Chapter 67: Guests at the Woodcarving Shop
Lin Zhihao sat inside the woodcarving shop while a few elderly men strolled around, hands behind their backs, inspecting everything.
He pressed his lips together, feeling a bit anxious.
Their shop had gone viral online for a while, attracting many curious visitors. But once the novelty wore off, foot traffic dropped significantly.
Now, the store had a few dozen people inside — the busiest it had been in a while.
Most of today’s visitors were older men, all dressed smartly, like retired elites.
Previously, people would take one look at the prices of the carvings and scoff, assuming the shop would shut down soon. But these older gentlemen were carefully examining the craftsmanship.
Two of them stared into a display case at a bracelet, muttering to each other.
“Is this golden-thread nanmu?”
“Looks like it, but… something feels off.”
“Young man, what kind of wood is this?”
Lin Zhihao pointed to a sign. “Classified.”
The elderly man chuckled. “You don’t actually know either, do you?”
Lin Zhihao laughed awkwardly. “Senior, you mentioned golden-thread nanmu — what’s so special about it?”
Apparently excited to talk about his area of expertise, the elder launched into an explanation:
“There’s a lot to say. Golden-thread nanmu is categorized by grade, based on appearance and content.”
First-grade collectible: 90–100% golden-thread content, over 1,000 years old, with excellent luster. Under strong light, the threads should shimmer. Common patterns include ripple, phoenix tail, golden chrysanthemum, gentian, and colorful cloud. If the pattern is highly consistent or rich, it may qualify as a ‘unique specimen,’ which is very rare — all beads must come from the same piece of wood to ensure continuous pattern flow.
Second-grade: 80–90% golden-thread content, at least 800 years old. Visibly attractive under light, with patterns like old black tiger, golden tiger, key pattern, or water bubble.
Third-grade: 70–80% content, aged 300–800 years. Patterns are less uniform, only faintly shimmering under light. Common patterns are basic ripple and scenic mountain shapes.
Ordinary-grade (also known as ‘bulk goods’): Below 70% content, under 300 years old, with chaotic or poor texture. Under normal light, golden-thread patterns are barely visible. Common patterns include simple thread, plaid, and mountain lines.
Lin Zhihao stared at the man. “There’s that much detail to it? You must be an expert!”
“Haha, not really. But since you work in a woodcarving shop, you should know some of this.”
Lin nodded. “You’re right. So what grade would you say this bracelet is?”
The elder rolled his eyes. “This bracelet of yours probably isn’t golden-thread nanmu at all.”
Lin Zhihao: …
But the elder thought to himself: Even if it’s not golden-thread nanmu, the pattern and texture are just as good.
“Young man, wrap up these bracelets in the case for me.”
Lin blinked. “You want all of them?”
“Old Zhang, you’re hoarding them? That’s not fair—split them with me.”
Lin Zhihao: … The bracelets are priced at 8,888 yuan each! Not 8.88! And you’re fighting over them? Well, go ahead — the more they fight, the better it is for our business…
Just a few days ago, Lin Zhihao had sold a longevity-themed wood carving online for 3.88 million yuan.
The customer who bought it had asked for the shop’s physical address, saying they wanted to visit in person and maybe buy more.
Lin Zhihao thought they were joking — but they really showed up. With a whole group.
“Grandpa, this ‘Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea’ piece looks amazing,” a young woman in a red dress said.
Lin Zhihao’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Is someone finally buying the Eight Immortals carving?
That piece was priced at 8.88 million yuan. When Brother Feng first set the price, Lin Zhihao assumed the carving would sit in the shop forever.
“Young man, what wood is this made of?” someone asked.
Lin Zhihao pointed at the banner and said, “The material is confidential.”
A woman in high heels snorted. “Confidential again? You don’t even know what the material is, do you?”
Lin Zhihao lowered his head, his face turning even redder.
The woman looked at him and immediately saw through his guilty conscience. “There are so many wood carvings in this shop—do you even know what any of them are made of?”
Lin Zhihao: “… Seems like I don’t know any of them.”
“Alright, Yaya, if he says it’s confidential, then just let it be,” said an elderly man.
Li Ya frowned and muttered, “Fine.”
