Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

He had been selling those antiques from me before, and because of this, I, Xu Damao, also made a lot of money. But this time Yan Bugui wanted to skip it and go out on his own to sell those old items by himself. Hehe, that's just wishful thinking.

Xu Damao sneered in his heart: Old Yan, don't you like to scheme? This time I'll let you know how dangerous the world is! He showed a sinister smile on his face.

If you sell things to my "friends", you will be guaranteed to make a profit, but if you sell them by yourself, hehe, be careful that you lose everything!

"Da Mao, when are you going to set up a stall at the ghost market or the bazaar? Take me with you and we can go there by bike together."

Yan Bugui asked Xu Damao.

"Teacher Yan, this is what I think. You are a teacher, and I am a projectionist at a steel mill. I really can't spare the time to set up a stall to sell things during the day, so I can only try my luck at the ghost market at night. In fact, I have only been there once, and the lanterns floating around in the middle of the night are really scary."

Xu Damao said with a frightened look.

"But I heard that there are all kinds of people in the ghost market. Will we get into trouble?"

Yan Bugui was timid and a little hesitant.

"It's okay. I heard from my friend that this ghost market has its own set of rules and it's relatively safe."

Xu Damao comforted.

"Then Damao, let's make an appointment and then go to the ghost market together to try our luck." Yan Bugui said impatiently.

His eyes were full of anticipation and anxiety, as if he had already seen those big black tens floating before his eyes.

However, Xu Damao responded calmly: "Teacher Yan, don't be anxious. Think about it, we are usually in the same yard after get off work, and the ghost market usually opens at midnight. As long as we decide to go, we can set off at any time."

"But before that, let's talk about how much you plan to sell the bottle for."

Xu Damao cleverly changed the subject, trying to shift the focus from the agreed time to the price of the bottle. He knew that if the issue of the blue porcelain bottle that had been sold before was not dealt with first, unnecessary disputes might arise between them.

"After your friend has seen it, how much is he prepared to offer?"

Yan Bugui asked Xu Damao in return.

After hearing this, Xu Damao showed a hint of dissatisfaction on his face, and said in a slightly reproachful tone: "Teacher Yan, as a seller, you can't let me, the buyer, set the price, right? You said this thing belongs to your friend, but you must have asked him what price he wanted, right?"

"Hey Damao, just tell me the price your friend gave you. I'll be honest with you about our relationship. I just want to make some money from the difference to supplement my family expenses. You know my family situation, so I won't ask for much. Just enough to make a living."

Yan Bugui said with blinking eyes.

"Fuck, you, Yan Bugui, want to get some difference from your friends, but I, Xu Damao, don't want to do it? You are such a calculating person... If that's the case, don't blame me!"

Xu Damao cursed inwardly, but he showed an embarrassment on his face, and slowly said: "Teacher Yan, my friend also saw your bottle. To be honest, the price he offered is not high. You should be mentally prepared."

Xu Damao said this seriously, taking out a cigarette box and handing a cigarette to Yan Bugui.

"Oh, what did you say?" Yan Bugui frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he still reached out to take the cigarette, put it directly into his mouth, then picked up the match on the table, lit it for Xu Damao first, and then lit it for himself.

In the smoke, Yan Bugui narrowed his eyes and looked at Xu Damao, as if he wanted to see some clues from the other's expression.

"That bottle is really beautiful, but it is from the Jiaqing period after all. You and I both know that antiques are judged by their age. If something is not old, there are so many beautiful porcelain bottles everywhere in the ghost market, and none of them cost more than five yuan!"

Xu Damao directly pointed out that the bottle was not very old and its value was not that high, so that Yan Bugui could be mentally prepared.

"The bottle from the Jiaqing period is quite old, hundreds of years old, so it can be considered an antique, right? If your friend offers a low price, then my friend would rather not sell it than sell it at a low price."

Yan Bugui took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled the smoke slowly, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Xu Damao through the smoke. There was no sign of anxiety on his face.

"Teacher Yan, I've already told you about my friend's attitude. You should also tell me the bottom price your friend offered, right? Neither of us has anything to hide. After all, we're going to make a fortune together in the ghost market in the future!"

Xu Damao reached out and gently tapped Yan Bugui, with a hint of anticipation and eagerness deliberately flashing in his eyes.

"Okay Damao, you're really rude! But now that we've talked about it, I won't hide it from you."

Yan Bugui flicked the ash off his cigarette, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a sly smile.

"The price of this bottle..."

Yan Bugui deliberately dragged out his voice to whet Xu Damao's appetite.

"Just tell me now, don't waste your time, it's driving me crazy!"

Xu Damao couldn't help but urge him, feeling very itchy inside.

"Don't be impatient. You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."

Yan Bugui spoke slowly, then stretched out two fingers.

"Twenty dollars?"

Xu Damao asked in surprise.

"No, Damao, are you kidding me?"

Yan Bugui shook his head.

"Your friend wants two hundred dollars?"

Xu Damao widened his eyes and asked in disbelief.

"Teacher Yan, no kidding, your friend's asking price is too high. My friend definitely can't accept this price. I will go to my friend tomorrow to talk to him and bring the bottle back to you."

Xu Damao opened his mouth in astonishment, almost choking on his own saliva, and shook his head like a rattle.

Yan Bugui smiled triumphantly, with greed gleaming in his eyes.

"My friend said that this bottle is an official kiln porcelain from the Jiaqing period, and it is well preserved. Such fine products are rare in the market. Two hundred is already a very cheap price."

"Teacher Yan, your friend is asking for too much! How can such a small bottle be worth two hundred yuan? Forget it, forget it. Tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, I will come back from the screening and go to my friend's place to get the bottle. He wants two hundred yuan for a thing that is only over a hundred years old. Your friend is really crazy about money!"

Xu Damao shook his head firmly, indicating that he could not accept the price proposed by Yan Bugui.

"Hey, Damao, don't be so anxious. Even if this deal doesn't go through, there is still righteousness. I'm asking for a high price, and you have to pay me back. Besides, how much did your friend offer?"

Seeing that Xu Damao was anxious, Yan Bugui also felt a little panicked. What if Xu Damao really brought the bottle back? It would be difficult to sell this thing in the future, and he might end up with it.