Chapter 12: The Eccentric Coffin Buyer
After buying the steamed buns and returning to the shop, Wang Chu found a piece of wood in his hand.
At first glance, the wood seemed ordinary, only fit to be used as firewood.
But upon closer inspection, one could discern a faint pure spiritual energy emanating from it, and mysterious runes were engraved on its surface.
This was Qingyuan Wood, the treasured artifact of Mount Qingcheng.
Wang Chu planned to use it as the base to craft a coffin.
Once completed, the coffin would surely fetch a good price in the market.
With this thought in mind, Wang Chu tucked the Qingyuan Wood into the sleeve of his clothes.
Then, he approached the counter and began enjoying the buns he had just bought.
Halfway through eating, a person entered through the door.
This person was covered in mud, wearing tattered cloth and worn-out shoes, limping as he walked. One corner of his mouth twisted awkwardly downward, with some saliva spilling from the crooked side.
Most people would have frowned deeply at such a sight and stepped back to avoid him, even trying to shoo him away.
Fortunately, Wang Chu had seen much of the world and showed no reaction. After swallowing a small bun, he asked:
“Sir, what would you like?”
The man stopped, looking somewhat surprised, and stammered out slurred words:
“Can... can I order a coffin here?”
Wang Chu continued eating, replying during a swallow:
“Of course. Sir, what size coffin do you want? We have expensive ones and very affordable ones.”
The stranger struggled to reach into his collar and pulled out a soiled, inferior spiritual stone:
“I... I have only this much.”
Wang Chu stepped down from the counter and took the stone without disdain, wiping it clean with a handkerchief:
“Hmm, one spiritual stone can buy our shop’s basic coffin.”
He then turned and pointed to an old, weathered coffin displayed inside the store:
“Something like this, would that work?”
The man quickly nodded:
“Yes! As long as I can buy it.”
Wang Chu asked:
“What are the measurements of the deceased?”
The man then described the approximate build of the deceased.
After some thought, Wang Chu said:
“Please wait a moment.”
With a casual wave, an old coffin suddenly appeared on the shop floor. Except for slight differences in length and width compared to the one displayed, it was nearly an exact replica.
“How about this one?”
Thanks to centuries of refinement in artifact crafting, storage rings were no longer rare.
In Ling City, two medium-grade spiritual stones could buy a fifty cubic unit storage ring.
So the man showed no surprise at the coffin on the ground. When Wang Chu asked for his opinion, he examined it briefly and nodded with satisfaction:
“Yes, this one.”
Wang Chu nodded:
“Alright. Will you take it yourself, or shall I deliver it for you?”
---
The man asked cautiously:
“You can... deliver it for me?”
Wang Chu smiled:
“Yes, anywhere within Ling City’s boundaries.”
The man bowed deeply:
“Then... thank you.”
Hearing this, Wang Chu immediately stored the coffin inside the ring, then fetched a stack of paper money from a corner of the shop:
“Please lead the way.”
The man slowly looked up at what Wang Chu held and whispered:
“What’s that...?”
“Free with the coffin purchase,” Wang Chu replied.
The man trembled slightly:
“Thank you so much, boss.”
Wang Chu shook his head:
“Heh, it’s nothing.”
The man waved his hand:
“No, only you were willing to take my business. At the other shops I visited, before I could even finish speaking, the owners had already kicked me out.”
Wang Chu said:
“Those people just don’t know how to do business.”
The man nodded slightly, then glanced at the musical instruments hanging on the wall:
“Can you play the suona?”
Wang Chu answered:
“A little.”
The man then pulled out a spiritual stone from his clothes. Though stained with dirt, the clean part shone with bright blue light.
A top-grade spiritual stone!
Even wealthy families in Ling City might not possess one.
Its value was equivalent to ten thousand mid-grade spiritual stones.
If the merchants who had refused the man earlier knew this, they would surely regret it bitterly.
“I want to ask you to play a suona piece at my mother’s grave, to send her off. Is that alright?”
Wang Chu raised his eyelids slightly and did not take the stone immediately:
“Are you sure you want to spend so much?”
The man tried to smooth his lips and lift the corners of his eyes in a smile, but failed; instead, he looked even more peculiar:
“Since my mother passed, few have shown me kindness. Meeting a boss like you is my luck. Take it... Keeping this only brings me trouble.”
Wang Chu no longer refused and took the stone:
“No wonder you didn’t show this stone at first—you feared I’d have ill intentions?”
The man did not avoid the question:
“Yes, I’ve met too many like that.”
---
Wang Chu turned to take down the suona from the wall:
“Do you want to change your mother’s coffin? The stone you gave me is enough for a better one.”
The man shook his head:
“No, just that one. These things... don’t matter. Buried in the earth, they all decay.”
Wang Chu did not press further.
“Alright, let’s go.”
The man limped behind Wang Chu:
“Okay.”
Leaving the shop, Wang Chu locked the door and asked:
“Where is your mother’s body?”
The man answered from behind:
“In... our village, Liu Family Village.”
“Liu Family Village, huh...” Wang Chu had been there before. It was about sixty or seventy miles from Ling City, requiring half a day by horse carriage.
“You came all the way from Liu Family Village?”
After locking the door, Wang Chu turned, surprised.
The man shook his body:
“Yes, it took about two and a half days on foot.”
Wang Chu sincerely admired him. The man clearly had difficulty walking, and it was the cold winter. Without strong will, he couldn’t have made it here.
“Impressive.”
The man’s mouth twitched slightly:
“Th-thank you.”
Wang Chu folded his hands behind his back and stepped forward:
“Come on, we’ll take a carriage back.”
The man hesitated:
“Maybe... I should go ahead. Two days later, you can come to the village entrance... to find me?”
Wang Chu reached out and grabbed the man’s sleeve:
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”
Wang Chu pulled the man toward the city’s carriage station.
Along the way, passersby cast disdainful and contemptuous glances at them.
The man was already used to it, but seeing Wang Chu endure the cold stares with him made him feel somewhat guilty.
He instinctively lowered his head further, wishing he could bury it in the snow.
A quarter of an hour later, they arrived at the shop.
Contrary to the man’s expectations, the owner, upon seeing him with Wang Chu, did not drive them away but instead greeted them with a broad smile:
“Oh, Boss Wang, you’re here.”