A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

The vendors who set up stalls here were mostly older folks. For them, it was less about making money and more about staving off loneliness. Of course, there was no shortage of people selling fakes to make a profit, especially with the recent influx of tourists to town. Plenty of visitors came to the antique and second-hand stalls to try their luck. When everyone saw Seraphina Sterling arrive, they all greeted her warmly. Clearly, she was a very familiar face.

"Seraphina, come over, come over! I just got these in from the countryside. Take a look and see if there’s anything you like. If you spot something, I’ll give you a good price."

Seraphina Sterling glanced over the stall. The owner hadn’t been lying; there were indeed many new items that weren’t there before.

Even though Summer had been here many times, she didn’t have Seraphina Sterling’s keen eye and couldn’t discern the true value of these items. In her eyes, things could only be described as either pretty or not pretty.

"Sir, how much is this pendant?" Summer asked, pointing to a creamy-white, crescent-moon-shaped pendant she had taken an immediate liking to.

"You’ve got a good eye, young lady! This is made of real ivory! I’m the only one on this whole street who has one! Seeing as you’re young, I’ll give you a good price!" As he spoke, Mr. Adler held up his hand to show the number five.

"Five dollars! I’ll take it!" Summer said, pulling five coins out of her pocket.

"You’re a kidder, young lady. It’s fifty dollars, not five!" Mr. Adler said, still smiling cheerfully.

"Fifty?" Startled, Summer immediately put the pendant down. She’d never bought anything that expensive before!

Seraphina Sterling glanced at the so-called ivory pendant. It was indeed made of real ivory, and the price was fair. But in a small place like Tollan, not everyone could afford to spend that much on a pendant. Seraphina noticed Summer’s lingering, reluctant gaze but didn’t say anything.

"Mr. Adler, this inkstone looks interesting." Even someone as calm and composed as Seraphina Sterling couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement upon seeing it.

"Good eye! That’s a new piece I just got in yesterday!" Chase Adler was still smiling cheerfully. ’Looks like I’m making another sale today.’

Once an item was selected, it was time to haggle over the price using hand signals. Even in a small town like this, they still had their customs.

Chase Adler was blunt. "500!"

"200!" Seraphina Sterling shot back, cutting the price by more than half.

"300!" Chase Adler’s expression soured. ’It’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone drive such a hard bargain.’

"180!" Seraphina Sterling replied with a faint smile, knocking another 20 off.

Chase Adler was really feeling the pinch. ’I only spent thirty dollars on this inkstone,’ he thought. ’I figured since she’s young and has been buying a lot lately, she must be some rich kid. I never expected her to be such a ruthless haggler!’ Worried that Seraphina Sterling would drop the price even further, Chase Adler reluctantly agreed to 180.

"Mr. Adler, look, I’ve already spent so much money at your stall. How about I add another twenty, and you can just sell me that ivory pendant?" Seraphina Sterling flashed a cute smile, her dimples showing.

Chase Adler could only shake his head with a wry smile. He sold both the inkstone and the pendant to Seraphina Sterling for 200, and she immediately gave the pendant to Summer.

Who would have known that just moments after the two had left, Willow Hale would arrive at the stall, dragging Philip Hale along with her.

"Dad, the inkstone I saw here just now! It’s exactly the same as the one in the photo!"