Chapter 003: Transactions

Damn it

"This kind of talk can only fool a three-year-old child." With a sullen face, hands in his pockets, and a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, he said, "However, I trust you."

I was somewhat puzzled, yet dared not speak up, so I could only watch as Old Man Song meticulously made rubbings of the chaotic patterns on the inner side of the bronze plaque. The items had already been traded, so what was the purpose of making a rubbing

I feel a bit regretful; I took the risk of being scolded by the old man to trade with Cao Shi just to see the item with my own eyes and satisfy my curiosity. Unexpectedly, while I did see the item, my curiosity has only grown stronger. Neither the old man nor Cao Shi will tell me the truth, making this trip feel very unworthy.

In other words, what the old man and the other party want is not the bronze medal itself, but the information it carries

After all the rubbings were completed, it was already past two in the morning. My suspicions were confirmed; both parties repacked their belongings and only took the rubbings. My legs were numb from standing, and I felt quite unsettled, wanting nothing more than to forget all about the bronze plaque and quickly return to sleep, lest I continue to guess without arriving at any conclusion. At that moment, the only person left outside quietly slipped into the room and whispered something in a low voice, like a mosquito buzzing, into the ear of the person with the sullen face.

"Are you playing with us!" Cao Shuang wanted to shout again, but Cao Shi stopped him and turned to the sullen-faced man, saying: "We have been making a living in Jiangbei and cannot run away. The Eighth Master’s reputation can be verified elsewhere; the goods will definitely not be diluted. If there is really a problem, come to Jiangbei to find me; the Cao family will not deny responsibility."

A sullen expression implies an acknowledgment of our items. I thought the transaction would conclude here, with everyone taking their belongings and leaving. To my surprise, neither party showed any intention of departing, and each produced a set of tools for making rubbings.

Our appraisal has concluded, yet the other party's "gaze" seems endless, as they continuously examine the three items we brought, turning them over and over. They are well-equipped with various antique appraisal tools, appearing quite professional, but it is rather annoying. Watching their fidgety demeanor makes me want to hit them; growing increasingly impatient, I reached for a cigarette, lit it with a lighter.

After this brief interlude, the other party still held onto the item tightly, seemingly unable to discern its authenticity. Cao Shi was very patient, but his cousin Cao Shuang grew somewhat impatient and said, "What status does our Eighth Master hold? How could he possibly use a fake item to fool you? If your discernment is lacking, you should go back and practice for a few more years"

Yes, yes, yes. Although the other party's "eye" is not very skilled, their attitude is quite humble. While picking up a magnifying glass, they cautiously said: "What this big brother says is true. I have been in this industry for a short time, and I am naturally timid. Whenever I encounter something good, I tremble inside, fearing that I might misjudge it. Please don't rush me, don't rush me. Allow me to take another look, just a little longer..."

Cao Shi got out of the car to negotiate with the other party. By the light seeping from the small room, I saw that there were a total of five people on the other side. A few minutes later, Cao Shi brought me and two others into the small room, while the rest stayed outside

The vegetation in the mountains has begun to wither this season. Our vehicle reached the vicinity of the foot of Yuanshan and turned off its headlights, stopping amidst the knee-high dry grass. I am naturally a person who finds it hard to remain quiet; sitting in the car has made my backside ache, and I am eager to get out for some fresh air. Cao Shi probably noticed my discomfort and said to hold on a little longer, as the other party would arrive shortly.

After receiving the other party's response, Cao Shi instructed the driver to drive over. It was only when we arrived that I realized: this was an abandoned, low, small earthen house, the purpose of which was unknown in the past. It was in a state of utter dilapidation, with several windows temporarily covered with newspapers. Inside, someone had hung an energy-saving lamp powered by a rechargeable battery.

I have been pondering deeply here, while Song Laowan has already begun his work over there. I have heard that when he examines things, he does not need any tools at all; he can distinguish between genuine and fake items solely with his eyes and two fingers. Our items are indistinguishable from those of the other party. Song Laowan must have contemplated this in advance. For a master like him, if he were to make a mistake while having a reference, it would be better to hang himself directly.

The statement made by the sullen-faced person is something I have also heard whispered by others. The Wei family was once a prominent household, but over time, their numbers dwindled, and they gradually fell into decline. The old man’s current estate is entirely built from his own efforts, starting from nothing. The term "Nine Gates of the Wei Family" does not refer to nine actual gates in the Wei family courtyard, but rather to the nine brothers of the old man, each of whom is a capable individual who can support the family. Among them, the eighth brother of the Wei family, who is the old man himself, is truly a talent among talents.

