Chapter 20

"At Panjiayuan, he ran into the man selling fakes. Apart from that amber, everything else on the stall was real. It's just that Song Jianshe didn't know enough to tell."

Liang Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Setting a trap for Song Jianshe had given her a measure of satisfaction.

But there was no need to track the man down. The more people who knew about this, the less safe it would be.

Sure enough, things went just as Gu Jinshui had said.

Song Jianshe left for Panjiayuan early that morning. By the time he arrived, a little after seven, plenty of vendors had already set up their stalls. He headed straight for the spot where he had bought the Snuff Bottle, only to find a different vendor there, selling porcelain.

"Where's the man who was selling things here before?"

Song Jianshe's heart gave a jolt, and he hurried to ask the vendor.

The vendor blinked. "What man? I was the first one here today. This is my stall."

"Not you. The sturdy fellow selling snuff bottles here the day before yesterday."

Song Jianshe gestured as he spoke. "I bought something from him, and now I want my money back!"

That made it clear to everyone.

A cheated buyer had come looking for the seller.

The vendor was friendly enough. "I don't know him. I was here yesterday too. Ask someone else."

A bitter taste rose in Song Jianshe's mouth, but he had no choice but to ask around.

Nobody knew a thing.

No one knew where the man had come from, much less where he had gone.

Some people did recognize Song Jianshe, though.

"Aren't you the one who paid two hundred and fifty for a snuff bottle? What, turned out it wasn't the real deal?"

"What does 'wasn't the real deal' mean?"

Song Jianshe stared at him and asked.

At that, several vendors around him froze, then doubled over laughing. One even fell onto his backside and kept crying out as he laughed.

The laughter made Song Jianshe burn with embarrassment.

He turned to leave, but the man who had laughed at him felt a little bad. "Brother, I'm guessing you're new to this. In our line of work, 'the real deal' means genuine. If something isn't quite the real deal... well, you can work that out yourself."

"You mean it's fake?"

Song Jianshe finally understood and grew annoyed. "Why not just say it's fake?"

The man looked Song Jianshe over and realized he was not only new to the trade but knew nothing about it.

Talking to someone like that was a waste of breath.

In the antiques trade, anyone serious about doing business avoided calling something fake outright. They did not want to make a definitive claim or offend anyone. If you declared an item fake, its owner might be stuck with something he could not sell and hold a grudge against you. Feuds were the last thing a merchant wanted. Everyone kept things pleasant; even if they spotted a fake, they said little. If someone bought one, he could either accept his bad luck or ask an intermediary to negotiate a refund, taking a small loss to recover the rest of his money.

There was a reason people used to say antique collecting was for wealthy families. Ordinary households could not afford to throw that kind of money around, and even if they were cheated, they might not know anyone who could help them get it back.

So the man said, "Look, little brother, you're green as they come. This trade is complicated. Best stay out of it. And forget about finding that man. Who knows where he's run off to by now? Even if you find him, you won't get your money back. He could have spent it all in the last few days."

Song Jianshe refused to believe it. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I refuse to believe there's no justice in this world. I'm going to Public Security!"

The Twenty-Third Day of Being Overheard

Would Public Security handle the matter?

Of course it would.

For one thing, two hundred and fifty was no small sum. Any family in Beijing that could produce that much was fairly well-off; it was about what a man might pay as a bride price. But the case was complicated.

First, Song Jianshe had bought the item from a stall, and the seller had long since vanished. They did not even know where to look for him, much less how to put out a notice for him. Second, Song Jianshe had no receipt or other proof of the transaction. Public Security could not open a case based solely on his word.

Song Jianshe went back to Panjiayuan to find witnesses, but nobody would give him the time of day.

After racking his brains, he realized he had to ask Gu Jinshui to testify.

Gu Jinshui was happy to help. "It did happen. Whether the price was two hundred and fifty, I couldn't say. I didn't see them hand over the money."

"So they did agree on a price of two hundred and fifty?" the Public Security officer asked.

Gu Jinshui nodded. "That's right. My brother-in-law knows about it too. But we don't know anything beyond that."

"No need. Thank you for your cooperation."

The officer had heard enough and rose to leave.

Song Jianshe hurried to see him out, asking, "Officer, you can open a case, right?"

"Of course," the officer said.

Song Jianshe pressed on anxiously. "Then when will I get my money back?"

The officer looked uncomfortable. "That's hard to say. Keep an eye out yourself. If you see the man, let us know, and we'll arrest him."

What he really meant was that they were unlikely to find him.

China was vast. Beijing alone had several districts and millions of people. If the man wanted to hide, he could hole up in the suburbs and be nearly impossible to find.

The police could put up a wanted notice, but actually catching him would not be easy.

Song Jianshe's mind went blank when he heard that.

It was the Courtyard Chief who saw the officer out.

When the Courtyard Chief returned, he took a drag on his cigarette and said earnestly, "Jianshe, you'd best stay away from this sort of thing from now on. That officer's busy too. There's a crackdown going on. He hardly has time for your case."

"Chief, I already feel awful, and you're rubbing it in!"

Song Jianshe's face flushed with anger.

The retort embarrassed the Courtyard Chief. Still, knowing Song Jianshe's family had lost money, he let it go and walked off with his hands behind his back.

The Courtyard Chief said nothing more.

But everyone else did. Within a day, the whole Compound Courtyard knew Song Jianshe had been cheated out of two hundred and fifty.

"He really was a fool. My Guo tried to give him some good advice, and he accused him of rubbing it in."

Auntie Guo grumbled, "My Guo's too kind, that's what it is. He ran around helping him and even looked after the Public Security officer, and somehow that was wrong? He serves as Courtyard Chief all year without getting paid a penny, only to be blamed for his trouble."

