Not long after, the clerk returned with an old man. When he saw Yao Zhi, he narrowed his eyes for a moment before asking, "This young lady, I heard that you have something you want to sell."
Yao Zhi nodded and took out the glass pen from her bamboo basket. The glass pen was wrapped in a piece of hemp fabric. "Grandpa, this is the item. Please take a look."
At first, the old man didn't believe that there would be anything valuable in this secluded place. Compared to the prosperous city, what rare things could be found at the border?
But when his gaze landed on the glass pen, his eyes widened in shock. His hands trembled as he stammered, "T-this... This is..."
Yao Zhi handed the glass pen to him and said nothing.
The old man held the glass pen carefully as he observed it for a long time. He was once a steward of a major family in Luo City. But due to the conflict between the masters, he was sacrificed as a scapegoat and expelled to this place as punishment.
He thought that he would never have a chance to return, but with this glass pen, he might have a chance to redeem himself!
Ten minutes later, the old man asked, "Young lady, how do you sell this item?"
Yao Zhi didn't know the price of glass in this fantasy kingdom, so she took a safe approach and replied, "Grandpa, you are a knowledgeable man. I believe you will give me a fair price."
When he heard her words, the old man laughed and said, "Young lady, your item is exquisite and very rare." After a moment of pause, he raised his fingers and said, "I will give you this much."
Looking at his fingers making a ten symbol, Yao Zhi thought that the glass pen could be sold for ten taels of silver. While the price was not as high as she expected, ten taels of silver was equivalent to several years of a farmer's income.
Seeing that she said nothing, the old man thought the price was too low and added to it. Fearing that she wouldn't sell the glass pen, he raised two fingers and said, "This is the most I can give you."
Yao Zhi thought for a moment before she reluctantly agreed, "Okay."
The old man was worried that she wouldn't sell the glass pen for twenty thousand taels of silver. So, when he saw her nodding, a bright smile bloomed on his wrinkled face.
He turned to the clerk and said, "Go and fetch a box for me."
The clerk was amazed by the beautiful glass pen. When he heard the store manager's words, he came back to his senses and quickly fetched a wooden box made from the best quality wood.
After the old man stored the glass pen carefully, he said, "Young lady, please wait a moment. I will go get the money."
"Grandpa, take your time. I'm not in a hurry."
The old man smiled and left the counter. Soon after, he returned with a stack of banknotes and a wooden box. He handed the banknotes to her and placed the box on the countertop.
"Young lady, here is the money. Please see if the amount is right."
Yao Zhi was taken aback when she received twenty banknotes. Each banknote was equal to one thousand taels of silver. Only after she received the money did she realize that the old man was offering such a high price for a glass pen.
Despite her shock, she showed nothing on her face. She put the banknotes away and nodded. "Grandpa, the amount is right."
The store manager smiled and said, "Young lady, this is the highest quality of the four treasures sold in my store. Please accept it."
Looking at the beautiful brush and inkstone, Yao Zhi was delighted. This set, if she auctioned it, might fetch a lot of points.
"Thank you."
Seeing that she accepted the gift without pretending, the old man nodded with satisfaction. Such a straightforward and generous girl.
Before leaving, she asked, "Grandpa, do you know how to use this item?"
The store manager shook his head. "Although I don't know how to use it, this item is so beautiful. Even as a collectible item, its value is not low."
Hearing this, Yao Zhi said, "Grandpa, can you grind some ink for me? I will show you how to use it."
The old man's eyes lit up, and he said, "Of course."
He quickly ordered the clerk to prepare the ink and waited. When the ink was ready, Yao Zhi borrowed a teacup and poured the ink into it.
Afterward, she dipped the glass pen into the ink and said, "Grandpa, the design of this brush can control the amount of ink being used. One dip can last for a long time."
She handed the glass pen to the old man and added, "You can try it."
The store manager looked at the ink on the tip of the glass pen and took a piece of paper. At first, he doubted that something so hard could be used to write.
But the moment he drew the first stroke, he was surprised by the thin, exquisite line. He stared at the line for a moment before he started writing a poem.
Standing in front of the countertop, Yao Zhi said, "Grandpa, the line produced by the sharp tip allows a very thin line on the paper. So, you can write very small words without worrying about smudging your paper."
The store manager nodded with amazement and said, "It's indeed a rare treasure!"
Yao Zhi smiled at his words and said, "Grandpa, it's not early anymore, and I still have things to do. So, I won't stay any longer."
Before the store manager could stop her, she had already left the store in large strides. When the clerk came out of the store, she was nowhere to be seen.