"Two hundred and one!" Zhang Rongfang's voice wasn't loud, but it drew glances from those around him.
"Two hundred and one, anyone bidding higher?" The Green Skirt Girl pointed at Zhang Rongfang with one hand.
"Two hundred and twenty," another man immediately said.
"Two hundred and fifty!" Zhang Rongfang slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice. He planned to raise the price significantly in one go so that others wouldn't dare to raise it further.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the financial resources of the others.
"Two hundred and eighty." Another Blue-Clothed Young Master, holding Iron-Handle Folding Fan, glanced over lightly, his expression nonchalant.
Zhang Rongfang's eyes remained unchanged, and he gave an expression that said, "Never mind, this thing isn't worth that much money," and he didn't raise the price any further.
"Two hundred and eighty, anyone else want to raise the price? Two hundred and eighty once, two hundred and eighty twice," the Green Skirt Girl shouted.
"Three hundred," another male voice came again.
This time, no one added any more.
People weren't particularly interested in fragments of a deity Statue that they encountered so often.
Aside from collectors with a particular interest, three hundred taels is already well over the market price for this fragment.
Zhang Rongfang had no choice but to watch helplessly as the item was taken away.
Next, several old books were auctioned off, mixed with some novelties.
After that, the auction house took a temporary break.
The maids brought out food, drinks, snacks, Mare Milk Wine, red wine, and white wine.
The main dishes were fried rice with diced meat and vegetables, a large plate of chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and astragalus and oxtail soup.
The snacks are apples, bananas, pears, and dragon fruit chunks, mixed with honey and a little bit of shredded butter.
"There are bits of butter in it!"
With Zhang Rongfang's keen senses, he could vaguely hear many people nearby whispering in surprise.
He guessed that butter must be very expensive here.
This type of Western-style oil, which was very common in the previous life, is clearly a luxury item for the Great Ling at this time.
After mixing it well, he enjoyed a uniquely flavorful meal, and his mood improved slightly after failing to grab any scraps.
Next up was the second round of activities in the afternoon.
It's not an auction, but a free exchange of books.
The so-called free exchange is actually just that some wealthy Noble Lady don't lack money, and they only exchange goods for other goods, so this link mainly serves this type of transaction.
Zhang Rongfang had nothing to exchange, so he could only sit in his seat and drink milk to rest.
During that time, he also saw several similar parts being taken out and exchanged by others.
Unfortunately, he had nothing.
The woman in the dark green dress beside him also got up to exchange with someone. To Zhang Rongfang's surprise, what she exchanged was actually the calligraphy she had written earlier.
And surprisingly, some people actually bought into it. This left Zhang Rongfang speechless.
The man on the left obediently guarded his stacks of old books, waiting for someone to come and exchange them.
After the exchange, the evening is free time.
Basically, it's about men and women who like each other during the day forming groups and going out for fun.
Zhang Rongfang and Li Huoyun went home.
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Inside the carriage, the two remained silent.
Li Huoyun had originally arranged to meet a girl, but seeing his older brother all alone, he had no choice but to leave and instead offer advice to Zhang Rongfang.
"Brother, you must take the initiative tomorrow."
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"Brother, you need to get up and walk around! Don't just stay in your seat. In this kind of situation, if you don't take the initiative, do you expect other girls to come to you?" Li Huoyun, exasperated.
"It's alright, when the time is right, everything will fall into place naturally." Zhang Rongfang's expression remained calm.
"..." Li Huoyun helplessly, unsure of what to say.
The next day.
As usual, the auction begins.
This time, they encountered two more fragments that appeared to be components of the Dao Gate Statue. Zhang Rongfang made another attempt, but unfortunately, he failed to snatch either one.
Each time, the Blue-Clothed Iron-Fan Young Master would subdue him.
Meanwhile, the Blue-Clothed Iron-Fan Young Master was overpowered and forcibly taken away by another unfamiliar man.
In the end, Zhang Rongfang and the Iron Fan Prince gained nothing from the entire day.
Day 3. Day 4.
Each of them had a component of the Dao Gate Statue, and five other parts appeared.
Zhang Rongfang was numb.
Just as he had initially guessed, there were quite a few of these things.
Unfortunately, with his 250 taels of silver, he could only buy the cheapest things in this place.
Although Zhang Rongfang sat in the same spot, his face remained unchanged and his expression was natural, as if he were dozing off.
But actually, seeing those parts end up in other people's hands still makes him feel regretful and hurt.
Finally, the fifth day arrived, which was also the last day.
Early in the morning, instead of an auction, there was a grand musical performance at the Music Tower.
Dressed in sheer gauze, the graceful female musicians and dancers performed dances, Zaju, and musical pieces on the newly built wooden stage.
After lunch, the afternoon was the last Exchange Meeting.
Inside the venue.
The Green Skirt Girl held up a grayish-white metal component that resembled a long spear.
"Four hundred taels for the first time."
"Four hundred taels, the second time."
"Four hundred taels for the third time? Sold!!"
