Short, Light, Free Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Ghost Market II

Do you believe in a biological clock? I do because I get up exceptionally early on Thursdays .

I don't like setting alarms so on other days, I would usually wake up at 12 noon when the sun is already s.h.i.+ning its brightest .

On Thursdays, however, I would wake up at two in the morning without fail .

What I have most at home wasn't straw material, but tea leaves .

Before I started this business, my parents were in the tea business .

It was an accidental discovery that I could soak my materials in tea to make them appear old .

I would soak 25 dolls and a cloth in tea before getting breakfast . I leave home at 3:30 and reach the market in ten minutes' time .

Business wasn't very good today, but I'm accustomed to it .

I've only sold one and it's already 4:30 .

I saw an old lady looking over at me . She had actually been looking at me since the opening of the market at four in the morning .

After the crowd around my area has dwindled, she finally came over to me .

The market consisted mostly of youngsters and those in their 30s and 40s . Any individual older than 50 was rare .

The old lady squatted down in front of me and pointed out, "You're selling dolls?"

"Voodoo dolls, 1 for 30," I said since she really didn't look like a wealthy lady . I could tell that her cloth shoes had been mended before .

"Exchangeable?" she asks .

It is a rule that barter trading is allowed . However, since youngsters dominate the crowd, there would seldom be people who bring items along to exchange for other goods .

"Sorry, only for sale," I answered .

She placed a pouch in front of me . "Not even this?"

It's a very black pouch and something within flashed under the street lights .

It's something yellow . Gold? The old lady didn't seem like she has anything valuable to offer so why would she exchange gold for a 30-dollar doll?

"Do you know what this is for?" I questioned .

"Yeah," she responded, raising her head .

She looked rather scary and there was even a deep scar on her face .

"Are you seeking revenge?"

"No questions . Focus on buying and selling . Rules," she said with an eerie smile .

"Oh… what's that in your hands, then?" I continued .

"Touch it . It's old stuff . You have two dolls left and I want both . "

I picked the bag up and found it surprisingly heavy .

Just from the weight alone, it seemed that I won't lose out . It might just be a gold plate, but even a fake one would be more valuable than my dolls .

Frowning, I said, "This is a one-off deal, Granny . No going back on your words after the exchange . "

She nodded . "Does this really work, though?"

"Yes . It's in your hands so whatever you want to do is up to you . "

She handed me the pouch and stashed the dolls away in her pocket .

I closed my hands over the pouch and smiled . "Deal's done . "

She got up and said, "What you have now is even more extraordinary . "

She walked off without a backward glance .

Dahai turned to me and asked curiously, "You exchanged something? Did you finally made an exception?"

"Yeah, feels like it's good stuff," I explained, opening the pouch . It contained a golden pocket watch .

"Gold?" Dahai exclaimed .

"Seems like it . I'll get it checked tomorrow," I said .

"You have to get rid of that as soon as possible . Ghosts you know . . . " Dahai advised .

"I will . Thanks . " I took out another three dolls from my bag and replaced it with the pouch before zipping it up .

There wasn't much of a crowd today, unfortunately, because the weather was a bit too cold . Business in the ghost market is seasonal in that sense .

Dahai sighed at the sight of the spa.r.s.e crowd .

"What is it?" I asked him .

"The weather's rubbish so there's not many people . I'm going, do you want to come along? I'll treat you noodles," he offered with a laugh .

"It's fine . I'll just wait a little more since there are still people walking around . "

"There are no youngsters, though . "

"You go ahead!"

"Alright, let's discuss the big business tomorrow," he said .

"The factory we have been talking about for three years? You've finally decided?" I asked, but Dahai has already taken his stuff and left .

What Dahai has in his bag was a huge bunch of old coins . Dahai is Nan Qian's distant relative .

I actually got my s.p.a.ce thanks to my connection with Dahai .

We're best buddies who've known each other since middle school .

None of us went to university so we ended up in this ghost market .

Nan Qian's surname isn't Qian . His surname is Pang, and his predecessor, Pang Long was one of the founders of the ghost market .

Pang Long was extremely rich and had five boys during the Ming Dynasty . As such, his sons were known as the five tigers .

Only the Emperor's sons were regarded as dragons back then . Ordinary citizens' sons were regarded as tigers .

Pang Dahai is the great, great grandson of the smallest tiger in Pang family .

These are things Dahai would mention when we chat casually at work .

The five tigers in the family took over all of Pang Long's business .

The first son inherited the ghost market and earned the most .

The second son then took over the shop evaluation part and was in charge of raising his family business' value .

The third son was the biggest shopkeeper in Beijing's money farm .

The fourth son took over his father's land, which wasn't worth much in the past . Luckily, land value has risen crazily over the years and it has now become the Pang family's main business pillar .

As for the fifth son… Dahai's been cursing at his ancestor every day . The fifth son was a reckless man that didn't have any redeeming qualities . He spent extravagantly and was disowned by his father at 17 . He lived the rest of his life muddleheadedly . As such, Dahai wasn't really considered a kin but when he really needed help, the Pang family would come to his aid in secret .

These historical events happened before the reform .

If Dahai's ancestor had just been a little more obedient, Dahai might be a completely different person now .

Yet, it was this struggle that made Dahai what he is today .

It's also because of that that I get a piece of land within this ghost market .

The ghost market isn't occupied by just one family; Nan Qian only owns the Northern side even after a hundred years of development .

Dahai said that the person in charge of the matters regarding the northern side today was his patrilineal cousin, Pang Guang .

Pang Guang was easily recognizable since he had fat ears and a big bald head . I would see him occasionally in the market .

Dahai's copper coins were given by Pang Guang .

The coins made Dahai decent money since they were real money . The profits were shocking but Dahai only received commissions from his sales .

