Chapter 16: Group Purchase Price

Wang Zhye was not moved; she just found the vendor in front of her incredibly irritating.

Having spent the entire summer here, she was well aware of how sensitive the elderly people were. Especially since Grandpa Zhou's illness had cast a shadow over the entire retirement home. That's why she had paid a high price for the walnut skins.

She knew very well the effects of the walnut skins, but she didn't care much about their real utility. To her, as long as the elderly could find some comfort after drinking it, that was enough.

So when Li Xian had talked about the true function of walnut skins in the market, she had thought he was quite straightforward.

But now, she was fed up with this merchant covered in the smell of money, who seemed not to care about others' feelings at all!

"Why are you so full of nonsense?"

Wang Zhye was truly angry now and stopped engaging with Li Xian. She let go of his sleeve and stormed toward the gatekeeper's office.

Seeing this, Li Xian panicked, "Hey? I…"

Ugh, so frustrating! How could a nice girl be so superstitious?

Just as Li Xian was feeling frustrated about the trip being a complete waste, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

Turning around, he saw an old man with a head full of gray hair.

"Young man, are you… here to sell coffins?"

Li Xian immediately nodded, "Yes, sir. I saw that the coffin used for the old comrade who passed away recently was a bit hasty, with even the lid not closing properly. It looked too shabby. Fortunately, our forest farm has a craftsman who used to work for the Qing Dynasty royal family. The coffins he makes are well-known in the region…"

Seeing someone taking the initiative to inquire, Li Xian seized the opportunity and began to introduce eagerly.

In his description, Zhang the Mute had turned into a master craftsman from the Qing Palace. The coffin's materials had changed from spruce to aged sandalwood. Of course, though not stated outright, he also subtly hinted that the price of the coffin was… not cheap.

Such tricks might work on small-time citizens at the market, but clearly, they were not enough for the retirement home's level.

Immediately, someone with a temper spoke up: "Young man, stop with the nonsense. If what you say is true, then this craftsman from your forest farm would already be famous in the Forestry Bureau. I've worked at the bureau for sixteen years and have never heard of him."

Li Xian, unfazed by having his bluff called, calmly replied: "Comrade, do you pay attention to Paris Fashion Week?"

The old man was taken aback, "What's Paris Fashion Week?"

"Then do you follow the grain and timber prices in Longjiang Province this year?"

The old man responded, "Of course!"

Li Xian spread his hands, looking quite pleased with himself: "See, those two things are real and present. But you don't know about the renowned Paris Fashion Week, which influences fashion trends in Europe and America, yet you care about grain and timber prices. Why? Because people only care about things that directly affect them. Just like I don't care what our forest farm director does tomorrow or what his family eats at night. Even though these things happen around me, they don't concern me."

This argument made the elderly people re-evaluate Li Xian.

"Hmm," at this moment, a few claps sounded from the crowd. An old man, whose hair was also gray but looked younger than the other elderly, walked up to Li Xian.

This old man was familiar to Li Xian; he was the one who had asked him how much he earned from selling walnut skins the other day.

"Young man, sharp thinking," the old man assessed Li Xian with a mixture of admiration and scrutiny. "But after all this talk, we can't just buy a coffin from you based on your words alone, can we?"

Li Xian smacked his forehead, "I've brought a sample. It's parked right outside the gate!"

Everyone became interested and immediately clamored to go see it. Li Xian was naturally pleased and led the group of elderly to the outside of the courtyard.

At this moment, Wang Zhye had returned with two hurried gatekeepers, looking fierce and determined, as if to catch a thief.

Seeing the elderly men walking shoulder to shoulder with Li Xian, Wang Zhye anxiously said, "Grandpa, this person is crazy. I'm going to kick him out right now. Don't listen to his nonsense!"

Old Wang chuckled and waved his hand, "Alright, alright. Actually, the young man has a point. At different stages of life, we need to consider different issues. The recent passing of Old Zhou has indeed had a big impact on us. But life involves birth, aging, illness, and death; these are natural laws. Who can avoid them? It's better to handle our own affairs properly and then live our lives gracefully."

"Grandpa! You're only sixty!" Wang Zhye stamped her foot and gave Li Xian a fierce glare.

"Not young anymore, not young anymore," Old Wang laughed, patting his granddaughter on the head. He then waved to Li Xian and walked out of the gate with him.

Although the crowd had been unimpressed with Li Xian's bragging, when they saw the heavy, red-painted longevity coffin on the tricycle, their eyes lit up with surprise!

Before Li Xian could launch into his sales pitch, the crowd spontaneously surrounded the coffin, inspecting it closely.

The coffin looked incredibly solid, with every detail showing meticulous craftsmanship and unique charm. The red lacquer was smooth and even, and through the thin layer of paint, the spruce wood's grain was visible.

The annual rings in the wood gave the coffin, which symbolized death, a sense of historical depth and vitality.

The golden-painted cranes spreading their wings and the longevity characters at the head and tail added an indescribable sense of tranquility.

"Wow, I've never seen such a beautiful coffin before."

"Hey, am I getting old, or does this coffin really look so extraordinary?"

"Kid, I'm starting to believe you. Even if that coffin maker isn't a Qing Dynasty master, he surely has real skills!"

Li Xian laughed heartily, "That's right."

Li Pi, who was confused, felt quite pleased seeing the crowd admiring his grandfather's coffin.

After inspecting for a while, the crowd only came back to their senses when Wang Zhye snorted repeatedly. She approached Li Xian.

"Young man, just tell us how much you're selling this coffin for?"

Li Xian raised an eyebrow, held up his hand, and made a "six" with his fingers: "Fixed price, six hundred! However, if you order ten or more at once, I can offer you a group purchase price."