Chapter 59
I discussed it with my colleagues later, asking them, "When should the village hold the meeting?"
He Chunlian asked.
He Daniu said, "It's almost the end of this month, and next month will be busy. Who will have time to watch the show?"
There are only a few days left, aren't there?
A helpless smile crossed He Chunlian's face.
However, their school was already quite quiet, and the teachers earned little money, so they were all scrambling to substitute for others. When this opportunity to earn some extra money came up, everyone agreed very quickly.
So, at the end of the month, He Chunlian entrusted her granddaughter to Chen Liying for help, and then took her colleagues to the countryside to perform opera.
You know what?
As soon as the play started, people from all around came to watch it, and many surrounding villages, seeing this spectacle, were also eager to join in.
When Gu Yinxing got home from work, she found the house deserted. She called out "Mom," but there was no answer. She then called out "Sister-in-law," and this time someone answered, but it came from behind.
She turned around and saw Liang Ying coming in, holding her daughter's hand. Gu Yinxing quickly asked, "Sister-in-law, where's Mom? Wasn't she supposed to be back today?"
Liang Ying smiled and placed the groceries in the kitchen outside, saying, "Don't worry about it. Mom called and said that Liu Family Village insisted on inviting them to perform, and they couldn't refuse, so they went. They probably won't be back for another three to five days."
"What do you mean by 'unable to refuse'? It's just that they're offering a lot of money."
Gu Yinxing complained.
She picked up the thermos from the ground and shook it. Well, it was still empty. She said, "Mom said my brother is wild, but she's an old lady and she's even wilder. How long has he been away performing? It must have been half a month."
"That's only half a month."
Liang Ying fetched water to wash the vegetables and said with a smile, "I think Mom is quite happy; she's probably been holding back these past few years."
Who can argue with that? In previous years, we could only perform model operas. Things have gotten better in recent years, but even then, not many people listen to those plays. This time, when we went to the countryside and saw the enthusiasm of the villagers, veteran actors like He Chunlian were so happy that they didn't want to go home.
Chapter 67 The Sixty-Seventh Day of Being Eavesdropped On
The Ghost Market at Dongmen only opens at three or four in the morning.
Gu Jinshui and Shanhu have recently collected a lot of things in the vicinity, mainly ancient coins, such as Kaiyuan Tongbao. Xi'an was the capital during the Tang Dynasty, called Chang'an, so there are many ancient tombs and treasures in this area.
Even in rural areas, many families have collected antiques, such as pottery bowls and jars.
Gu Jinshui felt that ceramic bowls and jars were difficult to sell and he was also afraid of losing them. Ancient coins were much better; he could keep a large pile of them in his bag, wrap them in some newspaper, and they wouldn't usually get into any trouble.
It was still dark that day.
Gu Jinshui nudged Shanhu, and the two quickly ate some biscuits and went out.
The Ghost Market was located near the East Gate. When he arrived, it was pitch black, with stalls set up on both sides of the ground. Gu Jinshui had been there several times, so he knew the way well. He bypassed the stalls selling grain and ration coupons on the carpets in front and walked towards the back.
That area behind is where the real antiques are sold.
Yesterday, Gu Jinshui spotted a stall that specialized in selling ancient coins and porcelain. Gu Jinshui was particularly interested in the large number of ancient coins and planned to collect several sets of the Five Great Emperors set. These Five Great Emperors were believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits, and as long as they were genuine, he wouldn't have trouble finding a buyer.
He had just reached the stall when Shanhu tugged at his sleeve and pointed to the stall behind him, "Brother, isn't that He Fei?"
Gu Jinshui turned around and looked, and chuckled.
He said, "It's him. That's strange. How did he manage to catch up with Song Jianshe others?"
Gu Jinshui and Shanhu went over to take a look and saw several people gathered outside the stall, including He Fei and Song Jianshe.
He Fei's forehead veins bulged as he pointed to a Tiger-Shaped Pillow on the ground and said to Song Jianshe, "Buddy, don't be so rude. I saw this first, why are you trying to take it from me?"
Song Jianshe showed no embarrassment whatsoever.
It was a cold early morning. He had his hands in his pockets, and when he opened his mouth, a puff of white smoke escaped his lips. He said, "Hey, you say you've got your eye on this? I was just saying I'd had my eye on it yesterday. Besides, you haven't even paid for it yet, so who gives you the right to boss me around?"
