Before the young man could refuse again, Zhuang Rui took out the wad of cash Liu Chuan had given him from his jacket pocket, counted out five thousand yuan, handed it over, and said, "Give me this bamboo rattan box too, otherwise I really can't carry it."
The young man took the five thousand yuan that Zhuang Rui handed him, and then felt the four thousand yuan that the traitorous translator had just lost in his pocket. His stall had been smashed, but he had actually made nearly ten thousand yuan. The young man stood there a little at a loss. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he quickly opened the box, put the sandalwood Maitreya Buddha pendant and the monkey stealing peaches inside, and respectfully handed them to Zhuang Rui.
The box is very finely woven, with a handle on the lid and two snap fasteners along the edge. Once fastened, it can be carried in your hand.
"Brother, this is my home phone number. Please call me if you come to Hefei in the future."
The young man borrowed paper and pen from the management office, wrote his name and home phone number on them, and handed them to Zhuang Rui.
"Zeng Mingyi? Okay, I'll make you my friend. I'll definitely bother you next time I come to Hefei. But I'm currently staying in Zhonghai and don't have your contact information. I'll call you when I'm settled. Alright, you don't need me here anymore, Director Wang, I'll take my leave now."
Zhuang Rui took the note, put it close to his body, and said to Zeng Mingyi and Director Wang of the management office that the traitorous translator had completely admitted defeat, and Director Wang was quite good at talking to the foreigners with his mediocre English, so there shouldn't be any more twists and turns. Zhuang Rui looked at his watch and saw that it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon, so he said goodbye to the two of them.
Director Wang also had a good impression of Zhuang Rui. He stood up and saw him to the door before turning back. Zhuang Rui, carrying a bamboo box, had no intention of wandering around anymore. Seeing that it was almost time, he took out his phone from his pocket and dialed the switchboard of the hotel where Liu Chuan was staying.
Chapter 59 Choice
After making the call to Liu Chuan, Zhuang Rui stood at the entrance of the City God Temple Antique Market. He waited for about half an hour, and it was getting dark. Just as Zhuang Rui was getting a little impatient, Liu Chuan finally arrived in his Hummer.
Looking at the Hummer from the outside is completely different from sitting inside. When the Hummer drove over from a distance, it looked like a bulldozer, incredibly domineering. When the car stopped in front of Zhuang Rui, everyone's envious eyes fell on him.
"Why are you so slow? Didn't you say we were leaving Hefei at four or five o'clock? Did you really do *that* at the hotel?"
Zhuang Rui opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and gently placed the bamboo rattan box behind the seat. Although he knew that these root carvings were not afraid of being dropped, there was a valuable item inside, so Zhuang Rui's movements were inevitably a bit gentler. It's like how people know that diamonds are one of the hardest substances in the world, but anyone who handles that thing will handle it with care.
"Get out of here, try driving at night yourself. If you don't get enough rest, do you think I can hold on? Let's find a place to eat first, then we'll head straight to the highway. By the way, Wood, what's that treasure in your box? You're being so careful. Take it out and let me see. Show me what you've got."
As Liu Chuan started the car, he bantered with Zhuang Rui. After Zhuang Rui's several lucky finds, he now had a blind faith in him, as if this guy could find treasures with a single move. Wang Shizhen's manuscript was like that, as was Liu Sanhe's cricket gourd. Liu Chuan couldn't help but believe it.
"I bought a few root carvings, one of which should be a rosewood ornament. Let me tell you, I ran into a traitor today..."
Zhuang Rui vividly described what happened in the antique market to Liu Chuan. When he first mentioned the fake foreigner smashing someone's stall, Liu Chuan was so angry that he almost slammed on the brakes and turned around to cause trouble for the traitorous translator. But after hearing Zhuang Rui say that the traitor had been punched and had to pay four thousand yuan in compensation, he drove off grumbling to the place where the two of them had lunch.
"So, the sandalwood root carving in that box is worth hundreds of thousands? Damn, with that thing, even if we made a wasted trip, it'll still be worth it. When did you become so discerning?"
The two sat down in the private room. Liu Chuan stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
"I don't know the exact price, but it should be more expensive than that gourd from Liu in Sanhe. Sandalwood is incredibly valuable, and this one is about the size of a palm and in excellent condition, so the price shouldn't be low."
Upon hearing the words "eagle eyes," Zhuang Rui's heart skipped a beat. Although he knew the scoundrel meant no harm, he couldn't help but feel flustered. He quickly adopted a lecturing tone and said, "You rascal, I'm not trying to be mean, but you've been hanging around the antique market for years. Why don't you learn something from Manager Lü and the others? You know, from the Yellow Emperor to the present day, thousands of years have passed down. Even finding an ancient toilet would be enough for you to live on for years."
