Chapter 62

The bronze mirror had been wiped clean. The day before yesterday, it was dusty and the patterns on the back were hard to see. It must have been repaired by Guo Pu in the past few days. When it was brought out, the mirror surface was as smooth as water, and the gold and silver inlaid phoenix pattern on the back of the mirror was also very grand. Anyone could tell at a glance that it was a good thing with some weight.

Mr. Cai glanced at it, exclaimed "Eh!", took it, looked at it from left to right, and nodded, saying, "Good, it is indeed a bronze mirror from the Tang Dynasty. You have a good eye."

Song Jianshe couldn't stop smiling.

But Mr. Cai returned the item to him, stroking his beard and shaking his head, saying, "It's a pity they chose Amber Snuff Bottle for me. As you know, Amber Snuff Bottle bottles are rare. You can find another bronze mirror if you miss it, but once you miss Amber Snuff Bottle of this quality, you may never see it again."

"Amber Snuff Bottle?"

Song Jianshe was startled and looked at Gu Jinshui with suspicion.

He said to Mr. Cai, "Mr. Cai, please make sure it's genuine, not made of plastic."

Gu Jinshui chuckled softly.

Mr. Cai laughed heartily, picked up the box, opened it, and showed it to everyone like a treasure, "Look at this, can it really be made of plastic with such a luster? If this Snuff Bottle is made of plastic, then I'll admit defeat."

Song Jianshe's eyes were practically glued to the Snuff Bottle.

His head buzzed, he rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.

This Snuff Bottle was clearly very similar to the fake one he had bought by mistake, but Song Jianshe could tell that this thing was extraordinary.

How could that be?

"How did this end up in your hands?" Song Jianshe stared at Gu Jinshui suspiciously.

He clearly acknowledged that Gu Jinshui had obtained the items.

That's why it's often said that your opponent knows you best.

Gu Jinshui laughed and said, "You won't believe it, but I really found it on the road."

"You dare bump into me on the street again?"

Song Jianshe's words were laced with hostility.

Anyone who thinks they've won but gets overtaken by their arch-rival will never be in a good mood.

"Alright, you guys show me how to buy this bronze mirror, and I'll show you how to get this Snuff Bottle."

Gu Jinshui crossed his arms, raised his chin, and shrugged, exuding a roguish air.

"Alright, we admit defeat this time."

Guo Pu glanced at Gu Jinshui and said, "But don't get too cocky. We're all in the same business; it'll be time for us to clash."

"That's great! I'll be waiting."

Gu Jinshui wasn't afraid of such words. When he was out there fighting with people in the underworld, this old geezer was probably still hiding somewhere.

With Zheng Banqiao's painting, acquiring the house became much easier.

The old house was located near Dongguan Main Street. Gu Jinshui had never been here before, and this was his first time. He was amazed by what he saw after walking around. This old house should actually be called Villa.

The architectural style, a blend of Chinese and Western elements, retains its grand and imposing atmosphere even after decades of neglect.

Shanhu's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

He exclaimed in surprise, "That old man who just left looked so frail, I never imagined he lived in such a nice house! Were his family capitalists before?"

Although He Fei was also quite impressed, he kept up a good act. He coughed, sat down in the official's chair, and said, "How could that be? This old man is just a doorman. This house really did belong to a capitalist before. Do you know Shi Fengxiang?"

Gu Jinshui and Shanhu both shook their heads.

Both of them stopped studying at a young age, and besides, the name Shi Fengxiang sounds quite old; most people wouldn't know it.

He Fei then proudly began to explain to them who Shi Fengxiang was, saying that he used to be a local bigwig in Xi'an, and that his family owned the Dahua Textile Mill and the Dahua Flour Mill.

More importantly, this person had close ties with Huang Jinrong and Chiang Kai-shek, especially Chiang Kai-shek, as their children were related by marriage.

"No way, does that mean the Overseas Chinese are descendants of the Shi family?"

Gu Jinshui asked.

He Fei frowned. "I didn't know that. The Overseas Chinese didn't say his surname, only that his name was Tom."

"Tom, what kind of weird name is that?"

