Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 348 Gilded Bronze Ware
Back at the guesthouse, Fan Hu immediately ordered everyone to pack their luggage, load it onto the vehicles, and prepare to leave.

Li Shoucheng spoke a few words to the two experts, and then quickly made a phone call to He Yuzhu in Beijing.

He Yuzhu on the other end of the phone said, "People are the most important thing. Abandon the original plan and return to the provincial capital immediately. Once you get there, find a safe place to stay and call me."

"Understood." Li Shoucheng hung up the phone and went to find Fan Hu.

The team members worked quickly and had already carefully loaded all the boxes containing the cultural relics onto the vehicle.

"Old Li, let's go."

"Walk."

A few minutes later, the convoy left the guesthouse and sped out of the city along the same route they had come from.

Fan Hu sat in the passenger seat of the lead car, cautiously observing the vehicles appearing on the roadside, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

After leaving the city and traveling less than twenty miles, two jeeps and a dump truck appeared in the distance behind us, following at a leisurely pace.

"Brother Tiger, there's a tail behind us." Zhang Liang, who was in charge of the tail car, called out over the radio.

Fan Hu glanced in the rearview mirror and shouted over the radio, "The convoy accelerates, give them a shot."

Then the lead vehicle began to accelerate, and the vehicles behind it followed closely behind.

However, the jeep behind also accelerated, maintaining a certain distance at all times.

"Brother Tiger, this road is no good, we can't drive fast, we can't shake them off," the lead car driver said, frowning.

Fan Hu said, "Don't worry about it, keep going. I want to see how long they can follow us."

And so they drove for another few dozen miles. The people following behind were clearly getting impatient. They stopped once, but soon caught up again, only now there were two jeeps following them.

They also closed the distance to the last truck. The dump truck didn't catch up. The last truck reported via radio that both jeeps were fully loaded, no, they were overloaded.

Just as they were about to leave Yaodu's territory, the jeep following behind accelerated, trying to overtake them, but how could they possibly succeed?

The driving skills of 'Wolf Fang' and Lao Bai's men are top-notch. They train in all kinds of complex road conditions, especially those who have participated in rescue teams, who specialize in training for extreme road conditions.

After several attempts, the pursuers in the jeep behind them clearly lost patience.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Several gunshots shattered the silence of the open field, the bullets hitting the rear door and rear window of the last car with dull thuds.

"Damn it, what kind of car is this? It's bulletproof. Who are these guys?" the shooter cursed.

"Keep firing, keep shooting at the rear wheels, I don't believe we can't stop them."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Several more shots rang out, but unfortunately their marksmanship was only good enough to hit the carriages, and the train in front continued to speed away.

After the first round of gunfire, the "Wolf Fang" team members went into battle mode, but the well-trained team did not panic.

Li Shoucheng and the two experts were terrified; they had even used guns.

"Tiger, should we fight back?" Zhang Liang's voice came through the radio.

"What kind of guns are they using?" Fan Hu asked over the radio.

Zhang Liang replied, "Shotguns and pistols."

"Do you have rifles?" Fan Hu asked again.

"Nothing was found!"

"Blow out their tires."

"Those guys opened fire again."

"Everyone, please pay attention."

"Yes."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" "Squeak—"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" "Squeak—"

"Tiger, stop everything!"

"Keep going, ignore them."

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, the people who were following never expected that the person in front would retaliate, and their marksmanship was incredibly accurate. The jeep in front almost overturned, and the car behind, unwilling to give up, was also stopped after overtaking.

The men got out of the two jeeps, and the one leading them was none other than Captain Wang from yesterday. "Damn it!"

"Brother Wang, who exactly are these scoundrels?"

"You idiot, that marksmanship is definitely from the military!"

"Then what should we do?"

Do you have a spare tire?

"no!"

"Damn it, unload one, and get a good one!"

"Are you still going to chase her? Chase that young woman? Are you courting death?"

