Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 403 The Blessed Don't Need to Busy

He Yuanchao knew the middle-aged man was facing some difficulties and was curious about what could have driven a grown man to such a state. However, he didn't ask directly but instead probed indirectly:
"I've already said I don't want it, why do you keep bothering me? Ask around, maybe they want it."

These words seemed to stir up painful memories for the middle-aged man, and tears immediately streamed down his face.

“I’ve been wandering around the county town for two or three days now. This stuff isn’t edible or drinkable, so who would want it now?”

So I'm the one who got sucked out!

He Yuanchao looked at the middle-aged man with amusement, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

The middle-aged man wanted to slap himself; in his haste, he had blurted out the truth. Seeing that He Yuanchao hadn't turned to leave after speaking, he quickly seized the opportunity to make amends:

"Comrade, that's not what I meant. I desperately need money to save my life. Yesterday, someone was interested in the inkstone, but the price they offered was far too low..."

"Help? Whose life do you want me to help?"

He Yuanchao realized that the middle-aged man was not lying, and interrupted him with a serious expression:

"If your family member is in trouble or being threatened or extorted, I advise you to go to the police as soon as possible. Don't try to resolve it privately, or the other party will get a taste of the benefits and you will be in more trouble later."

These days, ordinary people may be ignorant and simple-minded, but there are still plenty of ridiculous and absurd things happening to them.

Realizing that his slip of the tongue had caused He Yuanchao to misunderstand, the middle-aged man quickly began to explain.

"Comrade, it's not what you think. My mother is sick, and the doctor told me to eat as much good food as possible to nourish her. You know the situation now, there isn't even enough coarse grain to eat. If we want to eat something good, we can only find a way on the black market."

But my monthly salary is only thirty-odd yuan, and I have to support my family. It's really hard to afford, so I had no choice but to sell the inkstone that has been passed down in my family to tide me over."

After hearing this, He Yuanchao was unsure whether it was true or false, but seeing that the middle-aged man was a filial son, he felt compassion for him.

How much are you asking for for your inkstone?

His idea was simple: if the price wasn't too high, he would buy it regardless of whether it was real or fake, considering it a good deed and a way to accumulate good karma for the child in his wife's belly.

He Yuanchao used to not believe in these things, but after experiencing time travel, he developed a sense of awe for these supernatural forces.

Seeing that He Yuanchao seemed interested in buying it, the middle-aged man wiped away his tears, led He Yuanchao to the roadside, opened the cloth bag, and handed it to him, saying:

"Don't worry about the price, take a look at the inkstone first."

He Yuanchao knew nothing about antiques, but he knew a little about etiquette. He did not take the inkstone handed to him by the middle-aged man, nor did he lean forward. He kept a certain distance and pretended to examine the inkstone in the middle-aged man's hand.

The inkstone is about the size of an adult's palm, oval in shape, and has a dark vermilion luster. The surface is engraved with auspicious clouds and coiled dragon patterns. Most interestingly, the scales and claws on the side of the inkstone appear and disappear as the viewer's gaze changes.

It's a good item. He Yuanchao couldn't figure out its exact nature, but just by looking at its old appearance, he could guess what it was.

"The item is good, name your price!"

The middle-aged man was also clueless; he didn't know much about antiques, only that the inkstone was a gift from the emperor, but he knew nothing about its market value or price.

After listening to He Yuanchao's words, the middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said the price he expected.

I want to sell it for 150.

"I know why you can't sell this stuff. No wonder no one's buying it at such a high price! Money doesn't grow on trees. Forget it, go ask someone else!" With that, He Yuanchao turned to leave.

Actually, it wasn't that He Yuanchao couldn't afford it, but he felt it wasn't worth spending over a hundred yuan on something whose authenticity he didn't know. Even when doing good deeds, one should act within one's means.

The middle-aged man, having finally found someone he was interested in buying, wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away easily. He grabbed He Yuanchao's arm and pleaded:

"Comrade, if you think it's too expensive, then it's one hundred and thirty. If that's not enough, one hundred will do. This is something that the emperor used in the past. I beg you, please buy it!"

As he spoke, he bent his knees and was about to kneel down before He Yuanchao.

He Yuanchao was startled by the middle-aged man's actions and quickly reached out to support him.

"Alright, alright, stop this nonsense. I give up. I want the inkstone."

"Really?"

The middle-aged man looked incredulous and, forgetting about kneeling, quickly wrapped up the inkstone and handed it to He Yuanchao, as if afraid he would change his mind.

He Yuanchao took out ten large ten-yuan bills and handed them to the middle-aged man. After thinking for a moment, he counted out five more and handed them over, saying:

"One hundred yuan was the money I spent on the inkstone, and this fifty is a small token of my appreciation to the old lady."

He'd come to terms with it by now. So be it. Even if he'd been tricked, the middle-aged man's act of kneeling was worth 150 yuan. No grown man would do that unless he was pushed to the limit.

The middle-aged man excitedly took the money and put it in his pocket, then handed the cloth bag to He Yuanchao with profuse thanks.

Taking the inkstone, He Yuanchao ignored the middle-aged man's words of thanks and instead asked with great interest:

"You keep pestering me to buy an inkstone. How do you know I can afford it? What if I don't have the money?"

With the money to buy supplements for his mother, the middle-aged man was free of worries and regained his former personality, smiling as he said:
"Comrade, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Hearing the middle-aged man say this, He Yuanchao immediately became interested.

"Tell me the truth, and the lie, so I can learn something too."

The middle-aged man didn't hide anything and laughed as he blurted out everything.

"The lie is that I must be rich and noble based on your clothes and appearance; the truth is that I saw you had money when you bought the scarf at the store."

He Yuanchao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter. The middle-aged man saw this and laughed along with him, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at He Yuanchao.

After saying goodbye to the middle-aged man who sold inkstones, He Yuanchao was still muttering to himself as he walked back to the guesthouse:

"I didn't manage to buy any local specialties from Yangqu, but I did manage to buy an inkstone, which is quite nice. It has a good meaning, and I'll leave it to my child when I get back. Who knows, maybe one of our children will go to university someday!"

Little did he know that this unremarkable inkstone would later fetch an astronomical price, truly proving the old saying: "The blessed do not need to work hard, while the unfortunate are exhausted."

Back at the guesthouse, seeing that Zhang Lide and Zhang Zhao were not there, He Yuanchao did not delay. After putting away the cashmere scarf and inkstone, he took the chiffon scarf and went out to the hotel.

The meeting place with Li Hongtao was the restaurant where Liu Caixia worked. He Yuanchao had been going there almost every day for the past two days, so he knew the way well and arrived in about twenty minutes with his long legs.

(End of this chapter)