A Huge Sum

Shen Jingchuan reined himself in, steadied his nerves, and said, "Then could you help me see if there's a way to sell this stone? My family's been short of money lately. You know, my father..."

"I know about your father," Meng Ke interrupted softly, a touch of tenderness in her eyes. "I heard from our classmates that he was ill before. I didn't expect... It's all in the past now. Try not to be too sad."

"Mm. His treatment drained our family's savings, and we still owe a lot of money. This stone handed down in the family is about the only thing we have left that's worth anything. I want to sell it and clear the debts first."

Meng Ke frowned, gently tapping the rough stone with her fingertips:

"It would be such a shame to sell a stone this good. If you ever wanted it back, it would be hard to buy it again. If you're just short of money, how much do you owe? I still have some savings. Take them and use them for now. There's no rush to pay me back."

A sudden warmth filled Shen Jingchuan's heart, spreading through his chest like a gentle current.

He had kept her in his heart for so many years. He had thought they were only old classmates who exchanged nods, yet she had offered to lend him money without a second thought.

In this world, matters involving money had always been the most sensitive. Her friendship made even the tip of his nose prickle.

"No, no, Meng Ke, thank you, really. But debts have to be repaid sooner or later. I can't keep owing you forever. Besides, I know your family is well-off, but running your own shop isn't easy either. If you really had to come up with a large sum, you'd probably have to ask your family for it, and I'd just be causing you trouble for nothing. I'd feel safest selling the stone."

Seeing how determined he was, Meng Ke didn't press him. She nodded:

"All right. Since you've made up your mind, that's easy enough. I happen to know a few collectors. They're all famous stone fanatics in the circle, and this is just their thing. Sit tight for a bit. I'll go give them a call."

She got up and went into the front room, returning in about fifteen minutes. She sat down and took a sip of tea:

"I've contacted them all. None of them are far away, so they can be here within an hour. I asked three people."

"Why did you ask so many?" Shen Jingchuan asked, taken aback.

"That's what you don't understand."

Meng Ke smiled, a shrewd glint in her eyes. "If we only asked one person, he'd definitely drive the price down, and you wouldn't have anything to compare his offer with. It's different with more people. If they really take a fancy to something, they'll start competing among themselves without us having to say a word, and the price will naturally go up. Don't worry about it. Just follow my lead later."

As she spoke, she picked up the teapot and topped up Shen Jingchuan's cup with warm water, then asked casually:

"Seriously, how much do you owe? If it's only a few hundred thousand, I really can come up with that. You don't have to stand on ceremony with me."

"Really, there's no need."

Shen Jingchuan's heart stirred again. Looking at her, he said earnestly, "It's a large sum. There's no reason to put you in a difficult position over it. I'm already very grateful that you're helping me make these connections."

Seeing that he remained firm, Meng Ke dropped the subject and instead chatted with him about old times in high school and what to watch out for during the transaction.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed, and the awkwardness of their first meeting faded.

After they had chatted for a little over half an hour, footsteps sounded from the front room. A moment later, a young shop assistant lifted the curtain and came in:

"Manager Meng, there's a Mr. Chen outside asking for you."

"He's here. I'll go meet him."

Meng Ke got up and went out, returning shortly with a middle-aged man in thin-framed glasses and a navy-blue shirt. He looked refined and scholarly, and he held a strand of beeswax amber beads in his hand.

"This is Boss Chen, a well-known Tianhuang stone collector in our circle. This is Mr. Shen, an old classmate of mine. The stone belongs to him."

The two men nodded and greeted each other. They had barely been seated for two minutes when the assistant came to report that the second guest had arrived.

The man who came in this time was slightly plump and wore a Tang suit with a subtle pattern. He had a smile on his face, and the moment he entered, his gaze fell on the velvet bundle on the table.

Another ten minutes or so later, the third guest arrived. He was a little older, with graying hair, but he was hale and hearty, and his stride was steady.

The three clearly knew one another. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all glanced toward the middle of the table, each understanding the others without a word.

Meng Ke didn't beat around the bush. She reached out and lifted the velvet cloth, revealing the rough piece of Balin Fuhuang jelly stone to everyone.

"You all know your stones, so I won't say much. It's right here. Take a look and judge it for yourselves."

At her words, all three leaned closer. The moment their eyes landed on the stone, they couldn't look away.

One glance was enough for them all to know what they were looking at: this was an unmistakably genuine piece. Its color and texture were just right; it was certainly no fake meant to fool people.

"May I pick it up and have a look?"

Boss Zhao, the oldest of the three, spoke first, his tone noticeably more cautious.

Shen Jingchuan extended a hand, gesturing for him to go ahead.

Boss Zhao carefully picked up the rough stone, first weighing it in his hand. Then he took a magnifying glass from his pocket and examined it inch by inch under the light, not even overlooking the polishing marks along its edges.

The more he looked, the more his brow relaxed. When he finally put the stone down, he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from rising, yet he didn't say a word.