"Auntie Guo, why bother with him? We all know Elder Guo is a good man."

Widow An was sorting vegetables as she spoke. "I could tell Song Jianshe was headed for trouble. He barely earns anything, and already he thinks he's something special. Gu Jinshui earns plenty too, but you don't see him showing off like that."

That was both true and untrue.

Gu Jinshui did like to spend money. Every few days, he brought home steamed buns, dumplings, or braised pork knuckles.

The difference was that Gu Jinshui knew how to get along with people.

When he had been dealing in scrap, some families in the Compound would sell a little now and then. They claimed they had saved it up at home, but everyone knew where it had really come from. They simply did not want to admit they had picked up trash outside.

The scrap would not fetch much at a collection station anyway. Gu Jinshui offered to pool it with his own and sell it for a better price. It was not a lot more—perhaps a few extra cents.

But that was still something. A few cents could buy soy sauce or vinegar, or a little candy for the children.

Quite a few people remembered that small kindness and often spoke well of Gu Jinshui.

Widow An was one of them.

Huang Xirong had been eavesdropping in the back courtyard. At those words, she stormed out and shouted, "You filthy bitch! No wonder my son's had such rotten luck—you've been cursing him! I'll slap that foul mouth of yours!"

Everyone was sitting around sorting vegetables and chatting.

Nobody expected Huang Xirong to burst out like that. Widow An was especially unprepared and took a slap across the face.

The blow stunned her, then set her temper ablaze.

Widow An had managed on her own for years after her husband's death. She was no pushover.

The moment she recovered, she seized Huang Xirong by the hair and yanked hard, pulling out a fistful.

When He Chunlian came to the front with Gu Yousi in her arms to see what was happening, Gu Yousi watched the strands flutter down like snowflakes.

Her mouth formed a little O.

"Hair..."

He Chunlian paused, then brightened. "Second Girl, what did you say?"

"Hair, hair..." Gu Yousi pointed at the hair on the ground.

He Chunlian looked at her granddaughter, then at the ground, and fell silent.

It was a fine word for her to learn. The timing was another matter.

"Stop fighting! Stop!"

When Auntie Guo saw them fighting, she quickly set down her vegetable basket and reached out to separate them.

Huang Xirong shoved her away. "Stay out of it! You were talking about my son too!"

Auntie Guo flushed, then grew angry herself.

"Yes, I was talking about your son. Was I wrong? My Guo went to all that trouble to help him, and your son didn't appreciate it. Everyone, you be the judge. Was I gossiping for no reason? I was upset on my Guo's behalf!"

Auntie Guo was well respected.

As soon as she appealed to the others, they all began criticizing Huang Xirong and her son.

"Auntie Guo didn't say anything wrong. Elder Guo went to so much trouble for your son, and your family never even thanked him. Is she not allowed to say a word about it?"

"Auntie Huang, you're in the wrong here. Why are you going after Auntie Guo?"

As the reproaches came from every direction, Huang Xirong's face grew redder and redder.

Widow An shoved her away and spat. "If you don't want people talking, teach your son to behave better in public."

Hearing himself mentioned, Song Jianshe could no longer stay inside. He hurried out and apologized to Auntie Guo. "Auntie Guo, I was wrong. I was upset and said something foolish. Please tell Elder Guo I'm sorry."

Auntie Guo was not petty.

Seeing Song Jianshe apologize in front of everyone, her anger faded. "It's all right. I know losing that money hurts, but you can't take it out on my Guo, can you?"

"No, you're right. This was my fault from start to finish."

Song Jianshe looked remorseful and even bowed to Auntie Guo.

Now Auntie Guo felt embarrassed. She waved a hand. "All right. Take your mother back inside."

Only then did Song Jianshe lead Huang Xirong into their room.

Gu Yousi's eyes followed them, then settled on a little girl standing in the doorway of the East Wing Room. She knew the girl was Song Chaohua, the Song Family's eldest daughter.

For some reason, Gu Yousi felt there was something strange in the way Song Chaohua looked at her. It seemed like jealousy, or perhaps disgust.

Puzzled, Gu Yousi shook her head.

Elsewhere, Gu Jinshui met up with his friends and went over their recent accounts.

Douzi took three pastry coupons from his pocket. "Brother, I got you those coupons."

"Good. Deduct what they cost from my share."

Gu Jinshui took the coupons as he spoke.

Douzi grinned. "Brother, you're making us look bad. We've benefited plenty from knowing you. You pay whenever we eat out, all year round. What kind of person would I be if I charged you for a few coupons?"

Gu Jinshui could not help laughing. "Fine, I'll let you treat me this once. I'll be busy for the next few days, so I won't come by. If anything comes up, leave word at my place."

"Sure, Brother. Don't worry—we won't hesitate."

Douzi nudged Shanhu's shoulder. "Right, Shanhu?"

Shanhu gave a bashful grin and nodded.

With the pastry coupons in hand, Gu Jinshui headed straight for the department store. He bought two boxes of pastries and a can of meat, then took them to Director Chen's home.

He had timed his visit for when he reckoned Director Chen would be home from work.

Director Chen lived in a small building constructed by the post office, in an apartment of more than eighty square meters on the second floor. When the door opened, Gu Jinshui smiled at once. "Ma'am, you must be the director's wife?"

A smile immediately appeared on her face. She glanced at the heavy bag in Gu Jinshui's hand, then stepped aside. "I am. You're here to see Old Chen, aren't you? I haven't seen you before."

"I don't work at the post office. I heard the director knows how to appraise antiques, so I came to ask his advice."