Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 427 Identification
The courtyard house was full of gossips, and many of them couldn't stand seeing others living well. He Yuanchao had already instructed Shazhu not to get involved in the black market unless absolutely necessary.

"That won't work."

Sha Zhu was startled by his wife's words and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "If my second uncle finds out that I went to the black market to buy things for him, he'll break my legs! No, this method won't work."

Yu Li was somewhat dejected upon hearing this. She smoothed her hair and said in a low voice, "This won't work, that won't work, so tell me where we should go to buy something for Uncle."

Sha Zhu was a little puzzled. What was wrong with his wife today? She had never been so enthusiastic about buying things for his second uncle's family before. Could it be that she had something on her mind?

Thinking this, Sha Zhu couldn't help but scrutinize Yu Li in front of him while rubbing the awl he used to make shoes at home.

I've heard that if someone is infected by something unclean, you can get rid of it by pricking their armpits with an awl.

"What are you looking at? I'm asking you to think about where to buy something, why are you staring at me? Do you think I have something on my face?"

Seeing her husband looking at her suspiciously, Yu Li assumed that Sha Zhu was thinking about that kind of thing, so she rolled her eyes at him and said irritably.

Hearing the familiar tone, knowing that his wife hadn't been possessed by anything unclean, Sha Zhu's expression relaxed, and he asked his question with a smile.

"Honey, you're acting a bit strange today! Why are you suddenly in such a hurry to buy things for your second uncle?"

"I'm only doing this so you can become a..."

In her haste, Yu Li almost blurted out the truth. Realizing her mistake, she spat twice and quickly tried to cover it up:

"I'm only doing this because of your relationship with your second uncle and nephew. How can you be so stingy? Your second uncle isn't your biological father. Even if he were, he would have to show filial piety when necessary. Think about how much your second uncle has helped you since he left the military. If this continues, your second uncle might not say anything, but your second aunt might start to have some thoughts about us."

When it comes to reasoning, few men can match women, especially a wife-obsessed man like Sha Zhu.

After listening to Yu Li's words, Sha Zhu agreed wholeheartedly. After thinking for a while, he nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. Okay, I'll remember this. I'll find an opportunity to get things done in the next couple of days."

Seeing that she had smoothed things over, Yu Li breathed a sigh of relief. After telling him to "keep a close eye on things," she didn't bring it up again, afraid that Sha Zhu would find out and ask more questions that she wouldn't be able to explain.

"Alright, it's getting late. Pack up and go to bed early!"

As she spoke, Yu Li got up, took the thermos, and walked to the enamel basin by the door to pour water for Sha Zhu to wash his feet.

After the couple finished washing up and lay in bed, Yu Li didn't forget to give Sha Zhu some instructions before going to sleep.

"By the way, Zhu Zi, keep an eye on the matter of your second uncle asking you to have dinner with the cafeteria manager. Ask him what he'd like to eat. Don't be stingy when treating guests; go to a fancy restaurant like Bianyifang or Fengzeyuan..."

Sha Zhu was almost asleep by now, and upon hearing this, he mumbled a reply in his sleep:

"Okay, I see."

After speaking, he turned over and immediately began snoring.

Looking at her heartless husband, Yu Li was furious. She kicked Sha Zhu hard in the leg to relieve her anger a little.

Imagining Sha Zhu becoming a cadre, Yu Li tossed and turned for half the night before finally falling asleep.

……

The next morning, after breakfast, He Yuanchao dropped Zhang Min off at the branch office and then rode his bicycle straight to Huoshen Temple.

He Yuanchao originally planned to go to work today after listening to Sha Zhu's words, but after thinking about it, he realized that it seemed a bit of a mistake. His godmother Liu Lihua had said that it was precisely in times like these that one should remain calm and composed.

Wu Mengsheng, a mere nobody, couldn't cause any real trouble. If he rushed back to work, some people might look down on him and harbor ulterior motives, which would be even more detrimental to him. It would be better to take this opportunity to see who the good guys and bad guys were in the security department. After cycling for less than twenty minutes, He Yuanchao arrived at his destination, the Huoshenmiao Trust Bank.

There's no shortage of idle people in any era. Early in the morning, the area around the Fire God Temple was already bustling with activity. Although antiques weren't as valuable as they are in later years, people were still going in and out of various shops, browsing and exchanging items they liked.

He Yuanchao locked his bicycle at the entrance of the trust bank, tidied his clothes briefly, and then carried the cloth bag hanging on the handlebars into the house.

Inside the trust company, everything was still the same as before. Two old colleagues whom He Yuanchao knew were sitting behind the counter, smoking and chatting idly.

Hearing someone enter, the two old craftsmen stopped talking, turned to look at the door, and seeing that it was an acquaintance, Master Li smiled and stood up to greet him:

"Comrade He, you've arrived! It's been quite a while since I've seen you. What brings you here this time?"

He Yuanchao exchanged a few polite words, gently placed the cloth bag in his hand on the counter, took out cigarettes and offered one to each of the two old masters before explaining his purpose.

"I'm not buying anything this time, but I have a favor to ask of you two."

The two master craftsmen glanced at the cloth bag on the counter, exchanged a smile, and Master Li spoke first:

"Comrade He, we're acquaintances, so please let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

The experienced craftsman next to him glanced at the cloth bag on the counter and chimed in, "Yes, we're practically acquaintances, so let's not beat around the bush and just say what we want to say."

"Since you two masters say so, then I won't stand on ceremony."

As He Yuanchao spoke, he opened the cloth bag, took out the Chengni inkstone inside, placed it on the counter, and said with a smile, "I went to Yuantai on a business trip some time ago and came across this item by chance."

You both know I'm a complete idiot; I can't tell the difference between real and fake. So, I'd like to ask you two to take a look.

Master Li is skilled in furniture, porcelain, and jade. Looking at the Chengni inkstone on the counter, he smiled and shook his head, saying, "I'm not an expert in this. Let Master Liu take a look at it for you!"

Upon hearing this, the master craftsman standing nearby didn't stand on ceremony and directly reached out and picked up the Chengni inkstone from the counter.

Master Liu picked up the inkstone and examined it carefully for a while. He gently stroked the patterns on the inkstone with his hand, nodded slightly, and then tapped the inkstone a few times. He heard a clear and melodious sound, like a metal bell, and couldn't help but praise it:

"Good stuff!"

He Yuanchao's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, but seeing that Master Liu showed no sign of stopping, he dared not make a sound to disturb him and quietly stood aside waiting for the result.

Fifteen or sixteen minutes passed, and Master Liu still showed no sign of putting down the inkstone. Master Li, standing nearby, coughed twice and said:
"Old Liu, what's the quality of your item? Tell us so we can all see for ourselves!"

Hearing Master Li's urging, Master Liu reluctantly placed the inkstone on the counter.

"A first-class inkstone with a simple and elegant design, natural and smooth texture, calm and elegant luster, and natural diffusion from the inside out, and a sound as clear as metal and stone with pure sound quality."

Judging from the craftsmanship, this piece should be from the mid-Song Dynasty. Its excellent preservation makes it a truly rare and precious artifact!

Hearing this praise, He Yuanchao, even though he was prepared, couldn't help but feel secretly excited when he heard that he had found a treasure.

Master Li, who was standing nearby, also smiled and congratulated him, saying, "Comrade He, you are really lucky. You can even find such a good item while on a business trip. In our industry, we would say that you are blessed by the gods."

Before He Yuanchao could speak, Master Liu interrupted, saying:
"Comrade He, is it possible to make a deal?"

(End of this chapter)