I used folk talismans to ward off the evil spirit.

Chapter 49 Purchasing the Gourd, a Sudden Descent of Eerie Fog

In less than an hour, following the announcement of the "Gourd That Swallows Ghosts," the price of natural gourds across the country skyrocketed.

Even worse, some unscrupulous merchants intend to hoard and speculate on goods.

Fortunately, the Department of Supernatural Affairs responded promptly and, in conjunction with relevant departments, cracked down on this unhealthy trend, thus protecting the rights of ordinary people to create protective objects and safeguard themselves.

Zhao Chen is also a child who came from Fulu Village.

Upon learning of the "Swallowing the Ghost Gourd," he immediately led his teammates back to their hometown to purchase a batch for backup.

"Brother Chen, does every household in your village grow gourds?" He Hongtao exclaimed in amazement as he looked at the abundance of gourds.

Zhao Chen said proudly, "That's right. Nowhere else in the entire Qingjiang City do you find gourds that are sturdier or more complete than those from our village! Buy them here—they're high-quality and inexpensive!"

Zhou Xia looked around: "Where should we buy it? They all seem about the same."

Zhao Chen pointed to a small courtyard at the foot of the hill to the north: "That family has the best gourds! They offer fair prices, so you won't lose out if you buy from them."

The group drove and soon arrived at Zhao Jing's courtyard.

At this moment, the Zhao family's residence was bustling with visitors.

Many merchants offered ten times the original price, vying to buy his gourds.

Although Old Master Zhao Yuan had just recovered from a serious illness, he was radiant with health and his voice was stronger than usual when he was bargaining with people.

Zhao Jing, impatient with the haggling, silently retreated to his room and made a "gourd that swallows monsters," which he was tying to a hook in the main room with a thin rope.

Hearing another car arrive, he went out to greet the guests first. Upon seeing Zhao Chen, he was overjoyed: "Brother Chen, you're back?"

Zhao Chen ruffled his hair: "Is the house so lively? Everyone's here to buy gourds?"

Zhao Jing raised his head like a little rooster: "Of course! The gourds I grow are praised by everyone for miles around, they're very popular!"

He looked behind Zhao Chen: "Brother Chen, are these all your friends? They're here to buy gourds too?"

Zhao Chen nodded: "Yes, let's buy a few to make 'Gourds for Swallowing Ghosts' as talismans."

Zhao Jing was slightly surprised: "Brother, aren't you from the Department of the Supernatural? You believe in this too?"

Zhao Chen thought for a moment, then said, "The talisman works quite well."

The group entered the courtyard.

Thinking that someone else was trying to steal their business, the vendors immediately became hostile and said, "Brother, which gang are you from? We're negotiating with this shop right now, you should go to another one."

The immature young man, He Hongtao, wasn't going to put up with them at all, and directly flashed his work ID: "We're from the Department of Supernatural Affairs. Gentlemen, are you trying to force us to buy something?"

The vendors' gazes faltered for a moment, then their tone immediately softened: "How could that be? It's all fair trade, no cheating on the young or old!"

When Zhao Yuan saw Zhao Chen, a smile appeared on his face: "Little Chen, are these all your colleagues? Back to collect gourds?"

Zhao Chen waved his hand: "The department has other arrangements. We just want to buy a few ourselves to test the effects of the 'Swallowing the Ghost Gourd'."

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment, ignoring the unpleasant looks on the others' faces, and pointed to the gourds in the courtyard, saying, "They're mostly asking for eight to ten times the original market price. Xiao Chen, if you want them, take them all for five times the market price!"

"Brother Zhao, that's not very fair of you," a fat man with a large belly said, clearly displeased. "Business is about first come, first served. We've been talking until our throats are dry, and you're not even giving us the slightest bit of face?"

Zhao Yuan waved his hand: "How could that be? I just saw everyone arguing and was afraid of hurting the harmony. Speaking of giving face, shouldn't everyone give the Department of Divine Wonders some face..."