"Pah! You're the one who eats with toilets! I'm not cut out for that. I used to think about going into this line of work, but these eyes of mine see everything as real. Old Lu said I have lightbulb eyes, I'm just there to make things look good for others, what they call suckers. Damn it, that old man is really despicable..."
Liu Chuan spoke indignantly, making Zhuang Rui laugh so hard he almost fell off his chair. This old man Lu was really funny, but his description of Liu Chuan was indeed very apt. When this guy got silly, he was easy to fool. If he really went to collect antiques, he probably wouldn't be as good as Yang Wei's dad.
"But Wood, I think you're good at this business. Putting everything else aside, with your luck, I doubt anyone can compare. There are at least tens of thousands of people coming and going in the antique market every day. How come all the good stuff ends up in your hands? How about quitting that lousy job in Zhonghai and opening an antique shop in Pengcheng? We'll be able to look out for each other if we're brothers together."
Liu Chuan then changed the subject, bringing up Zhuang Rui. In his opinion, with Zhuang Rui's current net worth of several million, there was no need for him to work for someone else anymore. He could take out a few hundred thousand and open an antique shop. With Song Jun and the others looking after him, it would be much better than working a regular job.
"Open an antique shop?"
Zhuang Rui's heart skipped a beat. Although he was indeed rich now, he had been living a very stressful life these past few days and hadn't had time to experience what it felt like to be a millionaire. Now, after hearing Liu Chuan's words, he was genuinely tempted. With his current capital, even if he was about to be promoted to manager of the pawnshop, that job with a monthly salary of several thousand yuan didn't seem so important anymore.
However, after weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Zhuang Rui shook his head. Work was indeed not very important to him now, but the work at the pawnshop was extremely special. To put it bluntly, he could come into contact with a large number of antiques every day, and most of them were genuine. This was very important for upgrading the spiritual energy in his eyes. Zhuang Rui had a feeling that when the spiritual energy in his eyes reached saturation again, some other changes might occur.
A few days ago, Zhuang Rui took some time to visit Pengcheng Museum, but he was very disappointed. Pengcheng Museum has a lot of cultural relics, but most of them are Han Dynasty jade terracotta warriors or bronzes. The few calligraphy and painting works are all protected by a thick glass cover, and the spiritual energy in his eyes could not penetrate them.
There were also some wooden screens and similar items, which were all cordoned off with a warning line several meters apart, preventing tourists from getting close. It was like having a piece of fat meat right in front of your mouth but not being able to eat it, which made Zhuang Rui extremely depressed at the time.
Another reason is that Zhuang Rui felt that his knowledge of the antique business was still too limited. He wanted to return to the pawnshop to accumulate some experience and knowledge about antiques, so that he could at least tell a few things about an object after seeing it, instead of relying entirely on his intuition to distinguish the authenticity of antiques.
During these several bargain-hunting experiences, even though the manuscript by Wang Shizhen brought him 3.8 million, he felt more shocked than joyful. He didn't have any special feelings about the first two bargain-hunting experiences because he attributed them to the spiritual energy he saw.
However, acquiring this sandalwood Maitreya Buddha carving today gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction. The reason was simple: he recognized the sandalwood root carving by sight, not by spiritual insight. This feeling was like the difference between getting 100 points by cheating on an exam and getting 100 points entirely through one's own ability; the feelings were completely different.
Thinking about all this, Zhuang Rui still decided to go back to work at the pawnshop. However, his initial motivation for working was completely different from before. Before, it was for money, but now it was for learning. He would go out and work on his own when he felt that he had enough knowledge.
After making this decision, Zhuang Rui felt much more at ease. In the past few days, he had sometimes felt inexplicably irritable, and it seemed that the symptoms were his own inner knot.
“Da Chuan, I’m just lucky right now, managing to snag a few good items. But I can’t be this lucky forever. What if I crash and burn someday? Then I won’t even have a chance to recover. I don’t know much about the antique business, so I can’t give up my job at the pawnshop. I can learn a lot there. Once I’ve accumulated enough experience, I can come out and we can work together again, bro…”
Zhuang Rui's words disappointed Liu Chuan somewhat, but he also admitted that Zhuang Rui was right. No one can have good luck forever. However, the guy didn't rule out the possibility of Zhuang Rui going solo. Based on Liu Chuan's understanding of Zhuang Rui, he wouldn't stay out of business for very long.
