Chapter 57: A Sudden Change in Attitude

"What did you say?"

The man's foot, which had just taken a step forward, was neatly and swiftly retracted without the slightest trace of clumsiness.

The female corpse put down her luopan, looked at the man, and said coldly, "I'll give you two hundred thousand. Apologize to him right now!"

Only then did the man truly see the female corpse's appearance.

His eyes lit up. He looked her up and down, and even swallowed hard in silence.

Seeing this, I immediately stepped in front of the female corpse and blurted out, "What are you looking at?"

The man snapped out of it, then smiled and said, "This young lady is quite a looker. My brother here is a lucky man."

Seeing that I wouldn't let him stare, he didn't press the matter further. That showed he wasn't a lecherous scoundrel—just greedy for money. Moreover, with his rather thick earlobes and inward-curving ear canals, he was someone destined to accumulate wealth, or what people commonly call a born businessman. However, his slightly upturned eyebrows also marked him as a cunning merchant.

The only reason he had been dazed just now was that the female corpse possessed such a devastatingly alluring beauty that any man would lose his wits upon seeing her.

The man chuckled and said, "Brother, even though your woman is very pretty, do you two really have two hundred thousand? I wouldn't believe it if I died trying. If you actually can produce two hundred thousand, let alone apologize, I won't just sell this shop to you—I'll even throw in a set of mahogany tables and chairs worth thirty thousand!"

Hearing this, an embarrassed look crossed my face.

Two hundred thousand? I didn't even have two thousand. Why did this female corpse just blurt that out? Since she spent year after year sleeping in a coffin, how could she possibly have cash lying around? Even if she had stored some away before entering the coffin, what era would that money be from? Could you even spend it nowadays?

Then the female corpse spoke again.

"I don't care for the furniture you're giving away. Just help us contact a decoration company instead."

With that, the female corpse pushed me aside and slipped a brilliantly emerald-green ring off her finger. It looked extremely valuable—the color was pure and deep.

The man was stunned for a moment, then took it. He first tossed it around in his hand with a disdainful expression, but after taking a couple of looks at it, his brows furrowed and suspicion crossed his face. Then, tucking his leather briefcase under his arm, he began examining it with both hands. One moment he held it up to the sunlight; the next, he breathed hot air onto the jade.

The more he fussed over it, the more excited he became. In the end, his face broke into a broad grin.

I was utterly bewildered. Had the female corpse cast some kind of spell on this guy?

The next second, the man jerked his head up, his smile uncontrollable, baring his teeth in a wide grin. "Young lady, are you sure you want to use this to pay for my shop?"

Seeing the greed written all over his face, I immediately understood. This ring must be very expensive. I just didn't understand why the female corpse possessed something so valuable. A single ring was worth two hundred thousand? Were fortune-tellers really that lucrative? Was my dream of fulfilling my grandfather's wish to get rich just around the corner?

The female corpse said indifferently, "Apologize immediately, and then go draft the contract."

Looking at the man now, he acted as if he had struck gold, wearing an obsequious expression. Gone was his arrogant, condescending attitude from earlier.

"Hey! Hey! You're quite generous, young lady! I'll apologize right now!"

With that, he walked up to me with utmost sincerity, his face beaming with smiles.

"Brother, I'm sorry. Just now, your older brother here was blind and judged a book by its cover. You guys aren't country bumpkins at all—you're... you're big bosses who don't care about outward appearances!"

Seeing such a drastic 180-degree turn in his attitude, I decided to let it go. It wasn't that I lacked spine; it was just that he had merely said some unpleasant things, and arguing with a person like that would only show I lacked class.

However, the female corpse refused to let it go. "Be sincere."

The man nodded repeatedly. I was starting to wonder how spineless this guy could be—just for two hundred thousand, he would do whatever was asked of him.

"Brother, I'm sorry!" he said, and actually bowed deeply to me with a deeply sincere look on his face.

Then he turned to the female corpse and said, "Young lady, I'll go draft the contract right away. The copy shop isn't far; wait for me here. Oh right, keep this ring for now. Wait for me, please don't leave, I'll be very quick!"

With that, he hurried toward the door—and I mean he was in a real rush. In his excitement, he smashed his head directly against the door frame.

*Thud.* A dull sound echoed.

Even then, he didn't care. He still smiled broadly and said, "Bumping your head brings a bump of good fortune! It's an opening auspicious sign, smooth sailing all the way! You folks wait a moment!"

Saying this, he trotted outside. From inside, my gaze followed his retreating figure; he was still rejoicing as he walked outside, even humming a little tune.

I let out a disdainful snort. "Was all that really necessary? I'm from the countryside and even I wouldn't make such a big fuss over two hundred thousand. What a piece of work..."

The female corpse, however, said casually, "That ring is worth five hundred thousand. Getting fifty thousand for free—who wouldn't be happy?"

"How much?!"

I whipped my head around to stare at the female corpse, my eyes wide as saucers.

*Five hundred thousand?!*

That was enough to marry many, many wives back in our village!

The female corpse said indifferently, "I intended to give you an earring worth two hundred thousand, but I seem to have dropped it on the mountain. Oh well, external possessions..."

She spoke of it so lightly and nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, my heart was bleeding.

*Five hundred thousand!*

Just like that, given away. And all for an adult novelty store. Was it worth it?

Yet I didn't dare scold her. I could only mutter under my breath, "A wasteful woman..."

*Whoosh!*

I instantly performed a standing backflip and crashed straight onto the store's floorboards.

"Ugh—"

I let out a muffled groan. Just as I pointed at her, ready to speak, I saw her widen her eyes, full of a bone-chilling coldness as she waited for whatever words were about to come out of my mouth.

I had no choice but to forcefully swallow the curses back down into my stomach, picking myself up sheepishly and walking over to Fatty Er.

"Brother, my life is so bitter..."

Fatty Er, on the other hand, had remained silent. At that moment, he was looking around the store with a strange expression, wearing a very serious look.

I patted him on the shoulder. "Fatty Er, I'm talking to you! What are you putting on a profound act for?!"

Fatty Er immediately blocked my mouth, staring up at the roof beams with a mysterious expression, muttering to himself, "Why do I feel like I've been here before? This feeling is so strange. Yesterday it was too dark to see clearly, but looking at the roof beams now... why do they look so familiar?"

"Hiss—have I really been to a place like this?"

As he muttered, he began walking toward the back of the store.

Seeing him acting like this, I gave his meaty rear end a swift kick. "Are you possessed?!"

How could he possibly have been here before? Even if his father had brought him into the city in the past, there was no way he would bring him to an adult novelty store. He was only thirteen back then. I knew all about it; he had gone back and bragged about it to me for a whole week.

Fatty Er clutched his butt and said, "Stop messing around. I really feel like I've been here before. There's this familiar feeling, I can't quite put my finger on it..."

Seeing him acting all mystical and nutty, I sat on the floor in speechlessness.

"It's over, it's completely over. We just got into the city, and this wasteful woman spends five hundred thousand to buy an adult novelty store. Not to mention that, Fatty Er has gone crazy too. What family am I looking for? What revenge am I seeking? I'm going to be angered to death by these two first..."

Finally, quoting my father's catchphrase, I cried out, "What a sin!"