Just as I was about to leave, the fat man grabbed me: "Brother! I can tell you're a discerning person. This family heirloom jade seal, I'll give you a discount, eight thousand and you can have it."
I found it amusing. Who does this fat man grab, but me?
Truly, a gem recognized by its owner.
I glanced at the jade seal in his hand and chuckled, "I'm not interested in this."
Hearing my answer, the fat man didn't seem surprised at all: "What's the big deal? If you're not interested in the item, you must be interested in money, right? With this jade seal, if you buy it for eight thousand, you can take it to an antique shop and sell it for at least ten thousand."
"If it's such a good deal, why don't you do it yourself?" I asked.
"Alas..." the fat man sighed, "I can tell you're not from Yan Jing, right? Your first time at Panjiayuan?"
I remained silent. The fat man continued, "Brother Pang is a well-known figure in Panjiayuan. Most shops won't let me in..."
As he spoke, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Do you know about grave robbing?"
My eyebrows twitched. I sized him up, not quite believing him, "You still do grave robbing?"
"To tell you the truth, my ancestors were Tomb Raiders... Do you know what Tomb Raiders are? We don't dig for gold at night, and we don't dig for gold when it's not dark..."
Saying this, the fat man winked at me. "There are some things it's inconvenient to tell you, but I can see you're a straightforward person, and I like making friends. I'll give you a massive discount on this jade seal, fifteen hundred and you can take it!"
"I wouldn't take it even if you gave it to me for free," I said.
"What? You don't like this thing?" the fat man asked.
I felt a bit helpless. Seeing that the crowd of onlookers had dispersed, I stopped beating around the bush and stated plainly, "This thing of yours is fake."
"How can it be fake? Look at its color, look at the craftsmanship. It's a genuine Qianlong jade seal, guaranteed!"
Too lazy to argue with him further, I was about to leave when he grabbed me again, saying mysteriously, "Brother, I can tell you're no ordinary person. It's fate that we meet like this. I do have a good item, but it depends on whether you can afford it."
This guy was clearly a con artist, and I didn't want to waste more time with him.
That's what I thought, but my mouth moved faster: "What good item?"
The fat man's eyebrows shot up, and he licked his lips, "Have you heard of the Marquis Sui's Pearl?"
If he had said anything else, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but this guy actually uttered the words "Marquis Sui's Pearl."
This made me pause involuntarily. Seeing my reaction, as if sensing my interest in the Marquis Sui's Pearl, the fat man pressed his advantage: "Brother, it seems you're an expert! Since you're an expert, it's easier to deal with... Shall we find a quiet place to talk later?"
I knew very well that this damned fat man was lying, but I couldn't help but want to find out.
I thought to myself, what if the Marquis Sui's Pearl is really in his hands?
Once this thought surfaced, it was impossible to shake.
So I agreed, saying I was willing to talk with him privately.
Seeing my agreement, the fat man quickly packed up his stall and put his belongings into a canvas bag: "I know a place nearby that makes excellent lamb spine. Let's go there."
I nodded and didn't say much.
Soon, Song Bing and I followed him to a lamb hot pot restaurant. Upon entering, the fat man, familiar with the place, immediately asked the owner to serve dishes.
It seemed he was a regular here.
"Xiao Yu, visiting me again?" a man who looked like a chef brought over a plate of peanuts.
"Uncle Zhang, what are you saying? It's not about visiting; it's mainly because your food is delicious."
The fat man then looked at me: "Let me introduce you. This is Uncle Zhang. His ancestors were chefs in the imperial kitchen. Puyi grew up eating his grandfather's dishes... By the way, brother, I don't even know your name yet?"
"Xiang Fei."
"Xiang Fei? That's a good name! Ancient times had Xiang Yu fighting Liu Bang, and now we have Xiang Fei enjoying lamb hot pot..." The fat man asked with a smile, "Brother Xiang, are you by any chance related to Xiang Yu?"
I replied grumpily, "We were all one family five hundred years ago!"
"Oh! I knew it!" the fat man exclaimed, feigning surprise. "I'm a very good judge of character. When I saw you at Panjiayuan, Brother Xiang, you had an extraordinary bearing, not an ordinary person. I didn't expect you to be a descendant of Xiang Yu. My apologies."
"Xiang Yu committed suicide at Wujiang. Where would he have descendants?" Song Bing interjected grumpily.
"And who is this brother?"
"Song Bing."
"Song Bing? Then are you related to Song Jiang..."
"Not in the slightest!"
"I knew it. Song Jiang was just a bandit leader. How could he be related to Brother Song? Just as I expected."
This fat man's mouth was more talkative than Wang Yang's absence. I felt both amused and helpless.
Soon, after the lamb was served, we began to eat.
While eating, the fat man didn't quiet down. One moment he'd talk about missing a good item last year, the next he'd mention finding a great bargain.
I realized then that not a single word he said was true.
After we had eaten our fill, I asked him, "Do you actually have the Marquis Sui's Pearl?"
He glanced around and said in a low voice, "Brother Xiang, don't speak so loudly. Of course I have it... But how could such a precious item be carried around? After we finish eating, let's find a nice bathhouse to relax. Then I'll..."
Before he could finish, I cut him off: "Fatty, let's not waste time. I have other things to do and no time to play games with you. If you just want to mooch a meal and drinks, then forget it. I'll give you money later, whether you want to take a bath or get a massage, I don't care."
"I have only one question now: do you have the Marquis Sui's Pearl or not?"
After my statement, the fat man showed no embarrassment. He put down his chopsticks, lit a cigarette, and slowly took a puff: "Brother Xiang is indeed a straightforward person, and so am I. It's simple if you want the Marquis Sui's Pearl..."
He held up five fingers. "Fifty thousand..."
Hearing this figure, I stood up without a word: "Brother Song, let's go."
"Hey, Brother Xiang, what are you doing? We haven't finished eating yet?" the fat man called out anxiously.
"I told you I don't have that much time," I said, looking at the fat man.
"Then how much do you say?"
"I haven't even seen the item, and you're already asking an exorbitant price. Do you think I'm a pushover or an idiot?"
The fat man licked his lips, smiled, and patted his head: "Look at my brain... how could I forget this? Brother Xiang is right, let's see the item first, then talk about the price."
I was surprised that this fat man would agree. Could he really have the Marquis Sui's Pearl?
As this thought crossed my mind, I found it laughable myself.