"How are we going to explain this to the boss when we get back?"

"Whatever, hurry up and fix it so we can get back to work on the tire."

"Oh, good!"

Around 10 p.m., the convoy arrived safely in the provincial capital and checked directly into the Yingze Hotel on Yingze Street.

After checking in, Li Shoucheng called He Yuzhu again.

"Boss, we've arrived in the provincial capital, on our way," Li Shoucheng reported on what had happened since leaving Yaodu.

"Did they fire? Were any people injured?"

"No."

"It seems I underestimated things before. You'll be staying in Bingzhou for a few days. Will Fan Hu be with you?"

"exist."

"Let him answer the phone."

"it is good."

"Boss!" Fan Hu answered the phone.

"Tiger, were those people today professionals, or...?"

"Just a bunch of rabble."

“You should go back to Beijing tomorrow, and we’ll talk about it when you get back.”

"You're not going to Qin Province?"

"If we're going, we can't drive those cars; they'll be too conspicuous."

"Okay, should Manager Li answer the phone?"

"No need, just pass on the message. Get a good night's rest and leave Bingzhou as soon as possible tomorrow. Since those people in Yaodu know where you came from, they must have spies in Bingzhou."

"The boss is afraid."

"It's better to be safe than sorry, after all, we're outsiders."

"clear."

The next morning, He Yuzhu called Lao Fang and explained the situation. Lao Fang was also a little confused.

"Zhu Zi, what did you say? They used guns? They've only been gone a short while!"

"I didn't want to either, but those people down there are a bit too wild!"

"Are there any casualties?"

"There were no casualties, just a few tires were blown out."

"So what do you think? Are you still going to continue with your plan?"

"We need to change our strategy, otherwise we won't be able to go to the next place once we go to the first one."

"How do we need to cooperate?"

"Not for now, but this trip wasn't a complete waste. I reckon it won't be long before everyone over there who deals in goods will know about 'Zangguzhai'."

"Okay, if you need my help, just let me know."

"know."

After Li Shouchang and Fan Hu finished breakfast, they drove away from Bingzhou. Not long after they left, someone found the Yingze Hotel. Upon inquiring and finding out that the people had left, the group angrily made a few phone calls and then left cursing.

After Li Shoucheng and his team returned, He Yuzhu sent Fan Hu and two other experts to Tianjin and nearby cities, basically making it a same-day trip.

A few days later, a group of people from Zangguzhai arrived, speaking with a Bingzhou accent, saying they had good goods. Li Shoucheng stalled them and had his son call He Yuzhu.

When He Yuzhu received the call from Li Shoucheng's son, he was at home looking at the interior design plans that He Daqing and Li Baoguo were working on for opening a restaurant.

He put down the phone and said to the two elderly people, "Dad, Master, I have something to take care of, I need to go out for a bit!"

"Do you need our help? I know quite a few people in Beijing!" Li Baoguo asked.

"No need, I can handle it!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

Instead of driving, he rode a bicycle directly to the back entrance of "Zangguzhai".

Li Shouchang's eldest son was already waiting at the back door. Upon hearing the knock, he opened the door and said, "Boss, the people are sitting in the second hall in the front. Four of them have arrived."

"Hmm, you've looked at the stuff?"

"They're all bronze, gilded."

"bronze?"

"Correct."

"Okay, I understand. Go ahead and get busy, go take a look."

He Yuzhu walked through an inconspicuous side door with practiced ease and entered a secret room next to the second hall.

Inside the second hall, four middle-aged men sat drinking tea. On the table in the middle were several gilded bronze utensils, including bronze cups, bronze bowls, and bronze incense burners.

Li Shoucheng calmly inspected each item one by one.

"Hey Manager Li, you've been looking at this for so long, so what's the deal? Are you going to buy it or not?" one of them asked.

"No rush, no rush. I'm not very knowledgeable about bronzes. I've asked someone else to take a look. I'll definitely buy it once I've approved it."

