Worthless Secondhand Goods

"Mom, may you live a long life, enjoy every blessing, and stay forever young."

Yang Gang and Cheng Lin held out an open box to Yang Su and offered their birthday wishes in unison.

"That's sweet. I wish you both well, too." Yang Su could not take her eyes off the Jadeite Ring. She picked it up and slipped it onto her finger.

The ring had been custom-made and fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful. You two can go sit down now!" Yang Su raised her hand and turned it this way and that, admiring how the ring caught the light. She looked ready to take off her hand and pass it around the room.

"Our turn!" Cheng Dongxue tugged at Zhang Yang's arm.

Only then did Lin Xiaofei release Zhang Yang's arm. She stayed where she was and watched him and Cheng Dongxue go up to offer their birthday wishes.

"Mom, happy birthday. I wish you good health and all the best."

"Mother-in-law, may you live a long life and have everything go your way."

The couple had not rehearsed at all, so they each said something different. Their wishes were down-to-earth, too.

"Hahaha..."

The room burst into laughter at Zhang Yang's birthday wish.

Zhang Yang said nothing. He knew everyone saw him as a crude man, and whatever a crude man did would seem crude and invite ridicule.

Yang Su had no time to laugh at him. Her gaze was fixed on the White Jade Hairpin in the Small Rosewood Box.

At first glance, the White Jade Hairpin was plain and unremarkable, the sort of trinket Yang Su would never look twice at. Its jade was of exceptional quality, but Yang Su cared only about keeping up appearances. She knew nothing about judging jade.

"Hmph. So that's what it is? Just a secondhand white jade hairpin!"

Xia Shiying, who had been watching from the side, could not help speaking up. He clearly thought little of the hairpin. It looked too ordinary, even old-fashioned.

"Exactly. One look tells you it isn't worth much, especially since it's secondhand."

Cheng Dongyu looked down her nose at Zhang Yang's gift.

"But it cost—"

"Cost what? How much could a secondhand thing cost? The box is rather pretty, though. It would do for storing jewelry, if only it were a little bigger."

Cheng Dongxue had wanted to explain and make things clear before her eldest sister embarrassed herself. Instead, Cheng Dongyu rudely cut her off and kept taking shots at Zhang Yang.

"Don't go too far, sis. Whether it's worth anything or not, it's still a gift from Zhang Yang. Besides, how much money does he have?"

Cheng Lin spoke up for him when it mattered.

"She's right. That's enough. Zhang Yang just hasn't had an opportunity. If one comes along and he seizes it, I'm sure things will change."

Yang Gang added his own explanation, with a note of encouragement for Zhang Yang.

Of the three Cheng sisters, Cheng Dongyu had married well first and lived the most comfortably. But that might not last. After all, Xia Shiying was still an employee working for someone else.

Yang Gang had started his own business. The road was difficult, but he could already see hope ahead. Before long, he might be the wealthiest of them all.

Despite that, Yang Gang had not looked down on Zhang Yang. He had even encouraged him indirectly, and Zhang Yang felt great about it.

Zhang Yang stood there grinning, as though they were talking about someone else entirely.

"Cheng Lin, Yang Gang, why are you taking Zhang Yang's side? Maybe you're partly responsible for how he turned out. How is he supposed to succeed if nobody pushes him?"

Cheng Dongyu made it sound as though she had Zhang Yang's best interests at heart. It was like a school seating students by their grades, as if putting someone in the back row would somehow make their grades soar.

"We're not taking anyone's side. We're just being fair. And I don't object to pushing him, but shouldn't you think about whether you're doing it the right way?" Yang Gang remained polite, though his words urged her to think before speaking.

"Second Sister, Eldest Sister, please stop arguing. You may not think much of Zhang Yang, and that's fine. But he bought Mom's birthday gift himself, and it wasn't cheap."

Cheng Dongxue could not bear to see her two sisters quarrel over Zhang Yang at their mother's birthday banquet.

"Heh. Zhang Yang bought it himself? Then I know it can't be worth much."

Now that Cheng Dongxue had said she had not paid for it, they could imagine how little the gift had cost.

Zhang Yang had no job, and even his spending money came from Cheng Dongxue. Thinking about it, he was surprised by how badly he had gotten by before.

"It's not about the money!" Cheng Lin was genuinely standing up for Zhang Yang now. She glanced deliberately at Yang Su; what she said next was meant for her, too.

"Eldest Sister, yes, you have money. You spent two hundred thousand on a Gold-Inlaid Jade Bangle, but that isn't even a tenth of your wealth. Zhang Yang is different. He may have spent everything he had on this White Jade Hairpin. Whatever the amount, he deserves respect for that."

Cheng Lin was fed up. Whenever they had the chance, her eldest sister and brother-in-law tore Zhang Yang down, as though making him out to be utterly worthless would raise their own standing.

"Cheng Lin is right. You keep comparing yourself to Zhang Yang. Is that the only way you can feel accomplished? You're just measuring your height against dwarfs. Even if you come out taller, what does that prove?"

Smack, smack...

Most of the people there disliked Zhang Yang. They looked down on him, mocked him, and bullied him. Even so, Cheng Lin and Yang Gang's words left them stunned. The sense in those words commanded respect.

Cheng Dongyu and Xia Shiying had clearly been stung. Yang Su could not watch any longer, so she spoke up.

"The White Jade Hairpin isn't much to look at, but never mind. At least they didn't come empty-handed. Dongyu, there's no need for you two to argue with them. It's time to sit down and eat."

Yang Su simply did not want Cheng Dongyu and her husband to be embarrassed any further. She stepped in before things got out of hand.

Zhang Yang held the White Jade Hairpin, waiting for someone with a discerning eye to take a look. No one did.

Everyone called Zhang Yang's White Jade Hairpin a worthless secondhand item. Cheng Hai came closer, picked it up, and examined it.

"The jade itself is quite good. It seems to have developed a patina, too. It's an old piece, so I'd call it an antique. It's just too ordinary."

After looking it over, Cheng Hai tossed the White Jade Hairpin back into the Small Rosewood Box.

At least Cheng Hai's money spent learning about antiques had not gone entirely to waste: he had recognized the White Jade Hairpin as one.

If Cheng Hai had studied it more carefully, he might have discovered what was special about it. But he had already decided Zhang Yang was a freeloader and would never buy Yang Su an expensive birthday gift.

Just then, a man past fifty emerged from the crowd and narrowed his eyes at the White Jade Hairpin in the Small Rosewood Box.

"Hiss..."

Zhang Yang frowned. He had been hoping someone who knew its value would appear. Seeing the keen light in the older man's narrowed eyes, he knew at once: the right person had arrived.