Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 340 Preparations Before Doing Something Important

He Yuzhu went to Liulichang Cultural Street with He Yuxin early in the morning.

Upon arriving at "Cangguzhai," He Yuzhu glanced at the plaque hanging above the entrance and nodded, noting that the calligraphy was quite good.

The interior decoration is nearing completion, and workers are putting the finishing touches on the work.

Manager Li was supervising the workers in the store when He Yuzhu and He Yuxin walked in. He knew the big boss had arrived just by looking at He Yuzhu, so he quickly went to greet them.

"Mr. He, Mr. He, you two have arrived!"

"Brother, this is Manager Li, Li Shoucheng," He Yuxin introduced.

"Oh, how did Manager Li recognize me?"

“Well… you two do look quite alike,” Li Shoucheng said.

"Hahaha, Yuxin, it seems I can't come out with you anymore, otherwise you won't be able to talk to others properly."

“With you by my side, you don’t need me anymore,” He Yuxin said.

"Manager Li, is there a place in the store where we can talk?"

"It's not all set up yet, but if Mr. He doesn't mind, the reception room is fine to use," Li Shoucheng said.

"Then lead the way."

"it is good."

As they walked, Li Shoucheng said a few words to his eldest son, and the boy immediately ran outside.

Then he said a few words to his youngest son, who then stood directly at the door of the reception room.

He Yuzhu simply nodded without saying anything. Manager Li was quite thoughtful; with so many people involved in the renovations, there was a lot of gossip going on, so he had his son stand guard at the door.

Upon entering the reception room, He Yuzhu and his brother sat down at the octagonal table, while Manager Li remained standing.

"Sit down, don't be so formal!" He Yuzhu said.

Manager Li then sat down, but only half of his buttocks were on the floor.

"Manager Li, how long have you been in this line of work?"

"Thirty-five years, starting from when I was a shop assistant."

"Oh, so it started during the Republic of China era."

“Yes, yes, 1947, I was only fifteen then,” Li Shoucheng said.

"Then I'd like to ask Manager Li, how good are your appraisal skills?"

Li Shouchang sat up straight. This was his employer testing him. He cautiously replied, "Replying to Mr. He, appraising ordinary porcelain and calligraphy is not a problem."

"The usual? Manager Li, you'd better tell the truth, otherwise how can I trust you to be in charge of 'Cangguzhai'?"

Li Shoucheng's heart skipped a beat. At this moment, He Yuxin spoke up: "Manager Li, just tell the truth, there's no need to be nervous."

"Okay, okay, I'm good at porcelain and miscellaneous items, but my calligraphy and painting are a bit weak."

"Porcelain, from all dynasties?"

"These are mainly from the Ming and Qing dynasties; they are rarely seen on the market before that."

"What about bronzes, pottery, and ancient jade?"

Manager Li's forehead was covered in sweat. "Mr. He, if I may be so bold, it's best to avoid these things. Bronze, ancient jade, pottery—the market is too murky. Genuine pieces are extremely rare, and even if you find them, they're often newly unearthed. The risks are immense; you absolutely mustn't get involved."

"Don't be nervous, I'm just asking. I'm running a legitimate business," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Legitimate business is good, legitimate business is good!"

"Hehe, it seems Manager Li has encountered something similar before."

"Let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it. I almost lost my job," Li Shoucheng said.

He Yuzhu gave Li Shoucheng a meaningful look, a look that seemed to see through Li Shoucheng's past, causing Li Shoucheng to break out in a cold sweat despite the hot summer weather.

"Just work?" He Yuzhu asked jokingly.

"Greed almost led to the destruction of my family," Li Shoucheng said through gritted teeth, pinching his thigh.

"Manager Li, would you mind telling me this story? I don't mean anything by it. The store is about to open, and we're bound to encounter similar things in the future. Consider this a warning to my brother!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the reception room. He Yuzhu frowned, gestured to He Yuxin, and He Yuxin got up to open the door.

Outside the door, Li Shoucheng's eldest son stood three steps away, holding a food box in his hand. His second son was also standing a few steps away, presumably having knocked on the door and then returned to his original position.

"Mr. He, my father asked me to buy tea and snacks and bring them over," said the old man of the Li family.

"Give it to me, you go and do your thing."

"Okay." The eldest son of the Li family handed over the food box, then turned to watch the workers get to work.

He Yuxin entered the house, and the second son of the Li family stepped forward to gently close the door, then walked to stand a short distance away.

He Yuzhu nodded: "The child is well-taught!"

"Mr. He, please don't praise them!" Li Shouchang was still very happy to hear his boss praise his children.

He Yuxin put down the food box, refused Li Shoucheng's help, took out the teapot and teacups inside, and poured a cup for each of the three of them.

The aroma of jasmine tea filled the room.

Li Shoucheng held the teacup in both hands, as if drawing warmth from it.

