Chapter 4, We have made money, we have made money!

Wei Chi took out the entire set of wine utensils, the crystal-clear bottle and the small, exquisite wine glasses arranged together. Even as a modern person accustomed to glass products, Wei Chi felt a dazzling sensation—he recalled the half a month's salary he had spent, the bright red Renminbi!

The plump shopkeeper saw the two whispering and smiled broadly like a Maitreya Buddha: "Young master, my surname is Wang. May I ask your esteemed surname? I notice that this young lady seems to be injured. If you do not mind, I can help call a doctor to take a look."

After chatting for a while, a young man in splendid attire entered, guided by a servant. Upon entering, he clasped his fists in salute and laughed heartily, saying: "I am Cui Jie, the owner of this establishment. You must be Young Master Wei, correct? I wonder if you are interested in supporting the business of our shop..."

Wei Chi feigned nonchalance, showing no urgency, and said: "In business, haggling is quite normal. My wife is still waiting to see the doctor. To be straightforward, I need 10,000 guan in cash, and then Mr. Cui can additionally provide me with two shops and several acres of good farmland."

Wei Chi quickly expressed his gratitude

Madam, please bear with me for a moment while I check for you

Xie Jiu's snow-white and beautiful calves were red and swollen at the fracture site, a shocking sight. Wei Chi, a professionally qualified orthopedic surgeon, regarded such an injury as merely a minor one. However, this was ancient times, and without the ability to take X-rays, he could only rely on his experience to make a judgment.

Oh, it turns out that the young master is also a doctor

Where does Wei Chi know how much to sell? Anyway, the items are rare, so they will use both deception and confusion, first raising the price and then proceeding.

Good wine! Rich aroma, sweet and crisp, along with books, refreshing, good wine!

It is hard to believe that a travel bag purchased for 100 yuan could be worth 2,000 guan. Wei Chi's feelings were quite complex as he smiled and said: "Thank you, Mr. Cui, for your kind intentions. This travel bag still has its uses for me, so let us continue discussing the wine vessels. My wife and I have just arrived and, upon reaching Chang'an, we heard that your establishment is the largest pawnshop in the city, with an excellent reputation. We didn't even bother to check out other shops before coming here! Given our sincerity, shouldn't you, Master Cui, also show some sincerity? To speak frankly, there are not only your pawnshop in Chang'an."

Oh

Carrying Xie Jiu, they walked in. The physician attending was a middle-aged man dressed in a Taoist robe. According to the coachman, this Taoist was the most renowned and skilled physician in Chang'an, frequently summoned by the imperial palace for consultations, surpassing even the court physicians. Wei Chi did not take this seriously, believing that the coachman was engaging in personal worship and that his evaluation was not objective.

I am unsure what type of business Young Master Wei requires for the storefront. I will make arrangements for the address accordingly

Mr. Cui, I have also had the fortune to hear about the glazed products of the Tang Dynasty. If you can present items that match the craftsmanship, quality, aesthetics, and intricacy of this set of mine, I would not hesitate to say that even for a thousand guan, I would stake my life on it

The Hu stool is the prototype of the chair, introduced to China during the early Tang dynasty, and later became popular. Place me on the ground

The title of Wei Chi was exchanged for the two large, beautiful eyes of the lady, which turned red. Although her face flushed, she did not glare at him again. Instead, in a volume only they could hear, she said: "Glass is called 'liuli' in the Tang Dynasty and in books. It is rare and has low transparency. I have seen it in the materials; only the royal family and wealthy noble families possess it."

Cui Jie downed the remaining wine in his cup and said boldly, "Eight thousand guan. If Young Master Wei is willing to pawn this bag as well, I am willing to add another two thousand guan."

Cui Jie clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "Since I have agreed, let it be that I take Young Master Wei as a friend. Chief Steward, go fetch a government note of 10,000 guan, and additionally, give Young Master Wei 100 guan in copper coins. I wonder what requirements Young Master Wei has regarding the shop and the fertile land? Of course, I, Cui, guarantee with the reputation of this establishment that matters concerning the shop and the fertile land will certainly meet your satisfaction"

Under the cold gaze of the beauty, that word could not be uttered no matter what. It was just a slip of the tongue, so what was there to be angry about? Truly.

Wei Chi uncorked the wine bottle, poured a glass of wine, and handed it to Cui Jie. Even though Cui Jie was well-traveled and knowledgeable, he had never seen such exquisite glassware. He carefully accepted the wine glass, the aroma of the wine wafting to his nose. After taking a sip, his fair and handsome face immediately flushed bright red.

Wei Chi, lacking in etiquette, awkwardly clasped his fists in greeting. He took out a set of Wuliangye from his travel bag once more and said with a smile: "This is the item—glazed liquor vessels. Please take a look at the craftsmanship and quality; in today's world, there is only this one set. I would also like to invite you to taste the fine wine in this bottle. If we can come to an agreement, this bottle of exquisite wine will be offered as a gift."

There is nothing to conceal, Wei Chi replied: "In the East Market, I would like to open a restaurant, and in the West Market, my wife and I have some modest insights in the field of medicine, and we wish to establish a medical clinic."

In a trance, Wei Chi felt a kick on his foot. Turning his head, he saw Xie Jiu and quickly leaned his head closer, saying: "Vice... Xie..."

