Chapter 8

Gu Jinshui reached the scrap collection station and pushed the gate open without knocking.

"Master, are you up?"

Gu Jinshui raised his voice.

The words had barely left his mouth when a raspy old voice came from inside. "What are you shouting for? Afraid people won't know you're here?"

An old man with white hair and a white beard emerged from the house. He wore an old padded jacket, and his face was thin and dark. He gave Gu Jinshui a glance. "What are you doing here so early? Doing business today, too?"

Gu Jinshui usually worked as a middleman. He hauled scrap from outside the city to collection stations inside it and sold it for a profit. Over a year, those trades earned him plenty.

Of course, he also traded things like grain coupons and Foreign Exchange Certificates.

"Master, I came early to wish you a happy New Year!" Gu Jinshui grinned and let himself in. Seeing books and newspapers piled everywhere, he hurriedly cleared a table and set down a food container. "I brought you some dumplings we made at home, and this year's tuition gift."

He pulled out a thick red envelope stuffed full of cash.

Old Master gave a short laugh. "What, did you strike it rich last year?"

"That's all thanks to your excellent teaching." Gu Jinshui hurriedly pressed the envelope into Old Master's hand. Old Master accepted it without ceremony and said flatly, "Go cook me a bowl of dumplings."

If anyone else had ordered Gu Jinshui around like that, he would have lost his temper.

But when Old Master gave an order, Gu Jinshui said nothing. He took the food container into the kitchen like he knew it by heart, cooked the dumplings, lit the heated bed, then went out and found several dozen lumps of coal somewhere.

From the moment he arrived, he did not have a spare minute all morning.

Old Master said little, but at noon he stopped Gu Jinshui. "How are you getting on with the books I gave you?"

"I've read most of them," Gu Jinshui said with little modesty.

Old Master chuckled and looked at him. "Then come have a look at this pair of calligraphy scrolls."

He beckoned Gu Jinshui over and walked into the southwest room with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Brother still isn't back, and it's lunchtime. Why don't we eat without him?" Gu Yinxing said after watching the doorway for ages.

He Chunlian kept her head down, entertaining her granddaughter. "If you're hungry, have a snack."

Gu Yinxing knew her mother would not budge. She opened a box of pastries, took a piece of rolled rice cake, and muttered, "I don't know what Brother and that old man have so much to talk about. He's been gone all morning."

"What nonsense are you talking?" He Chunlian glared at her daughter. "Teacher Chen knows his trade. He used to be the head shopkeeper at Eight Treasures Studio in Liuli Factory. If he hadn't fallen on hard times, your brother could have prayed at the ancestral graves till they caught fire and still not had the luck to become his apprentice!"

Gu Yinxing stuck out her tongue, unconvinced.

So what if he used to work at Eight Treasures Studio in Liuli Factory?

Who bought antiques these days? What use was learning about them?

"Have a look at these scrolls."

Xi Han opened a yellow rosewood case and took out a yellowed pair of calligraphy scrolls. "I bought them a few days ago for fifty-six yuan. What do you think?"

"Fifty-six yuan? That's not cheap." Gu Jinshui raised his brows, interest showing in his eyes. "Who did the seller say made them, and when?"

Xi Han smiled and stroked his beard. "Su Shi, from the Song Dynasty. What do you think? Worth the money?"

Gu Jinshui had meant to examine them closely, but that made him laugh.

He looked at Xi Han. "You're pulling my leg, Master. Scrolls like these only became popular in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Before that, they wrote couplets on pillars. If these really came from the Song Dynasty, they'd be a major archaeological discovery."

"Enough cheek." A trace of approval appeared in Xi Han's eyes. "What else?"

"Then there's this seal. Look, it says 'Lay Buddhist Dongpo.' That makes it even funnier. Of Su Shi's known works, some bear only the character 'Shi,' and more have no seal at all. People in his time didn't usually stamp their own calligraphy. A seal no one has ever seen before? There's no chance this is genuine."

Gu Jinshui backed up every point he made.