Old Man Song only took a little over ten minutes to examine the jade, but the other party took more than half an hour before nervously saying to the sullen face: "I have looked at the item. hetushu.com.com"

The term "Chì Rán Mǎ Pái" is not easily understood at face value; in essence, it refers to a type of communication token commonly used in the Western Xia dynasty, which is quite similar to the ancient military command tokens known as "Hǔ Fú." The earliest "Hǔ Fú" tokens appeared during the Qin state in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and this practice continued until the Sui dynasty. During the Tang dynasty, these tokens were replaced by fish tokens, rabbit tokens, and turtle tokens. The concept of communication tokens also emerged during the Tang dynasty, at that time referred to as "Chì Zǒu Mǎ Yín Pái."

With a gloomy face, he gestured in all directions and smiled ominously: "Right near this house, Lord Wei has sent you seventeen reinforcements, but unfortunately, they cannot move at all right now"

However, after taking a few glances, I felt something was amiss. The branded horse token in the box seemed counterfeit, appearing to be a gray market item. Not only was it less than 15 centimeters in size, but the upper part of the bronze token lacked the honeysuckle pattern, and the lower part did not have the four characters "horse token" in Xixia script. It was as if a perfectly good Mercedes had its front and rear emblems removed, making it look very awkward. Cao Shi even claimed it was top-notch merchandise, what a joke!

"One exchange for three, you have profited," Cao Shi said淡淡 to the sullen-faced man. "Eighth Master does not mind the details, as long as the items are genuine"

The old man's goal was the counterfeit copper plaque in the box before the sullen face. Cao had already made a mistake at the Fa Tai Temple, so this transaction must not allow any errors. Song Laowan seemed to have been severely warned, not daring to be careless at all. He cautiously picked up the goods brought by the other party and examined them for a full ten minutes. Then, he closed his eyes, paused slightly, and ran his fingers over it. After that, he nodded at Cao.

Is the old man really racking his brains over these inferior goods? He already has three of such items, yet he seems crazed in his pursuit for more. Is he trying to complete a full set? Inferior goods are still inferior goods; even if he manages to gather ten sets, they remain worthless inferior goods. However, this speculation does not hold water, as the goods involved in the transaction are quite clear. According to Cao Shi, the old man intends to exchange his three items for one from the other party.

This indicates that there is no issue with what the other party has brought

Upon seeing these four bronze plaques, I nearly lost my breath; they are the Western Xia edicts for burning horses

When Mr. Song Wan was examining the goods, I was also observing very attentively. I can confirm that this is definitely not a Western Xia imperial horse tag; it merely bears some resemblance.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind: could the purpose of this transaction be not the bronze medal, but rather the rubbing?

The Song Dynasty directly adopted the talisman system from the Tang Dynasty, while the Western Xia was profoundly influenced by the Song Dynasty in various aspects, leading to the emergence of the imperial horse talisman. The Western Xia imperial horse talisman has a diameter of approximately 15 centimeters and is composed of two interlocking pieces. The front of the lower piece features the four characters "Imperial Horse Talisman" in Western Xia regular script, which are very neatly and beautifully inscribed. Each end of the talisman has a gilded character for "Imperial," signifying an edict issued by the emperor.

In that moment, both I and the man with the sullen face felt somewhat out of sorts. I quickly withdrew my hand, and he hastily averted his gaze. This fellow even shot me a glance in the end, which made me feel quite uncomfortable. Although the sullen man's gaze was not as radiant as described in novels, it was extremely sharp, as if a single look could pierce through someone.

Just as the other party was about to take action, Cao Shi suddenly blurted out for no apparent reason: "What time is it now?"

I never expected that my actions would provoke such a grim reaction, but I quickly realized that it must have been my left hand holding the cigarette that caused the trouble

What do you mean by this

Old Man Song made a rubbing of the item belonging to the other party. He was very nimble with his hands and feet. After completing the rubbing, he cleaned the item and returned it. The other party received the item and placed it back in the box, snapping the lid shut.

The bright light immediately responded, flashing three times in return. It was evident that it was neither the headlights of a car nor the beam of a flashlight; it resembled the light from a room after nightfall. I found it somewhat strange that such a light would appear in this desolate wilderness.

In the vicinity of Jiangbei, the term "playing with fire" refers to a situation of mutual destruction among criminals

Among the four of us in the room, there is one named Song Laowan, who is the most outstanding "eye" (an expert responsible for evaluating and appraising cultural relics and antiques) under the old man's command. He is quite famous in Jiangbei, and it is said that anything diluted or counterfeit cannot pass his scrutiny.

"None of us are serious people, so no one should judge anyone else." With a sullen face, he turned to look at me and said to the people behind him, "Leave this one behind, and send the rest on their way."

My left hand was born with six fingers, and these six fingers are quite peculiar. They grow from the base of the little finger and connect to the second segment of the little finger, forming a small flesh ring. When I was young, I didn't mind it, but as I grew older, I found it very awkward. I considered going to the hospital for a minor surgery to have it removed, but I was scolded harshly by an old man. He said that this was something I was born with, and if I removed it, it would be detrimental to my fate in the future. I was deeply impressed by the old man's knowledge and abilities, as well as by books, so even though I didn't believe in his talk about fate, I decided to keep this strange sixth finger.

