I trade in both worlds

Chapter 294: Emptying the Pawnshop

Manager Chen turned to Guo Yunfeng and said, "Captain Guo, you will be in charge of the escort team on the return trip. You are experienced and I trust you."

Guo Yunfeng smiled heartily and patted his chest: "Don't worry, Manager Chen, I will definitely deliver Mr. Xu's goods safely."

After everything was arranged, Xu Ziqi and Guo Yunfeng said goodbye to Manager Chen and walked out of the escort agency.

The next morning, as soon as the sky turned pale, Xu Ziqi got up quietly, fearing that he would disturb the tranquility of the clinic.

He simply washed up and came to Baoyuanzhai.

"Good morning, Shopkeeper Qian!" Xu Ziqi greeted with a smile.

Shopkeeper Qian is an old hand who has seen countless people. When he saw this, he knew that Xu Ziqi came to the store again for the good stuff.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Mr. Xu, you have a very sharp eye. I'm afraid you've picked up all the good wood we just collected yesterday."

Xu Ziqi smiled and waved his hand: "Manager Qian, you are too kind. You have so many good things here, how can I choose them all? You think too highly of me. Take me to see the good wood you collected yesterday."

Shopkeeper Qian had no choice but to lead Xu Ziqi to shuttle between various wooden racks.

Xu Ziqi selected carefully, stroking the surface of the wood from time to time, feeling the warmth and simplicity from nature.

The rosewood desk, the huanghuali chair, the teak bookcase... each one was carefully selected by Xu Ziqi.

When Manager Qian saw this, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This Mr. Xu is really picky. He has almost picked up all the good wood."

Xu Ziqi scanned the area and confirmed that nothing was missing. He then confirmed with Shopkeeper Qian again, "Shopkeeper Qian, is there really no furniture in your pawnshop?"

There was still a hint of unwillingness in his tone.

Shopkeeper Qian shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself: "This young man has a really big appetite."

"Yes, do you want the ones made of ordinary material?" he responded. In his heart, he had already guessed that Mr. Xu would not be interested in ordinary stuff.

Xu Ziqi shook his head, his eyes firm: "I want good material, does Shopkeeper Qian know where to get it?"

Seeing how persistent he was, Shopkeeper Qian hesitated for a moment and said, "How about this? I'll take you to Yunmuxuan and Guyunzhai to have a look. They also have a lot of good wood. Maybe you'll like it."

Xu Ziqi heard this, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes: "Thank you very much, Manager Qian, we will set off now."

They left Baoyuanzhai and walked through several busy streets before arriving at Yunmuxuan in the east of the city.

Yunmuxuan has a very different style from Baoyuanzhai. It focuses more on displaying the natural beauty of wood. The decoration in the store is simple yet elegant, and the air is filled with a faint pine scent.

As soon as he entered the warehouse, Xu Ziqi was attracted by a set of Huanghuali furniture placed in the center.

"Boss, this set of Huanghuali furniture is nice." Xu Ziqi couldn't help but admire.

The furniture set includes a large desk, two carved armchairs and an exquisite coffee table, all made of top-quality huanghuali wood, with a deep and lustrous color and clear and natural texture.

Especially the desk, the table top is as smooth as a mirror, but the edge is cleverly carved with misty mountain scenery.

The shopkeeper of Yunmuxuan introduced at the right time: "Mr. Xu really has a good eye. The wood for this set comes from a century-old tree in the deep mountains of Nanzhang. It has a hard texture and rich color. It is a rare collectible."

Xu Ziqi looked at the furniture carefully and thought to himself, "Although this furniture is not brand new, it is about 70% new and still looks simple and elegant. I don't know why it was pawned. It's a pity."

The shopkeeper of Yunmuxuan sighed and said, "Alas, it's a pity. This set of furniture was originally owned by a minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He was honest all his life, but he suddenly fell seriously ill and his family ran out of money."

"I had no choice but to pawn this beloved furniture in exchange for money for medical treatment."

"Oh, I hope that doctor is in good health." After a moment of silence, Xu Ziqi slowly said, "I bought this set of furniture."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper of Yunmuxuan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll find someone to move out now."

Although Yunmuxuan is not as big as Baoyuanzhai, it has a large variety of wooden products.

Xu Ziqi once again displayed his unique selection skills and picked out the good wood in the store one by one, while Manager Qian was stunned watching from the side.

After completing the selection, Xu Ziqi nodded with satisfaction. After paying the bill, he asked the shopkeeper to deliver the furniture he bought to Hongbang Escort Agency.

He turned around and said to Shopkeeper Qian, "Shopkeeper Qian, the wood in this pawnshop is really good. Let's go to another shop called Guyunzhai to have a look. Maybe we can get a bigger harvest there."

The two came to Guyunzhai again. The wooden products in this pawnshop were mainly made of mahogany.

After careful selection, Xu Ziqi finally chose a few wooden products he liked and nodded with satisfaction.

After paying the deposit, he turned to Shopkeeper Qian and said, "Shopkeeper Qian, thank you so much today. If it weren't for your guidance, I wouldn't have been able to find these good woods."

Shopkeeper Qian smiled, waved his hand and said, "Mr. Xu, you are too polite. It is my honor to help you. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."

Xu Ziqi smiled and decided to give him a box of salted duck eggs and a can of meat floss tomorrow.

After spending three days buying everything, Xu Ziqi was ready to leave. He gave one portion of the remaining salted duck eggs and meat floss to Doctor Qiu, one portion to the owner of the clinic, and one portion to the doctors and servants of the clinic.

The rest was sent to Liu's house.

On the sixth day of August, Xu Ziqi left the capital with the escort team. After this departure, he probably won't come back in the near future.

Fengjie also returned to Guoyue County on the third day of August, and then drove her carriage non-stop to Xu Zhuang to find Xu Xu.

When she stepped into Xu Village, Fengjie couldn't help feeling a little confused. Where did Xu Xu live?

She looked around and saw an old man bending over to till the field not far away, so Fengjie drove over.

He shouted towards the field: "Master, Master."

The old man in the field was Xu Zishan's father, whom Xu Xu respectfully called Sixth Grandpa.

The Sixth Grandpa looked up and saw a strange woman. He frowned slightly and said, "Madam, what's the matter?"

"Uncle, I want to ask for directions." Sister Feng tried her best to show her kindest smile: "Excuse me, how do I get to Xu Xu's house?"

When Sixth Grandpa heard her asking about Xu Xu's family, he was wary and asked with a wooden face, "Who are you? What do you want from her?"

Sister Feng smiled and said sincerely, "Master, I am the shopkeeper of Jinxiu Pavilion in the county. My surname is Feng. I came here to ask her to help with some embroidery. She hasn't been to the county recently, so I came here in person."

Hearing this, Sixth Grandpa's expression eased a little and pointed in the direction: "Oh, so that's how it is. Go over there, the largest blue brick house near Lingshan is Xu Xu's home."