"I'm not trying to be mean, but who are we earning money for? It's for the children, isn't it..."
"But then again, Rouyue, don't be too sad. It's not that your parents don't want to buy it for you, it's just that we don't have the money... You're all grown up now, you need to be more sensible, don't blame your parents..."
...
When Yuan Suqin returned, her face was ashen. She insisted on taking the passbook to withdraw money to buy her daughter a gold necklace, gold ring, and gold earrings.
Xu Neng stood by and advised her that there was no need to get upset over such a small matter.
After completing all the procedures for installing a telephone in the township, Xu Zhengyang returned home and saw that his mother looked unwell. He pulled his younger sister outside to ask what had happened. Xu Rouyue stammered and described what her aunt had said and the expression on her face.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang is about to explode.
Well, the reason is that simple.
Do not despise this family, and even more so, do not despise Xu Zhengyang's mentality.
There's a saying in the countryside: "A person lives for their reputation, just as a tree lives for its bark!" In the past, if a family didn't have the financial means, they could only accept it and endure it. But what about now?
Even if it costs tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, Xu Zhengyang will still do his best to make his mother and sister proud! He won't hesitate to spend that much!
This kid now has more than just the money in his bank account; he also has the money in his family's savings account. He also has... Under Xu Zhengyang's bed in his bedroom, in two large wooden boxes, there are more than a dozen ceramic jars, dishes, and bowls wrapped in cotton.
How much are those things worth? Xu Zhengyang doesn't know yet, but he's certain they're valuable!
Volume Two, Chapter 42: The Fake Policeman's Might
Logically, once you have a bunch of antiques, you should quickly find Yao Chushun to take a look and then sell them for money.
However, Xu Zhengyang suddenly realized that he had made the mistake of following the left-leaning blind action line. Even if he could find the locations of various antiques buried throughout the county through the county records, he couldn't just keep digging. Firstly, it would be inconvenient to keep so many things at home, and secondly, selling so many things at once would be too eye-catching.
Besides, suddenly pulling out such a huge pile of treasures, how much money would people have to pay? Holy crap… Xu Zhengyang himself was a little apprehensive. Of course, he now wholeheartedly believed that all the treasures were as valuable as that pair of "Blue and White Porcelain Dragon and Phoenix Vase with Lotus Scrolls".
Well, we have to dig them up one by one and sell them one by one...
However, this wasn't ideal either. Firstly, the money came in slowly, and secondly, the impact of bringing pottery jars and other small items to Yao Chushun was roughly the same as bringing a bunch of precious treasures at the same time. It was a very troublesome problem: he wanted to make money quickly, but he didn't want to attract too much attention or show off, and he also wanted to maintain a low profile…
Moreover, my younger sister will be starting school in half a month, so I need to go to Beijing to figure out how to completely resolve the trouble with Huang Chen. Xu Zhengyang hasn't thought of a specific solution yet, but there is one thing that must be prepared in advance: we need to have money, and we need to let people know that our family is wealthy! We can't let people continue to look down on us as if we were poor peasants.
Damn it, I'm going all in! Sell, sell, let's get the money first. At worst, I'll give Yao Chushun some kickbacks. That old bastard can't go against money and keep telling everyone I have tons of antiques, right?
Although it's somewhat inappropriate, I'm too lazy to think of any other solutions for the time being.
"Zhengyang." Zhong Shan's voice interrupted Xu Zhengyang's thoughts.
"Uncle Zhong," Xu Zhengyang said with a simple smile as he stood up, "How did it go?"
Zhong Shan laughed heartily, patted Xu Zhengyang on the shoulder, and said, "Not bad, Zhengyang, well done! The man has been caught, and hmm, all the stolen money and valuables have been found too, oh dear..."
"That's good, that's good. I was worried it might not be true." Xu Zhengyang laughed it off.
Yesterday was market day in Zhugezhuang. People from nearby villages who had relatives in Zhugezhuang would go there with their families to visit relatives and attend the market. Naturally, many houses were empty, which gave thieves an opportunity. Two houses on the west side of Wangjia Village were burglarized. These two families were considered middle-class households and had some cash in their homes. As a result, more than 4,000 yuan was stolen, along with some gold and silver jewelry and other valuables.
