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墨書 Inktalez
I smiled. Nowadays, even the monks in the temples are fake; how could there be any genuine rituals for the deceased? Moreover, as I passed by the car, I could sense the immense Yin Qi emanating from within. It seemed that the couple had died unwillingly. Normally, unless someone possesses considerable spiritual power, it would be impossible to help them move on.
However, it’s also possible that the car owner really knows some powerful monk.
I didn’t pay much attention; after all, it was someone else's business. After wandering around for a while without finding anything satisfactory, I sighed and decided to come back later.
At that moment, the owner of the BMW came over and honked twice. He stopped beside me, rolled down his window, and asked if I was looking to buy a used car.
I replied that I was, and he continued, "I heard from people here that you’ve come several times without finding anything you liked. I just bought this car, and I have a 1998 Passat at home that no one drives. It’s six thousand dollars; do you want it?"
I calculated in my mind; a 1998 car is already nine years old now. Selling it for six thousand isn’t exactly expensive, but it’s not cheap either. However, this price was slightly higher than I expected. Hesitating for a moment, I tried to say, "I only have five thousand dollars on me; I really can’t afford more since I'm still a student and my family can only give me this much..."
"Alright, since you seem like an honest guy, let’s go with five thousand. It’s just a thousand difference," he interrupted me directly and opened the car door. "Come on, get in. I'll take you to see it now; maybe you'll drive it home later."
Since he was indeed a used car owner, I wasn’t worried about being scammed. I got into the car and looked around; it felt quite good. If I could buy this car for twelve thousand, it would be quite a steal.
The owner was very talkative. He introduced himself as Mr. Wen and mentioned that his family runs a supply business, delivering goods to various restaurants. In earlier years, he bought vans because they were practical for transporting both people and goods. Later on, when he had some money, he bought a second-hand Passat.
Mr. Wen said he liked used cars because they offer great value for money; often for the same price, one can buy a much better model than a new car. So after getting tired of his old Passat, he thought about coming here to find another good one. And lo and behold, he really found one.
Seeing him so pleased and proud, considering we were about to finalize a deal on the vehicle, I kindly reminded him: "This car isn’t exactly clean; you should be cautious. I heard you’re looking for monks in temples to chant prayers? That probably won’t do much good and will cost quite a bit too. With that one or two thousand dollars, you might as well hire an Ajan from Thailand to help."
Mr. Wen didn’t know what an Ajan was, so I explained that it’s a Thai master similar to our monks here but with much stronger abilities; they make a living solving such problems unlike domestic temples which mainly rely on donation boxes.
Mr. Wen seemed somewhat displeased and said, "You’re young; why do you have to be so Westernized? Are foreign monks not monks anymore? They’re all monks; what’s the difference? You guys really are just like people say—always thinking the grass is greener on the other side!"
Seeing that he didn't like to hear such words, I decided to keep quiet.
To be honest, the BMW looks great, but sitting in it is just average; it can't compare to the comfort of that big business vehicle.
Soon after, we arrived at a vegetable market. Boss Wen's driving skills were indeed impressive; he managed to navigate through such a narrow entrance filled with vendors, twisting and turning while occasionally poking his head out to greet people. I was on edge in the car, fearing he might accidentally run someone over.
Finally, we reached our destination, and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Boss Wen's shop was located in the center of the market. It wasn't very large, just two storefronts. Inside, various prepared ingredients and raw materials were piled up, and two vehicles were parked at the entrance. One was a small van with a man and a woman loading goods onto it. The other one was probably the Passat he mentioned.
It looked a bit old, and as I got closer, I could smell a strong odor of materials. Boss Wen chuckled and said that a few years ago when business started picking up, sometimes the small van couldn't deliver on time. Not wanting to buy another vehicle just for deliveries, he ended up getting this one. When there was nothing to do, he would take it for a spin; when there was work, he would use it for deliveries. Over time, it might have accumulated some odors.
