Chapter 61

He didn't take it to heart at all, and instead said, "This person is a bit suspicious. I know him, but he might not know me. Let's follow him for a while and find out more about him before making any decisions."

"Okay then." He Fei nodded repeatedly.

Gu Jinshui whispered a few words to Shanhu.

Shanhu nodded, picked up the bowl, slurped up the remaining mutton soup, wiped his mouth, and left.

As he went out, the man at the door looked up at him, then lowered his head when he saw that he was a stranger.

He Fei was still wondering what was going on, but seeing Gu Jinshui eating with her head down, he didn't dare to ask any further.

After a while, the man finished eating and went out. Gu Jinshui immediately took He Fei and followed him.

This was He Fei's first time doing tailing, so he was a little hesitant. Gu Jinshui laughed and said, "What's wrong? Nervous?"

"Who said I was nervous? I was afraid of losing my way."

He Fei, staring at the figure in front of him as he spoke.

Seeing the man ahead quicken his pace, he hurried after him.

Gu Jinshui stopped him, saying, "No need to rush, we have people watching ahead, we won't lose them."

"Mountain... Shanhu?" He Fei suddenly realized what was going on. He slapped his forehead and said, "No wonder you let Shanhu go out first. So that's what you were planning!"

He Fei looked him up and down. "Fine, I'm completely convinced."

They followed for a while, walking from the mutton shop, and as they walked, He Fei realized something was wrong. Why did this place seem so familiar?

Before He Fei could figure it out, the man in front suddenly turned into an alley. He Fei quickly chased after him, taking three steps at a time. Gu Jinshui didn't even have time to call out before the man entered the alley. A moment later, a cry of pain came from inside the alley.

Gu Jinshui then slowly walked into the alley.

In the alley, the man's hand was clenched into a fist. He Fei had already taken a punch and was lying on the ground, clutching his eye. When he saw Gu Jinshui arrive, he immediately cried out as if he had seen a savior, "Brother Gu, please help!"

"So it was the two of you who followed me?"

The man twisted his neck, staring at Gu Jinshui with a sinister grin. "With your small frame, you dare to follow me? You've got some nerve!"

"Don't you think I look familiar?" Gu Jinshui asked calmly. He had clearly seen Shanhu climb over the wall in the alley behind him, but he seemed not to notice, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

The man paused, then looked Gu Jinshui up and down.

He frowned. "You are...?"

"That idiot, remember him?" Gu Jinshui raised his chin.

The man immediately realized what was happening. His face first showed panic, but then, seeing that Gu Jinshui was alone and He Fei lying on the ground was no longer a threat, he sneered and said, "What, you want your money back? I remember I didn't sell my things to you."

"Oh, you've misunderstood. I'm not here for the money; I'm here for the Snuff Bottle."

Gu Jinshui said.

Shanhu had already crept stealthily towards the man.

But the man was completely oblivious; he even laughed out loud, "Want Snuff Bottle? No problem, I'll make one for you later!"

"You know I want the genuine article. That fake is so realistic, it can only be because there's a real one to compare it to. If you're willing to sell me the real one, the price is negotiable."

Gu Jinshui raised his hand and said.

The man laughed heartily, "You're clever, but you've come to the wrong place if you want the real thing. Even if I had such a good item, let alone not having it..."

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed a shadow on the ground. He reacted quickly and tried to turn around, but Shanhu grabbed his throat with his arm.

The moment the chokehold was applied, the man didn't even have time to struggle. He grabbed Shanhu's arms with both hands, and his neck made a cracking sound.

"Let go... let go..."

He Fei watched as the once arrogant man was suddenly squeezed like a chick by Shanhu, and his jaw nearly dropped.

He covered his eyes, pointed at the man, and said, "Don't let go! Good heavens, this guy sells counterfeit goods. Hitting him is like doing justice for God!"

Gu Jinshui doesn't possess such high moral standards, and besides, how can you possibly fight off every fake antique?