These kinds of cases are generally difficult to solve, and they're not major cases. Police stations usually don't bother spending time and manpower on investigating just one or two thefts. Unless the thief continues to commit crimes, leaving more clues, and is eventually caught by the police. Well, over 90% of thieves will eventually be caught, because once a cat gets its prey, it can't resist continuing to bite, and the result is always the same: being caught.
Well, without further ado, after this incident, Zhong Shan immediately notified Xu Zhengyang.
As the saying goes, no one gets up early for nothing. You think you can just sit back and enjoy the spoils with the police officers and security team members, doing absolutely nothing all day? There's no such thing as a free lunch! They brought you in, Xu Zhengyang, hoping you'd help solve cases, improve efficiency, boost your performance record, and then… get promoted!
That's a fact; Zhongshan isn't some otherworldly deity.
After receiving Zhong Shan's call, Xu Zhengyang didn't immediately pull out the county census information about the thief. Instead, he said that if he dreamed of the local earth god that night, he would definitely inquire about it. This excuse was necessary; if Zhong Shan asked and they reported clues shortly afterward… that would be too surprising. Just how good is your relationship with the earth god? Could it be that they're planning to let you take over?
The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Zhengyang drove his motorcycle to Huaxiang Police Station. He found Zhong Shan and said that he had contacted the local earth god the night before. The thieves were two people from Zhugezhuang village, their names were something like that. They hadn't had time to spend the money yet; it was in the bedside table, along with the gold and silver jewelry. One guy had put it in a shoebox on top of the wardrobe, and the other guy had put it under the bed…
Well, this clue is quite detailed!
Zhong Shan, of course, wouldn't tell his officers these details. He personally led a team to Zhugezhuang and, based on the information provided by Xu Zhengyang, found the home of the two thieves. Initially, Zhong Shan had some doubts—what if they arrested the wrong people? So he planned to question them first, then search the house, observe their expressions, and so on… However, when Zhong Shan led the police inside and saw the thieves, he knew that the clues provided by Xu Zhengyang were correct.
The two boys' terrified eyes betrayed them the moment they saw the police.
Having been a policeman for so many years, how sharp are Zhong Shan's eyes?
As a result, the burglary case was successfully solved in less than 20 hours, and the suspect was arrested.
Zhong Shan was naturally overjoyed. After all, which police station could solve such a case so quickly? If word got out, wouldn't it make him, the police station chief, seem incredibly wise and capable? Of course, to his officers, Zhong Shan explained that he had received a tip from someone, but he couldn't reveal who it was to prevent retaliation from the criminals.
After tossing Xu Zhengyang a cigarette, Zhong Shan excitedly picked up the phone and called Wu Feng, the director of the Futou Town Police Station, to tell him the good news.
You don't need to guess what Wu Feng's expression was like on the other end of the phone.
After Zhong Shan hung up the phone, Xu Zhengyang asked, "Uncle, is there any news about Chao Jiang's case?"
“Don’t rush things like this, it’s still a long way off.” Zhong Shan shook his head and said, “It’ll take at least two or three months to get any results. Hmm, Wu Feng and I will ask about this more later.”
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang nodded with some disappointment.
"By the way, go to the Futou Town Police Station. Wu Feng has a few backlogged theft cases... If you can help, hurry up..." Zhong Shan stopped mid-sentence and suddenly realized how ridiculous he was. He was really using Xu Zhengyang as a tool to solve cases. If every case could be solved so easily, then being a policeman would be too easy.
It feels a bit awkward! Thinking about this, Zhong Shan felt a little disappointed.
At this moment, a thought suddenly popped into Xu Zhengyang's mind: as a deity, if he were to meddle in these kinds of things every day, although he was doing good deeds, wouldn't it be making a mountain out of a molehill and dealing with trivial matters? This doesn't seem to be something a deity should be involved in.
What should the immortals do? Xu Zhengyang scratched his head, unable to figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.
After leaving Huaxiang Police Station on his motorcycle, Xu Zhengyang drove directly onto National Highway 107 and headed south towards Futou Town.
Xu Zhengyang is now quite skilled at driving this Yamaha 250 sports bike. Wearing an unnumbered police uniform and sunglasses, Xu Zhengyang feels incredibly confident!
When they were still some distance from the Chengfeng Road intersection, Xu Zhengyang saw his younger sister, Xu Rouyue, pushing a bicycle and standing in front of a small furniture store across the street. She was surrounded by several young men dressed in flashy clothes who looked like local thugs, and... there was even Liu Xiuyan, who was standing there in a flamboyant manner.