Cui Jie smiled at Wei Chi and said: "Very well! Since Young Master Wei trusts our establishment so much, I shall not say more. It will be 10,000 guan! Let's make it a round number"

Cui Jie gazed at Wei Chi with a peculiar light, as if he wanted to scrutinize him closely, his expression seemingly very interested in Wei Chi, causing Wei Chi's hair to stand on end—could it be that Cui Jie is a fan of Longyang?!

Wei Chi searched for half a day while holding Xie Jiu, but did not find any chairs in the medical clinic. It is worth mentioning that there were chairs in the pawnshop just now; how could there be none in the medical clinic? Wei Chi was extremely skeptical about the fact that this was the most renowned medical clinic in the Tang Dynasty

Diligently learning the etiquette from historical dramas, he clasped his fists in gratitude towards the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper had been probing into Wei Chi's background and everything about the wine utensils. Wei Chi was well aware of this, yet he maintained a youthful and innocent expression, feigning ignorance and naivety, which left the plump shopkeeper overjoyed, nearly at a loss for direction.

As he was rubbing, a pair of soft little hands suddenly appeared on his shoulders. Wei Chi's body stiffened, and he instinctively wanted to break free. Above him, Xie Jiu's clear voice had already sounded: "Don't move!"

What a shrewd Young Master Wei

As the man hummed, feeling drowsy from the comfortable massage, the voice of the coachman timely broke the silence: "Young Master Wei, we have arrived"

Doctor, my wife has fractured her right leg, please take a look.

The plump shopkeeper's small eyes flashed with a glimmer, and with a smile, he called over a servant to serve tea, saying: "Young master, please rest assured. Our shop's reputation is well-known far and wide - both in name and in practice. We are honest with both young and old, and we will certainly offer you a fair price."

Cough... What do you want to say, dear?

Since yesterday, Wei Chi, who had not closed his eyes, was extremely fatigued. He climbed into the carriage and lay down without any regard for his appearance, rubbing his sore shoulders and groaning in comfort.

Wei Chi smiled as he looked at Cui Jie’s flushed, fair face and said, "I am a straightforward person; please, Mr. Cui, make an offer!"

Wei Chi got up and jumped out of the car to take a look, only to find an ordinary alley, from which faint traces of traditional Chinese medicine fragrance wafted. He extended his arms towards Xie Jiu, who, for some reason, blushed, her beautiful face turning red, and allowed Wei Chi to lift her up, her arms wrapping around his neck.

After exchanging a few more words and discussing some requirements for the store and the land, Cui Jie ordered someone to fetch 12,000 guan in official notes, and additionally presented 100 guan in cash to Wei Chi. After signing the documents, he dispatched a carriage to take them to the best physician in Chang'an, and then instructed the driver to take them to the finest inn, with plans to return the next day to collect the land and property deeds. After Wei Chi expressed his gratitude to Cui Jie, he lifted Xie Jiu onto the carriage and went with the driver to see the doctor.

Thus, Wei is immensely grateful

Wei Chi crawled in a proper manner, remaining completely still. Xie Jiu seemed to understand professional massage techniques; after gently pressing several acupoints with her delicate hands, Wei Chi's stiff body relaxed. Damn it, if a beautiful woman is willing to serve him and he still refuses, then he wouldn't be a man. After all, the beauty is still his nominal wife, so he accepted it!

The sound of thumping echoed from Wei Chi's chest, and he was determined to prove his point. Aside from the bottles of saline solution on his truck, who else could produce glass of such high transparency? Even if someone could, he wasn't worried. With so many saline bottles on the truck, he could always sell a few more.

Xie Jiu said softly, as Wei Chi carefully placed her on the ground, being mindful of her injuries. Out of professional habit, after setting Xie Jiu down, Wei Chi squatted beside her and personally began to remove the bandages and splints. He was quite familiar with how to take them off in a way that would minimize Xie Jiu's pain.

Wei Chi made an OK gesture to Xie Jiu and smiled at the plump shopkeeper, saying: "I, Wei, thank the shopkeeper for your kind intentions. My wife's injury has already been treated. Once the owner arrives, we can discuss business before attending to it later."

Wash your hands, and Wei Chi is prepared to assess Xie Jiu's injuries based on experience

The expression on Wei Chi's face was one of deep sorrow, unable to contain his grief. He recounted some of the background of the two individuals, saying: "If it were not for encountering great misfortune and losing all my family wealth, I would not have resorted to pawning our family heirloom. That wine vessel was crafted with the utmost dedication by my ancestors of the Wei family; there is only this one set in the world. The exquisite wine in the bottle is also unique, brewed using the finest grains and a secret method; there is only this one bottle in existence!"

The cash required is only 10,000 guan; for the remaining value, please have Mr. Cui offset it according to its worth

What is the amount in Young Master Wei's heart?" Cui Jie asked with a smile, not at all angry.

This is quite good; observing the attire of the young master and his wife, it seems they are not Tang people

The brewing techniques during the Tang Dynasty were quite advanced, already possessing the rudimentary form of modern white liquor production. However, this box of 68-degree Wuliangye from Wei Chi is not something that can be produced with current methods, which gives Wei Chi great peace of mind