Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

"So how much do you want to sell this little ceramic dog for?" the customer continued to ask.

"One price, three hundred and fifty yuan! This is because you just bought this cloisonné vase. Otherwise, I would never sell it to you for less than four hundred yuan." Xu Damao answered firmly.

"Okay! Then three hundred and fifty will do! Teacher Zhang, it's getting late, let's buy this dog and go back quickly." Before Teacher Zhang could respond, his companion beside him readily agreed to Xu Damao's offer.

He knew clearly that since he already knew there was no bargain to be found here, instead of wasting time on bargaining, which might not save him much money in the end and might even anger the stall owner and cause him to refuse to sell, it would be better to just make the deal directly. This way, at least he wouldn't suffer too much of a loss.

The companion man quickly counted the money and handed it to Xu Damao. The whole process was clean and neat without any delay.

"Brother, you are such a generous person! But this dog is different from the cloisonné vase. You must be careful when handling it and make sure not to bump it anywhere."

"Haha, don't worry, brother. I know how to use this thing. Besides, I can drive a car!"

"Oh! So you are the driver, brother. I didn't expect you to be so prominent. That's great. But it would be better to put a layer of bedding under this pottery dog."

Xu Damao suggested to the man while counting the money. You know, in this era, you can't drive a car just by money. You have to have a lot of power to be able to ride this kind of four-wheeled gasoline-burning vehicle.

"Since you are so generous and willing to buy two items from me, it can be regarded as a good start for me. Let me give you this little item as a gift."

All he saw was Xu Damao taking out a phoenix jade pendant as big as three fingers from a corner of the stall while he was talking, and then he gently placed it in the man's palm.

"Okay, thank you for your kindness, brother."

The man did not respond, but reached out to move the clay figurine dog. However, at this moment, he was stopped by Teacher Zhang.

"Brother Li, why don't you hold the cloisonné bottle? After all, it is made of copper and is very heavy. A frail body like mine may not be able to bear the weight of the terracotta dog. Let me handle this little guy." Teacher Zhang said softly, while bending over and carefully picking up the terracotta dog, as if he was holding a rare treasure that was unparalleled in the world.

"Oh my! Teacher Zhang, if you don't trust me, just tell me directly. I have always taken good care of these things and handled them with care..."

The man called Brother Li showed a little displeasure on his face, but he still picked up the cloisonné bottle helplessly. So, the two of them, one holding the terracotta dog and the other holding the cloisonné bottle, walked side by side, gradually moving away from the distance. Before long, their figures were completely hidden in the vast night.

"Xiao E, you can't just sit here and do nothing, can you? I have to arrange something for you to do. After all, it's winter, and your feet won't be cold if you sit on a stool all the time."

As the crowd in front of the stall gradually dispersed, Xu Damao said to Lou Xiaoe with a joking look on his face.

"I don't understand these things, and my eloquence is not as good as yours. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to help you collect money and count it?"

"Oh, after thinking it over, I really can't think of what you are suitable for. It seems that you can only clean up the stall and help count the money... hehehe."

"Tsk, stop judging me by my own strengths! I am... I am good at counting money..."

"Good good..."

On the other side, Teacher Zhang and his male companion had already put their belongings in place and got into the car. The clay figurine dog was especially tightly wrapped in a quilt, and Teacher Zhang held it tightly in his arms, while also reminding the driver to drive slower.

"The jade pendant that the brother just gave me as a gift is quite exquisite and unique. Old Zhang, take a look. It's really beautiful."

The man kept fiddling with the jade head ornament that Xu Damao had given him, his eyes sparkling with surprise, and he muttered to himself, "It's getting more and more beautiful!"

At this moment, a voice came from the side: "Bring it here so I can have a look."

The man handed over the jade ornament and agreed, "Here."

After receiving the jade ornament, the other party examined it carefully and exclaimed after a moment: "This is a small and exquisite masterpiece! Look at this jade phoenix, it is actually three-colored, which is really rare. Especially the yellow jade on the mouth, which adds a bit of unique charm. In my opinion, it should be a product of the late Qing Dynasty."

Hearing this, the man was extremely surprised and asked in disbelief: "Oh, so according to what you said, that guy really gave me something good? It's just such a small thing. When I saw him pick it up, there were seven or eight such emerald phoenixes on the stall!"

Facing the man's question, Teacher Zhang shook his head slightly, sighed and explained: "It's a pity that I didn't find it at the time. If I had seen it, I would definitely buy them all. Look at the beads in the mouth of this emerald phoenix."

Following the direction of Teacher Zhang's finger, the man saw a red round bead and asked in confusion, "Isn't that red bead just an ordinary agate bead? Although my eyesight is not as good as yours, Teacher Zhang, I still have some knowledge. Of course, there is a gap compared to you, but I feel good about myself and think my eyesight is pretty good."

"Yes, this big bead is indeed red agate, crystal clear, bright in color, very beautiful! But what about the small round beads on the string? Do you know what they are?"

Teacher Zhang smiled mysteriously.

"What is it? It's too small, only slightly bigger than a sesame seed."

The man looked closer with wide eyes, expressing his confusion.

"That's exactly what makes it unique. It's so small and exquisite that it looks even more delicate. Just think about it. More than a hundred years ago, it took a lot of effort and energy for the craftsmen to make such a delicate thing! Let me tell you, the little red beads on the rope are not made of ordinary materials, but precious red coral! And look at this little jade phoenix. It's finely crafted. If you sell it, it can sell for at least 20 or 30 yuan."

Teacher Zhang introduced proudly.

"What? Such a small thing can be sold for twenty or thirty yuan?" The man's face was full of suspicion, and he obviously didn't believe it.