He is quite blunt but extremely practical and worldly. He lives in a castle that, at first glance, seems to have been built with no architectural taste, featuring heavy, crude furniture, yet it is constructed with immense durability. While visiting, he ignores Chichikov's presence for a long time, showing a silence similar to his own furniture; however, when the topic turns to food, he reveals a gargantuan appetite. With his deep hatred for officials, the governor, and the elite, he calls everyone a 'scoundrel' or 'crook.' When Chichikov mentions dead serfs, he quickly calculates the intent and absurdity of the request, entering into this 'abnormal' negotiation with the cool-headedness of a normal merchant, eventually proving his cunning by valuing his dead [serfs] at a hundred rubles, then settling for at least two and a half.
