Chapter 234 - 23: Buying Low and Selling High, Setting Up a Stall

Chapter 234: Chapter 23: Buying Low and Selling High, Setting Up a Stall

"But..." Su Yuan’s tone shifted as she spoke, a little hesitantly. "I’ve never sold anything before. What if I can’t sell it, or I sell it for too little?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll teach you," Chen Ye said, full of confidence. "It’s actually very simple. It all comes down to one word: pretend."

"Pretend?"

"That’s right. Play pitiful, play innocent, play dumb! Just say it was left to you by a family elder and you’re only selling it because you desperately need the money. Say you don’t know what it’s worth and let them make an offer. The more you act like that, the more likely those self-proclaimed geniuses are to fall for it, thinking they can get a bargain from you."

Su Yuan listened in a daze, and the way she looked at Chen Ye changed completely.

’I used to think he was just composed and ruthless, but I never expected him to be so full of schemes.’

"How do you know so much about this stuff?"

Chen Ye sighed. "I had no choice. When you’re poor, you have to grow up fast."

The two of them hit it off instantly. Without wasting a moment, they found an empty spot in the stall area. There weren’t many rules here; as long as you found an open space, you could lay down a cloth and open for business.

Chen Ye went and scrounged up a tattered piece of cloth from somewhere else, spreading it on the ground. This would be their stall.

"You wait here. I’ll be right back," Chen Ye instructed Su Yuan, then turned and vanished into the crowd.

Su Yuan sat alone on the tattered cloth, bored out of her mind. She watched the people coming and going, her heart filled with a sense of novelty.

’This is my first time experiencing what it’s like to be a street vendor.’

Meanwhile, Chen Ye had activated his Asura’s Eye. His gaze was like lightning, swiftly scanning one stall after another.

With ample funds, his mindset was completely different from before.

Before, he could only stare longingly at good items he couldn’t afford. Now, he had the confidence to buy anything priced within one thousand taels.

Soon, his eyes locked onto a target.

It was a stall selling all sorts of old trinkets, and the owner was a skinny old man dozing off.

In a corner of the stall sat an unremarkable small bronze cauldron. It was covered in a thick green patina, looking as if it had just been dug out of the ground.

But to Chen Ye’s Asura’s Eye, the inside of this small cauldron swirled with a faint golden halo, and it contained a weak but pure aura of Pill Fire.

This was clearly a discarded Alchemy Furnace!

Although it wasn’t high-grade, likely once used by an Alchemy Apprentice, its value was far greater than what it seemed on the surface.

Chen Ye walked over impassively, picked up the small cauldron, and pretended to examine it for a long time.

"Sir, how much for this old cauldron?"

The old man opened his bleary eyes, glanced at Chen Ye, and said listlessly, "Family heirloom. Fifty taels, non-negotiable."

’Another family heirloom.’

Chen Ye wanted to laugh, but he put on a disdainful expression. "Fifty taels? This looks like a broken incense burner to me. And it’s filthy. I’d say even five silver coins is too much."

"Take it or leave it." The old man rolled over, ready to go back to sleep.

Chen Ye wasn’t in a hurry. He put the cauldron down, picked up another item, and started making idle chit-chat with the old man.

After a battle of wits and some persistent wheedling, Chen Ye finally acquired the small cauldron for forty taels of silver. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Returning to their stall with the small cauldron in hand, Su Yuan immediately scurried over, full of curiosity.

"What’s this?"

"This is our first item for sale." Chen Ye handed the cauldron to her. "Remember what I told you. Go on."

Su Yuan took the cauldron, drew a deep breath, and put on a do-or-die expression. Then, she carefully placed it on their tattered cloth.

Their stall was utterly pathetic, displaying just a single, lonely old cauldron. None of the Cultivators passing by gave it a second glance.

Su Yuan waited for ages without a single customer, and she started to feel discouraged.

"No one’s coming at all," she complained quietly to Chen Ye.

"Be patient. The willing fish will take the bait," Chen Ye replied, perfectly calm and composed.

After a little while longer, a middle-aged man who looked like a Loose Cultivator was passing by. His eyes fell upon the small cauldron, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Young lady, how much for this cauldron?"

Su Yuan’s heart leaped with joy. She nodded quickly and, following the script Chen Ye had given her, blinked her big, innocent eyes and spoke in a tearful voice.

"Sir, this was left to me by my grandfather... but my father is gravely ill, and my family has no money left. I had to sell it to pay for his treatment."

As she spoke, she managed to squeeze out a few tears. Her pitiful, heart-wrenching appearance was enough to make anyone’s heart melt.

The middle-aged Loose Cultivator was mostly convinced. He let his guard down, and a sliver of sympathy began to take its place.

He picked up the small cauldron and examined it. After confirming his suspicions, he couldn’t help but ask, "So... how much are you asking for it?"

Su Yuan pitifully held up one finger. "My father said it’s a treasure, and that I couldn’t sell it for less than one hundred taels."

’One hundred taels...’

The middle-aged Loose Cultivator was secretly pleased. He knew the small cauldron was actually a Pill Furnace. Though it had been discarded, the lingering remnants of Pill Fire within could still be of use. Therefore, while the price wasn’t low, there was still a profit to be made.

With this in mind, the middle-aged Loose Cultivator nodded. "Alright. Seeing as you’re in such a pitiful state, I won’t haggle with you."

Su Yuan was secretly bursting with joy, but her face was a mask of tearful gratitude. She nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! You’re truly a good person!"

The deal was done.