The group of people choked on their words.

Zhao Chen realized that Zhao Yuan didn't actually want to sell the gourds to these vendors, so he went along with it and offered to buy them all: "We have a lot of people in our unit, so we'll take all your gourds."

The others dared not argue with the Department of Mysteries, spat, and left dejectedly.

After they had walked away, Zhao Jing angrily punched their retreating backs, saying, "What kind of people are they! Before, when I lowered the price and begged them to buy, they all avoided me like the plague. Now they're shamelessly coming to my door. Who wants them?!"

Zhao Chen laughed: "If we chase them all away, what will we do with these gourds? I can't buy that many."

Zhao Jing raised his chin: "At worst, I'll sell it at the antique market. Good stuff, why worry about finding buyers?"

"You brat, you're so inconsiderate. Hurry up and pour tea for the guests!" Zhao Yuan ordered his grandson.

The boy nimbly ran into the kitchen.

Zhao Chen looked at the "gourd array" arranged in the courtyard: "Grandpa, shall we pick a few first?"

Zhao Yuan waved his hand: "You can choose yourselves. Just pick out whatever you like."

The team members didn't stand on ceremony and started rummaging through a pile of gourds of various shapes and sizes.

Tao Li, being the oldest, preferred things that were sturdy and substantial. She immediately picked out the largest eight-treasure gourd in the yard, holding it full in her arms: "I want this one. It has a big belly and can hold a lot!"

Liu Qing also chose the Eight Treasures Gourd, but this one was the perfect size. Holding it in one hand, he mimicked an immortal drinking wine: "This one is good!"

He Hongtao and Zhang Ming, being young, had a particular fondness for unusual and oddly shaped gourds, and their eyes were dazzled by the choices.

Sun Yijing chose a slightly chubby hand-held gourd, which she held in her hand and played with, finding it quite rare.

Zhou Xia turned the gourd around and around, finally choosing one shaped like a swan: "This one is interesting."

Not content with choosing for themselves, the group also considered the preferences of their relatives and friends, and each person picked out several more.

Zhao Chen chatted with Zhao Yuan for a while until everyone had made their choices, and then he picked a few of his favorites.

"Sir, that's all. Please give me a price."

Zhao Yuan glanced at them and quickly calculated in his mind: "Nothing particularly expensive, just give me the market price. 1800 in total."

Zhao Chen knew the market price: "This is the previous price. Didn't they just offer ten times that? I'll give you 18,000!"

"They are them, and you are you," Zhao Yuan said, feigning displeasure. "You helped me a lot when I was in the hospital, how could I possibly make money off you!"

Zhao Chen feigned a pitiful expression: "Don't worry, we have the funds. If the leaders find out we're buying things from the masses at rock-bottom prices, I'll get criticized."

After some back and forth, the two finally agreed on five times the market price, totaling five thousand four hundred yuan.

After the money and goods were settled, Zhao Jing brought out the freshly brewed tea: "Brother Chen, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, please try our wild tea that we roasted ourselves!"

Zhao Chen took it with both hands, sniffed it, and said, "Grandpa, your tea-frying skills are getting better and better!"

Zhao Yuan smiled smugly: "Then you've misjudged me. This tea was brewed by my precious grandson! He's surpassed his master!"

Zhao Jing blushed, but her eyes sparkled: "Brother Chen, do you think anyone would want this tea if I took it outside to sell?"

"Get out of here!" Zhao Yuan tapped him on the forehead. "You're at the age to study, what are you thinking about all day long for—money, money, money?"

Zhao Jing gestured with his lips and winked at He Hongtao and Zhang Ming, who were two or three years older than him.

Just then, the "Gourd that Swallows Demons" hanging in the main room by Zhao Jing suddenly moved.

A dense, eerie aura, accompanied by a strange mist, suddenly descended upon the courtyard.

"Oh no, the ghost realm and reality have overlapped!" Zhao Chen's expression changed. "They're moving closer to me!"