Shanhu shook his head and said, "This name isn't even as nice as mine."

He Fei laughed and said, "Why do you care if the name sounds good or not? Anyway, we'll sell the house to Tom later, and we'll split the profits 60/40. He's giving us US dollars, and we can exchange them on the Black Market and make another fortune."

Nowadays, overseas Overseas Chinese and foreigners are encouraged to exchange their money for Foreign Exchange Certificate for consumption, and the direct use of US dollars is not allowed. However, many people in the public are eager to take advantage of this and have instead driven up the price of US dollars. On the Black Market, you can get more money by exchanging US dollars than by exchanging Foreign Exchange Certificate.

Upon hearing this, Shanhu's face also showed a look of anticipation.

Gu Jinshui asked, "When do you plan to go see Tom?"

"Let's do it tomorrow," He Fei, stroking his chin. "Tom's busy buying things from the Lin Family, so he probably won't even care about our little matter."

"Alright, then I'll leave this to you."

Gu Jinshui nodded without hesitation.

The matter was finally settled, and everyone was just waiting to get paid. Both Gu Jinshui and Shanhu were quite excited.

Gu Jinshui took Shanhu to a restaurant. While they were eating, someone came up to them. He assumed it was someone else wanting to share the table, but when the person spoke, he looked up and said, "Oh, it's you. Is there something you need?"

Liang Renyi had an incredibly thick skin. He had been fighting with Gu Jinshui for something earlier, but now he sat down with a grin, saying, "Brother-in-law, why are you being so formal? Do I have to need something from you to come to you?"

"If you have something to say, say it; if not, get lost."

Gu Jinshui had no intention of giving Liang Renyi a kind look. This bastard had been cheating his wife for so many years, freeloading off their family, and now he was even overstepping his bounds. He was only sparing Liang Renyi's legs out of consideration for their kinship.

"Brother-in-law, I have something to do, but it's a big deal for me, while it's a small matter for you."

Liang Renyi pinched his thumb and forefinger together. "Could you do us a small favor and let us stay at that old house for a few days?"

"What old house?"

Gu Jinshui stirred the noodles in his bowl, looking at Liang Renyi with a puzzled expression.

Liang Renyi said, "How about that old house that the Overseas Chinese want? Don't rush to give it to Overseas Chinese. Let us go inside and have a look, broaden our horizons. We won't let you help us for nothing; we'll pay you."

Liang Renyi took out a handful of loose change from his pocket and stuffed it into Gu Jinshui's pocket.

Gu Jinshui quickly grabbed his hand. "No, let's stop. What are you doing? Don't come to me with this. I can't help you with this."

"No, I'm still your brother-in-law, how can you be so cold-hearted?"

Liang Renyi looked at Gu Jinshui in disbelief, stood up and accused, "It's such a small favor, it's not like I asked you to do anything, and you won't even help? Are you even family to me?"

His voice was quite loud, and the people eating around him all looked over with interest, clearly wanting to see what would happen.

Gu Jinshui's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. "You think I'm being lenient with you? You're a gambling addict who sold your house and bicycle, and you still want me to lend you money? Brother-in-law, stop gambling! If you keep gambling, my sister-in-law will jump into the river with the kids!"

"What? Don't talk nonsense." Liang Renyi didn't react immediately, but subconsciously retorted.

Gu Jinshui sighed, "Alright, you can leave now. I said no, and that's final. Even if you kneel here and beg me, I won't help you."

"Young man, you're right. Gambling is a killer. How can you gamble at your age? You're courting death."

"What are you doing, kid? You want to borrow money to gamble? You're such a fool!"

The elderly men and women in the restaurant couldn't stand it anymore and started scolding Liang Renyi harshly.

Unable to withstand the righteous indignation of the crowd, Liang Renyi fled in a disheveled state, cursing inwardly that Gu Jinshui was as cunning as a thief, refusing to yield to either his soft or hard tactics.

What should we do?!

Chapter 71 The Seventy-First Day of Being Eavesdropped On

After Shanhu returned to the Guesthouse, he said to Gu Jinshui, "Brother, Liang Renyi is a really strange person. Why would they want to stay in that old house?"

