When the palm chapter 1

The loyalty and friendship in troubled times are truly heart – wrenching…

### A Sudden Storm

The story takes place in the early days of a chaotic era in the United States. It’s the dog – days of summer again. One noon, the business at the Reliance Pawnshop in New York City is very slow. The owner, Jack Thompson, is wiping the sweat off his forehead. Suddenly, he remembers that his sworn brother, Tom Wilson, has been away from New York for more than three months. He wonders how Tom is doing. Just as he’s thinking, he hears someone shouting outside the counter, “Where is the shopkeeper?”

Jack quickly stands up and sees a man with a grim face. This man has a bulbous nose, leopard – like eyes, and a large, pock – marked face like a washbasin. His protruding front teeth stick out menacingly from his lips. Jack’s heart sinks. He senses that this man means trouble. He forces a smile and asks, “Sir, what can I do for you?”

The man with protruding teeth stretches his cheeks and says arrogantly, “Of course, I’m here to pawn something. Do you think I’m here to visit a brothel?”

Jack asks, “You have nothing in your hands. What do you want to pawn?”

Without saying a word, the man suddenly takes out a kitchen knife. He puts his left hand on the counter and with one swift motion, cuts off his left hand at the wrist.

The young clerk is so scared that he lets out a scream, hugs his head, and squats on the ground, wetting his pants. Jack is also extremely shocked. He shivers and can’t say a word. The onlookers are simply stunned. The man with protruding teeth pushes the severed hand into the counter and says, “Shopkeeper, I just came from the casino. I lost everything. How much money can you give me for this hand?”

Jack has run the pawnshop for decades, but he’s never encountered someone trying to pawn their own hand. He knows he’s in big trouble. He quickly goes to the store hall and grabs a piece of cloth to bandage the man’s wound. But the man isn’t grateful at all. He points at several acupoints on his body, and miraculously, not a single drop of blood oozes out. He grits his teeth in pain and shouts, “Boss, it says on your sign ‘Honesty is the foundation, no deception for the young or old’. You’re not going to refuse to take this hand, are you?”

Jack says, “Sir, why do you have to do this? Take your hand back. Just tell me how much money you need.”

“What? Do you think my hand is dirty?” The man with protruding teeth is in so much pain that sweat is pouring down his head. He glares at Jack. Jack quickly tries to appease him and asks him to name a price. The man says, “Not much. I only want $100. If you think this hand isn’t worth it, I’ll cut off my other hand too.”

Jack quickly says, “It’s worth it” and tells his subordinate to give the man $100 right away.

The man seriously asks Jack to write a pawn ticket. Jack asks for his name. The man grins and says, “My name is Bucktooth.”

A short while later, the pawn ticket is written:

On June 15th, a certain year, Bucktooth pawns his left hand for $100. The pawn period is three months. If not redeemed after the due date, the pawned item belongs to this shop.

Bucktooth is very satisfied with the money and the pawn ticket. He asks Jack to bring a porcelain jar. He puts the severed hand into the jar himself, seals it, and tells Jack to keep it well. He even says that even after the pawn period, the hand shouldn’t be thrown away casually.