Boss An saw the arrival of two major merchants from Jinling and felt uneasy. As soon as the hammer fell, he immediately shouted, "Five hundred and fifty taels."
Young Master Dou clicked his tongue, "People from Jianghuai are really stingy. I bid eight hundred taels."
Boss An was stunned and said to the young man, "Do you even know how to do business? Who starts with such a high bid?"
Young Master Dou oozed extravagance, giving Boss An a look that said "you poor thing" and arrogantly declared, "Eight hundred taels of silver is nothing; it's not as if they're eight hundred taels of gold. What's the big fuss? The ham is worth this price. It's a rarity that's prepared once every three years, and when it reaches the Capital, it's sure to become a coveted New Year gift among the wealthy elites."
Young Master Dou had his eye on just that—the nobles in the Capital were rich and cared about face, the more precious the New Year gift, the more face they gained.