He looked at the man and said, "Don't struggle anymore. My brother used to learn wrestling from the Hui people. If you're willing to cooperate and tell us where that thing is, we'll let you go and even give you ten yuan to calm your nerves. If you're not willing, hehe..."

Gu Jinshui's smile was incredibly sinister, and Shanhu tightened his grip on her arm in a coordinated manner.

The man immediately backed down, nodding and blinking repeatedly.

Gu Jinshui gave Shanhu a look, and as soon as Shanhu let go, the man immediately rushed forward, heading straight for He Fei, shouting, "Help!!"

He Fei, the chubby boy, had been watching the man make a fool of himself, never expecting his retribution to come so quickly. He slammed his head into the stomach, and his eyes almost rolled back.

"Who goes there? Who dares to cause trouble on my turf?"

A person ran out of the old house next door, holding one of those machetes.

Gu Jinshui realized the voice sounded familiar when he heard the man shout, "An Yi, help! Someone's trying to kill your cousin!"

An Yi, holding an axe, looked at the man, then at Gu Jinshui and the other two in the alley behind him. He slowly lowered the axe, and the cigarette he was holding fell to the ground. "Damn it, what are you doing?"

Fifteen minutes later, everyone went into An Yi's house to drink tea and apply medicine.

The man, An Xin, wasn't seriously injured, though he looked bad. He Fei, on the other hand, had been punched and then hit on the head. An Yi went inside to get some medicinal wine to wipe him down, and he was still wiping away tears and cursing.

"Alright, alright, stop cursing. His grandpa is my grandpa too."

An Yi kicked away the broken pieces of wood on the ground and said to He Fei, "Who told you to target my brother? My brother was injured too, so you're not losing out either."

"Whether we suffer a loss or not is one thing, but we need to find an explanation for this Snuff Bottle."

Gu Jinshui smiled.

An Yi's expression froze. He looked at Gu Jinshui, cursing inwardly, and couldn't help but glare at his cousin.

An Xin shrank back, looking embarrassed.

He argued, "I'd already fled Beijing to ship the goods, I never expected them to come after me."

"So this is fate."

Gu Jinshui sighed, "Until today, I never thought I would run into you again. Tell me, isn't this fate?"

"Fate my ass, "An Xin, wanting to curse, but the sight of Gu Jinshui's smile sent chills down her spine. This man was definitely a cunning old fox. Since she had been caught, there was nothing more to say.

He said, "Forget about the Snuff Bottle. You all know those Snuff Bottle cost more than two hundred and fifty. And if you want money, I don't have any."

"An Yi, what do you think about this?"

Gu Jinshui ignored An Xin. Although An Xin was his cousin, Gu Jinshui could tell at a glance that An Yi was the one in charge.

The matter of the Snuff Bottle still falls to him.

An Yi cursed inwardly, thinking, "Did this kid already know all about them a long time ago?"

He gritted his teeth and said, "You want Snuff Bottle?"

"Yes." Gu Jinshui nodded directly.

An Yi said directly, "You give me six hundred, and I'll give it to you right now."

"An Yi, you..." An Xin was about to speak when An Yi interrupted him, "Don't say anything. You were chased to your home for selling counterfeit goods. What can we say?"

An Yi looked at Gu Jinshui and said, "I just hope you'll leave my brother a way out and don't expose this."

An Xin opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Gu Jinshui, too lazy to bother with the details, nodded and said, "This matter ends with me."

"Alright then." An Yi went into the back room.

He Fei looked at An Xin, then looked at the things in the room. The room was a mess, with shelves on all four walls, filled with all sorts of odds and ends, such as glue, mud, and even pig's blood and lard.

It makes people wonder what these things are for.

"I understand, you're from the An Family!"

He Fei suddenly realized what was happening, slapped his thigh, and said, "Just then, An Yi came in carrying something. Hearing this, he looked a little embarrassed and said, 'The thing is here. I'll get the money from you guys later.'"

"Okay, don't worry, what else could we possibly be worried about?"