Chapter 60 Arrival in Chengdu
The Hummer was driving smoothly on the highway. Zhuang Rui was now driving, while Liu Chuan was lying on the sofa inside the car, drooling and snoring. Liu Chuan had been driving for more than 10 hours from 6 pm yesterday to 7 or 8 am this morning, which had really worn him out. When Zhuang Rui took over driving in the morning, Liu Chuan fell asleep after only taking a couple of bites of bread.
Zhuang Rui had been driving for more than seven hours. Driving long distances is a very tedious thing. Zhuang Rui's originally excited nerves had become somewhat numb. Maintaining concentration for a long time is a very tiring thing. Even though the Hummer's steering wheel was very light and stable, Zhuang Rui was still a little overwhelmed. After all, it was his first time driving a long distance, and once the excitement wore off, he felt tired.
In the distance, another toll station appeared, with a huge sign that read: "Wanzhou People Welcome You." Seeing this sign, Zhuang Rui breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally entered Wanzhou territory. It seemed that Chengdu was not far away. Before going to sleep, Liu Chuan had told Zhuang Rui to wake him up when they reached the Wanzhou highway toll station so that they could refuel and rest there before continuing their journey.
After passing through the toll station, Zhuang Rui first drove into the gas station next to it to fill up the tank. Then he parked on the buffer zone next to the highway entrance, more than 300 meters away from the gas station. He opened the car window, and the cold wind blowing in his face made Zhuang Rui feel more awake. He lit a cigarette and took a nice puff. Then he grabbed the cushion on the passenger seat and threw it at the sleeping Liu Chuan.
It's only because Liu Chuan is easygoing that he can sleep. If it were someone else, they definitely wouldn't be able to sleep. Imagine a novice driver who has only driven a few times, driving for seven or eight hours straight. Anyone would have trouble sleeping in the car. It's like entrusting your life to that person.
Liu Chuan rolled off the sofa with a tumble, but the carriage was actually quite clean, except for the cigarette ash he'd flicked away. After getting up, Liu Chuan groggily asked, "Huh? We're here? We're in Chengdu?"
"You wish! You've only just arrived in Wanzhou. Let's grab something to eat first..."
Hearing Zhuang Rui say that, Liu Chuan also felt his stomach rumbling. He hadn't had a proper meal since getting on the highway yesterday and was starving. He took out a few vacuum-packed bags of braised beef, braised chicken, and Peixian dog meat, heated them up in the car's microwave, and ate them with the snacks he had packed in Hefei.
"You scoundrel, how much further until Chengdu? Hey, get out of the car and have a smoke. This nice car is covered in cigarette ash. When we get back, Brother Song will beat you up."
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Zhuang Rui got out of the car, lit another cigarette, and casually tossed the cigarette pack to Liu Chuan. He had smoked more cigarettes in the few hours he had driven than he usually smoked in several days.
"Pshaw, you can just spend 10 yuan to wash your car and you won't see a thing."
Liu Chuan took the cigarette, lit it, and said nonchalantly.
"Nonsense, didn't you see that you burned a hole in that leather sofa?"
Zhuang Rui pointed to the spot where he had just been lying and said.
"Where? Where?"
Liu Chuan panicked and rushed to the car, searching everywhere with his rear end sticking out. He only realized he had been tricked when he heard Zhuang Rui laughing loudly behind him.
"Even if it's just a burnt hole, I'll say it was you who did it when we get back..."
Liu Chuan got out of the car dejectedly and looked at Zhuang Rui with an annoyed expression.
"Alright, how much further? Let's rest for a bit and then hit the road. Getting to Chengdu sooner will allow us to get a good night's sleep."
Although Zhuang Rui didn't drive last night, he had never slept in a car before. Even though the Hummer's shock absorption system was very good, and sleeping inside felt similar to being on a train, Zhuang Rui was still half asleep and half awake all night and didn't get a good rest.
Liu Chuan raised his wrist to check his watch and said, "It's not far now. I'll drive later. After passing Dianjiang, Nanchong, and Suining, we'll be in Chengdu. We should be there by 8 p.m. Then we'll find a bathhouse, have a nice meal, and I'll even send you a picture of a Sichuan girl. I guarantee she'll make you feel good to the core."
This guy never speaks seriously except in front of Lei Lei. Zhuang Rui ignored him, finished his cigarette, got into the car, lay down, and fell asleep almost immediately. It seems this guy's habits are often forced into them, like those only children these days, whose parents have to chase after them all day feeding them. If you let them go hungry for a day, see if they'll still be picky eaters. Of course, the parents have to be ruthless. ...
