Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the parlor clock struck eleven times—it was already eleven in the morning.
"Is Hogg here?" A clear voice rang out. The Baruch Family residence had no gatekeeper, and this guest had clearly already made his way to the front courtyard.
Hogg furrowed his brow and set down the thick book in his hands. "Lin Lei, that's enough for today." Then he forced a smile and walked out of the parlor.
"Oh, Hogg, my dear friend! That morning, when I heard the call of the Brocade Bird, I knew some joyful news was coming. Sure enough, at noon, I received your letter. Reading it made me so happy!"
"Dear Philip, I'm delighted to see you as well. Hillman, quickly bring over the stone sculpture 'Fierce Lion' that I prepared. Philip, come, let's go to the parlor. The sculpture will be here shortly."
Hearing the conversation, Lin Lei felt a pang in his heart.
*Are we selling another family heirloom?* he thought. He knew that the stone sculpture 'Fierce Lion' was one his father cherished dearly. But the Baruch Family, who did not impose heavy taxes on Wushan Town, was now in severe financial difficulty.
Fortunately, the Baruch Family was very old, and due to its age, it possessed many items with long histories.
But no matter how many items there were, they couldn't withstand being sold off year after year. Now, very few valuable items remained in the household. Lin Lei couldn't help but glance at the parlor clock. *I wonder when this clock will have to be sold as well.*
He saw a middle-aged man with long, golden hair and an aristocratic air entering the parlor alongside Hogg. Lin Lei immediately guessed that this golden-haired man must be that "Philip."
"Oh, this lovely boy must be your son, Hogg." Philip smiled warmly, looking at Lin Lei. "Lin Lei Baruch, is that right? May I call you Lin Lei?"
"It is an honor, sir." Lin Lei placed his left hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"What a charming child." Philip seemed quite pleased.
Hogg chuckled from the side. "Philip, stop teasing the child. The stone sculpture 'Fierce Lion' you've been dreaming of has arrived." As he spoke, Hillman entered the parlor, holding a stone lion sculpture lightly in both hands, then set it gently on the ground.
The sculpture weighed nearly a thousand jin, yet it was like a toy in Hillman's hands—a testament to his strength.
"Mr. Hillman, your skill is astonishing. In my manor, I don't have a guard captain as powerful as you, even though I hold fiefdom over twelve towns." Philip smiled, but his words carried a very obvious intention of inviting Hillman to his service.
Hillman replied coldly, "Wushan Town is my home, sir."
"My apologies." Philip immediately retracted his offer.
Philip turned back to Hogg. "Hogg, although I quite like this sculpture, I must say the carving technique of this 'Fierce Lion' isn't top-tier, let alone comparable to the works of master sculptors."
"Philip, if you don't wish to purchase it, then forget about it." Hogg was blunt.
Philip's eyes narrowed slightly, then he laughed. "Haha... Hogg, don't be angry. I'm not saying I don't want to buy it, just stating a fact. How about this—I offer 500 gold coins for the sculpture. What do you say?"
"500 gold coins?" Hogg frowned.
The price was much lower than he had anticipated; his internal estimate had been 800 gold coins.
On the Yulan Continent, 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 1000 copper coins. An ordinary commoner might earn twenty or thirty gold coins in a year of work. Even a soldier in the army, a regular private, received only about 100 gold coins annually as pay.
"The price is too low," Hogg said, shaking his head.
"Hogg, you should know that across the entire Yulan Continent, there are countless stone sculptures with a ten-thousand-year history. The true value of a sculpture lies in its artistry. As for this one's artistry... heh, it's merely because I personally have a fondness for it. 500 gold coins is truly my highest offer. If you don't agree, then let's just forget it."