Chapter 1614 — A Coincidental Plan
The Blossom Guardian · Page 3 of 4
"Brother Liang, I... there really were lots of grass-snake sellers before. How come they're all gone today?" Gao Xiaofu said miserably. "Last time we came to scout, you saw it too — the whole street was full of grass-snake sellers!"
"Hmph!" Zhong Yongliang had indeed seen the street full of them last time, but he was still in a foul mood now. He gave a cold snort and said, "Always dropping the ball at the crucial moment! What is wrong with you!"
"Let me look again — they've got to be here somewhere..." Gao Xiaofu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with some embarrassment, "Don't worry, Brother Liang, I swear I'll find one..."
"Forget it. If there really aren't any, so be it." Zhong Yongliang waved his hand in resignation, thinking to himself: I'll just bide my time for now. Once Zhang Naipao returns from his apprenticeship and crushes Wei Zhao under his heel, Gu Mengyao will be mine for the taking! Then we'll see who can protect her!
Even An Liwen would be nothing but a minor character compared to Paozi's status in that ancient sect!
"Hey — there's a grass-snake seller over there!" Gao Xiaofu suddenly spotted a stall not far away, where an old man with a little girl was selling grass snakes.
"Oh? There really is?" Zhong Yongliang looked in the direction Gao Xiaofu was pointing and indeed saw the grass-snake stall. "Well then — what are you waiting for? Hurry up and go buy one!"
"On it!" Gao Xiaofu rushed over to the stall in three long strides and said to the old man, "Hey — how much for a grass snake?"
Zhu Lingtou's entire purpose in coming here was to sell a grass snake to Wei Zhao — not to anyone else. So he hadn't set up his stall at all, but had been watching from a distance until he saw Wei Zhao's group approaching before putting it out. He hadn't expected a dark horse to come charging in mid-journey, demanding to buy a grass snake!
These grass snakes had been tampered with — how could Zhu Lingtou sell one to Gao Xiaofu? He was about to refuse, but then he thought: if I say I won't sell, won't Chen Xi get suspicious? With that in mind, he had no choice but to say, "Two thousand apiece!"
"What?!" Gao Xiaofu was stunned. Two thousand for a grass snake? Did the old man think these were gold-plated? He had checked the market rates before — a grass snake went for ten or twenty yuan. Two thousand? Wasn't this just an open robbery?
"Two thousand apiece! If you're not buying, get out of the way!" Seeing Wei Zhao and the others approaching, Zhu Lingtou had no patience for dawdling with Gao Xiaofu and wanted to get rid of him as fast as possible.
Damned old geezer — you really know how to fleece people! Gao Xiaofu had been about to bargain, but the old man was chasing him off outright, leaving him no choice. He thought to himself: fine, two thousand is two thousand — what else can I do, since this old geezer is the only game in town?
"Fine! Two thousand, here!" Gao Xiaofu pulled out his wallet, drew out two thousand yuan, and tossed it onto the stall. He had no time to haggle — Gu Mengyao was about to walk right over.
"You're actually buying at that price?!" Zhu Lingtou was so furious he wanted to curse. Are you insane? Got money with nowhere to spend it? Two thousand yuan for a lousy grass snake? At that price you could hire a crew to go up the mountain and catch a whole basket!
Chen Xi's eyes went wide. He couldn't believe a lousy snake could sell for two thousand yuan! When Grandpa Zhu had first named that price, Chen Xi had nearly jumped out of his skin, wondering if Grandpa Zhu had misspoken. These grass snakes had been given to them by someone else — they cost nothing, there was no overhead. Besides, even if you bought them outright, they wouldn't be anywhere near this expensive!
He had been about to protest, but before he could, the man in front of him actually paid up!