Chapter 7

"Phoenixes only perch on the phoenix tree, and golden toads only dwell in places of wealth."

While Fang Yuan was carefully examining the three-legged golden toad, a piece of information quietly surfaced in his mind. As he silently digested this information, Bao Longtu also came over.

"Marbles, what are you doing?" Bao Longtu asked, puzzled. "What's so interesting about this toad..."

"Of course it's interesting. Haven't you heard of Liu Hai playing with the golden toad, step by step catching money?" Fang Yuan smiled. "This is an important talisman for attracting wealth, a auspicious beast for prosperity. By the way, there's also a term called 'plucking the osmanthus in the moon palace,' which is a metaphor for passing the imperial exams. So, placing such an item at home implies promotion and wealth..."

As he spoke, Fang Yuan turned and asked, "Mr. Xiong, how much do you price this item?"

"Not good..."

In an instant, Xiong Mao's face changed. He suddenly realized he had overlooked a crucial point. Bao Longtu was an outsider, but Fang Yuan might not be. Considering how Fang Yuan had skillfully handled the Five Emperors Coins and knew their history well, he must not be an outsider and at least knew something about the field.

"What a muddle."

Xiong Mao felt regretful and somewhat uncomfortable, but he quickly regained his composure. After all, for a professional who deals in feng shui talismans, it's not wrong to try to get a good deal when buying Five Emperors Coins, and there's no need to feel ashamed.

"Marbles, why are you asking about the price of this item?"

At the same time, Bao Longtu was confused and a bit anxious. "You're not thinking of buying it, are you?"

"No."

Fang Yuan shook his head lightly and smiled. "I was just curious and asked out of interest..."

"Sure, right."

Bao Longtu didn't believe it, and neither did Xiong Mao, who looked down on him deeply.

As a feng shui master with over ten years of experience, Xiong Mao's ability to appraise talismans, while not the best in the world, was certainly top-notch in Quanzhou. When he examined the Five Emperors Coins, he had his own judgment and estimated a price.

Moreover, Xiong Mao knew the condition of the items in his shop very well. Based on his experience, when Fang Yuan asked, he quickly concluded that the price of the three-legged golden toad was roughly the same as the Five Emperors Coins.

Thinking about this, Xiong Mao's expression became more serious, and he felt he had misjudged Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan was definitely not an outsider and seemed to have a good level of expertise. If that was the case, then his earlier quote of 5,000 yuan was a joke.

For a moment, Xiong Mao couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. Heaven help him, he had intended to offer 50,000 yuan, but Bao Longtu had mistakenly thought it was 5,000 and seemed satisfied, so he had gone along with it.

After sighing, Xiong Mao immediately composed himself and put on a smile, saying, "Young man, I apologize for not recognizing your expertise. I hope you won't laugh at me."

"What's there to laugh about?"

Before Fang Yuan could respond, someone walked into the shop.

"Ah, Mr. Fang, you're here."

Xiong Mao turned and welcomed the person with a full smile.

"Master Xiong!"

The man, who looked to be around seventy, had silver-white hair but few wrinkles, with a healthy, rosy complexion, indicating good health and a knowledge of wellness. His attire, traditional silk clothing, soft-soled cloth shoes, and a string of beads on his wrist, exuded a sense of affluence.

Under Xiong Mao's invitation, the old man walked lightly to the center of the shop and stopped to observe the layout, his expression showing a hint of admiration. He also noticed Fang Yuan and Bao Longtu, glanced at them, and then smiled, saying, "Master Xiong has guests. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not at all, please sit down and have a cup of tea!" Xiong Mao welcomed him warmly.

"Ah, this is..."

The old man didn't hesitate, walked lightly to the tea table, and sat down. As Xiong Mao poured the tea, his gaze fell on the Five Emperors Coins.

With his keen observation, the old man immediately noticed something unusual about the coins. Intrigued, he couldn't help but ask, "Master Xiong, is this a new talisman you've acquired?"

"Uh..."

Xiong Mao was taken aback and a bit hesitant, but considering that the truth couldn't be hidden, he shook his head and explained, "Not really. The item belongs to these two young men, but I do plan to buy it."

"I see."

The old man understood. No wonder the item was casually placed on the tea table rather than carefully stored in a glass cabinet. He then turned with a warm smile and asked, "I'd like to take a look. I hope the two young men don't mind?"

"Not at all, of course not."

