"If I say it’s all right, then it’s all right. Take the money!" Yan Fei said, handing over the money.
Heizi knew his temper well and didn’t want to refuse the money, so he accepted it and said, "Then give me a hundred! If we do this right, it can be profitable. However, if we get some good stuff, and it’s worth thousands, I wouldn’t dare to take your part of the money. Picking up stuff isn’t the hard part, it’s selling it that matters. The work I do isn’t worth all that much. If I can spare two hundred for cost, I should have over nine hundred in capital right now."
"Sounds good! Do as you like." Yan Fei was nonchalant.
Having come to an agreement, Heizi started to get excited: "Brother Fei, I told you this could turn a profit! Look, not even a hundred bucks was spent on obtaining these items, and casually selling them brought in over a thousand bucks. Ten times the price, isn’t making money very satisfying?"
Yan Fei replied grumpily: "I spent a whole day holed up in the antique market and didn’t sell one thing. Then I went to a shop where the old master didn’t even spare a glance at our stuff. It was the young assistant who managed to cobble together a set that was worth a thousand bucks. Otherwise, it’d have been a good day if we could get a couple hundred. If you’re going for the trip, the money might not even cover the food and travel expenses."
Heizi tried to curry favor unabashedly: "Well, it’s also because you’re lucky, Brother Fei! Plus, you had to go there anyway, so why not make some extra money!"
"In the future, just keep doing what you’re doing, and don’t neglect the cattle ranch. This antique thing is just a side gig, play around with it when you have time. I don’t think it’s reliable, it could make people rich in an instant, or it could bankrupt them in a flash. So don’t take it too seriously!" Yan Fei reiterated his advice.
Heizi nodded: "You can count on me, Brother Fei! I got it, this is just like when I used to gamble, trying for a small win here and there is fine, but hoping to get rich from it is a bit too optimistic. Ever since I quit gambling, I feel like I’ve gained some enlightenment. Isn’t that what they call a sudden revelation in those novels?"
Can you believe this guy claiming to have become enlightened?
Nevertheless, Heizi had been behaving well and Yan Fei felt that he should give him some encouragement: "As long as you get it, it’s much more reliable to earn money honestly!"
"Right, right!" Heizi agreed, then turned around with a look of admiration at the tiger. "This guy looks so mighty just lying there. Can I touch it, Brother Fei?"
"Go ahead, touch it! I am here, what are you scared of!" Yan Fei patted the tiger’s head to signal that it was okay.
Heizi very carefully came closer and gently touched the tiger’s back. The tiger didn’t react, but he was beside himself with happiness, giggling nonstop: "Now I can say I’ve touched a tiger! I’m not washing this hand for a while, I’m going to show it off!"
Yan Fei didn’t respond to that: If only I knew, I would’ve let the tiger take a bath first. Having you touch it would’ve covered your hand in its stink, let’s see if you would still not wash your hands then.
Heizi, regardless of whether Yan Fei was playing along with him or not, was still beaming: "Brother Fei, why don’t we start charging admission? Look, we have a bear and an eagle too. Let people come and see them at the cattle ranch, charge a dime each. This could be a real eye-opener for the folks at Sancha River!"
Yan Fei played down his idea: "Do you think the cows would fatten up if this tiger roars a few times inside?"
"Ah, that’s a big problem indeed!" Heizi stroked his chin with the hand he had used to touch the tiger, deep in thought. "How about this, why not near this big shed? Look at how big the place is, we could set up a row of small sheds next to the big one, surround it with a small courtyard, let people come and watch, what do you think?"