Cheng Ying said this, truly uncertain, her voice trembling slightly. After opening her mouth for a while, she finally managed, "I couldn't bear to part with it, so I cut off the tiger's head. To keep a memory."

The old doctor exclaimed, "Oh my, there's still the tiger's head? That’s marred the beauty!"

Then he picked up the tiger skin. It wasn't a recent piece; it had clearly only been cut off not long ago.

He smacked his lips with heartache, "Girl, this really lessens its value. With the tiger head still attached, how much more money could you have gotten for it?"

Cheng Ying murmured, "It's still a keepsake, it's just that..." and stopped speaking.

The middle-aged woman asked, "Little girl, have you found a buyer for this thing?"

Cheng Ying shook her head. "Neither of us has found anyone willing to trade skins for it."

The old doctor chimed in, "Well, of course, you wouldn't find one easily. But if you were to trade this for skins, you two children would definitely be at a disadvantage."

Out on the bustling streets, in such a simple setting, how many truly good people are there?

Cheng Ying pleaded, "Uncle, where can I go to buy them?"

The middle-aged woman finally couldn't hold back, "Little girl, how about this: Can you sell this thing to me?"

Cheng Ying thought to herself, I’m desperate, and only now are you speaking up? You’re so inconsiderate.

Chi Wu let out a breath of relief; they finally found a buyer. Cheng Ying quickly responded, "If you're buying, that would be wonderful! We’ve been worrying about how to gather the money and couldn't find a place to sell things."

The woman nodded to the man who was leaning on her, steadying his waist. "Little girl, name your price."

They couldn't be the ones to speak first, she thought, or they'd be taking advantage of children.

This was why Cheng Ying preferred dealing with educated people; look at their reluctance to profit unfairly, always possessing a certain air of aloofness.

Cheng Ying asked, "How much is this thing worth?"

As soon as these words left her mouth, everyone in the room fell silent. So the young girl didn't know the price?

They all turned to look at the old doctor. The old doctor thought, So I’ve ended up as an intermediary? This feeling of being trusted, it’s the first time it’s caused me such a sharp pang of regret. "This... is hard to say. This item is essentially priceless. Many rare people seek them, but few people offer them for sale."

In those days, such items were scarce. Of course, back then, tiger skins weren't something just anyone possessed.

And also, Cheng Ying wondered if there was an animal protection law yet.

In a few more years, carrying this thing around would be practically illegal.

The middle-aged woman grew a little impatient. "Otherwise, shall we find someone to ask the price?"

He doesn't want to take advantage. If the person carrying the item were an adult, we could haggle a bit. But since the seller is a child, not only can we not offer less, we should offer more. Besides, they seem to need the money urgently.

The old doctor mumbled, "It's truly hard to say; it doesn't align with my trade."

Different professions—understandable.

Cheng Ying also grew anxious. She had no idea how much this thing was worth.

Cheng Ying knew that in the future, possessing a tiger skin could earn you ten years in prison, and the skin itself was worth more than a live tiger. From this, she knew a single tiger skin must be incredibly valuable. But in the present moment, Cheng Ying was completely in the dark. She had no clear idea what constituted 'a large sum' in these times, though becoming a 'household with ten thousand yuan' was certainly achievable.

But she couldn't scare them away, either; after all, no one would bankrupt themselves just to play with such an item. It was hard to gauge the right measure, especially since she couldn't discern the couple’s actual wealth or what they could bear financially.

Sometimes Cheng Ying regretted it—items like this would become impossible to sell later. But someone on the verge of starvation shouldn't be searching for treasures; that would mean their mindset was flawed.

Steel your heart, buy it then.

Chi Wu was anxious and was about to blurt out, "Five hundred yuan will do!"

The man beside him watched Chi Wu’s face; everything was readable there, as Chi Wu’s expression was too transparent. Children don’t know how to conceal their emotions.

"Does the child urgently need money? Is your grandfather perhaps unwell?"

Cheng Ying thought, Not all educated people are trustworthy. Listen to that—if I were just an eleven-year-old girl, wouldn't I have been tricked into revealing everything?

Cheng Ying remained thoughtful, not speaking. The woman grew impatient. "Little girl, why don't you name a price?"

Cheng Ying looked at the couple. How much money should I ask for? It would show my incompetence if I didn't try to get a good price, but it would be humiliating if I let them swindle me.

The old doctor surveyed the four of them. It was fate that brought them together, and besides, the little girl was in his shop. "Alright, this old man will act as a mediator. This item is valuable—you could say it's priceless; you can't buy one even if you have the money. But the little girl needs money; she’s here to exchange it for cash. How about this: if you aren't in a terrible hurry, I'll go outside and find someone to inquire about the price for you? That way, neither side loses out. What do you think?"

Cheng Ying was reluctant. Whether it was the tiger skin itself or the money exchanged for it, she and Chi Wu had something highly coveted. There were too many bad people; she had to be wary. It was best if they could resolve this privately without involving outsiders.

The couple was even more unwilling. If the news of this tiger skin got out, regardless of the exact amount, they might have trouble acquiring it themselves.

The woman felt the tiger skin would certainly be more useful than some nonsensical thing.

Cheng Ying said nothing, and the couple remained silent.

The old doctor declared, "It’s settled then. I'll take a trip out and ask around for you."

