The shopkeeper, upon hearing this, pointed to an umbrella-shaped Hua Gai and asked, "This one?"
Chen Shi nodded.
The shopkeeper took down the Hua Gai. Unlike other Hua Gais, which couldn't be closed, this one had an umbrella structure that could be retracted when not in use.
This Hua Gai was as tall as a person. When opened, it covered an area of about ten feet. The Hua Gai had one hundred and eight folds and was made of hardwood, but had not yet been painted with talismans.
The shopkeeper said, "Sir, this Hua Gai is blank."
"I'll take this one. How much?"
"Five taels of silver."
Chen Shi bargained with him. Saintess Xuan stood by, waiting. After a while, Chen Shi managed to reduce the price to three taels and seven copper coins, then he paid.
Saintess Xuan looked bemused and thought to herself, "This kid is only about twelve or thirteen years old, yet he haggles like a commoner."