Gu Jinshui readily agreed, tugged at He Fei's sleeve, stood up and said, "We came in a hurry today and didn't bring anything, please don't mind, we'll treat you to a meal next time."

An Yi twitched the corners of her lips, her expression utterly unpleasant.

Clearly, they weren't welcome.

Gu Jinshui could understand. He pulled the excited He Fei and Shanhu out, while He Fei muttered a complaint under his breath, "Why didn't you let me ask them if they were the An Family?"

"Which An Family?" Gu Jinshui unwrapped the cloth covering the Snuff Bottle and examined it closely. The Amber Snuff Bottle was exquisitely crafted, with a golden exterior, delicate texture, and superb carving. It was truly a masterpiece made in a snail shell.

The fake one looked alright, but when placed next to the real thing, even a layman could spot the difference.

"Wow, this is good stuff. No wonder An Yi like his father just died."

He Fei first praised it, then introduced, "The An Family made their fortune by making counterfeit goods starting in the Qing Dynasty. Their craftsmanship was exquisite; even the top managers of Liuli Factory might not be able to spot the fakes. It seems they offended a warlord during the Republic of China era, and then they disappeared. I thought the An Family had either died out or stopped doing this business, but I didn't expect there were still people left."

He glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "Didn't you see what's in their room? Those are materials used for counterfeits. I guarantee they have a lot of fakes!"

Chapter 70 The Seventieth Day of Being Eavesdropped On

Whether An Yi is An Family or whether he is fabricating something, Gu Jinshui really doesn't care.

To put it bluntly, they were just strangers who met by chance. If it weren't for the An Xin coincidence that An Xin bumped into Gu Jinshui, and Gu Jinshui and his group needed some rare items, Gu Jinshui wouldn't have bothered with him at all.

After receiving this, He Fei became radiant. He could talk and sing while walking, and he stopped babbling while eating.

When the appointed day arrived, He Fei took Gu Jinshui and the others there and first showed the Old Master Mr. Cai gifts.

When Mr. Cai saw the Amber Snuff Bottle, his eyes lit up like a cat's. "Grandpa Cai, what do you think of this? Is it alright?" He Fei tried to feign modesty.

Mr. Cai stroked his beard with a smile, playing with the Snuff Bottle in his hand, and nodded, saying, "He Fei, you've made something of yourself. Your Grandpa has a worthy successor."

"Oh my, you flatter me. I was just lucky to have a friend willing to help." Although He Fei was vain and concerned with his image, he didn't take credit for himself. Instead, he pointed to Gu Jinshui and said, "It was all thanks to my friend."

Mr. Cai glanced at Gu Jinshui and smiled, "This young man is quite good-looking. Is he married?"

He Fei: "..."

What's wrong? You didn't ask me before, but now you ask me this just because someone is good-looking.

Gu Jinshui smiled and said, "We're married, and we even have a child."

"Oh, that's good. Xiaofei, you're not young anymore, you should find someone when you get back," Mr. Cai murmured.

He Fei was completely overwhelmed. He was pressured to get married at home, and now he was being pressured to get married outside. He quickly said, "Grandpa Cai, don't worry, I'll go on a blind date as soon as I get back. First, tell me if you're satisfied with this thing?"

"Satisfied, of course I'm satisfied."

Mr. Cai was delighted with it. He took a small box to put the Snuff Bottle in, then handed the box next to it to He Fei, saying, "Alright, He Fei, you can have it for now."

"Wait!"

The anxious voices of Song Jianshe and others could be heard from outside the door.

Song Jianshe ran into the house, glanced at Gu Jinshui, and then said to Mr. Cai, "Mr. Cai, you promised us that you would look at our things before making a decision, and we haven't even taken anything out yet."

Mr. Cai chuckled, but his tone left no room for argument. "That won't be necessary. I don't see you have anything better to offer."

"Why not?" Guo Pu said confidently, looking at Liang Renyi. "Bring out our bronze mirror and let Elder Cai take a look."

Liang Renyi quickly opened the bag and carefully took out a...