Do you believe in a biological clock I do because I get up exceptionally early on Thursdays . I don 39 t like setting alarms so on other days, I would usually wake up at 12 noon when the sun is already s.h.i.+ning its brightest . On Thursdays, however, I would wake up at two in the morning without fail . What I have most at home wasn 39 t straw material, but tea leaves . Before I started this business, my parents were in the tea business . It was an accidental discovery that I could soak my materials in tea to make them appear old . I would soak 25 dolls and a cloth in tea before getting breakfast . I leave home at 3 30 and reach the market in ten minutes 39 time . Business wasn 39 t very good today, but I 39 m accustomed to it . I 39 ve only sold one and it 39 s already 4 30 . I saw an old lady looking over at me . She had actually been looking at me since the opening of the market at four in the morning . After the crowd around my area has dwindled, she finally came over to me . The market consisted mostly of youngsters and those in their 30s and 40s . Any individual older than 50 was rare . The old lady squatted down in front of me and pointed out, You 39 re selling dolls Voodoo dolls, 1 for 30, I said since she really didn 39 t look like a wealthy lady . I could tell that her cloth shoes had been mended before . Exchangeable she asks . It is a rule that barter trading is allowed . However, since youngsters dominate the crowd, there would seldom be people who bring items along to exchange for other goods . Sorry, only for sale, I answered . She placed a pouch in front of me . Not even this It 39 s a very black pouch and something within flashed under the street lights . It 39 s something yellow . Gold The old lady didn 39 t seem like she has anything valuable to offer so why would she exchange gold for a 30 dollar doll Do you know what this is for I questioned . Yeah, she responded, raising her head . She looked rather scary and there was even a deep scar on her face . Are you seeking revenge No questions . Focus on buying and selling . Rules, she said with an eerie smile . Oh what 39 s that in your hands, then I continued . Touch it . It 39 s old stuff . You have two dolls left and I want both . I picked the bag up and found it surprisingly heavy . Just from the weight alone, it seemed that I won 39 t lose out . It might just be a gold plate, but even a fake one would be more valuable than my dolls . Frowning, I said, This is a one off deal, Granny . No going back on your words after the exchange . She nodded . Does this really work, though Yes . It 39 s in your hands so whatever you want to do is up to you . She handed me the pouch and stashed the dolls away in her pocket . I closed my hands over the pouch and smiled . Deal 39 s done . She got up and said, What you have now is even more extraordinary . She walked off without a backward glance . Dahai turned to me and asked curiously, You exchanged something Did you finally made an exception Yeah, feels like it 39 s good stuff, I explained, opening the pouch . It contained a golden pocket watch . Gold Dahai exclaimed . Seems like it . I 39 ll get it checked tomorrow, I said . You have to get rid of that as soon as possible . Ghosts you know . . . Dahai advised . I will . Thanks . I took out another three dolls from my bag and replaced it with the pouch before zipping it up . There wasn 39 t much of a crowd today, unfortunately, because the weather was a bit too cold . Business in the ghost market is seasonal in that sense . Dahai sighed at the sight of the spa.r.s.e crowd . What is it I asked him . The weather 39 s rubbish so there 39 s not many people . I 39 m going, do you want to come along I 39 ll treat you noodles, he offered with a laugh . It 39 s fine . I 39 ll just wait a little more since there are still people walking around . There are no youngsters, though . You go ahead Alright, let 39 s discuss the big business tomorrow, he said . The factory we have been talking about for three years You 39 ve finally decided I asked, but Dahai has already taken his stuff and left . What Dahai has in his bag was a huge bunch of old coins . Dahai is Nan Qian 39 s distant relative . I actually got my s.p.a.ce thanks to my connection with Dahai . We 39 re best buddies who 39 ve known each other since middle school . None of us went to university so we ended up in this ghost market . Nan Qian 39 s surname isn 39 t Qian . His surname is Pang, and his predecessor, Pang Long was one of the founders of the ghost market . Pang Long was extremely rich and had five boys during the Ming Dynasty . As such, his sons were known as the five tigers . Only the Emperor 39 s sons were regarded as dragons back then . Ordinary citizens 39 sons were regarded as tigers . Pang Dahai is the great, great grandson of the smallest tiger in Pang family . These are things Dahai would mention when we chat casually at work . The five tigers in the family took over all of Pang Long 39 s business . The first son inherited the ghost market and earned the most . The second son then took over the shop evaluation part and was in charge of raising his family business 39 value . The third son was the biggest shopkeeper in Beijing 39 s money farm . The fourth son took over his father 39 s land, which wasn 39 t worth much in the past . Luckily, land value has risen crazily over the years and it has now become the Pang family 39 s main business pillar . As for the fifth son Dahai 39 s been cursing at his ancestor every day . The fifth son was a reckless man that didn 39 t have any redeeming qualities . He spent extravagantly and was disowned by his father at 17 . He lived the rest of his life muddleheadedly . As such, Dahai wasn 39 t really considered a kin but when he really needed help, the Pang family would come to his aid in secret . These historical events happened before the reform . If Dahai 39 s ancestor had just been a little more obedient, Dahai might be a completely different person now . Yet, it was this struggle that made Dahai what he is today . It 39 s also because of that that I get a piece of land within this ghost market . The ghost market isn 39 t occupied by just one family Nan Qian only owns the Northern side even after a hundred years of development . Dahai said that the person in charge of the matters regarding the northern side today was his patrilineal cousin, Pang Guang . Pang Guang was easily recognizable since he had fat ears and a big bald head . I would see him occasionally in the market . Dahai 39 s copper coins were given by Pang Guang . The coins made Dahai decent money since they were real money . The profits were shocking but Dahai only received commissions from his sales .