Chapter 23: Who Is the Fool?
Ruan Mianmian: "..."
Was there really a shopkeeper who belittled his own wares like this?
Other merchants always boasted about their goods, claiming they were unparalleled treasures, things of legend found neither in heaven nor on earth.
But this old man? He was outright saying his own item was all looks and no substance.
It was the first time she’d seen anyone hawk their merchandise in such a fashion.
The old man paused, as if realizing that this young lady looked easy to take in. His eyes darted slyly; he held up three skinny fingers.
"If you really fancy this thing, give me three hundred yuan and take it—use it as a fruit plate, if nothing else. Just make do," he said, tone utterly casual.
Three hundred yuan! For a plate valued at eight hundred thousand, he was asking three hundred!
A surge of wild joy nearly swept Ruan Mianmian off her feet.
She wanted nothing more than to hand over the money and buy it on the spot!
She pinched her palm hard, forcibly pushing down her euphoria. Lowering her gaze, she hid the tumult in her eyes.
Only after a long moment did she regain her composure. “Boss, you just said yourself—this plate is all show and no substance, only suitable as a fruit plate. Who pays three hundred yuan for a mere fruit plate? Make it a bit more reasonable, or my mother will kill me when I bring it home!”
The old man’s hand, fanning himself with a tattered fan, paused. He silently cursed himself for saying too much earlier.
All he’d intended was to make it sound worthless, so when he named a price, this young lady would be too embarrassed to haggle.
Who would have thought she wouldn’t take the bait?
“Tch,” he clucked, lowering his voice, face contorted in mock pain, “Girl, I can see you really want it… How about this: two hundred and fifty! Two hundred and fifty and it’s yours!”
Ruan Mianmian: “...”
Who’s the fool here?
The one paying, or the one taking the money?
“Boss, don’t you know two-fifty is an insult? It means someone is slow-witted, not too bright. Are you calling yourself a fool?”
She hadn’t meant to be so cheeky, but the opportunity was right in front of her. Glancing at her pitiful three-point score on the system’s panel, she couldn’t let this chance slip by to earn points.
Otherwise, she’d regret it for sure!
Eight hundred thousand was certainly important, but earning life value was not to be missed.
She was also curious to see how the system’s point-doubling worked after the upgrade.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received 200 points, life value +20 days.]
As she’d hoped, the system’s notification chimed in her mind, and Ruan Mianmian hurriedly added, “But I can see you’re a shrewd man, or you wouldn’t be in the antique business. I really do want to buy it—how about you give me a better price?”
With the system’s upgrade, the points really came faster. Just a few words to the old man and she’d easily earned 200 points.
In other words, she’d just made twenty thousand yuan for almost nothing!
How could she not suddenly feel a little less enthusiastic about going to work?
The old man: “...Fine, two hundred, but not a cent less. Any lower and I’d be losing money.”
This girl could talk circles around anyone.
She’d said everything there was to say—good and bad—leaving him both annoyed and amused.
Ruan Mianmian shook her head. “Two hundred for a fruit plate is still too much. I’ll just buy one online; they’re only 9.90 with free shipping.”
When it came to bargaining, she was no novice.
Back in university, she’d haggled at street stalls for clothes so fiercely that vendors said she was sharper than a blade.
She could also read people well.
Her years of part-time jobs and work experience had honed her instincts.
The old man didn’t seem upset by her earlier jab—if he had, she would’ve paid two hundred on the spot without further haggling.
“How can you compare? Nine ninety gets you a plastic plate with free shipping. Mine is crafted using traditional embossed techniques. Not an antique, but an imitation with real ornamental value. Go ask any other stall and see if you can get one for less than three or five hundred.”
Don’t think being an old-timer meant he didn’t know how to use the internet—he even wholesaled old items online for his stall.
“But two hundred still feels too expensive. It’s not worth it,” Ruan Mianmian said, feigning a move to leave.
“So… how much will you give?” The old man, worried she’d walk away, hurried to stop her.
“One hundred. I’ll buy it for one hundred,” she offered, slashing the price in half.
The old man was taken aback, forgetting to wave his battered fan. This girl was a real bargainer!
But he’d been at this for years—he wasn’t about to be outmaneuvered.
Pretending to be reluctant, he replied, “Girl, you drive a hard bargain. How about we both give a little? One eighty. That’s my final offer!”
He added, “Consider it making a friend and making my first sale of the day! One eighty is an auspicious number—good fortune for both of us!”
Not two-fifty, not even two hundred—one eighty it was!
Surely, she’d buy it now.
Ruan Mianmian was inwardly delighted: Success!
She looked up, six parts shyness, four parts hesitation on her face. “Well… all right, one eighty it is.”
She pulled out her phone from her bag and scanned to pay a hundred and eighty yuan.
She’d wanted to bargain further, but worried that if she pushed too hard, the old man would be annoyed and refuse to sell.
Eight hundred thousand!
If he got angry and refused to sell, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.
As for his claim that he hadn’t made a sale all morning? That was just a lie. She’d seen someone buy something from him when she’d first turned down this side street.
But she wouldn’t expose him—business was business, after all.
When the old man heard the payment notification, his face lit up with satisfaction, a sly sense of triumph shining through.
He grabbed the old newspaper beneath the porcelain plate, wrapped the plate haphazardly, stuffed it in a plastic bag, and handed it over.
“Here you are—take care not to bump it!” he grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow by cheap tobacco.
“Go ahead and have fun! These imitations—I’ve got half a truckload in my warehouse. Picked them up cheap when the factory cleared out leftover stock years ago—pretty to look at, good for fooling outsiders, but not worth much.”
“But you still got a good deal. I never let these go for less than two hundred. I’m giving you a special price since you’re a young lady—I’m losing twenty on this sale.”
He looked thoroughly pleased with himself, as if he’d finally offloaded some dead stock.
As for losing money? Not a chance.
He’d paid twenty yuan for the lot—everything else was just to hoodwink her.
Ruan Mianmian took the bag and said, “Thank you, boss. You’re a good man—wish you brisk business.”
“All right, take care. Come again if you need anything!” The old man was in such high spirits that his crow’s feet deepened—if a mosquito flew by, it’d likely get trapped.
Hugging her “fruit plate,” Ruan Mianmian left the stall.
She was ready to find a buyer for this so-called “fruit plate.”