chuyển chuột qua bất kỳ đoạn nào và nhấp vào biểu tượng để thêm nhận xét của bạn.
Ngoài ra, bạn luôn có thể tắt / bật nó trong Cài đặt.
ĐÃ NHẬN ĐƯỢC