Xu Rouyue seemed a little unhappy. She pushed her bicycle to leave, but was blocked by two young men who were grinning.
Xu Zhengyang couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but he could imagine it wasn't anything nice.
Xu Zhengyang slowed down, found an opening, accelerated to the other side of the road, and then drove against the flow of traffic to cross!
The intimidating roar of the Yamaha 250 naturally attracted the attention of the group of people nearby, who turned around curiously. For the young hooligans in the small town, a 250cc sports bike was something they all dreamed of; just hearing the sound would immediately make them turn around and look on with envy.
But this time, the Yamaha 250 drove straight at them.
With a screeching sound of brakes, several young people screamed and scattered to avoid the motorcycle, which resembled a black panther and seemed to want to make close contact with them.
"Brother!" Xu Rouyue's eyes lit up with surprise, then her eyes reddened and two tears welled up in her eyes.
Xu Zhengyang took off his sunglasses, braced himself on the crossbar with his left foot, and then got off the bike. He walked up to Xu Rouyue, coldly surveying the group of young people. His gaze swept over Liu Xiuyan's face without lingering for even a second. He reached out and touched his sister's soft black hair, and asked softly, "Were you bullied?"
"No." Xu Rouyue pouted and lowered her head. "I wanted to buy a desk, but Sister Xiuyan and the others wouldn't let me leave."
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding..." A young man who was as thin as a stick quickly stepped forward and said, while the other three young men nodded and smiled awkwardly, saying it was a misunderstanding.
Country thugs always react this way when they see the police, and they're already in the wrong. Besides, this pretty girl is the policeman's sister. Good grief, they've really messed up.
Standing to the side, Liu Xiuyan was so shocked that her mouth dropped open. She simply couldn't believe that the person in front of her was Xu Zhengyang. Why was he wearing a police uniform? And why was he riding such a beautiful and imposing motorcycle?
Xu Zhengyang raised his hand and ruffled the skinny young man's short hair, then patted the man's cheek and said, "Open your eyes wider from now on, understand?"
Ma Gan and his accomplices were clearly angry; Xu Zhengyang's actions were unmistakably insulting.
But for a moment they dared not say anything.
"You've only met a bunch of these kinds of people outside?" Xu Zhengyang looked at Liu Xiuyan with disdain, a hint of disappointment even showing in his eyes, a kind of condescending or superior attitude.
“No, no, it’s Gu Lin’s friend.” Liu Xiuyan explained, shaking her head somewhat flusteredly, “This, this furniture store, it’s owned by Gu Lin’s family in Futou Town…”
"This is not good."
Xu Zhengyang repeated his assessment of Liu Xiuyan from their last meeting, then turned to his sister and said, "Go back now. I'll buy you a desk and have it delivered later."
"Oh." Xu Rouyue nodded, then glanced at Liu Xiuyan and her brother with some confusion. She seemed to realize something, but didn't say anything. She quickly rode away on her bicycle, wondering if her brother and Xiuyan had broken up. Hmm, it's good that they broke up. Look at the kind of people Xiuyan is associating with now, hooligans!
Xu Zhengyang ignored Liu Xiuyan, turned around, got on his motorcycle, started it, and shifted gears.
The black Yamaha 250 roared away like an agile cheetah into the distance.
Liu Xiuyan stood there blankly, watching Xu Zhengyang and the motorcycle drive away, and a feeling of regret suddenly welled up in her heart.
Volume Two, Gong Cao, Chapter 43: You Open the Shop, I Ship the Goods
Xu Zhengyang and Yao Chushun met in a private room on the second floor of the Yunlai Hotel on Fuming West Road in Fuxing District.
Today, Xu Zhengyang wore the casual clothes his sister had bought him, which made him look slightly more fashionable and less like the obviously unsophisticated old man he used to be. Xu Zhengyang never wore his police uniform unless he was going to the police station. Although he thought he looked more handsome and stylish in it, he wasn't one to show off, and besides, it would be very embarrassing if people found out he was actually a collaborator with a puppet regime.
