Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

"Hey, this is a reward I gave you just because I saw you made a deal. Are you sure you don't want to eat it?"

Xu Damao raised his eyebrows, with a hint of provocation in his tone. He knew that Lou Xiao'e liked to eat pig's trotters the most, but at this moment he was deliberately teasing her.

"Well... okay, I'll eat one then."

Lou Xiao'e hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't resist the temptation of delicious food. She took the bowl, picked up a piece of pig's trotter and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly, with the corners of her mouth unconsciously raised.

"Xiao E, how does it feel to do business?" Xu Damao also took a piece of pig's trotter and put it in his mouth and started chewing.

"Well, it's okay. I don't think it's difficult." Lou Xiao'e said confidently.

"Oh, then you will be responsible for greeting the customers who come to this stall from now on. I won't be in charge of anything." Xu Damao spread his hands, ready to be a hands-off boss.

"Hehe, leave Damao to me!" Perhaps because she successfully sold a few things, Lou Xiao'e gained more confidence in doing business in the ghost market.

"Okay, if you don't understand anything you can ask me." Xu Damao said, pointing at the things on the stall.

"Okay, okay, there are still a few things I don't understand, so I'll ask you about them." Lou Xiao'e picked up something from the stall and continued, "This is it. This should be a bronze coin. You said you wanted to sell it for twenty yuan. When was this thing made of money?"

Lou Xiao'e asked Xu Damao while holding the two bronze coins in her hand.

Xu Damao took a look and replied, "This is a cloth coin from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a type of pre-Qin currency. This currency is shaped like a shovel, so it is also called a shovel-shaped coin or an empty-headed cloth. There is an inscription on the front, but no text on the back. These inscriptions are usually some place names, weight units and other information, which can help us understand the economic and cultural conditions at that time."

"Oh, so that's it." Lou Xiao'e nodded in sudden realization. She admired Xu Damao's erudition and versatility.

"And this, what is this? It looks like a knife." Lou Xiao'e picked up another object and asked.

Xu Damao took it and looked at it, then said with a smile: "This is not an ordinary sword, but a ring-handled sword from the Warring States Period. The end of the handle of this sword is rounded, and the blade is sharp, which is suitable for close combat. In ancient wars, the ring-handled sword was an important weapon with high historical value. However, few people use it now."

"Wow, so amazing! How much is it worth?" Lou Xiao'e asked curiously.

"Well...it depends on the specific appearance and preservation condition. Generally speaking, a ring-handled sword that is well preserved and not too badly damaged can be sold for at least one hundred yuan."

"If it is well-preserved and has exquisite craftsmanship, the price may be higher."

Xu Damao explained.

"So valuable!" Lou Xiao'e opened her mouth in surprise. She didn't expect these seemingly ordinary things to be so valuable.

"Of course, there is a lot of knowledge involved. That's why I said that doing business also requires vision and knowledge."

"Then why do you say it only costs fifty dollars?"

Lou Xiao'e asked Xu Damao in confusion.

“This also depends on the appearance.”

Xu Damao smiled proudly. He hoped that through this experience, Lou Xiao'e would learn more about cultural relics and antiques, and at the same time improve her business acumen and judgment.

Xu Damao patiently explained several things to Lou Xiao'e, from their functions, usage methods to precautions, etc., and he did not stop talking until the customer came.

……

After selling a few more items, about an hour had passed and Xu Damao decided to close the stall.

"Da Mao, are you leaving now?" Lou Xiao'e was a little surprised. She looked at Xu Damao with her eyes wide open, obviously reluctant to leave.

"Well, it's getting late, and it's very cold. Xiao'e, aren't your feet frozen? I see your face is red from the cold." Xu Damao asked with some concern.

"I'm wearing thick clothes, so my feet don't feel cold at all. Is my face frozen red? I don't feel anything at all." Lou Xiao'e said, touching her face.

"It's a pity there is no mirror here, otherwise I would definitely let you see what you look like now." Xu Damao shook his head helplessly.

As Xu Damao spoke, he gathered up the things on the stall and put them into the basket on the back of his bicycle. He then gathered up the torn straw mat and stuffed that in as well.

"Get in the car! Hurry back. Look, the wind is blowing. You have to wear your fur hat tightly to prevent it from being blown away."

Xu Damao packed his things quickly and urged Lou Xiao'e to sit on the back of the bicycle.

After Lou Xiao'e got on the bike, Xu Damao took off the earmuffs of his leather hat, tied the rope, and rode his bike directly towards the outside of the ghost market.

Not long after walking, we encountered a situation. The road ahead was blocked by a group of onlookers, and there were bursts of discussions coming from the crowd.

That was quite strange in this quiet ghost market.

"Brother Damao, let's go and see what's going on."

"Okay."

Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e moved closer curiously and finally squeezed to the front of the crowd.

In the middle of the crowd, a man in a tattered gown was squatting on the ground. In front of him was a piece of faded silk with an ancient object on it.

This thing looks like a round sauce jar, with two big ears on both sides of the body and three legs. The outer wall is obviously covered with beautiful enamel, and it seems to be inlaid with several turquoises the size of pigeon eggs.

Xu Damao's eyes were instantly attracted by this old object. Based on the little knowledge he had accumulated over the years, he felt that this object was extraordinary.

Lou Xiao'e gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "He's not a liar."

However, Xu Damao could not listen to him. He could not wait to ask the seller about the price. The seller raised his head and said with a cold and firm look: "I don't want money, I just want gold and small yellow croaker."

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat. Gold is not something that can be easily obtained, but the charm of this antique is really hard to resist.

After hesitating for a moment, his eyes revealed a hint of determination, and he turned to Lou Xiao'e and said, "This is a rare opportunity. If you miss it, you will never have it again."

Lou Xiao'e looked worried, but Xu Damao had made up his mind.

He reached into his arms and pretended to search for a while, then took out two precious small yellow croakers and handed them to the seller.

The seller took the small yellow croaker, looked at it carefully, and then handed the antique to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was overjoyed. He held the antique carefully in both hands. This thing was quite heavy. He and Lou Xiaoe squeezed out of the crowd.