Cheng Ying watched the woman, who still hadn't uttered a word. She sighed inwardly. There are many people who spend money without valuing life. Let it be a loss; she had to take the lead.

She decisively called the old man back. "Uncle, there's no need for such trouble. Since Auntie is willing to help my brother and me, I am grateful."

The way she phrased it elevated the opposing couple to a different level. We aren't just buying a tiger skin here; we are performing a good deed, helping people.

The man stopped stalling. "Little girl, since you put it that way, I'll speak plainly. Uncle only seeks to keep a clear conscience and certainly won't mislead you. As you can see, my waist has some issues, and I’ve used many folk remedies. We even have a dog-skin quilt at home. Your auntie saw this kind of thing at someone else's house and has kept thinking about it, wondering if it would be effective. We were just going to try it out. I heard this tiger skin, with the head attached, could fetch over ten thousand yuan at auction. Although the head doesn't take up much space, the person buying it surely isn't seeking a quilt like Uncle is."

Cheng Ying understood this. Having the tiger head made a difference; it wasn't the same as not having it. Just like the same piece of jade—one carved with a dragon is not the same as one carved with a bitter wild vegetable.

At the same time, her heart leaped at the mention of the price; her heart was practically pounding out of her chest. If Cheng Ying only felt her heart pound, Chi Wu felt his feet growing hot. He had heard of so much money but never seen it—what kind of number was that? Oh my heavens. His mouth hung open, never quite closing.

Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu; So embarrassing, deeply embarrassing, her eyes cool, trying hard to appear different from him.

The man observed the children’s reactions, thinking that as long as he was acting according to his conscience, it was enough.

The old man beside them nodded too; that price was genuine. To say he didn't know would be a lie, but as a seasoned observer who had lived most of his life, he had no reason to say anything hurtful. He couldn't gauge the intentions of the couple opposite him, so he hadn't spoken much, hence his pretense of going out to investigate.

Cheng Ying said, "Uncle, just tell us. For the two of us, whatever the place that buys skins says is what we’ll accept. We never considered it would be this valuable."

This comment flattered them even more. Chi Wu nodded along, his enthusiasm completely genuine.

The man’s cheeks flushed slightly. I’m eagerly being praised here, rushing to pay a high price for something, and it feels genuinely uncomfortable. Why didn’t an adult come out from our family? This was the man’s true feeling.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Your tiger skin, even without the head, could still fetch eight thousand yuan if many people compete for it."

Cheng Ying thought to herself, This man is exaggerating. With the head, it’s a tiger skin; without the head, it’s just a tiger-skin rug.

Indeed, the man continued, "But Uncle wants to buy it, and I don't have that much money. Little girl, if you’re willing, I only have five thousand yuan here."

The woman chimed in, "The people who can afford that much money aren't that numerous."

Cheng Ying understood this better than he did. Finding someone willing to pay eight thousand would be difficult. This couple was a stroke of luck. To put it plainly, if she had met someone poor, she would have accepted three thousand—she needed the money, after all. Moreover, they had initially approached her aiming for five hundred.

Chi Wu frowned. It was just ten thousand a moment ago, and now it dropped to eight thousand? The devaluation rate was too fast.

Cheng Ying felt that being able to sell it for five thousand, despite the loss, was still fortunate. "Deal. Thank you, Uncle, for being willing to lend a hand."

Her words were beautifully framed. The man nodded, feeling righteous himself. Never mind that the buyers were children; even if it were an adult, they would be taking advantage of the situation to get it cheaper. Since he hadn't done so, it showed his noble character.

The old doctor even gave a thumbs-up, not hesitating to offer praise at this moment. "Noble conduct!"

Chi Wu didn't understand. So you get to buy my family’s property for several thousand yuan cheaper, and you even gain a good reputation?

The woman said, "Little girl, please wait here for a moment. This is too much money; I'll go to the savings bank to withdraw it."

Cheng Ying was no longer in a hurry. As long as it was sold, that was fine. No one would be walking around with five thousand yuan in cash—it wasn't that kind of era.

Cheng Ying nodded. "Auntie, take your time." But inside, the five thousand yuan felt scalding hot against her.

Chi Wu was even more restless, pacing circles on the floor.

The man stood up. "I'll go with you to get the money."

Cheng Ying didn't pay much attention at the time. Although she knew five thousand yuan was a lot for this period, she hadn't truly grasped how much.

The old doctor understood. While there might not be many bad people, perhaps none at all, caution was still necessary. With that much money being withdrawn, it was safer to have a man accompany them.

Only Cheng Ying, Chi Wu, and the old doctor remained in the room, idling. The old doctor broke the silence. "Little girl, where are you from?"

Cheng Ying replied, "The next village over."

The old doctor smiled. Accents change every ten li. Although the girl’s accent sounded more like an adult from a big city, her clothes didn't match, and besides, the boy beside her spoke with a thick local dialect.

She’s being guarded against me, the old man thought, smiling. A child capable of bringing out a tiger skin couldn't be simple. If they were simple, their family wouldn't let them go out alone.

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying, remaining silent, implicitly agreeing that they were from the next village. Then he looked up and asked the doctor, "Uncle, where are those two people from? Do you know them?"

The old man looked at Chi Wu. This child didn't seem like a bad person; he probably wasn't plotting to steal the tiger skin back.