Meng Zhao sneered and turned to Shen Qinghe: "You want to buy it?" Seeing him nod, she asked again: "Do you have the money?"
Shen Qinghe shook his head, looking completely innocent. Meng Zhao turned to the shop owner: "That settles it then!"
The shopkeeper, clearly surprised that Shen Qing and such a tall man were penniless, rolled his eyes and said to Meng Zhao, "Young lady, you see, this young master really likes this clay figurine. Why don't you buy it for him?"
Meng Zhao held up two fingers and crossed them: "Ten taels of silver. If it works out, I'll take it; if not, forget it."
"Fifty taels! The lowest price ever!" the shopkeeper shouted, slapping his thigh.
Shen Qinghe spoke up at the opportune moment, feigning great desire: "Sister, buy it."
Meng Zhao sighed and looked around. "Boss, look at your shop, it's so dilapidated. It doesn't look like any random item here would be worth fifty taels."
"Young ladies, I must say you have excellent taste," the shopkeeper chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "The rest of the items in my shop aren't worth much, but this clay figurine is my prized possession."
Meng Zhao's eyes darted around, and he suddenly pointed to a white porcelain vase next to him and asked, "How much is this porcelain vase worth?"
Shen Qinghe immediately interjected, "Sister, I don't want anything else, I just want this clay figurine."
Seeing Shen Qinghe's persistence, the shopkeeper replied nonchalantly, "Ten taels of silver, young lady. You get what you pay for. This clay figurine is exquisitely crafted; it's definitely worth fifty taels."
Meng Zhao then pointed to a broken jade pendant: "What about this one?"
"Three taels of silver."
Finally, she casually pointed to the bag of seeds on the shelf: "What's in this tattered bag?"
The shopkeeper didn't even look at it: "One tael of silver."
Meng Zhao instantly pulled a small silver ingot from his purse and slapped it on the counter: "Okay, deal!" He then handed the bag of seeds to Afu, who was waiting at the door, and told him to quickly load it into the car.
Then he exchanged a glance with Shen Qinghe, both of them smiling.
The shopkeeper glanced at the one tael of silver on the counter, blinked, and suddenly realized: "You're playing me!!!"
Meng Zhao smiled and said, "No way, this is the price the shop owner said himself. Business people value their word the most, and they don't go back on their word."
After saying that, she called out into the house, "Qingze, Qingyu, it's time to go home."
Shen Qingyu came out of the shop, holding a carved wooden box in her hands. "Sister, look what this is. It has black and white chess pieces on it, but it doesn't look like Go."
Meng Zhao took the item, examined it for a moment, and said, "This is called backgammon. Like Go, it's played on a board. However, Go tests calculation and strategy more, while backgammon, although requiring calculation, relies more on luck." He then looked up at her, "What, you like this?"
Shen Qingyu nodded, which put Meng Zhao in a dilemma. She had just tricked the shopkeeper into buying something, and if she asked to buy something now, she was afraid she would be ripped off. Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly heard the shopkeeper exclaim in surprise, "Young lady, you actually recognize this item?"
Meng Zhao nodded. She didn't actually play these gambling games much, but even though she didn't play them, she still knew some of the rules.
The young shopkeeper suddenly straightened his clothes and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Young lady, I have a favor to ask. If you would be willing to teach me how to play this game, I have some exotic seeds in my collection that you can take a look at."
He paused, then added, "The price is absolutely fair."
Meng Zhao's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Seeds are different from other items. If she could find some rare varieties, they could not only enrich her dining table but also become a good business. However, she was curious about how the shop owner, who had just been demanding higher prices, had suddenly become so honest.
Seeing Meng Zhao's questioning look, the shop owner told the truth. It turned out that he hadn't lied earlier; everything in the shop was brought back by his father when he went out to trade.
These days, whether you're a merchant traveling abroad or a sailor at sea, it's a life-or-death business, especially in places like the Western Regions, where yellow sand fills the sky and bandits roam freely. It's no exaggeration to say that you're on the verge of death.
His father was among the lucky ones; he went to the Western Regions twice and returned safely both times. But his third trip had been almost two years in, and he hadn't even sent back a single letter. This had never happened before.
"Over the years, even if my father didn't go to the Western Regions, he would still go to other places to do business. I can count the days I spent with him on my fingers. After not seeing him for two years, I can't even remember what he looks like clearly now."
What impressed me most was the scene when he held me on his lap as a child and taught me how to play backgammon. But as time went by, my childhood memories became increasingly blurry, and I can't even remember how to play backgammon anymore. I would like to go to the Western Regions to find him, but I have an elderly grandmother at home, and I really can't bear to leave her.
Today I've met a young lady who recognizes this item; I hope she can offer some guidance, so that I can relive some of the old days.
Meng Zhao's heart softened suddenly. She realized she had gone too far in her bargaining. Even if the tomato seeds were priced higher, they would have been worth it. As she was blaming herself, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, when did your father bring back the things I just bought?"
You should know that tomato seeds have a shelf life of about 3 to 4 years. If they are stored for too long, the germination rate will be greatly reduced. If Meng Zhaozhen missed this opportunity, she would be furious.
The shopkeeper thought for a moment and replied, "Those seeds were brought back by my father on his last trip home, so... it's been about three years."
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