Chapter 5: Six Hundred Taels for a Glass Cup

"Watch closely, and be careful not to blind your dog eyes." With that, Chu Chen pulled the glass cup out from inside his robes.

The clerk’s eyes went wide. This thing was worth a fortune. It seemed like something only the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital could afford to play with. He then cast a suspicious glance at the ragged-looking young man before him.

"Kid," he asked skeptically, "which wealthy household did you steal this from? Come clean."

"Go to hell. I'm not talking to you—go get your boss," Chu Chen said fiercely.

The clerk couldn't quite get a read on him. Seeing the young man’s imposing attitude, he wondered if he might be some young master from a prominent family playing the fool to catch a tiger.

"Wait a moment," he said, before running off to the back hall.

A moment later, the clerk’s voice rang out from within: "Young Master, our proprietor invites you inside to talk."

Chu Chen, affecting the air of a spoiled playboy, strode inside. The interior was decorated with luxury and elegance. A middle-aged man was drinking tea, and upon seeing the tattered Chu Chen enter, he immediately stood up and said, "Young Master, please, have a seat and rest."

Chu Chen flashed a smile at the proprietor, plopped down, and with a sharp *clack*, tossed the glass cup onto the tea table. The proprietor’s hand, still holding his teacup, shook with fright, causing hot tea to splash onto his hand and make him shiver.

"Oh, my little ancestor, please don't break it!" the proprietor exclaimed, his face full of distress.

*What a joke,* Chu Chen thought. *It’s tempered glass; it’s not that easy to break. I measured my strength well.* Judging by the proprietor’s expression, this thing was worth a lot.

The proprietor, having recovered his composure, picked up the glass cup and gently toyed with it. "Tell me, Young Master, is this a temporary pawn or a permanent sale?"

"Permanent. The kind that stays dead forever."

"Make it quick. It was hard enough to sneak this out from home. If I weren't down on my luck these past few days, I wouldn't be selling this."

Hearing this, the proprietor beamed. The person in front of him must be a prodigal son who had lost money gambling and had stolen some "glaze" from his home, disguising himself to liquidate it for cash.

"Young Master, to be honest, this glazed cup is hard to sell. If you are in a rush, I can only give you this much." The proprietor held up five fingers.

"Five thousand taels. Deal," Chu Chen said generously.

"Young Master, please don't joke with me. Five hundred taels, final offer." The proprietor thought to himself that this kid was not only a spendthrift but also an ignorant one.

Five hundred taels—in this world, one tael was equal to 1,000 copper coins. Five hundred taels meant 500,000 coins. Rice cost five coins per liter, meaning this broken cup could buy 100,000 liters of rice.

*Not bad, worth it...*
(Proprietor: Who told you rice was only five coins per liter?)

"Proprietor, don't try to hoodwink me. Final offer: eight hundred taels. If I weren't in a rush to win back my losses, I wouldn't be willing to part with it."

It seemed this kid wasn't entirely stupid; he knew how to haggle. After some back-and-forth, they finally settled on six hundred taels of silver.

After signing the papers and pressing his thumbprint, Chu Chen struggled to carry the six hundred taels of silver as he walked out of the pawnshop.

Outside, Chu Dazhuang had been waiting anxiously. Just as he was thinking of rushing in to see what was happening, he saw Chu Chen emerge with a large sack.

"You were in there so long, I thought you went back to gamble," Chu Dazhuang said.

"Second Uncle, this isn't a casino. Can't you read?" Chu Chen asked, confused.

"Has your brain been beaten to a pulp? Our family are hereditary illiterates. Aside from your old man, you're the only other one who can read."

*Right,* Chu Chen thought, *how did I forget that?* He handed the silver to his uncle. "It's too heavy, Second Uncle. You carry it."

"What is this?" Chu Dazhuang asked as he took the bag. When he opened it, he was so startled he nearly fell to the ground—it was filled with gleaming white silver. He had never seen so much money in his life. He quickly closed the bag, looking around vigilantly.

"Nephew, where did you get all this money?" Chu Dazhuang asked in a panic.

"Uh, I had a dream last night. A white-bearded old man taught me many spells. I cured the boss in there of a long-standing illness, and this was his payment."

Chu Dazhuang looked at his nephew in disbelief. *A white-bearded old man? Could he be an immortal reincarnated? Heaven bless the Chu family—we actually have a disciple of an immortal!*

He started to kneel toward the sky, but Chu Chen grabbed him. "Second Uncle, that old man told me not to tell anyone, or he’d take my powers back."

Chu Dazhuang shuddered in fright. *Thank goodness I didn't make a scene; if a god found out, it would be over.*

"Nephew, where are we going now?" Chu Dazhuang asked, clutching the silver.

Looking at his sneaky-looking uncle, Chu Chen felt deeply moved. In his memories, after his father died, this rough man had helped him out many times. He would bring him millet, and whenever Chu Chen needed to borrow money, if his uncle had it, he never refused. His Second Aunt had never looked down on him for these things either; instead, she would often take Li Qinglian around to look for odd jobs, trying to earn more money to help with the household expenses.

"Second Uncle, can you drive a cart?" Chu Chen asked.

"Of course! What’s so hard about that? Back in the army, I was in charge of transporting provisions," Chu Dazhuang said proudly.

"Great, let's go buy a cart."

"What? Buy a cart..." Chu Dazhuang’s eyes widened. *It’s over, the kid is starting to squander money again.*

After asking around, the two arrived at a carriage stable. Rows of fine horses were standing there, grazing on their own. Chu Chen walked over, petting this one and checking that one.

A servant ran up. "Young Master, are you looking to buy a horse?"

"That's right, give me some recommendations." Chu Chen was surprised to find that this person didn't judge him by his appearance.

"Sir, take a look at this one. A purebred horse from beyond the frontier. It can travel a thousand miles a day, no problem. Only one thousand taels, and you can take it home."

Chu Chen was stunned. *Damn, that's expensive. Is this the Rolls-Royce of the ancient world?* He couldn't help but look at Chu Dazhuang. His uncle had been a supply transport soldier; he should know about this.

"Second Uncle, I don't know about this stuff. You handle it."

Chu Dazhuang looked at Chu Chen, thinking, *You don't know? Horses are strategic resources; every single one is shockingly expensive. What is this kid thinking?*

He turned to the servant and said, "My nephew doesn't understand. We just need it for getting around town; we don't need anything like that."

The servant gave them an "I understand" look and led them to another shed. Eventually, Chu Dazhuang picked out a mule, which, with the harness, cost 30 taels of silver.

Chu Chen shook his head. *Second Uncle, your vision is too narrow.* However, since he only needed it for simple transportation, he didn't say much. The mule was sturdy and durable—like a modern-day budget workhorse—good for hauling and running.

Chu Chen didn't know that even in Green Ox Town, this was something only a truly wealthy family could afford. Most villages were lucky to have even one ox cart.

Chu Chen pulled out three large silver ingots and handed them to the servant. He climbed onto the mule cart and headed toward the market, with Chu Dazhuang driving in front.

"Nephew, where are we going now?" Chu Dazhuang asked.

"To spend."

With that, Chu Chen urged his uncle to move forward.