Chapter 9 of 10
Chapter 9
18 min read4,413 words
"Boss Su, what, are you interested in this book too?" Li Xuanmo stood up and said with a smile. The person speaking was someone he knew, an antique dealer named Su Dahai who operated an antique book shop in the nearby antique market. Su Dahai was thin and bony, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, making him look almost like a university professor.
Of course, this was just an appearance; in reality, his knowledge was limited. Despite this, he was a rare book enthusiast, often practicing calligraphy, writing shop signs for others, and making small advertisements to earn some pocket money. Occasionally, he was seen reading books, like a poor scholar dedicated to the imperial exams. Because he was often seen in scenes related to books, and frequently seen holding ancient texts in deep thought, everyone was willing to believe that he loved reading. However, his love for ancient texts was genuine, and he often bought them. Therefore, whenever someone had Ming and Qing dynasty ancient books, they would often contact him.
Li Xuanmo and Su Dahai were old acquaintances. If this book, "Old Manuscript of Nanyue," had not been discovered by Yu Lifei, he would have contacted Su Dahai after the market closed. Unexpectedly, Su Dahai came to the market early in the morning.
In the antique market of Tanzhou City, there were not many people who understood ancient books. The antique market was a gathering place for illiterates and semi-literates, who could barely recognize simplified characters, let alone the complex traditional characters. Therefore, ancient books were relatively cheap. Although Su Dahai's financial situation limited his ability to offer high prices, he could still buy sufficient stock.
Su Dahai, having seen many ancient books, had a unique insight into their value. He believed that ancient books were the cheapest items in the antique market, almost like selling treasures at the price of cabbages. As his research on ancient books deepened, his horizons broadened, and he often thought about buying ancient books from before the Ming dynasty.
Ancient books from the Song and Yuan dynasties were highly sought after by antique dealers during the Qing and Republican eras, and the nobility and officials were particularly eager to acquire them. Therefore, their value had been astonishingly high for over a hundred years. Buying Song and Yuan books naturally became Su Dahai's dream. He quietly observed in his small corner, waiting, and had accumulated sufficient knowledge to authenticate Song and Yuan books. When he saw Li Xuanmo come to the market from a distance, he slowly walked over. However, before he could reach the stall, Yu Lifei and Li Xuanmo had already completed their transaction.
Although he only caught a glimpse from a distance, the stunning feeling made his adrenaline surge, something he hadn't felt in many years. Even his long-term myopia seemed to improve, allowing him to see the text and the material of the ancient book clearly.
"Xie, when did you get this book?" Su Dahai asked urgently. He had always been paying attention to Li Xuanmo's stall, and he would always be the first to handle any new ancient books.
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to collect some goods. By the time I returned, it was already evening, so I didn't contact you." Li Xuanmo saw Su Dahai's urgency and said apologetically. There were few buyers for ancient books, and he hadn't expected it to be sold so quickly after he put it out.
"Kid, can I take a look at that book?" Su Dahai was so anxious that he stomped his feet, not bothering to blame Li Xuanmo. He just wanted to confirm his judgment, to see if his brief glimpse had been a mirage.
"Alright." Yu Lifei, seeing the eager and hopeful look in Su Dahai's eyes, softened his heart and took out the "Old Manuscript of Nanyue" again.
When Su Dahai saw Yu Lifei take out the ancient book, he took a deep breath to calm his excited heart. Although he had never seen a Song edition, the characteristics of the book in front of him were very clear, matching the knowledge he had memorized. According to his extensive experience, this book was indeed different from all the others he had seen. The font resembled Liu style, fitting the characteristics of a Song edition. The quality of the paper and the exquisite engraving and printing ruled out the possibility of it being a later imitation.
Su Dahai carefully flipped through the book from beginning to end, confirming that it was a valuable item, the treasure he had been dreaming of. Although Su Dahai had not attended university, he had developed a love for reading later in life, and he had a good amount of knowledge and a sharp mind. He took several deep breaths to suppress his excitement and asked in as calm a voice as possible, "Kid, are you willing to resell this book?"
"Sorry, I'm not selling it." Yu Lifei had already noticed the fervor in Su Dahai's eyes and was a bit nervous. Although he wasn't afraid of trouble, he didn't want to cause any. He intended to give this book as a gift, and it was cheap but of good quality, making it perfect for such a purpose. Spending a little money to accomplish a big task was a golden rule of life.
"I can offer more money. Xie, how much did you buy this book for?" Su Dahai turned to Li Xuanmo, though his approach was somewhat irregular, he couldn't care less at the moment.
"Fifty." Li Xuanmo said. Now he vaguely felt that this book was indeed valuable, but he had failed to recognize it.
"Kid, I'll offer you a hundred. Will you resell it to me?" Su Dahai said, immediately taking out a hundred yuan.
"Sorry, I'm not selling it." Yu Lifei repeated, and no matter how much money Su Dahai offered, he wouldn't resell it. This book was a gift he had chosen to repay a favor to Wu Wengu, and he felt it was very appropriate. Finding another such gift would be difficult, both in terms of time and the likelihood of finding something that appealed to him.
"Five hundred!" Su Dahai was not giving up. Although he had devoted his energy to studying ancient books, he was also good at reading people. Yu Lifei's living conditions were not great, and he might be swayed by money.
"Sorry, I have to go." Yu Lifei was unmoved. He was indeed in need of money, but compared to money, he needed to repay the favor to Wu Wengu more. Debts could be measured, but favors were immeasurable. Repaying a small kindness with a great one was one of his principles.
"Five thousand!" Su Dahai gritted his teeth and shouted a sky-high price. In the flea market, items priced over a hundred were rare, and items over a thousand were even rarer. If the stall owners had good items, they would usually take them to the store or invite people to their homes to see them, never displaying them openly.
When Li Xuanmo heard Su Dahai's offer, his heart sank. He had initially quoted one hundred and fifty, but the final price was fifty. Now, hearing Su Dahai's offer of five thousand, his heart felt like it was being stabbed, bleeding profusely.
"Even five thousand, I won't sell it. This isn't about money." Yu Lifei stopped, turned around, and said. Indeed, he was in a tight financial situation. He had spent seventy yuan last night and now had only about a hundred yuan left. But this couldn't make him sell the book, as he had already determined through Su Dahai that he had a special feeling for valuable antiques.
Seeing Yu Lifei walk away with determined steps, Su Dahai was so regretful that he stomped his feet and beat his chest. If he had come earlier or offered more money before, Li Xuanmo might have sold him the "Old Manuscript of Nanyue." But now it was too late, and Yu Lifei clearly wouldn't sell it.
However, his shout of "five thousand" had already attracted the attention of others. In the antique market, the fastest and most eye-catching news was always about finding a great deal. Although finding a deal tested one's eye, money, intelligence, and luck, even a one-in-ten-thousand chance could become a topic of conversation.
"Boss Su, what did that person find?"
"Judging by the condition and material of that book, could it be a Song edition?"
"There are no Song editions now, at most Qing imitations."
...
The crowd had various opinions, which made Su Dahai even more depressed. He ignored them, walked back to his shop with his hands behind his back, and didn't even want to browse the morning market.
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