He reassured me that the car was in good condition, even though it had gone through three previous owners before reaching me; both the interior and exterior were well maintained. I climbed inside to take a look; it was indeed decent, though the seats were a bit worn out. However, that wasn't a big deal; reupholstering with genuine leather wouldn't cost much. Besides, for a used car, the most important thing is its condition.
Honestly, buying this car for fifty thousand yuan is quite a good deal. Just so you know, even those older Santana models still sell for ten to twenty thousand or even more in the second-hand market.
In that era, Volkswagen was undoubtedly the most trusted car brand in the eyes of Chinese consumers.
Boss Wen was a shrewd businessman; he could tell from my expression that I was interested. He immediately said that as long as I was willing to take over, he would have someone clean both the interior and exterior of the car. While it might not be like new, at least it would help dissipate most of the odors.
After considering for a moment, I decided to agree. Boss Wen was very pleased and even offered me ten kilograms of fresh chili peppers.
I laughed and said, "Selling it for fifty thousand yuan—don't you think that's a loss?"
Boss Wen replied, "What loss? Both of my shops are rented. The homeowner wants to move to Shanghai with his child and plans to sell them for cash. Since I've been working here for many years and have a good relationship with him, he's willing to sell them to me at ten percent below market price. But the condition is that I must pay in full within a month; time is running out now, and I'm short fifty thousand yuan. So as long as you buy today, I can purchase these two shops today! In that case, I'm still making a profit."
I was taken aback; I hadn't expected him to have this plan in mind. These two shops in the center of the market are worth several tens of thousands at least with that ten percent discount. He wasn't losing out at all, but neither was I—it seemed like a win-win situation.
Thus, Boss Wen personally drove the Passat around with me so I could feel its condition while also taking it for a wash and cleaning the interior. He turned out to be quite an honest businessman who didn't try to deceive anyone. Therefore, I didn't hesitate and handed him fifty thousand yuan directly.
Since it was still early, Boss Wen took me directly to transfer the ownership. After we finished, he smiled and shook my hand, saying, "If you ever need materials at home, just come to me; they're good quality and reasonably priced!"
I smiled back and said, "If you encounter any strange problems that can't be solved, feel free to find me. My family runs an Amulet business, and I know many Thai High Monks and practitioners; we never deceive anyone!"
We both laughed heartily, satisfied with the deal.
Driving home in the Passat, my grandmother and parents were quite surprised. Especially my parents; they thought my car purchase was too sudden. At such a young age, what would happen if I ran into trouble on the road? Fortunately, my grandmother was more understanding. She said that the child has grown up and will earn money on their own; they can buy whatever they want. As long as it's not immoral, why worry so much?
I happily hugged my grandmother and said, "You're the best! Come on, let’s go for a drive and enjoy the romance that only a Western Style Lady can have!"
My grandmother laughed and playfully scolded me while waving her hand as if to hit me.
Having a car meant I enjoyed driving around aimlessly during my free time. Just wanting to drive without any particular destination. Anyone who has just started driving knows that when you don't have a car, you desperately want one; once you have it, you just want to drive it all the time. After a while, even if you were offered money, you might not want to drive anymore.
Before long, summer vacation was completely over, and it was time to go back to school.
Unknowingly, I was already in my junior year. Thinking about being a "second-generation" young adult made me feel inexplicably sad. To shake off my negative emotions, I decided to drive to school—keeping a low profile while living high!
Just halfway there, I suddenly received a phone call. It was Boss Wen calling. At first, I was a bit confused, wondering which Boss Wen it was. Then I remembered he was the previous owner of the car beneath me.
On the phone, Boss Wen chatted with me for a few minutes, asking how I was enjoying the car and if everything was okay. He also wondered why I hadn't come by to buy any materials yet. I felt like my brain was in a fog; the market was so far from my home—was it worth running over there for no reason? Eventually, Boss Wen seemed unable to hold back and hesitantly asked where he could find an Ajan.
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