"Isn't that being unreasonable?"
He Fei, that chubby boy, was so angry that the flesh on his face was trembling.
Liang Renyi chuckled and said, "We're not being unreasonable. Aren't we talking amicably? We can give you this, but you have to share what's on Old Cai's side with us."
"Impossible!"
He Fei's face immediately darkened.
He said it was strange that this group of people were interested in a Cizhou Kiln piece; apparently, they were after Old Cai's work.
He Fei was seething with anger. Pointing at Song Jianshe, he said, "So, you're here to act tough with me, aren't you?"
"Young man, there's nothing we can do if that's how you think."
Guo Pu was dressed very conservatively, even wearing a dog-head hat. He glanced at the Tiger-Shaped Pillow and said, "This thing is authentic, a rare find. We want it too. Boss, what's the price?"
"Hey, you guys..."
He Fei was furious; even in the dark, you could see his chubby face was bright red.
Gu Jinshui glanced at him, then at Song Jianshe and the others, stroked his chin, raised an eyebrow, pulled Shanhu, and whispered a few words of advice to him.
Shanhu immediately nodded in agreement and said loudly, "Brother Jin Shui, you can go and buy it without worry. I'll keep an eye on these people."
Jin Shui?
Upon hearing this name, Song Jianshe reacted as quickly as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He pushed through the crowd and saw Gu Jinshui squatting down in front of the stall across the street. Gu Jinshui picked up a Wucai Lidded Jar, examined it for a moment with great interest, and then asked the stall owner, "Boss, how much is this?"
The stall owner recognized him as someone who had been there yesterday. He paused for a moment when he saw him pick up the covered jar, thinking to himself, "This guy was looking at ancient coins yesterday, why is he picking up a covered jar now?" But who in business would turn down money?
The stall owner's eyes lit up, and he made a six-pointed hand gesture.
"Sixty, okay, I..."
Before Gu Jinshui could finish speaking, Song Jianshe interrupted him, "I'll offer seventy for this!"
He not only came himself, but also brought Guo Pu and others with him.
Guo Pu was initially reluctant, but when he saw the Wucai Heavenly Horse Lidded Jar in Gu Jinshui's hand, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "This, this..."
He almost revealed the origin of this thing, but luckily Song Jianshe pinched him, and Guo Pu swallowed his words.
Guo Pu looked at Song Jianshe and said, "Buying this is fine; it can serve as a decorative piece when we get back."
Guo Pu and Song Jianshe had discussed it beforehand, and they agreed that if they saw anything that was open, they should buy it as a decorative item.
Song Jianshe had some reservations, but after hearing Guo Pu's words, he felt reassured. These past few days, they had relied on Guo Pu to find bargains in Xi'an and had picked up quite a few good items. Although they hadn't earned a lot, it was still a good start.
"Hey, what are you doing? What's going on?"
Gu Jinshui looked angry and glanced at Song Jianshe, "Song Jianshe, you insist on competing with me, aren't you afraid I'll trick you again?"
Song Jianshe scoffed, raised his chin, and looked at Gu Jinshui with disdain. "Gu Jinshui, do you think you can scare me away with those words? Let me tell you, we have capable people here. With Master Guo here, do you think we'll be fooled by you?"
He Fei was just wondering why Song Jianshe and the others had left so suddenly. After buying the Tiger-Shaped Pillow, he came over and, quite by chance, found that it was an acquaintance. Moreover, this acquaintance seemed to be at odds with his rival.
With the mindset that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, He Fei squeezed next to Gu Jinshui. He first glanced at the Wucai Heavenly Horse Lidded Jar, and was immediately amazed by its elaborate and exquisite patterns and dazzling colors.
This is a rare find; it would have been more than enough to be the crown jewel of an antique shop back in the day.
He Fei had just been relieved that the group had left, but now his heart was bleeding.
He looked at Gu Jinshui and whispered, "Brother, you have a good eye! It's just that your friend's voice is a bit too loud. Such a good thing should have been bought quietly, and we could have celebrated it after it was safely in the market!"
Gu Jinshui gave a wry smile.
He said, "Don't even mention it, running into this group was just bad luck."
He turned to the boss and gestured a number, "Alright, let's be straightforward, how about a hundred?"
"What, one hundred? One hundred is too low, isn't it?"