At this moment, Bao Longtu nodded repeatedly, a shrewd look in his eyes. Even if he didn't know the market for feng shui talismans, the trade in antiques was similar, and competition might help raise the price.

Bao Longtu's little scheme didn't escape Xiong Mao, who smiled wryly and took the initiative to pick up the Five Emperors Coins and hand them to the old man.

"Thank you, Master Xiong." The old man smiled and gently picked up the coins. Upon handling them and examining them closely, he couldn't help but praise, "What a treasure, with a hidden aura, truly extraordinary."

"Absolutely, a top-notch item."

Bao Longtu didn't understand the hidden aura but ignored it. Seeing the old man's interest, he immediately started to talk, "The coins encompass all five elements, aligning with the three periods and nine cycles, gathering the essence of heaven, earth, and humanity. They can dispel disasters, turn misfortune into fortune, and ward off evil while bringing prosperity..."

The old man listened and nodded, then commented, "The coins are smooth, with a warm patina, clearly a currency that has been in circulation. More remarkably, after hundreds of years, the coins are in perfect condition, with no damage, indicating a strong aura."

"The inherent aura has formed a powerful field, perfectly blending the two, creating this exquisite set of Five Emperors Coins."

As he spoke, the old man didn't hide his admiration, "I've seen many Five Emperors Coins, but few can compare to this set. Truly rare!"

Whatever the aura or field, Bao Longtu didn't understand and didn't care. He focused on the key issue, "Since it's so good, don't miss it as you pass by."

"Cough, cough!"

Xiong Mao couldn't help but clear his throat, reminding Bao Longtu that he was still there. But he couldn't say much, as they hadn't yet agreed on a price, so he couldn't accuse Bao Longtu of anything.

"Ha ha!"

The old man laughed lightly and put the coins down.

This action clearly showed his attitude. With his rich experience, he could see through Bao Longtu's intentions. If it were any other time, he might have competed, but today he had come to seek Xiong Mao's help and wouldn't be so tactless.

"Pity..."

Seeing this, Xiong Mao's eyes showed a hint of regret, but he quickly turned to Bao Longtu, "Boss, we discussed it, and 5,000 yuan seems a bit low. Could you add a bit more..."

"What, 5,000?"

For a moment, the old man's eyes widened.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

At the same time, Xiong Mao coughed even more, then looked embarrassed and smiled, "Young man, you're joking again. I meant 50,000, not 5,000."

"What, 50,000?"

The tables turned, and now Bao Longtu was stunned, finding it hard to believe he had misheard.

Xiong Mao laughed, knowing Bao Longtu was a complete outsider, and didn't pay him much attention. Instead, he looked at Fang Yuan, his eyes flickering, "Fang Master, do you think this price is reasonable?"

Unnoticed, Xiong Mao had changed his address, but Fang Yuan didn't notice and continued to point at the three-legged golden toad, "Mr. Xiong, you still haven't told me the price of this item."

"Golden toad..."

At this moment, the old man's gaze also turned to it. In an instant, Xiong Mao stood up and decisively called out, "300,000 yuan!"

"Five Emperors Coins, 300,000 yuan!"

Emphasizing, Xiong Mao's smile was somewhat helpless, "Fang Master, you should understand the difficulties of running a business these days. I need to make some profit."

"Deal."

Fang Yuan immediately smiled, knowing this was Xiong Mao's final offer, and nodded in agreement.

"Good."

Xiong Mao also breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finalized the deal, "Fang Master, do you want cash, a check, or a direct transfer?"

"Transfer is fine."

Happily, Fang Yuan had just been to the bank and had his bank card with him. He reported his account number, and Xiong Mao promptly operated the computer at the counter. A few minutes later, the money was transferred.

"Really 300,000 yuan!"

At the same time, Bao Longtu woke up, then was stunned again, his expression very confused, muttering, "An item that cost just a few dozen yuan, sold for 300,000 yuan, it's a huge profit... No, it's a free deal, as we didn't spend any money on it."

"What free deal?" Xiong Mao was puzzled.

"The freebie for buying the wooden carving." Bao Longtu answered instinctively, then suddenly woke up, quickly taking out the carving and presenting it to Xiong Mao, "Rich man, no, boss, please look at this. Is it a talisman..."

......

The new book is climbing the charts, and I need your support. Please help by adding it to your collection and recommending it. Thank you.

[Page Flip AD Start]

[Page Flip AD End]