When Zhuang Rui was woken up by Liu Chuan, the Hummer was driving on a not-so-wide road. There were a lot of cars, making it a bit crowded. However, under Liu Chuan's control, the Hummer was like a fish swimming, weaving left and right through the traffic. He drove this heavy big guy with the agility of a sports car.
Zhuang Rui wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, turned on the car's roof light, checked the time—it was ten minutes to eight o'clock—sat up and looked out the window. Night had fallen, but the outside was brightly lit, as bright as day. The streets on both sides of the road were bustling with tourists, as if this was just the beginning of a new day. Zhuang Rui could only feel this way in Zhonghai. In Pengcheng this month, due to the cold weather, there were very few pedestrians on the streets at this time.
"I've booked the hotel. Let's have dinner first, then take a bath and rest for a couple of days before heading to Tibet."
Seeing Zhuang Rui sit up, Liu Chuan said without turning his head, and turned the steering wheel. Zhuang Rui saw the Hummer drive into an underground parking lot called "Jinjiang Hotel".
"When did you book the hotel? I didn't know. Also, one day of rest is enough, why take two? We can play after we finish our business earlier."
Zhuang Rui had been with Liu Chuan for the past few days and really didn't know how he booked the hotel. Moreover, what Liu Chuan said earlier puzzled Zhuang Rui: why stay in Chengdu for two days?
"Hey buddy, I booked the hotel online. How about that? This counts as e-commerce, right? Get out of the car, hurry up and get out."
Liu Chuan parked the car and said smugly, while urging Zhuang Rui to get out of the car.
"Booked a hotel online? You're up to no good, kid. Explain yourself properly. What's going on here? And why are you staying in Chengdu for two days?"
Zhuang Rui could believe that Liu Chuan had made a name for himself by playing online games, but he simply couldn't believe that Liu Chuan had booked the hotel room online while he was in Pengcheng. Putting aside everything else, he didn't even know how to type "Jinjiang Hotel" into his computer, and he had only recently become familiar with the term "e-commerce," let alone Liu Chuan.
Liu Chuan realized he had misspoke and his face turned bright red, but he stammered and refused to say anything. Zhuang Rui couldn't do anything about it, and the two of them entered the hotel lobby noisily.
Chapter 061 Bathhouse
Liu Chuan booked a standard double room. Zhuang Rui originally wanted to just take a shower in the bathroom, but Liu Chuan dragged him out of the hotel, saying he wanted to show him the nightlife of Chengdu.
Regarding the origin of the name Chengdu, according to the records in the Taiping Huanyu Ji of the Northern Song Dynasty, it is borrowed from the historical process of the Western Zhou Dynasty's establishment of the capital. It is named Chengdu because "the Zhou king moved to Qi and the place became a settlement in one year, a town in two years, and a city in three years". During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Meng Chang, the emperor of Later Shu, loved hibiscus flowers and ordered the people to plant hibiscus trees on the city walls. When the flowers bloomed, Chengdu was "a tapestry of brocade for forty li". Therefore, Chengdu is also known as Hibiscus City, or simply "Rongcheng". It is now late February. In Pengcheng, people still have to wear thick cotton clothes when they go out. Sometimes it even snows during this season. But as soon as Zhuang Rui arrived in Chengdu, he felt the breath of spring. He had already taken off the sweater under his jacket at the hotel. Now he did not feel cold at all. The night breeze was gentle and he felt much more refreshed.
Liu Chuan didn't drive out. According to him, the place to eat wasn't far from the hotel where he was staying, so Zhuang Rui was too lazy to ask. This guy acted like a local tyrant wherever he went, so he just followed behind him. He had long heard that Sichuan was known for its beautiful women, and Zhuang Rui's eyes were now scanning the surroundings. He could now control the spiritual energy in his eyes very well, and no longer had to be as cautious as he used to be when looking at people.
Zhuang Rui had heard this saying before: You only realize how low your official rank is when you get to Beijing; you only realize how bad your stomach is when you get to Guangzhou; you only realize how little money you have when you get to Shenzhen; you only realize how bad your health is when you get to Hainan; and you only realize how early you got married when you get to Chengdu.
He was just walking the streets of Chengdu when he deeply understood that last sentence, because his eyes were already overwhelmed by the sights.
Zhuang Rui's first impression of the Chengdu girl was that her fair skin was as delicate as mutton fat jade. Although she was a little shorter than the girls from the north, her curvaceous figure and exquisite face made up for this flaw.
It was only the beginning of spring, but most of the girls on the street were still wearing skirts, exuding a youthful and healthy vibe. Although Zhuang Rui had seen many beautiful women while strolling around Nanjing Road in Zhonghai, when it came to locally made products, Chengdu was definitely the place to go.
