Persuasion

As for why Chu Chen had gotten up so early today, it was because it was Saturday, and he had decided to go stall browsing. In fact, whenever he had time recently, he would go stall browsing. After all, setting aside the chances of finding hidden treasures, the information about antiques there was far more timely than anything online.

Of course, this decision was only temporary. If he made enough money from this trip to southern Yunnan, he would stop browsing the stalls. By then, he would be preparing to open a shop. Besides, if he had plenty of money and still kept browsing the stalls, people might suspect he had ulterior motives.

Soon, Chu Chen exercised at home, ate a simple breakfast, picked up his goods box, and headed for the antiques market.

When Chu Chen arrived at the antiques market, it was not yet fully light, but there were already plenty of people. After all, it was Saturday. The stall vendors arrived early, and so did the customers. Naturally, the customers who came so early were all hoping to find hidden treasures, so there were usually not many actual transactions.

At the market management office, relying on his old connections, Chu Chen still managed to get a spot in that old location. Of course, he casually tossed over a pack of cigarettes as well. Even old connections could become new ones if you never offered any benefits.

As luck would have it, Zhou Wenping's stall was right beside his today, while Old Wu was several spots away from them.

When Chu Chen walked over, he happened to see Zhou Wenping let out a huge yawn. He smiled and asked, "Brother Zhou, what kind of mischief were you up to last night? Why do you look so listless today?"

When Zhou Wenping saw that it was Chu Chen, he laughed and cursed, "You brat, nothing decent ever comes out of your mouth. Do you really think I'd do anything to betray Sister-in-law Zhou?"

To be fair, Zhou Wenping had it pretty hard in that regard. Ever since Sister-in-law Zhou had fallen ill, they naturally couldn't have relations anymore. For all these years, he had remained hardworking and faithful, and no one had ever heard of him seeking out another woman. He truly was an exemplary husband.

"Haha, you're a man, after all. Otherwise, why would you be yawning nonstop? I've never seen you like this before." Chu Chen teased him.

"Get lost. Isn't this because the two kids were being unbearably noisy yesterday? They didn't go to sleep until midnight. I came here at two this morning and barely slept at all. How could I not be tired? But speaking of which, you've never experienced anything like that yourself. What would you know about being a man? Unless you already have, hmm?"

When Chu Chen saw the topic suddenly turn toward him, he felt embarrassed. Who could blame him? He was still a complete virgin. He hurriedly changed the subject. "Well, um... Brother Zhou, you came so early. How's business?"

"You brat..."

Zhou Wenping pointed at Chu Chen with his finger. Seeing that he had changed the subject, he did not pursue it. Instead, he helped Chu Chen arrange the goods on his stall and said, "It's all right. I should be able to make three to five hundred yuan, but since it's Saturday, earnings are a little lower."

Zhou Wenping was under considerable pressure, so Chu Chen consoled him. "It's still early. The people who come in the middle of the night are mostly looking for bargains. There really aren't many generous buyers. Look at me—I usually can't be bothered to come this early."

"You're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of the starving. Ah, that reminds me. I heard you won another bet yesterday. The whole market's talking about it. I heard you made a huge profit!"

The news had spread so quickly that Chu Chen was not surprised. He said modestly, "It was nothing, just luck. Besides, I only made a little money."

Zhou Wenping pointed at him several times. "See that? Rich people really are generous. I heard you made more than a million yuan, but in your mouth, it's become 'a little money.' Looks like I'll have to rob you, this rich man, one of these days. But now that you have so much money, why are you still browsing stalls? You could open a small shop."

Chu Chen waved his hand. "How big a shop could I open with this little money? Brother Zhou, don't you know how expensive shop rent is these days? If I opened a shop, once I paid for renovations and stock, this money would only be enough for me to drink the northwest wind. Instead of opening a shop, I might as well buy a house."

Zhou Wenping thought about it and sighed. "That's certainly true. Housing prices are getting more expensive every day, and rent has started rising too. At this rate, even our household expenses will become hard to bear. But if we went back, all we'd have is the old house in the countryside. The education the two children would receive couldn't compare with what they get here. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Seeing Zhou Wenping's worried expression, Chu Chen had an inspiration and said, "Brother Zhou, how about this? I'll lend you money to buy a house."

"How could I do that? Don't you need to buy a house too?" Before he had even finished speaking, Zhou Wenping repeatedly waved his hands and firmly refused.

"Come on, Brother Zhou, hear me out. I'll be honest with you—I have this much now." He held up fifteen fingers' worth of implication with his hand.

Zhou Wenping naturally did not think he meant one hundred and fifty thousand yuan. He asked in astonishment, "That much?"