“Zhengyang, this is a good thing. Hmm, it’s worth more than ten thousand yuan.” Yao Chushun held a jade green thumb ring in his hand. His eyes did not reveal the burning look he had when he saw a treasure. He casually put the thumb ring on the table, as if he had put down a lighter. “Well, these two can only sell for thirty thousand yuan at most… but they are not easy to sell. This thing is not a rare item.”
"Nobody wants it?" Xu Zhengyang was stunned. Damn it, it's one thing if it's not worth much, but if it's hard to find a buyer, then what a loss!
Yao Chushun hesitated for a moment and said, "It's not that nobody wants it, but the people I know who like to collect antiques won't care about such small items. Hmm, this wooden box is nice, made of ironwood, with fine workmanship and delicate carvings. It's from a master craftsman and has been around for quite some time. This thing... if handled properly, could fetch a good price!"
After a pause, Yao Chushun continued, "Zhengyang, what truly makes antiques valuable? First, they've been around for a long time; second, they're rare—rarity increases value, right? If there's only one in the world, it's a priceless treasure; third, the craftsmanship is excellent. Hmm, why are famous people's calligraphy and paintings so valuable? In my opinion, calligraphy and painting are no different from carving—they're all crafts, and what matters is the level of artistry..."
Xu Zhengyang was completely confused, only understanding half of what he was hearing.
However, he wasn't interested. It sounded like an ordinary, unremarkable item that was hard to sell, and... he had a whole bunch at home! What to do? So he asked directly, "Who will we sell them to?"
"Antique shops, I guess." Yao Chushun sighed. "Although we might lose a little money, the money comes in faster. Besides, isn't that how antique shops make their money?"
The mention of antique shops immediately brought to mind Zou Mingyuan's Tianbaozhai, and Xu Zhengyang shook his head repeatedly: "No way, antique shops are too shady. That son of a bitch Zou Mingyuan last time..."
Yao Chushun was stunned for a moment, then chuckled sinisterly and said, "Right, right, that son of a bitch is a scoundrel, a heartless businessman."
Xu Zhengyang said with some worry, "Master Gu, if that's the case, does that mean ordinary, uncommon antiques are hard to sell?"
“It’s not that they’re hard to sell; there are plenty of people who appreciate good antiques.” Yao Chushun shook his head and said, “Otherwise, how come Zou Mingyuan’s father makes so much money? Look at those antique shops in the Fubei Antique Market; even the worst ones can easily earn three to five hundred thousand a year. Of course, it mainly depends on luck. That’s how the antique business is; you just collect some ordinary items and sell some ordinary items, and that’s enough to keep the shop afloat…”
“Oh…” Xu Zhengyang fell silent, seemingly considering something.
Yao Chushun took a sip of wine, lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Zhengyang, be honest with me, do you have a connection?"
"What line?" Xu Zhengyang looked up in surprise, his face full of doubt.
"Hehe, I understand, I won't ask anymore." Yao Chushun didn't answer, but instead looked enlightened. He picked up his wine glass, clinked it against Xu Zhengyang's, took a sip, and said, "Let me give you a heads-up. If you really have a lead, why not open an antique shop? First, it'll be easier to sell your stuff, and it'll be out in the open. Second... you won't have to worry about where to hide it every day, right?"
Xu Zhengyang's eyes lit up. That's right!
Why didn't I think of opening an antique shop before? This is absolutely a great idea! Wasn't I just considering opening a wholesale grain and oil shop in Fuhe City to conceal the source of my enormous wealth? Now that I think about it, opening an antique shop is even more plausible than opening a grain shop. This is an industry where one stroke of luck can sustain you for three years with just one deal! It's definitely a highly profitable industry! I can justify whatever amount of money I make.
Thinking of this, Xu Zhengyang squinted and looked at Yao Chushun. This old guy was an expert. Last time they ate together, he had intentionally or unintentionally agreed to Zhong Zhijun's joke that if Xu Zhengyang wanted to open a shop, he would be the manager.
Could it be that this old fellow's discerning eye can not only appraise antiques but also predict the future?
Or... does he have ulterior motives?
Xu Zhengyang truly couldn't understand people like Yao Chushun. With such great abilities, even if he had lost everything overnight, he shouldn't have ended up in this state. With the people he knew and his ability to identify valuable items, making a comeback would be no difficult task for him.
Could it be that after suffering such a huge blow, he has become completely disheartened and no longer wants to get involved in the antique business?
But he's clearly very enthusiastic about it!