Seeing his expression, Boss Chen and Boss Wang grew even more certain. They too leaned over and examined the radish-grain patterns and warm luster of the stone's surface under the light. They exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's determination to have it.

"Mr. Shen,"

Boss Wang spoke first, "it's a fine piece. Why don't you name a price?"

Shen Jingchuan didn't answer immediately, but smiled faintly instead. This was the approach Meng Ke had quietly taught him before the others arrived. He looked up at the three men and said evenly:

"I won't start with an inflated price. You're all experts, and you all know what it's worth. How about this? Each of you makes an offer, and whoever offers the most gets it. Simple and straightforward."

The three exchanged glances. None of them seemed surprised.

Boss Wang made the first offer. "I'll offer four hundred thousand. We all know the market, and Meng Ke is the intermediary, so I haven't started with a low offer."

Boss Chen immediately raised it. "Four hundred and twenty thousand."

Boss Zhao rubbed his fingers along the edge of the stone, pondered for two seconds, then said slowly, "I'll offer four hundred and fifty thousand."

At that, the other two paused. Boss Wang looked at the stone and made up his mind. "Five hundred thousand."

The shop fell silent for a few seconds. Boss Chen shook his head; the price was evidently higher than he was prepared to pay. Boss Zhao stared at the stone for a long moment, then looked up at the other two:

"Five hundred and twenty thousand. Good as this stone is, that price has already hit the ceiling. Any higher and I'm out."

When no one else made an offer, Shen Jingchuan looked at Meng Ke. She gave an almost imperceptible nod, and he knew what to do.

He gestured toward Boss Zhao. "All right, we'll do as you say. Five hundred and twenty thousand."

They signed the transfer agreement, and Shen Jingchuan took out his bank card and handed it to Boss Zhao. Before he could quite get his head around it, his phone chimed with a notification that the money had arrived. He opened the screen, and there were so many digits that he instinctively counted the zeros twice: 520000.00.

He stared at the number in a daze for several seconds, his head a little numb. Only a few days ago, he had been worrying about the debts his father had left behind. In the blink of an eye, there were six figures sitting in his account. It felt as unreal as walking on cotton, and even his breathing grew a little lighter.

By the rules of the trade, an intermediary who brought the parties together was supposed to receive a commission of a few percent.

Boss Zhao turned to Meng Ke, ready to ask her about it, but she waved a hand and said lightly:

"Let's do it by the rules. I was just helping an old classmate. You two only need to settle things between yourselves."

Boss Zhao paused, then smiled in understanding. In any case, the seller was supposed to pay by the rules, so he asked no more.

Shen Jingchuan was still in a daze and hadn't thought of the commission at all. Only when he heard Meng Ke did it belatedly occur to him. He was about to speak when she gave him a look, signaling that he needn't say anything more.

The words reached his lips, but he swallowed them back, warmth filling his heart all the more.

With the matter settled, the three collectors exchanged a few more pleasantries. Boss Zhao carefully wrapped the stone in velvet, said goodbye to the two of them, and left.

The shop fell quiet again. Shen Jingchuan looked up at Meng Ke, about to thank her formally, when he caught sight of the clock on the wall. It was nearly twelve.

He changed what he had been about to say, a barely perceptible awkwardness in his voice:

"It's already noon... Um, could I treat you to a meal? To thank you for helping me so much today."

Meng Ke looked up at him, a hint of a smile on her lips:

"Oh, so now you remember to invite me to a meal? We added each other on WeChat back in school, and you never invited me once in four years. You really do only visit the temple when you need something, burning incense and clutching at Buddha's feet at the last minute, huh?"

Her words made Shen Jingchuan's face flush instantly. He stammered for a long while without managing a complete sentence. Seeing his embarrassment, Meng Ke couldn't help laughing aloud. She picked up the coat draped over the back of her chair:

"All right, I won't tease you anymore. Come on, there's a restaurant nearby with pretty good food. I'll take you there."

She led him out of the shop with practiced ease, turned past two street corners, and entered a home-style restaurant called the Clear Harmony Abode.

The place wasn't large, and it was decorated in a simple, elegant Chinese style. The tables by the windows were seventy or eighty percent occupied. People kept their voices down, so it was peaceful and quiet. It looked like the sort of place where a meal cost around one or two hundred yuan per person, neither flashy nor shabby.

The owner was evidently familiar with Meng Ke. He looked up and greeted her with a smile. "Miss Meng, you're here? Two people? The small private room you usually sit in is free."

"Mm, two people. The small private room will do."

Meng Ke answered, then turned and tipped her chin at Shen Jingchuan. "Follow me."

The small private room wasn't large. It had a round table with four chairs, and an ink-wash landscape hung on the wall. It was very peaceful.

Shen Jingchuan followed her in and sat down. Watching Meng Ke's relaxed expression across from him and the profile of her face as she poured water, he found his heart still beating a little faster than usual. When the menu was handed to him, he nearly forgot to reach out and take it.