A glint appeared in Xi Han's eyes.

Gu Jinshui truly had talent. Anyone could read a book, but putting what they learned to use was another matter.

Xi Han said nothing. He took another notebook from a drawer and tossed it to Gu Jinshui. "Take this home and read it. When you have time, go to Panjiayuan and try your hand at buying something."

"Master, you're not coming with me?"

Gu Jinshui's eyes widened. "I'm your only apprentice. Can you really turn me loose and let people swindle me?"

Xi Han grimaced and waved him away. "Get out of here. With a mind as full of holes and schemes as yours, who could swindle you? If you study the books I gave you and still get cheated, you'll have only yourself to blame!"

Gu Jinshui pretended to be driven out of the collection station.

The iron gate creaked shut. Only then did Gu Jinshui drop his playful grin. He looked at the notebook and its bold, elegant handwriting, deeply moved.

The old man had probably taught him everything he knew. This book must be worth a fortune.

Since he was already out, Gu Jinshui stopped by Liang Ying's childhood home, the Liang Family's former residence.

In the Republic of China era, the Liang Family had been wealthy and prominent. Their businesses included textiles and jewelry, with jewelry bringing in the most money. They had owned eight gold shops. Later, as turbulent times made business difficult, the shops had closed one after another.

But even diminished, the Liang Family had once been formidable. Their old home was a proper mansion with three courtyards. Even the rings on its front gate used to be made of gold.

The night before, Liang Ying had discussed something with her husband, Gu Jinshui.

What had happened with Liang Renyi had reminded Liang Ying of something.

She remembered that during the final year of her father's life, he had often told her in private that he had left some things at home, hidden where she used to play as a child. If she ever ran into trouble, she should search the house.

Liang Ying had forgotten about it until now.

Those days had been too chaotic. She had returned home to find her father gone and people ransacking and smashing the place. Her happy home had fallen apart in the blink of an eye.

Afterward, she had been labeled as coming from a bad background. If the Gu Family had not protected her all these years, Liang Ying dared not imagine what would have become of her.

Gu Jinshui was nimble. He circled behind the mansion, found a secluded spot, and climbed over the wall.

The district government now used the mansion as offices. Since it was the first day of the New Year, hardly anyone was there. Only an old man in a front office was listening to a radio storyteller.

Gu Jinshui wandered around until he found a Chinese pagoda tree in the northwest corner of the rear courtyard.

He checked that the soil around it showed no signs of being disturbed and felt relieved. After another circuit to memorize the layout, he left.

It was already past noon.

As Gu Jinshui neared the Compound Courtyard, hands in his pockets and a cake from the department store in one hand, he spotted Song Mei leading someone he knew into a nearby alley.

He had no intention of getting involved, but just as he moved on, he heard his own name.

"Plotting against Gu Jinshui won't be easy."

Zhang Dabiao's hair gleamed, slicked down as if a cow had licked his head. He gave Song Mei a calculating look. "Gu Jinshui's no pushover. What's in it for me if I help you?"

"Brother Biao, compared with you, Gu Jinshui is nothing!"

Song Mei laid a hand on Zhang Dabiao's chest. "I'd say you're the most capable man around here. But look—all the good deals have been snatched up by Gu Jinshui. He makes money every day while you can only stand by and watch. I just can't accept that on your behalf."

Zhang Dabiao knew the girl was trying to use him, but everything she said struck a nerve.

Zhang Dabiao had been hustling since he was fifteen. A few years later, Gu Jinshui had entered the trade and done even better, making a bigger name for himself.

He usually went around with only Shanhu and Douzi, but plenty of people would have been willing to work for him. Everyone knew Gu Jinshui knew how to make money and was generous with it.

Zhang Dabiao had always resented that.

Now that he had a chance to set Gu Jinshui up, he was genuinely tempted.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"Jinshui's back."

"Oh, you brought cake?"

Gu Jinshui greeted plenty of neighbors as he walked through the Compound Courtyard. Hearing the commotion, Gu Yinxing sprang up. "Mom, Brother's back. Let's eat."

