In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 182.013. The Transaction
"Xiao Yang."

Tang Jianhong put down the teapot, leaned forward slightly, and his smile became tinged with seriousness and earnestness:

"Hongtao...I think I've already told you. Our family has been really...sigh!"

He sighed heavily, his brows furrowed, and recounted in detail, with great concern, the situation of his youngest son's persistent high fever, the helplessness of Western medicine, and the fact that traditional Chinese medicine indicated the need for rhinoceros horn to save his life. His voice was filled with a father's anxiety and helplessness.

"...That's the situation. I had no other choice but to ask around for help."

Hongtao said that your relative has some rhinoceros horn pieces passed down from their ancestors, and they are in very good condition.

This is truly... a lifeline for us!

He looked at Yang Guangming, his eyes filled with expectation and a cautious probing, "Xiao Yang, look... given the situation in our house... could it be convenient for your relatives to... transfer some of their things to me?"
I absolutely won't let you suffer any losses! Don't worry, Uncle Tang knows the rules!

He was extremely careful with his words, always avoiding sensitive words like "buy" and "sell," and only using terms like "adjust" and "help."

He acted generously, sincerely, and even with a touch of humility, adopting a very low profile.

But Yang Guangming, having seen countless people in his past life, could clearly sense the shrewdness and calculation hidden beneath the other party's gentle words—he was using the situation to intimidate people, attempting to influence price judgments with the grand cause of "saving lives."

Yang Guangming's face also showed a heavy expression of sympathy and understanding:

"Uncle Tang, I felt really sad when I heard about what happened in your house."

When a child is sick, the parents are most worried. My relatives have long said that the old folks left behind this little bit of rhinoceros horn, saying it's a treasure for clearing heat and calming the nerves, and it can be very useful in a critical moment.

"If I can help the little boy, I'm definitely willing to."

He changed the subject, his tone carrying just the right amount of embarrassment and frankness:
"However, Uncle Tang, as you know, these kinds of things were not easy to obtain in the early days, and they are even rarer now."

My relative has always kept it as a treasured possession, rarely using it.

I brought this out because Uncle Tang, you really needed it urgently, and Hongtao is my old classmate... I'll remember that favor."

He did not offer a direct price, but emphasized the preciousness of the item and the "sentiment" involved.

This not only implies that the price will not be low, but also paves the way for a possible "high price" later. At the same time, it makes it clear that the purchase was made out of respect for Wu Hongtao, thus silencing the other party's attempt to drive down the price excessively.

Tang Jianhong nodded repeatedly: "I understand! I understand! Xiaoyang, you're right. These kinds of old things are priceless! If you're willing to help, Uncle Tang will remember you for the rest of his life!"

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice: "Look... how much do you have? The old Chinese medicine doctor in my house said that after a few days of consumption, at least three grams of the medicine would be needed..."

"I brought 3.2 grams with me this time."

Yang Guangming took the small wooden box out of his pocket and gently placed it on the table, but did not open it. "It was just identified by Director Gu of Jishetang. It's Sumatran rhinoceros horn 'Tiangou Pian', and the medicinal effects are well preserved. Uncle Tang, if you trust us, you can take a look first."

Tang Jianhong stared intently at the small wooden box, his breathing quickening.

He carefully picked up the box, opened it a crack, and saw neatly arranged dark brown flakes inside. He smelled the unique, light fragrance, and his face instantly lit up with excitement and hope.

He closed the lid, clutching it tightly in his hand as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Trustworthy! Absolutely trustworthy! Director Gu is an expert; he's verified it, so there's absolutely no problem!"

He spoke repeatedly, then looked at Yang Guangming with unusual earnestness, "Xiao Yang, tell me, how...how do you plan to adjust this? What ideas do you have? As long as Uncle Tang can do it, just say the word!" Yang Guangming pondered for a moment, not directly stating the price, but instead offering a direction:
"Uncle Tang, as you know, money is still relatively easy to obtain now, but some ration coupons are really in short supply."

Our house is crowded, and we're short of everything – cloth coupons, clothing coupons, shoe coupons, and so on.

You're in charge of human resources at the Dongfang factory, so you definitely have more connections than I do.

Look, this time, I'll use your surplus coupons to offset part of the cost, and then make up the difference with cash. Isn't that convenient? Everyone gets what they need.”

He first brought up the vouchers, firstly because there was a genuine need for them, secondly because vouchers had value in the ghost market but were not as sensitive as cash, and thirdly because he was testing Tang Jianhong's "sincerity" and influence.

Tang Jianhong's eyes lit up, and he immediately patted his chest: "Convenient, absolutely convenient! I'll figure out the ration coupons. What kind of coupons do you need? How many? Just tell me!"

He appeared very generous.

Yang Guangming chuckled inwardly, knowing that the other party had taken the bait.

He began to negotiate in detail: "I need some cloth coupons. Also, I just started working, so I need a decent shirt to change into. As for leather shoes... my dad gave me one, but the rest of the family needs them too. Uncle Tang, how many can you spare?"

Tang Jianhong's mind raced. For him, vouchers were indeed easier to handle than cash, and the costs were relatively controllable.

He hesitated for a moment, then appeared very generous: "Cloth coupons... I can give you... fifteen feet! Clothing coupons, I'll give you one shirt coupon and one coat coupon! Leather shoe coupons... I happen to have one left! Is that enough for you?"

The figure he quoted was definitely a considerable "ticketing asset" in this era.

Yang Guangming quickly calculated in his mind:

A 15-foot cloth ration coupon, according to the market price at the time, was worth about 50 cents to one dollar per foot, so 15 feet would be worth 7.5 to 15 dollars.

A shirt coupon is worth about one to three dollars.

A coat ticket is worth a bit more, about two to five yuan.

A shoe ticket is worth about three to eight yuan.

The total value of these tickets is approximately between fourteen and thirty-one dollars.

Tang Jianhong clearly intended to use these relatively easy-to-obtain and low-cost vouchers to offset a significant portion of the expensive cash.

Yang Guangming said calmly, "Uncle Tang, you're too kind! These tickets are a real lifesaver for our family! However..."

He changed the subject slightly, a little embarrassed, "Director Gu also mentioned during his appraisal that Sumatran rhinoceros horn slices of this quality are extremely rare."

Right now, the market price is around 100 to 150 yuan per gram.

My relatives told me that we shouldn't waste the things passed down from our elders, but we also shouldn't ask for exorbitant prices.

Look... 120 yuan per gram, Uncle Tang, can you accept this price?

That adds up to 3.2 grams, totaling 384 pieces.

He paused briefly, then his face showed a more genuine expression of "concession":
"Give me these valuable tickets and I'll give you a high price... thirty-five dollars, okay?"
The remaining 349 yuan will be paid in cash. Do you think this arrangement is feasible?

(End of this chapter)