Gu Jinshui leaned back in his chair, opened his backpack, and examined the coins he had bought earlier. Among them were quite a few Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, which he guessed were collected from the village. He planned to select the ones in good condition and sell them later to make a little money.

"How would I know? They're all a bit crazy. If I could figure out what they're thinking, I'd end up just as stupid as them."

Upon hearing this, Shanhu chuckled and said, "Brother, let's call home tomorrow and see how things are."

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because once he did, Gu Jinshui really started missing his family.

When he called home before, either He Chunlian had gone to the countryside, or his daughter had gone out to play with Lan Lin; it wasn't easy for him to talk to them.

Thinking of this, Gu Jinshui quickly went down to the intersection with Shanhu and made a phone call to the old lady who answered the phone at the alley entrance, asking her to tell her family to call tomorrow at noon.

The old woman readily agreed, and as soon as the phone call ended, He Chunlian walked past with her granddaughter.

The old woman quickly called out to He Chunlian, "Chunlian, your husband Jin Shui is calling."

"The phone's ringing! Where am I?" He Chunlian was delighted and rushed towards the phone booth. Seeing the receiver still hanging, she chuckled and said, "Didn't I just hang up?"

"Yes, I just hung up. Don't worry, your Jin Shui said he'll call you over at noon tomorrow. You'll have to bring your granddaughter."

The old lady chuckled and teased Gu Yousi, even slipping a few peanuts into Gu Yousi's hand.

Gu Yousi's little hands couldn't hold on, so they were wrapped in an apron, and she thanked them in a childish voice.

The old woman was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Judging from your son's voice, he must be missing his daughter."

He Chunlian said, "How can I not miss him? He's been gone for so long. That son of his is like a dog, always running away. How long has he been gone? A month, right?"

He Chunlian chatted casually with the old lady and bought half a pound of oranges.

The old lady runs a small business here while also looking after the phone booths, selling fruit and such to earn a little extra money.

The Gu Family often makes phone calls, especially He Chunlian, whose recent rural performance tours have been very popular, and she receives many calls, so she often has to ask people to leave their phone numbers.

He Chunlian would occasionally patronize their business, which would encourage them to pay more attention to it.

He Chunlian, carrying her granddaughter and oranges, went into the backyard.

Before she could even mention Gu Jinshui, she saw someone from the house arrive—a familiar face. "Oh, Old Master Lan, what brings you here today? Aren't you busy?"

Lan Yeping smiled, leaning on his cane. "I'm not busy anymore. I was incredibly busy the past few days, but I finally have some free time these days to spend with the kids. I heard you've been busy too, little sister."

Speaking of this, He Chunlian was beaming with joy.

Yes, nobody expected that performing operas in the countryside would be so popular, let alone make so much money.

They didn't earn much money at first in He Family Village, only about ten yuan per person on average. But for the elderly folks who had easy jobs and were waiting to retire, that was a lot of money.

With this money, we can feed our family for a few days, and buy clothes, sweets, and snacks for our grandchildren.

Later, other villages gave even more money, averaging more than twenty yuan per person. Although sometimes they would sing for three days straight, the amount of money they received was just too much.

After a month of hard work, I was able to earn a couple hundred yuan.

This is much more than everyone's monthly salary.

He Chunlian certainly wasn't short of money, but the feeling of being paid by others was different from earning money through her own skills.

She waved her hand with a smile, "Just busywork, it's just that the opera fans are supporting us. They still enjoy listening to us old folks sing. And you know what? Since we've gotten busy, quite a few people have started to imitate us. This side business isn't easy to do anymore."

Lan Yeping laughed and said, "No matter how good they are, can they be better than you? If you ask me, you really have real skills, little sister. You could definitely earn a lot if you went abroad."

"Hey, I'm this old and I'm still going abroad." He Chunlian was so flattered by Lan Yeping that she was completely oblivious, while Gu Yinxing couldn't even bear to watch.

If this weren't her own mother, she would have left already.

Gu Yinxing also admired Lan Yeping; this old gentleman was truly eloquent, no wonder he was so popular.