Thank you very much, Master Wei Ba. " The sullen-faced man replied淡淡地, pushing their boxes forward, and said: "The items are definitely genuine, feel free to inspect them.

Everyone's attention in the room was focused on the object. The lighter in my hand made a crisp sound, causing everyone to involuntarily look this way. The man with the sullen face also slightly raised his head. Since he entered the room, he had said little, maintaining an air of indifference and arrogance. However, after I lit my cigarette, for some reason, his eyes suddenly widened, and his expression changed slightly.

Cao Shiping calmly glanced at the box placed on the table by the other party, snapped his fingers, and Cao Shuang, who had been standing behind him, immediately brought a small leather suitcase and placed it in front of Cao Shi.

How are you?

The two boxes were almost opened simultaneously, and at once, four round copper plates with a flat top appeared before our eyes. There was one in the other box, and three in our box

According to the surviving historical records of the Western Xia, the founding emperor Li Yuanhao would bestow a token upon his generals each time he dispatched troops. When the generals were leading their forces in battle, if there were significant military changes, Li Yuanhao would send a special envoy carrying another token to the front lines. Only when the two tokens were combined could the generals execute the orders. This method of communication was likely the decree-burning horse token.

With a sullen face, he nodded silently. After pondering for a minute, he suddenly laughed as if having a fit, and said to Cao Shi: "There is an old saying that goes well, 'The Wei family has nine heavy gates, the old eighth person is a superior being, Wei Chang Kong and Wei Ba Ye are truly remarkable characters.'"

Once both parties reached an agreement, Cao Shi and the man with a sullen face exchanged slight nods. Subsequently, a person behind the sullen-faced man handed over a very exquisite small box and gently placed it on the table

The small dilapidated house had been abandoned for a long time, and it was empty inside. In the center of the house, a table was temporarily set up, leaving no space for seating once both parties entered. Only one person remained outside, while the other four were inside the house. The leader among them was a middle-aged man, approximately in his forties, very thin, with a gloomy expression on his face, as if his wife had just run off with someone.

I cannot be certain whether they are the ones who brought something back from the Fatai Temple, but since they have raised the old man's expectations so high, they must bring genuine goods. Although Yuanshan is desolate, it is still within the Jiangbei region, and if the items are diluted with inferior quality, it could provoke the old man, leading to serious consequences

Artifacts from the Western Xia are inherently rare, and the imperial horse brand is even more scarce. I have only browsed through pictures and have never even seen a genuine item. Yet, the old man quietly managed to collect three pieces

One should not strike a smiling face; upon hearing this, even Cao Shuang felt embarrassed to speak further and could only wait calmly.

Is Master Wei Ba now approaching seventy?" The gloomy-faced man glanced sideways at Cao Shi and remarked, "His thoughts are still quite meticulous.

I have no experience; whenever I encounter unexpected changes, my mind becomes a complete mess, and I do not know how to respond. In fact, even if I think about it more, I cannot come up with any solutions, especially when there is a hard object pressing against our foreheads

Two boxes of different sizes and shapes lay quietly on the table, signaling the official start of this transaction. Undoubtedly, what is contained within them is precisely what the old man is deeply concerned about. I dared not say anything, only widening my eyes to see what was inside the boxes.

And I, eager to know what exactly was in the box, opened my eyes wider than Song Laowan.

I couldn't help but exclaim an old man's catchphrase, how truly unfortunate this is. I only insisted on coming with Cao Shi out of pure curiosity to see something new, yet who would have thought I would encounter such a disgusting situation. Who exactly are these people, so audacious? After all, Yuanshan is still within the borders of Jiangbei, and to dare to tug at the old man's whiskers here, they must certainly not be ordinary individuals

Cao Shi mentioned that Yuanshan is located in the southwest of Jiangbei City, a very remote area with rather unremarkable scenery. Aside from those who operate the stone quarry in the mountains, ordinary people would not venture there. I then asked Cao Shi if those guys were the ones who got the upper hand at Fataisi, but he refused to answer, lighting a cigarette and smoking silently. At that moment, I recalled his admonition before setting off, chuckling to myself and swallowing all the subsequent questions.

I was about to respond when a sudden bright light appeared about two to three hundred meters away from us. Cao Shi's spirits lifted; he leaned forward to observe for a moment and instructed the driver to flash the headlights three times.

At this point, even a fool could sense something was amiss. Just as Cao Shuang was about to reach for his weapon, a person behind him with a grim expression suddenly took the lead, and several guns were immediately aimed at us. Subsequently, someone came forward and searched us, taking away all our weapons. Cao Shi squinted his eyes and asked, "Are you playing with fire?"

That person, with a furrowed brow, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I still can't quite grasp it..."