Chapter 66: The Mysterious Man in the Bamboo Hat

"Much obliged! Thank you all for showing mercy, I, Guo, express my sincere gratitude here."

Guo Wanqian stood up with a cheerful smile, cupped his fists toward the crowd present, and spoke politely.

"Let us once again congratulate the guest holding number eighty-eight. I wonder if the guest would like to taste it right here on the spot, or take it home after the auction concludes."

After offering his congratulations once again, Liu Ruifeng turned his head and asked Guo Wanqian.

"Hahaha, eating it right here will be just fine."

Guo Wanqian did not hesitate and replied with the same cheerful smile.

Following Guo Wanqian's words, Tang Wu soon walked out from the back kitchen carrying a clay pot.

"Please enjoy your meal."

Coming to Guo Wanqian's table, Tang Wu set down the medicinal meal and said honestly.

"Thank you, little brother."

Guo Wanqian expressed his thanks. Once Tang Wu had walked away, he began to earnestly taste the medicinal meal amidst the envious gazes of the crowd.

The Ten-All Great Replenishing Porridge was by no means limited to healing properties alone; even its flavor belonged to the absolute top tier.

Inhaling the lingering fragrance that permeated the restaurant and watching Guo Wanqian devour his food with ravenous hunger, everyone present could not help but swallow hard.

"I say, Brother Liu, shouldn't we put another portion of medicinal meal up for auction now? Seeing Boss Guo eating so deliciously, the rest of us are getting rather impatient!"

At that moment, a robust young man raised his voice and laughed.

"That's right, that's right! Hurry up and get started!"

"Watching Boss Guo eat like that makes our mouths water too much!"

Liu Ruifeng smiled, cupped his fists toward the crowd, and then spoke in a ringing voice.

"Since everyone is so enthusiastic, Liu will spare no further words. Let us begin the bidding for tonight's second portion of medicinal meal. The starting bid is..."

As time passed by, several more portions of medicinal meal were sold successively, but the winning bids generally hovered between one hundred and thirty and one hundred and forty taels, never reaching the peak price of one hundred and fifty taels again.

"For tonight's thirteenth portion of medicinal meal, the guest holding number forty-two has bid one hundred and thirty-five taels of silver! Is anyone else willing to raise the bid?"

Liu Ruifeng swept his gaze across the crowd, the excitement in his tone not diminishing in the slightest, and his voice remaining as enthusiastic as it had been at the very beginning.

"Much obliged! Much obliged!"

This guest holding number forty-two was a refined-looking middle-aged man. Seeing that no one had placed a bid for a long time, he assumed victory was already within his grasp, stood up immediately, and cupped his fists to the crowd with a smile.

"One hundred and thirty-five taels of silver, going once! Is no one raising the bid? This is today's thirteenth portion of medicinal meal; if you fail to win it today, you will have to wait until tomorrow!"

Liu Ruifeng called out the price and, seeing no response, felt a silent sense of helplessness. Just as he was about to finalize the sale at this price,

a moderate voice suddenly rang out from a corner of the restaurant.

"This humble person bids one hundred and forty taels of silver!"

Hearing this voice, everyone present froze in astonishment. After all, the refined middle-aged man had already stood up to acknowledge his victory; in such circumstances, if one did not wish to offend others, they ought not to have made a bid.

Especially the refined middle-aged man himself—the smile on his face vanished on the spot, and his expression turned so unsightly that it seemed water could be wrung from it.

"Very well! This guest holding number twenty-seven has called out a price of one hundred and forty taels. I wonder if anyone else wishes to raise the bid?"

Liu Ruifeng cared nothing for such nuances. Seeing someone enter the bidding, he hurriedly shouted with excitement.

The crowd looked toward the direction from which the voice came, only to see a man dressed in white robes and wearing a bamboo rain hat, holding a cup of green tea and sipping it leisurely.

Seeing the man's attire, the refined middle-aged man furrowed his brows and cast an unfriendly glare at the rain-hatted man.

