Chapter 144: Bargaining Like This?

Arriving at East Street, Xiang Xinyao was taken aback.

The street was lined with vendors selling everything from vases to jade pieces and various trinkets. The place was buzzing with activity. She truly hadn’t expected Lingxiao Kingdom’s Bianjing to have something so similar to a modern antique market.

As she took in the bustling street and the assortment of goods, her eyes sparkled with excitement. Each piece on this street would undoubtedly be an antique if brought to the modern world.

But not all antiques are valuable; some are just relics. All she needed was to find a few well-preserved items to sell in the modern world for a handsome profit.

Mo Jinnan turned to her. “Yaoyao, take a look around and buy whatever catches your eye.”

He had come prepared with plenty of silver notes, ready to spend for anything Xiang Xinyao liked.

Xiang Xinyao rolled her eyes. “Hey, are you hiking the price just because I look like a newcomer?”

“And that Guanyin statue isn’t rosewood. Rosewood is reddish-brown. This is just a regular peachwood carving. If my grandmother didn’t like to worship Guanyin, I wouldn’t even look at it twice. You can keep it for 200 taels and worship it yourself.”

With that, she stood up to leave.

The vendor, seeing that she was serious about walking away, quickly put on a fawning expression. “Hey, hey! Don’t leave so soon! We can negotiate the price. You name an amount you’re comfortable with. Just think of it as fulfilling your grandmother’s wish, and as long as I don’t lose money, I’ll sell it to you.”

Xiang Xinyao held up one finger. “Ten taels, and not a penny more.”

The vendor’s mouth twitched. Although he’d still make a little profit at ten taels, no one would turn down extra money if they could get it.

“Miss, please go a little higher. I can’t sell it for just ten taels—it’d ruin me. How about twenty taels, and you can take it?”

Xiang Xinyao frowned. “Twenty taels is too high. Throw in that set of silver needles, and maybe then we’ll have a deal.”

“Oh, come on now, miss. You’re bargaining too hard here. At least let me make a little bit of profit—I’ve got a whole family to feed, you know.”

Xiang Xinyao shook her head. “Forget it, then! I might as well get a jade Guanyin for my grandmother instead. Twenty taels would be a stretch for this, anyway!”

Saying this, she tugged on Mo Jinnan and made to leave without the slightest hesitation.

“Alright, alright!” the vendor called after her, “Consider it my way of honoring your filial piety—twenty taels, and I’ll throw in the needles too.”

Xiang Xinyao stopped, looking as if she still wasn’t very interested in buying it.

The vendor got anxious. “Miss, twenty taels was the price you offered. You can’t back out now.”

Xiang Xinyao tapped her lips, pretending to regret. “Ah, I really let my mouth run away with me this time—what a rip-off. Fine, it’s just a little extra silver. I only hope my grandmother actually likes a wooden Guanyin. Alright, pack it up for me.”

“Right away, just a moment!” The vendor smiled as he packed up the statue and needles. In his heart, he was pleased, having made a clear profit of ten taels.

Yet Xiang Xinyao was even more delighted, though she kept up the appearance of feeling ripped off.

When the vendor finished packing, Mo Jinnan handed over the money. Once they’d walked away, he gave Xiang Xinyao a thumbs-up.

“Yaoyao, you’ve truly amazed me! I had no idea bargaining could be so intense.”

Xiang Xinyao blinked playfully. “How else are you supposed to haggle?”

“If it were me, I would’ve offered at least a hundred taels and split the difference.”

“Well, you’ve got money to spare! In a place like this, if they quote a hundred, you could start with just one tael, no problem. They’re looking to squeeze every penny they can.”

Mo Jinnan nodded. “You really did score this time—the Guanyin is indeed crafted from agarwood. As for that set of silver needles, I can’t quite see what makes them special.”

“I knew the Guanyin was agarwood,” she said. “As for the needles, I’m not sure either. I just have a feeling they’re worth something, so I figured I’d buy them and look into it later.”

“Who knows, they might turn out to be something valuable.”

They continued chatting as they strolled, still glancing at the various stalls along the way. Not long after, Mo Jinnan suddenly grabbed Xiang Xinyao by the arm.

Leaning close, he whispered, “Yaoyao, there’s something good over there.”

“Where?” she asked.

Following Mo Jinnan’s gaze, she spotted a black stone covered in yellow soil.

“Holy—!”

Though Xiang Xinyao wasn’t sure if she’d ever find a way to return to her own time, she decided not to be greedy. She only wanted to pick a few of her favorite, well-preserved items. If she could go back, she could sell them for a great deal; if not, they would make lovely keepsakes, even family heirlooms someday.

As they passed vendor after vendor, the sellers energetically hawked their wares. The quality of Xiang Xinyao and Mo Jinnan’s clothing made it obvious they were wealthy, making them prime targets for high prices.

Regular visitors to East Street knew that the rule here was simple: once you paid, there were no refunds. If you bought a low-quality item, the fault lay with you. Likewise, once a merchant sold an item, they couldn’t take it back, even if it was a priceless treasure sold too cheaply.

Xiang Xinyao and Mo Jinnan strolled along, browsing the items on display, but nothing had caught her eye yet—most were too ordinary for her taste.

After a while, they approached a small stall where Xiang Xinyao’s gaze fell upon a set of silver needles.

The needles were inserted in an old, yellowed needle holder, and the entire set looked quite worn, as if it hadn’t been used for many years. There were only twelve needles, seemingly unremarkable, but something inside her urged her to buy them.

Next to the silver needles was a wooden statue of Guanyin, which also didn’t stand out much at first glance. Yet the more she looked, the more she felt there was something special about it.

Squinting, Xiang Xinyao carefully examined the Guanyin statue. Unable to resist, she crouched down and touched the wooden carving. The statue felt warm and smooth under her fingers. Bringing it close, she detected a faint, refreshing scent that was both subtle and pleasant.

On closer inspection, she noticed the delicate, elongated lines and dots that formed the wood’s grain.

Her heart leaped with joy, but she kept her face calm, even slightly disdainful.

Casually, she asked, “Hey, how much for this Guanyin?”

The vendor immediately launched into a sales pitch, “Oh, miss, you have a sharp eye! This Guanyin is carved from precious rosewood. Look at the craftsmanship—it’s as if she’s alive, so lifelike! And you, miss, you’re like a celestial beauty with such a kind heart. If you take this Guanyin home, fortune and success will surely follow, and all your wishes will come true! I’d say you and this Guanyin are destined for each other. Just 200 silver taels, and it’s yours!”