Chapter Nine, The Dwarf Man

Brother, please sit here

After sitting down, I held the stick and remained silent, but the dwarf man cheerfully said: "My name is Li Dunjuz, and my friends call me Zhuzi. How should I address you, brother?"

I am a bit confused; what are these tickets and items? I do not understand, it seems like their jargon.

Next is the third object, that book, the title on the cover is faintly visible as "Strange Tales from the Mountains and Fields," mostly in traditional Chinese characters, of which I can recognize a few. However, I do not know who the author is, nor have I heard of it before.

I am from Shaanxi, but I often travel in Yunnan and along the border. As you know, in our line of work, we travel far and wide, so I have become accustomed to it

I held the divining rod, furrowing my brow, pondering that I had yet to comprehend this rod, the bizarre patterns on it, and the principle behind why the female ghost was locked inside. I felt a sense of reluctance at the thought of it being replaced.

At that time, my experience in the world was still limited. Although I had some cleverness, my guard against others was not strong. When the dwarf man said this, I nodded in agreement and followed him.

I originally intended to refuse in person, but suddenly I reconsidered. Many of the things that Lao Hei said last night were rather ambiguous. Today, it would be better to find a way to extract more information from this dwarf man. With this thought in mind, I did not rush to refuse; instead, I calmed my thoughts and asked, "Is the market for this stick really that good?"

I am staring at these three objects; the yellow stone I recognize is called amber. What is amber? It is actually fossilized tree resin that has solidified. If it contains insects, it becomes quite valuable. The older the amber, the more yellow it becomes, and there is a piece of old amber in Fatty's home, which is yellow with a hint of red. It is said to have been a collectible of a certain prince from the Qing Dynasty.

He walked ahead while I followed behind, passing through the busiest area of the market, and entered two bungalows next to the market.

I was taken aback, leaned in closer to examine it carefully, and indeed noticed some differences. There was actually a circle of inscriptions carved on the outside of the amber! Although not very obvious, it could still be discerned with careful observation; it seemed to be some kind of scripture. I widened my eyes and asked, "What is inscribed on it?"

The dwarf man gently closed the door, and I glanced around. The windows on all four walls of the house were completely boarded up, blocking out any light. There was not much dust on the ground, and the overall atmosphere felt quite dark and uncomfortable.

The bracelet is also not ordinary, resembling one made of small leaf red sandalwood. The beads are flat, and the iron lump on top looks to me like a demon-slaying pestle, but this form of demon-slaying pestle is rare, so I cannot make a casual judgment.

Oh dear, little brother, you have been wronged. These are truly exceptional treasures. Just take a look, this is a magical artifact from the Motan sect, something that cannot be seen outside.

What do you think

He asked me back, and there seemed to be a hint of probing in his tone

I am not foolish either; one must maintain a certain demeanor. However, if one holds it for too long, the other party may easily slip away. Thus, I said: "The items are truly excellent"

There are indeed quite a few items

Upon hearing my words, Zhuzi could not help but show some surprise on her face, frowning and muttering, "Has Lao Hei also taken in a younger brother? Wasn't he working alone?"

The other party mentioned the stick again, and I was slightly taken aback. Perhaps due to the previous incident with Lao Hei, whenever someone brings up the stick, I can't help but feel a bit tense.

I asked curiously; on one hand, it was out of my own curiosity to broaden my horizons, and on the other hand, it was also to learn more of their jargon within the circle.

It seems that from the very beginning, he regarded me as someone engaged in the same profession as him, and so did the old man. I felt even more puzzled and asked, "How long have you been in this line of work?"

Yes, the stick you have inserted at your waist, hehe, judging by your appearance, you must be here to sell it, right

Of course, my business with beads has always been genuine and of high quality. Among these three items, feel free to exchange any one of them for your divine stick; you may choose one.

In the end, I remained unmoved. The pearl knew that I looked down on these items, so I put on my clothes, slapped my thigh, and exclaimed: "Alright, you are the expert, I won't show you these things. Here are a few items for you to take a look at; if you still find them unsatisfactory, I fear this business deal cannot be completed."