The rain-hatted man's action just now could almost be considered a deliberate provocation. Since the refined middle-aged man was a person of some standing and reputation, he naturally could not swallow this insult.

"Brother, was your action just now rather lacking in sportsmanship?"

The refined middle-aged man cupped his fists and questioned the rain-hatted man.

Taking another leisurely sip of the clear tea in his hand, the rain-hatted man replied in a calm and unhurried tone.

"What lack of sportsmanship? If you don't have the money, sit down and stop making a fool of yourself in front of everyone!"

"You! Very well, very well, very well! It seems this brother is determined to make things difficult for me! Then let us see whose pockets are deeper!"

Seeing how impolitely the rain-hatted man spoke, the refined middle-aged man stared wide-eyed, and just as he was about to say something, he glanced around his surroundings.

Seeing the spectators' expressions of eager anticipation, the refined middle-aged man steadied his mind, let out a cold snort, turned around, raised his bidding plaque high, and shouted toward the stage.

"This humble person bids one hundred and fifty taels of silver!"

"Good heavens! The guest holding number forty-two has bid one hundred and fifty taels! Are there any other takers wishing to continue the bidding?"

Liu Ruifeng feigned an expression of utter astonishment, maximizing the emotional tension of the moment.

"One hundred and sixty taels!"

As soon as Liu Ruifeng's words fell, the rain-hatted man's unhurried voice rang out once again.

"One hundred and seventy taels!"

The refined middle-aged man's gaze grew even colder; without waiting for Liu Ruifeng to speak, he directly shouted his counteroffer.

"Raising it by ten taels at a time is quite boring! I bid two hundred taels of silver!"

The rain-hatted man finally put down his teacup, turned his head to stare at the refined middle-aged man, and spoke in a flat voice.

"I will accompany you to the very end! I bid two hundred and fifty taels of silver!"

The middle-aged man was not someone lacking in wealth either. A mere few hundred taels of silver were not enough to trouble him, so he immediately followed up with a higher bid.

"Three hundred taels!"

"Three hundred and fifty taels!"

Right under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two men in the arena acted as if they were locked in a stubborn contest of wills. With back-and-forth remarks, the price rapidly escalated to five hundred taels of silver.

Seeing this situation, the refined middle-aged man's expression grew increasingly grim. Although money was not an issue for him, he had no desire to be taken for a complete fool.

Yet, the pent-up anger burning in his heart was truly impossible to swallow.

"One final bid. If I still cannot secure it after this, I will let it go."

Thinking of this, the refined middle-aged man's gaze turned resolute. He raised his plaque high once more and shouted aloud.

"I bid six hundred taels of silver!"

After uttering those words, the refined middle-aged man fixed his glare squarely on the rain-hatted man, eager to see his reaction.

As for the rain-hatted man, he seemed genuinely startled by the astronomical price. He lowered his head in thought for a brief moment, then shook his head, picked up his cup of clear tea, and remained silent.

"Six hundred taels, going three times! Sold! Let us congratulate the guest holding number forty-two for successfully securing this thirteenth portion of medicinal meal."

Liu Ruifeng was inwardly overjoyed. Seeing that the rain-hatted man remained silent, he was not greedy and directly announced the conclusion.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

Warm applause rang out across the hall once again. Although everyone felt the price of the medicinal meal was somewhat exorbitant, they could not help but admire the middle-aged man's financial strength.

Meanwhile, a smile finally bloomed on the refined middle-aged man's face. Listening to the congratulatory remarks from his close friends nearby, he felt his prestige had greatly increased and repeatedly replied,

"You are too kind, everyone is far too kind! It is merely a trifling sum of money!"

Amidst the applause of the crowd, the middle-aged man naturally chose to enjoy his medicinal meal right there in the restaurant.

Sitting on the second floor and watching the entire spectacle unfold below, Shen Xuan observed the rain-hatted man quietly sipping his tea, a subtle curve quietly forming at the corner of his lips.