Big Gold Tooth was so cowed by Hu Ming's attitude that he said, "Master Ming, I was disgruntled yesterday. After all, you know the rules of the antiques business: buy low and sell high. 520 Official Website
I admit I was momentarily blinded by greed and let my conscience be clouded, so I offered Master Fatty too little.
I know I was in the wrong. I, Big Gold Tooth, am willing to apologize to you, sir. This is just a small token of my sincerity." After saying this, Big Gold Tooth pulled out another wad of cash and placed it in Hu Ming's hand.
Hu Ming looked at the money in his hand. It seemed to be about three or four thousand. Big Gold Tooth's pretty sincere. I like that.
Hu Ming put the money away and said to Big Gold Tooth, "Have your men all leave. Let's go inside and talk."
Hu Ming quite liked Big Gold Tooth. He was loyal, and becoming friends with him would help Hu Ming and his companions settle in the capital in the future.
But Big Gold Tooth wasn't feeling too good at that moment.
"What? You want me to go inside?"
Big Gold Tooth turned deathly pale and wailed at Hu Ming, "Master Ming, I have old folks to care for and children to feed. Please be the bigger man and let me go!"
Hu Ming could tell that Big Gold Tooth had gotten the wrong idea.
"What are you thinking?" Hu Ming said, exasperated. "I want you to come in because there's something I need to discuss with you. Hurry up."
Big Gold Tooth relaxed at that and hurried inside, bending forward as he asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, Master Ming?"
Hu Ming replied, "It's nothing much. I graduated with a degree in history and also studied archaeology. My brothers and I might get into this line of work in the future, so you'll have to look out for us."
After saying that, Hu Ming deliberately picked up his cup and took a sip of water. Then he picked up Hu Bayi's bag and said, "Old Hu, I'm putting the money in your bag, okay?"
Hu Bayi looked a little puzzled, but still nodded.
Hu Ming put the money in the bag, then casually let the Dragon-Seeking Compass peek out. Big Gold Tooth, who had been watching him closely, spotted it.
Big Gold Tooth's eyes shifted as he said, "How about this? It's my treat today. Let's all have a good chat. First, I can apologize to our brother; second, we can celebrate our successful partnership. What do you say?"
By then, Big Gold Tooth had completely forgotten their earlier unpleasantness. He hurriedly ushered Hu Ming and the others to the mutton restaurant they'd visited the day before, then told the waiter to serve a table full of fine dishes and meat.
Hu Ming didn't stand on ceremony.
As they ate hot pot, Big Gold Tooth had already glanced at Old Hu's Dragon-Seeking Compass several times.
Now he seemed unable to hold back any longer.
Big Gold Tooth asked, "Master Hu, could that thing you're carrying be the Dragon-Seeking Compass handed down from the older generation?"
Old Hu took out the Dragon-Seeking Compass and said to Big Gold Tooth, "Oh, you mean this?" He looked at the compass in his hand, then at Big Gold Tooth.
Big Gold Tooth immediately replied, "Yes, that's the one." His eyes were fixed on the Dragon-Seeking Compass.
Then he asked, "Master Hu, where did you get this?"
Hu Bayi didn't think much of it. "This was left to me by my grandfather—Mingzi's maternal grandfather."
After hearing Hu Bayi's answer, Big Gold Tooth thought for a moment. "Master Hu, if you don't mind, could I take a look at the Dragon-Seeking Compass? Let me, Big Gold Tooth, have a chance to inspect it?"
Hu Bayi didn't mind. "Go ahead and take a look."
At Hu Bayi's permission, Big Gold Tooth grew excited. He took the Dragon-Seeking Compass carefully in both hands and examined it closely.
Big Gold Tooth couldn't help exclaiming, "Excellent, excellent! Seek dragons by reading the mountains; locate gold and mark the burial spot! To be honest, my family's ancestors were all tomb raiders. I've known the ins and outs of the antiques trade since I was a child. My father was also a folk tomb raider in his younger days.
"Later, the warlords conscripted him, and he became a soldier. He was left permanently disabled on the battlefield, so when he returned to the capital, he had no choice but to go into the antiques business. It's a pity that the secret skills our ancestors used to rob tombs and find gold were lost by my generation." Big Gold Tooth looked full of regret as he finished speaking.
At the table, everyone chatted casually about this and that.
"Come on, Master Ming, Master Hu, Master Fatty! Eat up, drink up, and don't hold back!" Big Gold Tooth kept piling meat into Hu Ming's bowl and filling his cup with clear liquor.
As they drank, Big Gold Tooth watched Hu Ming. He was getting quite drunk himself, yet Hu Ming had downed plenty of strong liquor and still seemed perfectly fine. Big Gold Tooth couldn't help admiring him inwardly.
Hu Ming looked at Big Gold Tooth. "Want another drink, Master Jin?"
Big Gold Tooth shook his head repeatedly. At the mention of drinking, his face changed. He quickly said he'd already had enough and was feeling the effects.
Seeing this, Hu Ming didn't press him. "If you don't want to drink, that's fine. How about we talk about something else?"
As they chatted, the conversation turned to tomb raiding.
At that moment, Big Gold Tooth patted his belly and grimaced as he addressed everyone. "See these? These gold teeth are Ming-dynasty enamel gold.
"Someone was trafficking in mummies back then, and I went over out of curiosity. I never expected the mummy to come alive and knock my teeth out in one bite.
"I was so mad that I found a few people and beat that big Zombie to a pulp. Look at these teeth—they were all pulled from that big Zombie."
Wang Fatty, who had been eating the whole time, glanced at the gold teeth in Big Gold Tooth's mouth and felt a little nauseated.
He could only put down his chopsticks and listen as Hu Bayi talked about his time in the army and his years as an educated youth sent to the countryside, as well as the things he had encountered in the Kunlun Mountains. Big Gold Tooth was amazed again and again.
Big Gold Tooth couldn't help exclaiming, "Master Hu, so you're quite the expert too!"
Hearing Big Gold Tooth say that, Old Hu just smiled.
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