He asked with a cheerful smile

I only know two people with such extraordinary abilities. Speaking in Daba feels too straightforward and easily exposes one’s intentions to the other party. Anyway, Lao Hei is not exactly a reputable character, so I might as well lean towards him.

Oh? That works too, why don't you show me what you have here?

Three objects are placed before me, and even with my average eyesight, I can discern that they are not on the same level as those items from just now

He is a vigorous salesperson, and his level of effort is simply worlds apart from that of the counter staff in the store at that time

Although I am completely unfamiliar with their trade, I am still aware of some rules within the antique circle. What is presented is certainly not the hidden treasures; the items shown to you first are merely those that can deceive the unsuspecting. The truly valuable pieces are only revealed at the end of negotiations. Therefore, I feigned seriousness, furrowed my brow, and said: "These items are quite ordinary"

The beads appeared somewhat complacent, clearly these three items were his prized possessions, and the way he looked at me felt as if he was waiting for me to beg him to exchange them with cries of distress.

I said in astonishment

Stick

The dwarf man wiped a wooden chair placed beside him with his clothes and said with a smile

"Alright, now you can open your eyes," he said. As he spoke, Zhuzi unfastened his coat, revealing that the inside was filled with various trinkets. I recognized a few items, such as a badge that looked like it was made of pure gold depicting Chairman Mao. However, many of the objects were unfamiliar, including several that resembled beast teeth, as well as a few coins similar to those used by the previous old black man, along with finger rings, jade pendants, bracelets, and a variety of other items that momentarily left me feeling somewhat dazzled.

I sensed some suspicion from the other party, so I hurriedly continued, and it seemed that after hearing this, the person was somewhat convinced. They then shifted the topic back to my stick and asked, "So, young brother, are you dealing with cash or items?"

The dwarf man, seeing that I seemed to be interested, immediately became even more enthusiastic. He shook his long hair, which I couldn't tell had not been washed for how many days, and said with a smile: "If you are interested, follow me, and we can find a place to talk"

The dwarf man revealed a hint of a cunning smile as he spoke

The bead took back the beeswax, as if afraid that I would snatch it away

As they spoke, Zhuzi stood up and took a bundle from a dilapidated water tank at the back of the room. Wrapped in black fabric, upon opening it, three items were revealed. The first was a stone, about the size of a thumb, yellow and resembling crystal, with something seemingly encased in the middle. The second was a bracelet, appearing to be made of small leaf rosewood, lacking any embellishments except for a small iron lump at the top. The third was a book, looking quite old and bound with thread, its cover somewhat tattered, and the bottom appeared to be damaged as well, indicating it had certainly been around for a long time.

Who is leading me? However, if I cannot answer at this moment, it would terrifyingly reveal my identity as an outsider. After thinking carefully in my mind, I opened my mouth and said: "Old Hei."

Great Compassion Mantra

I did not expect that my unintentional action would yield such fruitful results. The temperament of this bead has been raised by me, and while muttering to myself, I held that piece of amber in my hand, pointing at it and saying: "Take a good look at this amber; is it not different?"

Haha, indeed. If one does not have a solid foundation, how could they dare to venture into the world? So, what do you think? Is there anyone you have your eye on?

From what Zhuzi said, I have come to understand a bit. The so-called tickets refer to money, while the objects likely refer to some other antiques or valuable items, essentially a barter system.

Your things are indeed good, but I fear they may have little to do with the business I intend to pursue

My name is Ba Xiaoshan. I replied, then strangely furrowed my brows and asked, "Aren't you from a minority ethnic group?"

It has been quite a few years, at least six or seven by rough estimate. Young brother, you look quite young, so your experience is probably relatively limited. Who was it that brought you in?

A few days ago, I even helped him collect a "Carkul".

I made a casual remark, but to my surprise, the person opposite flicked their hair and said somewhat reluctantly: "How could I sell you ordinary goods? Alright, let me introduce you. Little brother, you should have seen a bit of the world following Old Hei, but after all, Old Hei likes to wander around Yunnan, and the outside world is vast. There are far more good things out there than in these mountains."

If you want to exchange for cash, I don't have much here, and I estimate you won't be satisfied with the price I offer. However, if you are willing, we can exchange for items. I have a few treasures here that might be able to trade with you.

I feigned a sense of hesitation and asked in return.