Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 1128 Guangfu's Decision
The Liu brothers did not return to the small shop. Each of them walked home with their own thoughts. Liu Guangtian was now suspicious of what Wang Zhan had said, feeling that the kid was just trying to scare them. It was just a watch; he had seen people who privately resold watches before, but these people were all from the black market.

Liu Guangfu, meanwhile, was deep in thought, pondering Wang Zhan's advice. It seemed to make a lot of sense, but he couldn't quite decide what to do.

"Guangfu, did that kid say where this watch was made? What brand is it? How much is it worth?" Liu Guangtian suddenly broke the silence and asked.

Liu Guangfu shook his head and said, "He didn't say, but judging from the way he spoke, this watch must be very valuable."

Liu Guangtian thought for a moment and said, "Guangfu, listen to me, let's go to the consignment shop in Dongzhimen and ask. I have a classmate there who is an apprentice. We need to know where the watch in our hand comes from."

Liu Guangfu thought about it and agreed. But when the two of them came out of the consignment shop again, their thoughts had completely changed.

Out of respect for his apprentice, the master craftsman at the shop showed the two brothers the watches they were holding. Afterward, the master craftsman stared at the two brothers and said, "For my apprentice's sake, I'll help you two this time. This watch you have is no ordinary watch; it's a Longines, a top-tier watch even in the United States. However, it's not sold in our country. This watch is now in your hands, but I'm certain that its original owner wasn't you. Only someone who has been to the Korean Peninsula would have such a trophy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The two brothers looked at each other and nodded. The master craftsman said, "There are English inscriptions on the back of this watch. The original owner was probably a military officer from the United States. You can probably guess who the current director is, right? Besides those spoiled kids in the compound, who else could it be? So, this watch is a hot potato. You'd better handle it carefully. I won't say more. By the way, don't go to any other consignment shops. Nobody dares to take it."

The two brothers walked out of the consignment shop in a daze. When Liu Guangtian reached the door, he heard the master craftsman lecturing his apprentice, who was also his classmate, "Don't associate with this kind of person in the future. Sooner or later, something bad will happen. Don't die without even knowing how you died."

The two brothers then headed home. Liu Guangtian clutched the watch, feeling a burning sensation where it had been the entire way; he was genuinely frightened. Liu Guangfu remained silent with his head down, lost in thought.

When they arrived at the gate of courtyard number 95, the sky was already adorned with colorful clouds. Just as Liu Guangfu was about to step into the courtyard, Liu Guangtian grabbed him and pulled him directly into the dilapidated west wing next door.

Under the collapsed half of the courtyard wall in the west wing, the two brothers squatted down. Liu Guangtian looked at his younger brother and asked, "Guangfu, what should we do with this brick? Should we just throw it away to avoid trouble?"

Liu Guangfu looked at his second brother with a strange look. Liu Guangtian took out the watch and handed it to Liu Guangfu, saying, "Why don't you put it back where you found it? This broken watch is really hard to deal with. I was originally planning to make some money on the black market, but after hearing what that master craftsman said, your second brother is scared too. It might cause a big problem."

"It's just some leader's spoils of war. I guess his unfilial son stole it and brought it to the ice rink. When everyone started fighting, the watch was lost, and I just happened to find it. It's such a simple thing, is it really that big of a deal?" Liu Guangfu said.

"Is it really necessary? How can you prove you found it and didn't steal it? Besides, do you know whether the person who lost the watch told his family it was lost or stolen? Little brother, don't you know? This matter is complicated." Liu Guangtian was busy pushing the blame onto his younger brother, using words to provoke Liu Guangfu. He knew his brother was impulsive and never thought things through.

Liu Guangfu thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, since you don't want to sell it for money, I'll handle it myself. Don't worry about it, and I won't blame you if anything happens."

Liu Guangfu took the watch, casually put it in his pocket, and stood up to leave. Liu Guangtian hurriedly asked, "Little brother, what are you going to do with it? You're not still thinking of exchanging it for money, are you? If you really do exchange it for money, don't forget your brother."

Liu Guangfu didn't think much of it and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry about it. Who do I know? Who can I ask to pay back the money? Even the entrusted store doesn't dare to accept it, so who else would dare to take it?" Liu Guangfu was still young. He had heard of the black market, but he didn't know where the black market was. Liu Guangtian knew about it, but he was timid and didn't dare to go. Besides, this was a hot potato.

Liu Guangfu didn't go to his own courtyard. Instead, he turned around and headed straight for Yu'er Hutong. He felt that Wang Zhan was more reliable than his brother, so he had to ask Wang Zhan for help with this matter.

As luck would have it, when Liu Guangfu arrived at Wang Zhan's door, Wang Zhan was holding hands with his younger sister as they walked to the door, and the two even bumped into each other.

When Wang Zhan saw Liu Guangfu stop at his doorstep, he guessed what he was there for. Looking at the young man, he felt a pang of sympathy. After all, Liu Guangfu was just starting junior high school, and it wouldn't be worth it if a watch ruined his future.

But Wang Zhan had no intention of letting Liu Guangfu into his house, so he said, "Is it still about that watch?"

Liu Guangfu nodded and said, "Brother Wang Zhan, I know I shouldn't have taken this watch, but I just want to return it. I know you have a lot of ideas, so what do you think I should do?"

Wang Zhan looked at him and then said, "Go directly to the compound and hand it over to the guard room. They'll probably ask you for your name and address. Just give them your name and school, but don't give them your home address. If your dad finds out, something might happen. They probably won't make things difficult for you when they come back from checking the time. They might even give you a surprise."

Liu Guangfu nodded heavily and said, "I'll listen to you. I'll send it over tomorrow."

Wang Zhan smiled, and Liu Guangfu smiled too. They turned and left. Wang Zhan suddenly realized that the people in this courtyard, not only the adults, but also the children, were not simple characters.

Wang Zhan led Lili into the house, and Lili asked, "Brother, is he the youngest robber who robbed you? Why did you help him?"

Wang Zhan was taken aback, then smiled and said to Lili, "I made a casual move, who knows what will happen in the future? Just because of Yan Jiekuang, I know that I will have to deal with the people in that courtyard a lot in the future. Besides, it's spring, and I may have to go to work at the steel rolling mill. Most of the people in that courtyard are from that factory. I guess I'm just being prepared."

Wang Li understood half of what was said, so she stopped asking. When she got home, she couldn't sit still for more than ten minutes. It was only evening, and there was still a long time before she went to bed. So she said goodbye to her brother and went out to find Zhang Erya.

No sooner had Wang Li left than an uninvited guest arrived at the door. Old Yang from next door came with his special tea mug. Wang Zhan was surprised to see that this was a rare guest, as he never usually came to visit. Why was he visiting during the New Year? Wang Zhan quickly led Old Yang to the main room in the backyard, serving him water and cigarettes, keeping him busy for quite a while.

Grandpa Yang, who had been watching Wang Zhan busy himself at the square table, suddenly sighed and said, "Wang Zhan, stop working and come sit down. I have something to tell you."

(End of this chapter)