Zhang Rongfang looked at the component with regret; it was yet another component that could make the Attribute Panel react.
Unfortunately, he had no money.
To be precise, some of the illicit money was stolen and cannot be used openly.
The only money I have is two hundred and fifty.
The items were quickly delivered to the upper right side, in front of a closed single room.
He was taken by a strong guard, checked, and then taken to a private room.
Inside the private room, a large, obese woman gently took a long spear, about the length of her forearm, and placed it in a corner of the room.
There were already nearly ten of these parts in that corner.
All of these were items she acquired through auctions in the past few days.
The woman looked distressed, holding a braised chicken leg in her other hand, hesitating as if she wanted to take a bite but dared not.
"Miss Wan Yanlu."
Suddenly, a clear female voice came from outside the private room.
"After the auction, the final exchange will take place."
Wan Yanlu was taken aback, then gritted his teeth.
This final exchange is when the pairings are confirmed.
If someone has a crush on someone of the opposite sex, they may invite others or be invited during this final exchange.
Then it's basically certain that you're willing to gradually develop a relationship with the other person.
Wan Yanlu fell silent for a moment. In fact, before she came, she had been persuaded by her former rich and beautiful friends.
They were from a completely different circle from Sun Chaoyue and the others, so what was the point of forcing themselves to squeeze in? She naturally knew this was true, but... Wan Yanlu glanced at the parts in the corner and silently made a decision.
"I'll participate too," she said in a deep voice.
Outside the private room, the woman seemed surprised for a moment, but then responded respectfully and left.
Soon, the news reached Sun Chaoyue.
"Huh? Wan Yanlu isn't leaving yet?" Several young ladies from the book club were surprised.
"Does she really think anyone would be interested in her at a party like this?" a woman with a high nose and almond-shaped eyes said sarcastically.
Her name is Pei Nuoyilan, and she is Noble Lady from the same circle as Tanyang and Sun Chaoyue, though her social standing is slightly lower than that of Sun Chaoyue and Zhong Yuran.
Her father was another Tanyang Assistant Prefect) in Tanyang, making him essentially the fourth most powerful person in the entire Tanyang. However, she herself lacked potential and relied solely on her Lineage. Therefore, she was no match for Zhong Yuran.
"People always hold onto hope," Sun Chaoyue said gently. "Since she doesn't want to leave, then so be it."
"That's true. If it were outside, maybe someone would be willing to be with her, but who cares inside?" someone chuckled.
Sun Chaoyue smiled.
"If she's willing to humiliate herself, so be it. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's prepare for the final round. Distribute all the exchange documents."
"Yes," Xiao Yu, who was in charge of management, and the two female managers responded at the same time.
"The choice is mutual. Place your letter in front of the other person, and if they are willing, you can leave together. If they are not willing, then you can send your letter to another person you like."
Sun Chaoyue repeated the rules.
This was the rule, decided by her, and then passed on to the servants.
Before long, people in both the inner and outer arenas received this rule.
The men and women sitting in the front row soon received various documents.
Wan Yanlu sat in the private room, Unveiling the beaded curtain, revealing her obese body that almost filled the small room.
She kept a straight face, trying hard not to look at the strange gazes directed at her from all around.
Even the ugliest woman around her seemed petite and adorable compared to her.
People from ordinary families would only glance at her briefly, not daring to offer any comments, for fear of being noticed by her.
The top-tier group of people, however, didn't care at all.
Several mocking gazes lingered on her, followed by undisguised banter and laughter. They seemed to be mocking her.
Wan Yanlu remained silent; she hadn't encountered such a situation in a long time.
From a young age, she had always avoided appearing in such crowded places.
What I fear most is this very moment.
Each gaze felt like a sharp, piercing knife, making her feel extremely oppressed.
"Miss, shall we go back?"
The maid standing nearby couldn't help but whisper.
"I've already lost ten pounds," Wan Yanlu said earnestly.
A moment of silence fell over the people around them.
Unfortunately, as time went by, no document was ever presented to her.
Wan Yanlu remained expressionless, instead looking down at the distributed information sheet.
Just when everyone around her thought she had given up.
In the end, she picked up the pen, wrote a short passage on the document, folded it up, and hid it away.
"Put my documents on Table 172," Wan Yanlu said. Her gaze fell on a particular name.
The words "Zhang Ying" were prominently displayed there.
Feeling the piercing gazes around her, she gritted her teeth and lowered her head.
Compared to the women around him, his excessively obese body looked like a pile of ugly, rotting flesh.
She came here specifically for Zhang Ying.
Previously, Zhang Ying wanted to buy something but was overtaken by others, so she decisively took action and had her servants buy it all.
Now, if Zhang Ying accepts her invitation and gives her face, she will give him all the antique parts that she had her subordinates buy here.
If they won't even accept one invitation, then so be it... Wan Yanlu recalled Zhang Ying's calm and equal gaze back then, and a glimmer of hope finally rose in his complicated heart.
The maid beside her sighed inwardly.
He had no choice but to step forward, pick up the document, and walk out.