Chapter 1311
Inspection
It has to be said that Wang Li's words were really too hurtful to Feng Chengmin.
To be precise, these words weren't just hurtful; they were like stabbing Feng Chengmin in the back of his lungs.
Wang An, who was laughing loudly, saw Feng Chengmin's still murderous yet remorseful expression and quickly said:
"Hey Uncle, are you alright? This is all in the past, what's there to worry about? The bear bile we three brothers collected last year didn't fetch a good price either. Go and get your bear bile, we need to go to the county right away."
Feng Chengmin took a deep breath to ease his agonizing discomfort, and after exhaling, he said:
"To avoid attracting thieves, the three of us brothers keep our goods separate. I need to go to my eldest brother's and younger brother's room for a bit. You guys have some pine nuts and hazelnuts for a while, I'll be right back."
As soon as Feng Chengmin stepped out of the house, Wang An and the other two looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter again. Wang Li, in particular, said between laughs:
"I just remembered how my uncle was all smug a moment ago, and then he suddenly looked so upset. I found that really funny, hahaha."
Mu Xueli also laughed heartily and said:
"Yeah, compared to that, I suddenly feel much better. That's more than ten bear gallbladders! Hahahaha!"
To be honest, I'm always afraid of comparisons, no matter what. As soon as I make a comparison, many things that are quite painful to me can suddenly become less painful.
However, Wang An and his two companions' gloating laughter was a bit too eager, and Feng Chengmin, who had just stepped out, heard it clearly. This made Feng Chengmin pause in his steps, and he almost went back to beat up Wang An and his two companions.
A dozen minutes later, Feng Chengmin returned, but his aunt Wang Yulian, who had gone out to visit relatives, came back with him.
When Feng Chengmin was not at home, Wang Yulian usually did not go out. Only when Feng Chengmin was at home did Wang Yulian have the opportunity to go out and chat with neighbors.
There was no other way; the main reason was that Feng Chengmin's family had a lot of valuables and money, and I always felt uneasy if no one was home.
After Wang An and his two companions greeted Wang Yulian, they drove Feng Chengmin to the county town.
Upon arriving at the railway guesthouse, the gatekeeper, seeing that there were two cars, let them in without even asking any questions.
This is normal, after all, in this day and age, very few people can afford to drive a car. Anyone who does must be either rich or powerful.
As soon as he got out of the car, Feng Chengmin said with emotion:
"This car is great! It's comfortable and warm to sit in, and it's super fast."
As he spoke, Feng Chengmin glanced at his watch and added:
"We arrived in just over 20 minutes. Wow, this thing is really great!"
Wang An said with a smile:
"Then why don't you buy one, Uncle? It's not like you can't afford it."
To everyone's surprise, Feng Chengmin shook his head and said:
"Forget it, spending 5 yuan on this thing is too much of a waste, especially since it's not very useful."
As they spoke, Wang An and the other three, carrying bags of bear bile and bezoar, along with a small balance scale, walked together into the guesthouse.
The receptionist told Wang An and the others that Li Yongrui and his group were in room 206, so Wang An and the other three went to room 206.
Li Yongrui was delighted by the timely arrival of Wang An and his three companions. When Wang An mentioned that Feng Chengmin had brought six more bear gallbladders, Li Yongrui's eyes lit up considerably.
After only a few brief words, Li Yongrui eagerly asked, "Shall we start inspecting the goods now?"
Wang An nodded, then turned to Feng Chengmin and said:
"Uncle, why don't you go first?"
Feng Chengmin did not refuse and immediately took out six bear gallbladders that looked shriveled.
Of the six bear gallbladders brought by Feng Chengmin, there were two black bear golden gallbladders, one black bear iron gallbladder, one black bear grass gallbladder, one brown bear iron gallbladder, and one brown bear grass gallbladder.
Li Yongrui glanced at the six bear gallbladders Feng Chengmin had placed on the table, then turned around and took out a toolbox from his backpack, from which he pulled out a large pile of what looked like very professional tools.
Among them were stainless steel scissors, stainless steel awl, stainless steel plate, something that looked very similar to an ear pick, a magnifying glass, a balance, a funnel, several small brushes made of some unknown material, several transparent glass bottles, and several experimental glass cups.
After carefully placing all these items away, Li Yongrui said to Feng Chengmin very seriously:
"Sir, if you are sure you want to sell these bear bile to me, I need to inspect each one. If I find anything other than bile powder inside, I will refuse to buy it. However, we will not be responsible for any damage to the bile shell."
After Li Yongrui finished speaking, Feng Chengmin looked at Wang An. It was obvious that Feng Chengmin, who had sold so many bear bile, had never experienced anything like this before.
When supply and marketing cooperatives or medicinal herb purchasing stations buy bear bile, they simply look at the marks left by the rope sealing the bile opening, then very simply break a hole in the bile, pry out a little bit, have the inspector taste it, and that's it.
Seeing the look in Feng Chengmin's eyes, Wang An took the initiative to speak:
"Sure, feel free to inspect the goods. We have a balance scale here too. We'll weigh it again after you've finished. By the way, before you inspect the goods, could you teach us how to check the authenticity of the bear bile? After you leave, we'll help you collect the bear bile here and sell it to your family."
Upon hearing this, Li Yongrui immediately nodded and smiled:
"Of course, the scale must be accurate. And testing bear bile is simple. I'll explain it to you as you watch, and you'll understand after watching it once."
As he spoke, Li Yongrui began to operate the machine.
He first picked up a golden gall bladder, then used an awl to poke a hole in the very center of the bottom of the bear gall bladder. After making the hole, he said:
"Generally speaking, if bear bile is adulterated, it is done by adding a powdery substance to the bile when it is freshly extracted. But no matter what it is, it will settle at the bottom."
As he spoke, Li Yongrui picked up the ear pick-like object and scooped out a grain-sized amount of bile powder from the bear bile, placing it in a stainless steel dish.
Then, he took out a small amount of bile powder and put it into a glass of water.
After the bile powder entered the water, it sank to the bottom in a line and did not disperse.
Li Yongrui then said:
"See? Real gall powder will not disperse when it is put into water without stirring."
Immediately afterwards, Li Yongrui said:
"If you're not afraid of wasting it, you can take a small amount and put it in your mouth to taste. Bear bile powder is different from other bile powders. This stuff will dissolve immediately when you put it in your mouth, and the bitterness will dissipate immediately. At the same time, you will feel a distinct coolness in your mouth. After swallowing, you will feel a slightly sweet taste in your mouth."
Wang An and the other three listened with utmost concentration, just like elementary school students.
Then, Li Yongrui broke up the small amount of bile powder in the plate and took out a magnifying glass to examine it.
While observing, Li Yongrui said again:
"The bear bile powder is all the same size; there will absolutely be no variations in size. However, this requires a keen eye, and I can't go into detail." (End of Chapter)