Chapter Eight: A Leap of Faith

The young monk returned to the Guanyin Temple in Luoshui Village and relayed the price to Master Li. Master Li’s mouth hung open in shock from start to finish. He repeatedly asked if it could really be that expensive, doubting whether he’d heard wrong after a few drinks. He simply couldn’t believe it, and the boozy breath from his apprentice was impossible to hide.

Yawning, Luo Ming said, “That price is actually low. You don’t know the market since you never leave the village… I’m going to sleep now, you think it over.” He staggered off to the side room to rest, leaving Master Li alone, heart aching.

Two hundred thousand—it was his lifetime of savings! Decades of toil had amounted to this small nest egg, and now he was supposed to spend it on a clay idol? Impossible, impossible. Wasn’t there another way? He paced about the young monk’s room like an ant on a hot pan, intent on asking more, but Luo Ming was sleeping so soundly he might as well have been dead. This left Master Li in a desperate state.

Normally, he would pretend to busy himself with calligraphy in such situations, and today was no exception. He weighed the pros and cons as he wrote, unable to make sense of it no matter how he calculated. Soon he was sweating profusely, and it seemed a few more white hairs had appeared. Yet he quickly came up with a plan: he couldn’t trust this drunkard, but the golden idol must be purchased regardless.

Firstly, the price must be cut at least in half, he decided. No doubt about it—a typical haggler’s mentality, and a deep understanding of his apprentice. He wanted to go to the city himself, but it was just a fantasy. He hadn’t been to the city in over ten years; not to mention his car sickness, he’d certainly get lost, and who would find him then?

Ten thousand, he thought, would buy peace and allow him to keep the temple for a few more years. Surely he could make the money back; after all, incense offerings were strong every year, state policies were favorable, and the temple’s income was steadily rising. So, when writing the last two characters, he pressed the brush firmly onto the red paper, leaving a thick blot of ink to ease his frustration.

Nevertheless, he had made up his mind.

The next day, the young monk slept until the sun was high and didn’t plan to get up until Master Li’s angry shout burst through the corridor.

The first thing he did was look for Master Li to ask for money, but the result disappointed him. Master Li was resolute, stubbornly insisting that he would pay no more than ten thousand, not a penny more. If it could be done, so be it; if not, it was over. Luo Ming tried every trick all morning but couldn’t budge his master, having to resign himself with a string of curses.

But Master Li was an old fox, immune to such tactics, refusing to give even one extra cent. Luo Ming thought, ten thousand it is—better to take the cash and fulfill his promise to Hei Qi. Forget about the gilded bronze statue. Master Li had no idea how daring his apprentice was. When he handed Luo Ming ten thousand in cash, carefully stashed under his bed, he repeated his instructions: buy something good, buy something good.

Luo Ming agreed verbally, cursing under his breath, and hurried off with the cash to catch the bus.

Not long after, Master Li suddenly realized—he’d given too much!

Good heavens, didn’t he give two thousand yesterday?

He rushed out, but Luo Ming was nowhere to be seen. The old man stamped his feet in frustration, utterly helpless.

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Hei Qi hadn’t expected Luo Ming to get the funds so quickly, and was a bit excited himself.

After years wandering the city, he’d gained experience and ambition, knowing that opportunities to make money were everywhere, but without capital he could only watch. What he’d told Luo Ming wasn’t the whole truth, but it was close enough; Hei Qi certainly hoped to meet a benefactor and fulfill his dream of getting rich.

After all, tales of overnight wealth through antique trading were rampant, and he’d long wanted to try his luck. What he hadn’t told Luo Ming was that he’d never made serious money in this business, only minor deals and speculative trades.

But Hei Qi believed fortune favored the bold and starved the timid. His lack of profits came from not investing enough—every time, he’d trade only three to five thousand, making just enough for meals. Luo Ming, knowing little, was swept up in Hei Qi’s persuasive talk and, after a few drinks, committed to a life-changing deal.

The plan was simple: buy a batch of dated jade, blue-and-white porcelain, and paintings from small antique shops in the city, then have Hei Qi transport them to the provincial capital to find buyers. If all went well, they could make a large profit within days, enough for Luo Ming to chant prayers in the temple for years.

The two, nearly drunk, couldn’t wait and headed straight to Antique Street.

Hei Qi was cautious, spending the entire afternoon until dusk completing the purchases. His mouth was dry, and his legs nearly gave out. But after a day of busyness, expenses had clearly exceeded the budget, though Luo Ming didn’t mind—seeing the total hadn’t reached one hundred twenty thousand, he couldn’t bear to cut anything.

Greed accompanies dreams of sudden wealth.

Thus, Luo Ming repeatedly turned a sizable jade cong in his hands. The milky white jade was dull, and he couldn’t understand why it was so valuable, but he felt an inexplicable excitement. Hei Qi, meanwhile, produced two snakeskin bags from nowhere, packing the goods while explaining, and Luo Ming only half understood.

Curiously, he asked, “Which dynasty does this belong to?”

“Late Ming,” Hei Qi replied offhandedly.

Luo Ming scrutinized it but couldn’t make sense of it. “How do you tell? It looks old, but I heard these things have inscriptions.”

Hei Qi took the jade cong, pointed to the incised seal script, and said, “See, these are characters. Xuande…”

Luo Ming couldn’t see it, so gave up. He picked up a bowl with a chipped rim.

“This broken bowl?” he asked doubtfully.

Hei Qi smiled mysteriously. “That’s the beauty of spotting bargains. Most people don’t notice flaws, so the price drops.” He turned the bowl over. “It’s a genuine official kiln piece from Jingdezhen, Qianlong period. Old Luo, have you heard of Jingdezhen?”

“I’ve heard of it,” Luo Ming replied, still uncertain. “But how do you know it’s genuine?”

Hei Qi grinned. “That’s my skill, my livelihood.”

“How much do you think this junk could sell for?” That was Luo Ming’s main concern.

Hei Qi thought for a moment. “Depends on luck. If you find a knowledgeable buyer, two or three thousand is possible.”

Luo Ming was secretly astonished—could this really feed someone for that much? He didn’t press further; after all, experts see the details, laymen only the spectacle. He asked a few more questions to reassure himself.

“I’ll get an expert in the provincial capital to restore it, and two or three thousand would be a bargain,” Hei Qi added gleefully, and Luo Ming joined in the cheer.

Soon, everything was packed, and Hei Qi planned to head to the provincial capital overnight.

Originally, Luo Ming wanted to go as well, but after some thought, he gave up. He hadn’t traveled far in years and felt some fear; besides, Hei Qi made sense—timing was uncertain, and unnecessary expenses should be avoided. Luo Ming accepted this. They were from the same village, so he wasn’t worried Hei Qi would run off. Why endure the hardships of travel? In the end, he was still the lazy man from Guanyin Temple.

After agreeing, Luo Ming saw Hei Qi off at the train station that night. The city was small, and there were no bullet trains, only express trains, which allowed seeing someone off at the platform.

As the train departed, Luo Ming waved frantically, anxiety rising within him.

He lingered on the platform for a moment, then rubbed his face, feeling as though his beard had grown another inch. He hurried away from the station, planning to get a haircut and a proper shave, then find a hotel for the night.

By his estimation, Hei Qi would be back in two or three days.

The God of Wealth seemed already to be beckoning to him from afar!