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墨書 Inktalez
"Old Ghost," Fat Ma sighed with frustration, "Don't teach me a lesson."
"What can I say to you, Old Ghost? We’ve been through a lot together. You can doubt anyone, but you shouldn’t doubt me."
I sat back in my chair, enjoying the show.
Old Ghost looked at Fat Ma with disdain, his eyes filled with contempt. " Fat Ma, if you can't produce anything good, just say so. Don't beat around the bush; I don't have time for that."
Hearing this, Fat Ma immediately got angry. "Don't push your luck, Old Ghost!"
Seeing Fat Ma's anger, Old Ghost felt a bit intimidated but steeled himself. If he showed weakness in front of Fat Ma this time, he would never be able to lift his head again. So he mustered his courage and retorted, "Fat Ma, don’t think you can scare me; I'm not afraid of you."
Old Ghost spoke with righteous indignation and a firm attitude.
After that statement, both fell silent, staring at each other without speaking. I shifted in my chair and poured myself a cup of tea.
About half a cup later, Fat Ma couldn't hold out any longer. His facial muscles relaxed as he helplessly said, "Old Ghost, you win."
Old Ghost was surprised for a few seconds before breaking into a triumphant smile. When Fat Ma finally brought out the goods, Old Ghost couldn't contain his joy and changed how he addressed him, calling him "Master Ma" repeatedly with extra warmth. As the saying goes: there are no overnight grudges between couples; for Old Ghost and Fat Ma, it was all about who had the milk!
Once the items were out, I stood up to close the shop door because some things should not see the light of day.
Fat Ma turned on the lights, instantly brightening the room, making Old Ghost's eyes sparkle.
"This is where the fun begins; choose for yourself," Fat Ma said impatiently.
Old Ghost didn’t need to be told twice; he reached out to select items with surprising gentleness and professionalism. After picking a few things and preparing to put them in his backpack, he was stopped by Fat Ma’s hand pressing down on his. "First, let’s discuss the price."
Old Ghost's smile vanished instantly as he replied firmly, "I understand the rules, but you can't cheat me."
Fat Ma's lips curled into a sly smile. "Old Sun, get the abacus ready for calculations." He then turned to Old Ghost and said, "Don't worry, Old Ghost. We've been through thick and thin together since we were kids. I wouldn't cheat you."
Old Ghost stared at Fat Ma, suddenly feeling an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
After a moment, Fat Ma took charge and quickly quoted a price. I swiftly moved the beads on the abacus while Old Ghost's eyes remained glued to it.
Slowly, beads of sweat began to form on my forehead, and my face started to turn green.
"Stop! Hold on! You must have miscalculated!" Old Ghost exclaimed.
I was taken aback and looked up at Old Ghost. He wiped his brow and stared back at me.
"Old Sun, don't listen to him. Keep calculating," he urged.
After acknowledging him, I continued moving the beads until the final result emerged—a value in the tens of thousands. Old Ghost walked over to the table and poured himself a cup of tea, gulping it down.
" Fat Ma, you're still trying to cheat me!"
The Fat Ma chuckled. "Old Ghost, I'm quoting this in front of you. You saw it all; these items were obtained with our lives from Zongzi. They must have some added value!"
Old Ghost swallowed hard, contemplating Fat Ma's words. He realized that what Fat Ma said made sense; given today's prices, if he held onto these items for another year, they would surely double in value. With that thought in mind, Old Ghost reluctantly said, "It's a deal, Fat Ma."
Once the payment was settled, Fat Ma was in high spirits and insisted on treating Old Ghost to a meal.
After a bit of gentle pushing from Old Ghost, he agreed.
We returned to the same restaurant where Fat Ma had kicked Old Ghost just the other day. With his arm draped over Old Ghost's shoulder, Fat Ma led him inside while they exchanged jokes and laughter.
The staff and waiters were surprised by this scene; just yesterday they had fought, and today they were acting like brothers.
Once we entered the private room, a table full of dishes was quickly served. Fat Ma took on the role of host, raising a glass to apologize to Old Ghost, who accepted it graciously without any hesitation.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation began to drift into boastful tales.
Fat Ma elaborated on how he dealt with the challenges of treasure hunting, how thrilling it was to explore and locate hidden spots, embellishing every detail until Old Ghost was left in a daze.
Old Ghost wasn't a novice; he had been out in the field a few times in his younger years. However, he found that trading Mingqi could be just as profitable, so he opted for that instead. He understood that panning for gold was akin to dancing on the edge of a knife.
Yet, as he listened to Fat Ma's animated storytelling, something deep within Old Ghost stirred—a longing for the thrill of panning for gold.
As the alcohol took effect, Old Ghost's gaze became somewhat unfocused. He reached out and placed a hand on Fat Ma's arm, saying, "Master Ma, if you have any good jobs next time, just call me Old Ghost."
Fat Ma, feeling the warmth of the drink and slightly dizzy, readily agreed without hesitation.
They clinked their glasses again, downing more hot liquor before bursting into laughter.
"Old Sun, what are you standing there for? Drink up!"
"Come on, let's have a toast!"
With no choice but to comply, I took a drink. By the time I set my glass down, both of them had already fallen asleep. At a loss for words, I managed to get Fat Ma back home and had one of the crew take Old Ghost back as well.
Once everything was settled, I slept soundly until dawn.
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