He was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, his voice much lower: "Since Mr. He wants to hear it, then I will tell you. That happened in 1959."

It was a difficult time, and some people took the risk of trading antiques for food.

He worked for a government agency and had some spare tickets and money at the time. He thought he could find a bargain. When he was browsing the black market, he saw a batch of goods, which were bronzes and ancient jade. However, because the price was too high and the goods were unearthed, he didn't dare to buy them.

A few days later, the people who sold the goods got into trouble, and the goods disappeared without a trace.

The police somehow tracked him down. Upon reflection, they realized that someone in the black market must have sold him. They contacted him several more times afterward, and the investigation only stopped once the case was solved.

He later found out that the murderer who stole the treasure was a spy for Xiao Rizi. If he had accepted the goods, he would probably have been the one killed.

"Luckily I didn't get involved, otherwise," Li Shoucheng sighed.

He Yuzhu listened quietly, took a sip of tea, and said, "Although this is my private business, it's good that Manager Li knows what he can and cannot do."

"I know, I know, I'll still stick to the old ways of government."

"That's not necessary. The government is now purely focused on generating foreign exchange. My 'Cangguzhai' is truly dedicated to passing on the treasures left by our ancestors."

"Mr. He, you are truly virtuous!" Li Shoucheng stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

“I’m not that noble. I still need to earn the money I’m supposed to earn,” He Yuzhu said.

"Yes Yes!"

"I have something for you to do now."

"Mr. He, please speak!"

"Since you've worked in the antique shop for so long, have you made any contact with people in other provinces and cities?"

"Yes, they used to send things over when they couldn't get a good price, after all, this is the capital city. But in the last two years, they've sent far fewer. They keep the good stuff for themselves to sell!"

What kinds of places are there?

"There are connections with the Jin, Qin, Yu regions, and the cities surrounding the capital city of Beijing."

"Alright, go back and prepare for your long business trip."

"So, what exactly is Mr. He going to do?"

"It's very simple. You take people to go on a shopping spree and buy back all the valuable items, rare items, and collectible items from these places."

"This," Li Shoucheng looked at He Yuxin, as if to confirm.

He Yuxin looked at his brother in shock. He didn't understand why they were buying so much. It's just opening a cultural and antique shop. Why would they need to go on a shopping spree, or even help others clear out their inventory?
"Don't ask me the specifics, just buy the stuff. Of course, I'm not going to be a sucker."

“That’s true, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to complete this task on my own,” Li Shoucheng said.

"I'll prepare the person for you, and a car too."

"Mr. He misunderstands. What I mean is that there are many things I can't be sure about. After all, even government agencies can't guarantee that everything is 100% genuine, and there are bound to be times when we're fooled."

"I'll think of a way to handle this. You make a plan first, outlining how to get there. Don't worry about the car or the money. Once I've found other people to do the appraisal, you can set off."

“Okay,” Li Shoucheng said. Actually, he was very willing to go out, since He Yuxin had said that he would get a commission for the things he received.

After chatting for a while, He Yuzhu and He Yuxin left and went to He Yuxin's hotel room. He Yuzhu called Lao Fang and explained the difficulties they were facing.

Old Fang only said, "Wait, I'll get back to you in a bit!" and then hung up.

He Yuzhu said to He Yuxin, "Third brother, go and ask if we can get a telephone installed in our house. It's too inconvenient not having a telephone."

"Okay, I'll go to the post office this afternoon to ask."

"By the way, go exchange some foreign exchange certificates and withdraw some money from the mainland."

"How much to exchange? How much to withdraw?" He Yuxin asked. "Let's start with one million for each."

"So many?" He Yuxin asked.

"How much? Do you think those shops have few items in their collections?"

"No, that's not it. I can't carry this money myself. I'll take you to pick up two people later, and you can come together."

"Who is it?" He Yuxin asked.

“An acquaintance,” He Yuzhu said.

"Oh."

About an hour later, the phone rang.

"Hey!"

"Zhu Zi, the matter is settled. I've found some experts for you, so you must ensure their safety."

"expert?"

"There are four appraisal experts from the Palace Museum and the Shenyang Palace Museum, who basically cover all categories."

"Uncle Fang, is this really necessary?"

"Yes, we absolutely must."

"Something doesn't sound right to me. Isn't there something else going on here?"

"No, no, just tell me if you need it or not."

"I won't dare use it unless you explain it clearly," He Yuzhu said, refusing to back down.

“They lack a collection,” Old Fang said.

"You're not going to ask me to buy it and deliver it to them, are you? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"They're not interested in ordinary things."

"So you think I'm stupid? Don't you think extraordinary things come at a higher price?"

"Then tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"I will hand over the national treasures to them, but not for free."

"condition?"

"You go and talk to them."

"Alright, I'll go talk to them. Is there anything else?"

"This trip is dangerous, my men need to be equipped."

"Someone will deliver your documents and weapons this afternoon," Old Fang replied after a few seconds of contemplation.