Gu Jinshui entered the house looking as he always did and said nothing more.

The Tenth Day of Being Overheard

The fifth day of the first lunar month.

Across Beijing, people were gradually returning to work. Those with jobs went to them, and those with errands went out.

He Chunlian was still on winter break, so she stayed home to look after the baby.

She rocked the cradle while knitting. Judging by the pale pink yarn, she was clearly making a sweater for Gu Yousi.

Shanhu and Douzi had already arrived.

Before going out, Gu Jinshui came inside to hold his daughter. "Oh, you've gotten heavier since last year."

Gu Yousi waved her plump little dimpled hands, indignant.

Who's heavy?

It's just baby fat!

Gu Jinshui could not hold back a laugh. "Second Girl acts like she understands every word we say."

Gu Yousi clenched her fists.

"Stop spouting nonsense at your daughter and get on with your business," He Chunlian scolded. She took the baby from him. "It's the fifth today. Don't forget to treat Shanhu and the others to a meal. It's a small gesture, but it matters."

Deep down, the old woman still cared about the old customs.

Many people no longer bothered with things like treating their workers to a meal at the start of the year. Even factories had abandoned the practice. But the old woman felt it brought people closer.

"I know."

Gu Jinshui nodded and turned to leave.

Gu Yousi froze.

What? Wait, it's the fifth today?

You're going to end up in jail if you go out today, you idiot! Come back!

She was frantic, but all she could manage were a few babbling sounds.

Jail?

He Chunlian was startled and looked anxiously at Gu Jinshui.

Gu Jinshui reacted quickly. Remembering what he had heard a few days earlier, he gave the old woman a discreet nod. "I'm off."

"Mm." The old woman nodded.

Gu Yousi spread her little hands, her face full of resignation, and lay back, leaving it to fate.

Over in the East Wing Room.

Song Chaohua watched Gu Jinshui leave through the window, her eyes flickering.

Once Gu Jinshui was in jail, all the Gu Family's opportunities and windfalls would belong to them.

"Brother, today's goods are all here."

Sun Yaozu got off the three-wheeled motorbike. Shanhu and Douzi climbed on to help inspect the load.

The goods had been picked out of a garbage dump by people from the suburbs: old metal, electrical wires, steel, and the like. Everything was filthy and stank.

"Wow, there's a lot today!" Shanhu said in delight.

Sun Yaozu chuckled. "They must have been saving it up for days. Everyone wants to make a fortune in the new year."

"You did well to get hold of it." Gu Jinshui took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, pulled one free, and offered the pack to Sun Yaozu. "Let me see what we've got."

Gu Jinshui stepped forward to inspect the load. Sun Yaozu hurriedly took a cigarette, watching him sort through the woven sacks with a nervous flutter in his stomach.

Gu Jinshui soon found a sack filled with steel.

He reckoned it weighed at least thirty pounds.

He cursed inwardly. One look told him this steel was not scrap. Zhang Dabiao had really spared no expense to trap him.

"What do you think, Brother Jinshui?" Sun Yaozu asked, taking a casual drag on his cigarette.

Gu Jinshui gave a thin smile. "Good stuff, of course. But even if it looks valuable to me, Old Chen might not pay much for it. I'll keep this sack at my place for now and find a better buyer later."

Sun Yaozu was new to the trade and did not understand much about it. He figured it would be even easier to frame Gu Jinshui if the goods ended up at his house, so he nodded. "Whatever you say."

Shanhu and Douzi said nothing. They exchanged a glance.

After Gu Jinshui helped them sell the rest of the load, he had Shanhu carry the sack back to his house.

"Brother, what's going on?" Shanhu asked quietly. He was strong enough that carrying several dozen pounds of steel took little effort.

Gu Jinshui dropped his cigarette butt and ground it under his foot. "Sun Yaozu has ties to Dabiao."

Shanhu let out a startled sound. "No way. Yaozu, he—"