Zhuang Rui had often seen the saying "Yangzhou first, Yizhou second" in some unofficial historical anecdotes, meaning that the most beautiful women in the world came from Yangzhou, followed by Yizhou, which is now Chengdu. Now that he has seen it with his own eyes, he knows that the above two statements are not exaggerated at all.
"What's wrong? Are you seeing things? Come in."
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of a hot pot restaurant. Liu Chuan was looking at Zhuang Rui with a wicked grin, wondering if he should take the guy's virginity here. He noticed that Zhuang Rui seemed to be much more interested in women lately than before, something Zhuang Rui had never done before.
This is actually quite normal. Zhuang Rui is just a young man in his early twenties, the time when his hormones are at their peak. He used to be single and working hard in another city, and the pressure of life was quite high. In addition, his personality is too rational and introverted, so after ending a relationship in college, he has not dated again. However, since the spiritual energy appeared in his eyes, it seems that he no longer needs to worry about making a living. With his mother's urging, Zhuang Rui has also begun to seriously consider this issue.
However, Zhuang Rui had no intention of seeking a one-night stand. While a woman's first time is important, a man shouldn't be casual about it either. During this period, when Zhuang Rui occasionally recalled the girls he knew, he realized that he had indeed failed somewhat in the past twenty-five years. Apart from his college girlfriend buried deep in his memory, the one who appeared in his mind the most was actually Qin Xuanbing, who had always been somewhat incompatible with him.
After shaking his head and banishing the unrealistic thoughts from his mind, Zhuang Rui realized that he was already sitting in this hot pot restaurant.
Zhuang Rui had no objection to eating hot pot. He had loved spicy food since he was a child and had long wanted to try authentic Sichuan hot pot. This restaurant did not disappoint him. In a time when electric hot pots were all the rage, they were still using charcoal hot pots. Moreover, after the hot pot was served, a chef in a white coat added the hot pot base to the broth on the spot. Zhuang Rui knew that this was probably a form of self-redemption that many hot pot restaurants were trying to do to attract customers after the exposure of gutter oil and swill oil scandals.
In addition to a table full of beef, mutton, vegetables, and other side dishes, Liu Chuan also ordered a bottle of Langjiu liquor. Drinking some alcohol after a long drive is a good way to relieve fatigue.
The charcoal fire burned brightly inside the exquisite copper pot, and the broth quickly boiled. Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan briefly dipped the side dishes on the table into the broth before digging in their food. Neither of them had a proper meal in over 20 hours, and the table full of side dishes was quickly devoured by the two of them, along with their drinks. Although their mouths were numb and tingling, their stomachs felt warm and comforting. ...
After dinner, Zhuang Rui originally thought Liu Chuan would go to a sauna, but to his surprise, the guy took him to a large public bathhouse. He didn't expect that in an era where hotels and saunas were everywhere, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, still had public bathhouses. This surprised Zhuang Rui, because for many people, including himself, going to a public bathhouse had become a kind of sentiment.
When you go to a public bathhouse, you can see naked, white bodies. It's an unguarded world where there's no distinction between rich and poor. To take a bath, you have to take off your clothes and be completely naked. In this way, all traces of social status disappear. You strip naked and shed all the pretense of the mortal world.
In the bathhouse, everyone becomes the same. What he has, you have too. Everyone treats each other with sincerity. There is no scheming or deceit. Our social hierarchy is eliminated, and the professional gap is bridged. Familiar faces and strangers get along with each other. Laughter, anger, and scolding are unrestrained. All we want is to feel good!
Nowadays, there are very few old bathhouses left in Pengcheng, either because of serious losses or because of regional demolition. This is indeed a transformation of bathing culture. Zhuang Rui has not been to a bathhouse for many years, but a few years ago he watched a movie called "Shower", which brought back a lot of memories for him.
When they were kids, Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan used to have breath-holding contests and water fights in the bathhouse. Although they always ended up getting a couple of slaps on the bottom from Liu Chuan's dad, those memories were still fond in Zhuang Rui's heart. He figured Liu Chuan must have felt the same way, which is why he brought him here.
This bathhouse is very popular. The storefront isn't big, but once inside, it feels exceptionally clean and bright, with a flat floor. The lobby is lined with wooden planks along the walls and railings, and there are large pools that could easily accommodate more than twenty people bathing at the same time. There are people constantly calling out their wares, serving water and green radishes to customers who have finished bathing, and occasionally wiping towels for them. Zhuang Rui felt a sense of warmth and comfort at first glance.