"Row."

"It's so inconvenient that you don't have a phone at home. I'll find someone to install one for you."

"Then I must thank you so much, otherwise I would have had to pretend myself," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Alright, it's my fault for not being able to reach you. That's settled then. I'll go talk to them, and the things will be delivered to your house."

"toot toot"

"Alright, you don't need to go out this afternoon," He Yuzhu said to He Yuxin.

"Shall we go meet the person, and then I'll go get the money?" He Yuxin said.

"Let's go."

After leaving the hotel, He Yuzhu asked He Yuxin to go to the market first, where they bought a lot of food, and then went to Qianliang South Alley.

When they reached the alley entrance, the car couldn't go any further. He Yuxin asked from inside the car, "Brother, what are we doing here?"

"Go see someone, or what? Let's go!"

The two brothers got out of the car, carrying their things, and came to the gate of No. 5 Courtyard. "Knock knock knock, knock knock, knock knock," He Yuzhu knocked on the door rhythmically.

The door creaked open halfway. "Boss, Mr. He, you've arrived."

"Hurry up and take the stuff!" He Yuzhu said with a laugh.

"Oh, okay!" The person who came in reached out and took the things from He Yuzhu's hands, and a few more people came out and took the things from He Yuxin's hands as well.

Once inside the courtyard, everyone invited the two brothers into the house. He Yuzhu said, "You two should eat something first. You must be hungry."

"Hehe, we thought the boss had forgotten about us." The leader had a table set up and food laid out, and the group of burly men began to wolf down their food.

"Someone like you deserves to starve to death."

"Fan Hu (Violent Wolf), what brings you here?" He Yuxin finally spoke up.

"You'll have to ask the boss. We'll go wherever the boss tells us to go," Fan Hu said with a smile.

"Brother, what's going on?" He Yuxin was completely bewildered. Who were these people? The best of the best from 'Wolf Fang', the intelligence elites under Lao Bai.

"I need to help Uncle Fang with something, you know that."

"You took that job?"

"Ah."

"Then I..." He Yuxin's heart pounded as she thought about how she had rejected Lao Fang.

"You're right to refuse. If you just wade in there yourself, I'm afraid I'll have to collect your body later."

"I just felt there was danger, and I also felt that someone of my status shouldn't be doing such a thing. Is it really that serious?" He Yuxin said.

"What do you think? Everyone who makes a living in that industry is a ruthless criminal. If you rashly agree, you'll definitely get ripped off and lose everything!"

"Hahahaha!" The group of men couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Brother, am I really that bad?"

"You've always done things properly since you started working, don't you think?"

“Yes, Third Master, you really can’t do this,” a man said.

“Cui San, you talk too much,” He Yuxin said.

"Guys, I wasn't wrong, was I?"

“No, our Third Master really can’t do this,” Fan Hu said.

These people dare to joke around with He Yuxin like that mainly because they've been through thick and thin together in the training camp. If it were He Yuyao, they would be even more uninhibited, since He Yuyao was once a member of 'Wolf Fang'.

"Alright, food can't shut you up," He Yuzhu said with a laugh.

"Eat, eat, eat your fill, then you can get to work," Fan Hu shouted.

"You guys eat while I talk. Yuxin, find somewhere to sit. You're just standing there in the way."

"elder brother"

"Tiger, take two people with you to the bank with Yuxin to withdraw some things, and then leave the things here with you."

"Got it, boss."

"I'll have Yuxin bring you the equipment tomorrow or the day after, but remember, don't touch the equipment unless absolutely necessary," He Yuzhu continued.

"Yes," everyone replied solemnly.

"Also, you'll be going out in a few days. Your job is to ensure safety on the road. Don't ask any other questions." He Yuzhu nodded.

"clear."

"Brother, I'll go with you!"

"What are you going there for? You chose this person yourself, don't you trust him?"

"Can"

"Alright, Tiger and the others will take care of the goods, and there will be other people helping to watch them. It'll also be a good opportunity to see if this Manager Li is worthy of being the manager of 'Cangguzhai'."

"Ok."

"Alright, you guys eat. Once you're done, go take care of your business."

After the group of men finished eating, Fan Hu ordered two people, changed into suits, put on sunglasses, and went out with them.

He Yuxin first took He Yuzhu back to the "He Residence" before going to the bank with a few "bodyguards".

To be honest, these guys are quite intimidating. You can tell He Yuxin's identity is extraordinary. Of course, the bank manager knows He Yuxin and has come over many times recently.

When asked what He Yuxin was going to do with so much money, the bank manager simply asked, and also inquired whether he needed someone to escort him. He Yuxin pointed to Fan Hu and the others, and the bank manager didn't ask any further questions.

After sending Fan Hu and the others back, He Yuxin also returned to the He residence. Upon arriving home, she found the area outside the residence bustling with activity.

(End of this chapter)