"So with this money, I can completely afford to buy houses for both our families. Here's what I'm thinking: Brother Zhou, you should take advantage of the fact that housing prices are still relatively cheap and buy a three-bedroom apartment. Think about it. The children will grow up. Rather than deal with trouble later, it's better to solve the problem now."

Zhou Wenping shook his head helplessly. "A three-bedroom apartment? I wouldn't even dare dream of it. That would cost a fortune, wouldn't it? How could my family afford it?"

Chu Chen urged him, "Brother Zhou, I've looked into housing prices before. A smaller three-bedroom apartment only costs around four hundred thousand yuan. You might even get a discount if you pay in full. Including renovations and everything else, five hundred thousand should definitely be enough."

Zhou Wenping waved his hands repeatedly. "Five hundred thousand? With what little I earn, it would take me ten years to pay that back. How could that work?"

"Brother Zhou, money can be earned and repaid slowly. But for Sister-in-law Zhou and the children, buying a house now is the most worthwhile choice. Think about it. After buying a house, Sister-in-law Zhou would have a better environment in which to recover, and the children's schooling conditions would improve too. Isn't the reason we work ourselves to the bone so our wives and children can live better lives?"

Seeing Zhou Wenping deep in thought, Chu Chen knew he was already tempted, so he continued persuading him:

"Brother Zhou, think about it. Our capital just won the bid to host the Olympics. Housing prices in the future will definitely be higher than they are now. They might even rise by half. If you don't buy now, it'll be even harder later. You don't want Sister-in-law Zhou and the children to keep renting forever, or to choose to return to Xijing after a few years, do you?"

After hearing Chu Chen say this, Zhou Wenping was indeed tempted. But after thinking it over, he still hesitated. "I heard that buying a house in the capital requires some kind of application. It won't be easy, will it?"

Chu Chen really did not know about that. However, he thought that if necessary, he could ask Uncle Wu or Zhao Qirui. They should know more about it. With a relaxed expression, he said, "It's simple. I know people."

Zhou Wenping looked deeply grateful. "Xiao Chen, this is really too much trouble for you. Besides, my family does have some savings. Even if I borrow money, I don't need to borrow the full five hundred thousand."

"Don't worry about that. Keep your family's money for Sister-in-law Zhou's treatment. Besides, Wen Cong and Wen Hui are still growing. Save that money and use it to buy them more food and clothes. As for repaying me, there's no need to rush." Chu Chen waved his hand, his expression resolute.

Seeing how enthusiastic Chu Chen was, Zhou Wenping did not know what to say. He patted Chu Chen on the shoulder and nodded. "All right. I'll go home and discuss it with Sister-in-law Zhou. Whether it works out or not, Brother Zhou will always be grateful for this favor."

Chu Chen was helping Zhou Wenping so wholeheartedly partly because he genuinely thought that Zhou Wenping's entire family was decent and wanted to help them. On the other hand, it could also be considered an investment in their relationship.

As mentioned earlier, Chu Chen would definitely open an antiques shop in the future. Based on his plans, it should at least be about the same size as Zhu Dafu's shop. He certainly would not be able to manage such a shop alone, so he would need to hire managers later.

With that in mind, Zhou Wenping, who was familiar and had decent antique knowledge, was Chu Chen's best choice. Old Wu was not bad either, but with his greedy personality, Chu Chen did not dare put him in charge. Of course, given Old Wu's experience, having him manage market-related affairs would work well. It would depend on whether he was willing when the time came.

Since it was Saturday, the crowd grew larger after they chatted for a while, and many more people began asking about prices. The two of them became busy as well. However, most people had come to browse the market hoping to find hidden treasures, so there were many more inquiries than purchases. By the end of the morning, Chu Chen had sold only four items.

Although he had not sold many items, he had made quite a bit of money. The four handicrafts brought him nearly five hundred yuan in profit. That amount was not much to him now, but the feeling of earning money still delighted him.

At two in the afternoon, Chu Chen left Uncle Wu's house with the double-eared vase and headed to that private restaurant. He had contacted Zhao Qirui that morning, but Zhao Qirui had been unavailable then, so they had arranged to meet in the afternoon.

When they met, Zhao Qirui was extremely happy. He carefully examined the double-eared vase several times before saying cheerfully:

"Little Chu, you work efficiently. This double-eared vase also meets my requirements perfectly."

Chu Chen said modestly, "It was just luck. Uncle Wu happened to have a client who wanted to sell it, so I bought it."

"Good. I'm very satisfied with this piece. Little Chu, tell me your price."

Chu Chen thought about it and decided to quote the original price. "Brother Zhao, five hundred thousand yuan."

Zhao Qirui clearly froze when he heard the price. Then he pointed at Chu Chen and laughed. "Little Chu, are you insulting me? I attended this year's spring auction too, you know. You have to charge me a little more. Otherwise, how could I have the nerve to come to you again next time?"