“Little brother, do your shop’s items really have no discount at all?” asked Elder Li.
Lin Zhihao bit his lip, unsure how to respond. The prices had been casually set by Brother Feng, and they weren’t completely non-negotiable… but he didn’t have the authority to offer discounts!
After a moment’s hesitation, he said helplessly, “No discounts.”
Li Ya smirked. “Your shop sure has personality.” Many shops had a no-bargaining policy, but in most cases, prices could still be discussed.
Lin Zhihao thought to himself: Next time Brother Feng comes by, I really should ask if we can offer discounts for VIP customers.
Li Ya smiled and said, “Forget it—just wrap it up for me.”
Lin Zhihao looked at her in surprise. “You’re really going to buy it?”
“Of course. You have it on display to sell it, don’t you?” Li Ya asked.
Lin Zhihao smiled. “Of course! Even though this piece is our shop’s signature item, it’s still for sale. I’ll get it wrapped for you.”
“Oh? This is your shop’s signature piece?” Li Ya asked with interest.
Lin Zhihao nodded. “Yes.”
“Why is it the signature piece?”
Lin Zhihao: …Because it’s the most expensive?
Seeing his flustered expression, Li Ya laughed teasingly. “Never mind, just ring me up.”
Li Ya was the same customer who had previously purchased the “Longevity Blessing” wood carving online for 3.88 million yuan. As the sole heiress of the Li Group’s third generation, money was no object to her. Her grandfather, Li Qingyang, was a member of the Wood Carving Association and loved studying woodwork. His house was filled with wood carvings.
After receiving the piece, Li Qingyang was overjoyed and repeatedly asked his granddaughter where she had bought it. When he found out it was purchased online, he was stunned. After learning that the shop had a physical location, he insisted on visiting.
Being a member of the Wood Carving Association, Li Qingyang had many friends with the same hobby. When they saw his carving, they were all envious. Upon hearing he was visiting the store, they couldn’t sit still and all tagged along.
“Li girl, you sure acted fast! Snatched up the best piece in the store,” said a chubby old man.
“Grandpa Wang, you’ve got to move quicker! Opportunities don’t wait!”
The “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” piece was clearly displayed and labeled as the shop’s treasure. There were many wood carvings in the store, and while this one stood out, its high price made the old men hesitant. But now that Li Ya had scooped it up, panic set in—they worried they’d miss out on other good pieces.
“I want this one…”
“I’ll take that one…”
Lin Zhihao watched as the elderly customers rushed to the counter to make purchases, his heart burning with excitement. He had thought the high prices would scare people off—but now, to his shock, over twenty large wood carvings had been sold in one day.
“This is crazy!” Zhou Jin couldn’t help but exclaim.
Lin Zhihao nodded. “Yeah!”
He thought to himself: Cousin really has a knack for predicting things. The carvings really are selling—and selling well!
“There are still a lot of rich people out there!” When Zhou Jin first visited the shop, he thought the owner must be crazy to open a store like this in such a quiet location. Now he saw the truth: good things don’t need flashy marketing—the shop owner was a real genius.
The old men lingered in the store all day, and none of them left empty-handed. Afterward, the Crescent Moon Wood Carving Shop suddenly became the talk of the town.
“Did you hear? Crescent Moon Wood Carving Shop sold dozens of pieces today—probably made tens of millions!”
“People actually like wood carvings that much? Could they be shills?”
“Probably not. I saw several luxury cars with Beijing plates parked outside—all there for the wood carving shop.”
“Honestly, those wood carvings are really beautiful. But still, are they worth that much?”
“These rich people came all the way from Beijing just for wood carvings… must have too much money and nothing to do.”
“Exactly!”
“Some people have no worries about food or clothes—they just worry about how to spend their money. What a life!”
“Hey, do you think the shop gives commissions? I heard the store made tens of millions today. Even 1% commission would be tens of thousands.”
“Nope, no commission. Just a flat salary—5,000 a month.”
“Wow, that boss is stingy. No commission?”
“Well, those two staff members barely know anything. They practically drive customers away. No commission makes sense.”
“True! What was the boss thinking, hiring those two rookies?”