Although the boss was dressed in homespun clothes and looked like a farmer, he was by no means simple or honest.
He leaned back in his chair, grinning to reveal a set of yellow teeth. "Young man, you've seen it too, this is some good stuff. You're offering a hundred to get rid of this good stuff? You'd better stay away."
What the hell is that?
Gu Jinshui cursed under his breath.
This boss is really opportunistic; he's become incredibly generous just because I lent him something to help He Fei.
"That's right, Jin Shui, you should step aside. Who do you think you're going to get rid of with this hundred yuan? We'll give you two hundred. Boss, if you nod, two hundred yuan and we'll settle the matter."
Song Jianshe hurriedly said.
Guo Pu didn't speak; his eyes were practically glued to the lidded jar. The place was pitch black, but the moonlight made the patterns on the lid appear even more beautiful, like a fairy draped in celestial robes.
"Two hundred, Song Jianshe, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?"
Gu Jinshui gritted his teeth and said, "Three hundred, and I'll also buy all the ancient coins on this stall. Fifty yuan should be enough, right?"
Buying so many ancient coins for fifty yuan is definitely worthwhile. Ancient coins are cheap now. This pile of ancient coins contains both genuine and fake ones, but overall there are more genuine ones. After all, it's not worthwhile to counterfeit such cheap items.
"I'll offer four hundred!" Liang Renyi said with a grin, looking at Gu Jinshui. "Gu Jinshui, if you don't have the money, don't bother arguing. Just give up now."
"Liang Renyi, you're supposed to be my brother-in-law, how dare you betray your own people?"
Gu Jinshui showed a hurt expression.
He Fei said in a low voice, "Brother Gu, if you need money, I have two hundred here, I'll lend it to you."
Gu Jinshui paused for a moment, about to speak, when Song Jianshe, who had obviously heard them, immediately said, "We'll put up five hundred, we'll pay right now."
The shop owner was grinning from ear to ear, and instead of sitting down, he rubbed his hands together and looked at Gu Jinshui, "Hey young man, can you offer a higher price?"
Gu Jinshui remained silent for a moment, then put down the lid of the jar.
Song Jianshe eagerly pulled out his money. The shopkeeper took the money, handed the jar to Song Jianshe, and then asked Gu Jinshui, "You can't buy the jar, but do you want these coins? I'll give them to you forty."
"Yes, Gu Jinshui, if you can't finish the big head, you can eat the small head."
Song Jianshe was extremely proud of himself. Holding the lidded jar, he showed it off to Gu Jinshui with a big smile.
Gu Jinshui, "Yes, why wouldn't I want it? I'd take it all if you gave me a ten-yuan discount."
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and actually agreed. He wrapped all the money on the stall in a cloth and stuffed it into Gu Jinshui's hand. He then piled the remaining porcelain onto a wheelbarrow and pushed it away.
He Fei watched him leave, then looked at Song Jianshe and the other two who were leaving happily, his face even more embarrassed than Gu Jinshui's.
"What are you looking at? Are you going to eat breakfast or not?" Gu Jinshui patted He Fei on the shoulder. Although this guy had been quite cold to them before, he was at least willing to lend him two hundred yuan just now, so his character was not bad.
"Can you still eat?"
He Fei felt like he was about to vomit blood. "That's Wucai Lidded Jar from the Jiajing era! Forget five hundred, even a thousand would be enough to make a profit in one go!"
He looked at Shanhu again, wanting to say a few words, but because of their lack of a proper relationship, he felt he had no right to speak, and his round face turned blue with anger.
Gu Jinshui and Shanhu exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.
He Fei was baffled by their laughter.
Gu Jinshui patted He Fei on the shoulder, "If you treat us to a meal, we'll tell you what's going on."
Driven by curiosity, He Fei would agree to two meals, let alone one.
He invited the two of them to a nearby restaurant and ordered soy milk, steamed buns, Youtiao, and sesame seed cakes.
Gu Jinshui half a bowl of soy milk and ate two sesame cakes before explaining to He Fei, "That thing is fake."
"Cough cough cough."
He Fei almost choked to death after taking a sip of soy milk.
He wiped his mouth, looked up and glared at Gu Jinshui: "Fake?! Impossible, I saw it clearly, the inscription 'Made in the Jiajing Reign of the Ming Dynasty' on the bottom is 100% genuine."
Chapter 68 was