A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties with a long beard carried a basket that was covered with an old cloth and stepped into the hall of Guangjuyuan auction house, Qingfeng Prefecture.
“Who are you looking for, Sir?” A waiter was sitting at the counter in boredom.
“I’m looking for shopkeeper Zhou!” Lin Desan said while cupping his hands.
The attendant looked up. However, when he saw the middle-aged man in plain clothes, there was some disdain in his eyes. He said in a sharp and sarcastic tone, “why are you looking for our shopkeeper Zhou? Shopkeeper Zhou is very busy receiving important guests. It’s impossible for him to personally receive every guest that comes to look for him.”
The attendant was trying to tell Lin Deshan that only the rich and powerful could see Shopkeeper Zhou, and he was not welcomed.
Lin Deshan did not get angry. He said politely, “I am an old acquaintance of shopkeeper Zhou. Could I trouble you to inform him that Lin Deshan is here to see him?”
The attendant was very suspicious when he heard that. Lin Deshan was dressed too plainly to be related to Shopkeeper Zhou. In the end, the attendant thought for a moment and said, “Wait here for a moment. I’ll go and look for shopkeeper Zhou.” If the man didn’t know Shopkeeper Zhou, he would kick him out.
A moment later, a short and fat middle-aged man ran out. As soon as he saw Lin Deshan, he immediately shouted with joy, “Deshan, it’s really you!”
When the attendant saw that this, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he went to inform Shopkeeper Zhou. Based on his boss’ reaction, he was indeed very close to Lin Deshan.
Lin Deshan also greeted shopkeeper Zhou excitedly, “brother Zhou!”
Manager Zhou laughed and scolded him jokingly, “you damn brat, where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you come to visit me?”
Lin Deshan smiled bitterly.”Back then, my family was in decline, and my business went bankrupt. I had no choice but to start a small business in a small town.”
“But you can’t hide from your friends and family like this,” Shopkeeper Zhou said angrily.
His friendship with shopkeeper Zhou could be traced back to their previous generations.
The Lin family was in the medicinal herbs business, while the Zhou family was in the auction business. Therefore, the two families had a good relationship. Their fathers were friends, and the boys were friends too.
However, Lin Deshan’s father was caught in a scamming business. As a result, the Lin Family rapidly declined. Not long after, his father died of depression and illness, leaving a huge mess for Lin Deshan. Lin Deshan had never dealt with business matters on his own before. He sold his remaining assets and then left.
Although he was a small medicine shop owner in a small town, he was not completely clueless about the situation in the provincial prefecture capital.
This time, because of a milkvetch flower, he had come to contact his old acquaintance.
Lin Deshan smiled. “Well, aren’t I here to see you now?”
Shopkeeper Zhou chuckled. He said, “let’s go inside and talk!”
After Lin Deshan and shopkeeper Zhou went in, Lin Deshan went straight to the point. “Brother Zhou, I have a treasure to sell to Guangjuyuan this time.” Lin Deshan had a discerning eye, so it must be very valuable for him to call something a treasure.
“What treasure?” Shopkeeper Zhou asked curiously.
Lin Deshan put down the basket on his back and took out a flower pot.
When shopkeeper Zhou saw what was in the flower pot, his pupils suddenly shrank. His expression was one of shock and disbelief. He shouted excitedly, “this is…This is…”
Lin Deshan nodded. “That’s right. This is a milkvetch.”
Shopkeeper Zhou immediately picked up the flower carefully like a treasure. It had seven leaves and a purple hue. It was the real deal.
After looking at it for a while, shopkeeper Zhou put it down fondly. Then, he returned to the main topic and asked in a serious tone, “Deshan, is this yours? How do you want to sell it? I can help you arrange everything. When it’s auctioned off, I’ll only take a 20 percent commission.”