Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

"Brother, how much is the total? I'll pay for the meal that young man just ate."

Yan Bugui finished the bowl of wontons, not even a drop of soup was left, then he stood up and walked to the stall owner, pointing at Xu Damao to pay.

"Hey! Have you finished eating, brother? You don't need to pay. The guy over there has already paid the bill and even gave me money for two extra pancakes. The pancakes are ready. Here they are."

As the stall owner spoke, he handed over two steaming hot sesame cakes wrapped in paper, which were obviously freshly baked.

"Um...Okay, I'm leaving then."

Yan Bugui smiled awkwardly, took the pancake and walked back.

"Da Mao, I agreed to treat you to wontons, why did you pay in advance? No, no, I have to pay you back."

"Hey~ Mr. Yan, why are you being so polite to me? I was planning to treat you to wontons. If you return the money to me, wouldn't that be giving me no face?"

Xu Damao quickly waved his hand to refuse.

"Okay then, I'll treat you next time."

"By the way, Damao, what were you looking at just now? Was there anything good?"

Yan Bugui asked Xu Damao curiously, as he knew Xu Damao had some knowledge of antiques.

"Teacher Yan, I just looked at this thing again. I really need a favor from you, Teacher Yan." Xu Damao said with a flattering smile.

"Da Mao, tell me, what is our relationship? As long as I can do it, there will be absolutely no problem!" Yan Bugui was in a very good mood after taking advantage, and he made a boast.

"Teacher Yan, you have three of these things, they are bronze spears from the Warring States Period. My friend also likes them, but they are out of stock.

I just took one away and was going to sell it to my friend. After all, we need to build a good relationship. What do you think, Mr. Yan?"

Xu Damao acted first and reported later, and directly stated that he had taken one.

"Oh... so that's how it is." A trace of pain flashed across Yan Bugui's face, but he still forced a smile and said, "Okay, since your friend likes it, then take it. Anyway, I don't understand this thing, and it would be a waste to keep it."

"Haha, thank you Teacher Yan, I won't let you suffer any loss!" Xu Damao smiled happily and thanked him quickly. He felt that the bowl of wontons and two sesame cakes were not in vain.

"But, Damao, I don't know much about these things. Can you tell me how much this thing is worth?"

Yan Bugui suddenly asked. Although he said he didn't care, he actually cared about the value of these bronzes. They were his treasures. If he sold them at a loss, wouldn't it be a big loss?

"Teacher Yan, don't underestimate this thing. Although it's small, it's worth a lot of money! This one is worth at least 20 yuan. If someone asks the price, you can ask for 25 yuan each. The final transaction price can be between 18 and 20 yuan."

"Also, I took one from you before. Don't worry, Mr. Yan, the price my friend offers will definitely not be lower than these two!"

Xu Damao gave Yan Bugui a reassurance.

"Is that so? Well, twenty is fine. After all, your friend has already bought several things from me, so we can be considered old friends."

When Yan Bugui heard this, he knew that the price offered by the other party would not be lower than his expectations. His brows immediately relaxed and he agreed to Xu Damao's request without hesitation.

"Hehe, then I'd like to thank Teacher Yan on behalf of my friend. This is a bronze artifact from more than 2,000 years ago. It's very rare. My friend has always wanted it but couldn't find a source, so he asked me to keep an eye out for it. Teacher Yan, you've helped us a lot this time!"

Xu Damao looked grateful and said to Yan Bugui: "Teacher Yan, thank you so much this time! If you hadn't taken me with you, I wouldn't know what to do."

Yan Bugui waved his hand quickly and said, "Hey, we are all from the same hospital, isn't it normal for us to help each other? Damao, it's a bit strange for you to say that."

At this time, the weather was cold. The two sat next to each other, chatting in low voices, quietly waiting for customers to come and ask for prices.

Xu Damao put all the small items he had received before and bronze mirrors from the Han and Song dynasties on his stall except for the rare translucent mirror.

Yan Bugui asked curiously, "Da Mao, you got a lot of bronze artifacts? How did you get them?"

Xu Damao spoke the truth and told how he collected old items on the way to the screening.

After listening to this, Yan Bugui said enviously, "Oh, Damao, it's really convenient for you to collect some old items while on the way. Unlike my friends, they have to go out of their way to look for them, and sometimes they may not be able to find a few even after running around for a whole day."

Xu Damao smiled helplessly, with a bitter expression on his face, and said, "Yes, but I also have difficulties here. Time does not allow me to go to two or three villages at most in a day, otherwise I will not be able to get to the place in time and delay the screening. Moreover, there are not many antiques in the countryside now, and there are fewer and fewer. There are even fewer people willing to sell things. It is becoming more and more difficult to collect old items."

After hearing this, Yan Bugui sighed deeply, frowned and said, "Well, that's true. But, Damao, this has given me an inspiration. I get off work early and have a long holiday. I can also ride my bike to the surrounding villages to see if I can get some old items to sell." There was anticipation in his eyes, and he seemed to be full of hope for this idea.

Xu Damao looked at Yan Bugui, smiled and nodded in agreement: "Okay, Teacher Yan, you can go anytime as long as you have time. It's just that this village near the capital has probably been looted several times, and there are no old things left." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Even if there are still some, the villagers there already know about this matter and are well aware of people like us who collect old items. They ask for very high prices and it is difficult to communicate with them. It is better to go to a place farther away."

Xu Damao and Yan Bugui carefully explained the difficulties involved, and Yan Bugui nodded frequently.

"How do you sell this thing?"

A well-mannered man in his thirties wearing glasses picked up a bronze mirror in good condition and asked the price.

"Brother, the one in your hand is a bronze mirror from the Han Dynasty. Look at its condition. It is almost intact. It is a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation..."

When Xu Damao saw a customer coming, he immediately began to introduce the mirror enthusiastically. His tone was full of confidence, as if the bronze mirror in his hand was a rare treasure. However, the customer didn't seem to buy it and interrupted him directly.

"Hey, brother, don't tell me stories. Just tell me the price. I'm not interested in your tricks."