Chapter 24

Jiang Ping didn't waste any time and quickly said to Sun Wenhai, "Mr. Sun, I'm troubling you."

While speaking, Jiang Ping didn't let his hands idle. He first took a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on, then carefully opened his backpack, took out the carefully wrapped ancient book, and gently placed it on the table.

Seeing Jiang Ping's very professional actions, Sun Wenhai's impression of him improved even more. To show his seriousness, Sun Wenhai also put on gloves and glasses, then carefully opened the set of books and began to examine them meticulously.

While Sun Wenhai was appreciating the set of books, Jiang Ping quietly stood by, neither introducing the ancient books to him nor showing any sign of impatience.

Sun Wenhai was a book enthusiast, and he spent a full half hour examining the books. He flipped through each book from cover to cover, not missing even the smallest detail, nodding gently as he read, clearly very satisfied with the set of ancient books. At this moment, Sun Wenhai's attention was entirely on the books, and he had even forgotten that Jiang Ping was still there.

Only after finishing the last book did Sun Wenhai, who had been immersed in his own world, come back to his senses. He said to Jiang Ping with a hint of embarrassment, "I'm sorry to have made you wait. I have no other hobbies except for books. Especially when I see such well-preserved rare books, I often lose track of time. I'm really sorry."

In fact, Jiang Ping wasn't afraid that Sun Wenhai would get lost in the books; he was more afraid that Sun Wenhai wouldn't be interested in them at all. So Sun Wenhai's words made Jiang Ping very happy. He smiled and said, "I've always heard that Mr. Sun loves books like his life. Today, I can see that it's true. In this era, there are few people as dedicated to one thing as you are. I admire you very much."

In Sun Wenhai's eyes, Jiang Ping's words were undoubtedly the best praise. He couldn't help but nod and smile. Although Sun Wenhai had collected many ancient books, he really didn't have this set of Qing Dynasty rare books. After a brief hesitation, Sun Wenhai couldn't help but ask Jiang Ping, "Mr. Jiang, I wonder if you would be willing to transfer this set of books to me?"

Hearing Sun Wenhai's words, Jiang Ping couldn't help but laugh. He quickly nodded and said, "Actually, I came to see you for this very reason. I want to transfer this set of books to you."

Seeing Jiang Ping agree so readily, Sun Wenhai couldn't help but ask curiously, "Actually, this set of books is very well-preserved, the engraving is very exquisite, and it's a complete set, making it a very rare ancient book. Why do you want to transfer it?"

Sun Wenhai's question was strongly subjective. He loved books so much that he assumed others would feel the same way and wouldn't easily transfer such a set of Qing Dynasty rare books.

Jiang Ping, of course, couldn't directly tell Sun Wenhai, "Actually, I'm just here for the money," as that would undoubtedly damage his image in Sun Wenhai's eyes and possibly affect the transaction price.

Jiang Ping, who had lived two lives and had a deep understanding of human nature, immediately knew how to respond. He smiled faintly at Sun Wenhai and said, "To be honest, Mr. Sun, I bought this set of books last week on the antique street. Although I like them very much, I don't have a suitable place to store them at home. I'm worried that if I keep them at home for a long time, they might be damaged by insects or mold, which would be a waste. Knowing that you are an expert in this field, I decided to bring this set of books to you, so they can find a good home."

This answer made Sun Wenhai very satisfied, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Xiao Jiang, I understand your thoughts! I have seen many ancient books being ruined by amateurs. Books are different from other antiques; they need a better environment to be properly preserved."

Speaking of this, Sun Wenhai felt a deep pain. For him, the hardest thing wasn't failing to collect valuable ancient books, but knowing that these books were being damaged due to poor storage.

In fact, Jiang Ping's main purpose today was to sell this set of ancient books to Sun Wenhai. However, he always respected people like Sun Wenhai, who were truly dedicated to their work, so he nodded in agreement with Sun Wenhai's views.

After a moment of frustration, Sun Wenhai remembered Jiang Ping's purpose and smiled apologetically, "I'm a bit cynical. Let's not talk about those distressing things. Let's talk about this set of ancient books. How much do you plan to sell them for?"

"Finally, we're getting to the point!" Sun Wenhai's words invigorated Jiang Ping, but he remained calm on the surface and said, "My main goal is to find a good home for this set of books. As for the price, as long as it's reasonable, it's fine."

Jiang Ping's words made Sun Wenhai's impression of him even better. He smiled and said, "That's what you say, but I can't let you lose out. Give me a rough estimate, and we can negotiate if there's a discrepancy."

Although Sun Wenhai was obsessed with books, he wasn't out of touch with reality. He insisted that Jiang Ping name a price so he could adjust accordingly.

Jiang Ping also saw through Sun Wenhai's intentions and pretended to be embarrassed, saying, "To be honest, I spent all the New Year's money I've saved since elementary school to buy this set of books."

Hearing this, Sun Wenhai couldn't help but laugh. If Jiang Ping's previous behavior made Sun Wenhai think he was a well-informed adult, his final words reminded Sun Wenhai that the young man in front of him was just a high school student.

Jiang Ping, of course, did this intentionally to remind Sun Wenhai that he was still a high school student. Based on his understanding of Sun Wenhai, he thought Sun Wenhai might feel uncomfortable about pressing the price too hard.

It turned out that Jiang Ping's grasp of Sun Wenhai's psychology was accurate. Sun Wenhai soon shook his head and smiled, "To spend all your New Year's money on books shows that you really love them. I can't let you lose out. Ten thousand yuan, that should cover the gap in your New Year's money over the past ten years, right?"

Sun Wenhai's offer surprised Jiang Ping. It was 2002, and children's New Year's money wasn't as exaggerated as it would be later, often reaching thousands or even tens of thousands. In this era, ordinary children received only a few hundred yuan each year. Sun Wenhai's offer of ten thousand yuan to cover Jiang Ping's "loss" was a huge amount, far exceeding Jiang Ping's expectations.

Jiang Ping felt he should act more like a high school student, so he stammered, "Mr. Sun, this... seems a bit too much."

Jiang Ping's reaction made Sun Wenhai even more determined to stick to his decision. He waved his hand and said, "Let's settle on this. You've added such a good collection to my collection, so it's only right that you make some profit. Otherwise, if this gets out, people might think I'm taking advantage of a child."

Sun Wenhai's generosity also improved Jiang Ping's impression of him. Seeing Sun Wenhai's happy face as he received the new collection, Jiang Ping had a sudden idea and made a somewhat risky decision.

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