"Your 'Cangguzhai' is so big, don't you have a professional appraiser?"

"The shop just opened, so we haven't had time yet."

"Oh, your boss is really generous. I see that all the goods you display outside are high-quality."

"So-so, so-so!" Li Shoucheng said modestly.

A moment later, someone outside announced that the appraiser had arrived; it was Expert Qian. Li Shoucheng went out to greet him and led Expert Qian into the second hall, where he gave an introduction.

The expert had no time for pleasantries with those people. He eagerly put on white gloves, took out a magnifying glass, and carefully examined each item. Sometimes he would get close to examine the patterns, and sometimes he would tap lightly to listen to the sound. His expression was solemn.

The four people remained calm, seemingly very confident in their possessions.

After a long while, Qian, the expert, put down his magnifying glass, nodded slightly to Li Shouchang, and whispered a few words.

Li Shouchang's face showed a look of realization. He turned to the group of people and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Our master craftsman has examined it and found it to be quite good. It's an early Tang Dynasty official gilded artifact, a rare find."

A barely perceptible hint of smugness flashed across the leader's face as he gruffly said, "Of course! I told you it was good stuff, Manager Li, give me a fair price!"

"The items are so good, I need to go and confirm with the owner. Would you like to wait a moment?"

A young man said impatiently, "You, as the manager, can't even make decisions?"

"Young man, don't be in such a hurry. You should ask about things only if they're good!" Li Shoucheng said with a smile.

"Xiao Wu!" the leading man shouted.

The young man fell silent.

"Please have a seat, everyone. Excuse me for a moment." Li Shoucheng said, giving the money expert a wink. The two then left the second hall and headed straight for the back.

"Brother, they wouldn't be...?" After the two left, the man sitting next to the leader spoke up.

"What are you afraid of? If that were the case, the person who came earlier wouldn't be the one conducting the appraisal," said the leading man.

"Oh, it's best to be careful."

"We'll see what happens."

The guy called Xiao Wu actually touched his lower back, which earned him a slap from the leader. "Slap! Damn it, if you're looking for trouble, don't drag us down with you. This is Beijing."

"Brother, didn't you say to play it by ear?"

"What I mean is take your things and leave, through!" the leader hissed.

"Oh, oh!"

Meanwhile, Li Shoucheng and Expert Qian arrived at the backyard, where He Yuzhu also emerged from the secret room.

"boss!"

Mr. He!

"How about it?"

“It’s definitely from the early Tang Dynasty!” said expert Qian.

"Boss, these are 'freshly dug' animals. We haven't been able to find out where these people came from. Should we take them or not?"

He Yuzhu considered for a moment and said, "Collect it, keep it separately, and keep a clear record of the accounts."

"Then, these people?"

"You don't need to worry about them. They'll come back once they've made money. It's only a few items."

"Mr. He is right. There are definitely more than just these few items in the tomb, and it's impossible that there are only bronze artifacts."

"Okay, I'll go ahead."

"Old Qian, you come along too, don't miss anyone. Don't get too excited, this is just the beginning," He Yuzhu said, looking at the excited expert Qian.

"well!"

"Go!"

When Li Shoucheng returned to the Second Hall, he had an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," he said, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect. "Our boss said the goods are of good quality, and this is where they came from."

The leading man immediately interrupted, "Manager Li, we have our own rules in this business. As long as the goods are good and the price is right, that's enough. Asking too many questions is not a good idea."

“Yes, yes, yes,” Li Shoucheng nodded repeatedly, “Then let’s talk about the price?”

After some haggling, a deal was finally struck for a considerable sum. Once the cash was counted, the four men slung their canvas bags over their shoulders and hurried away.

Once they left, He Yuzhu came out from behind and said to one of the 'Wolf Fang' members, "Follow them and see where they're staying."

"Yes, boss!"

After the team left, expert Qian excitedly pulled He Yuzhu aside: "Mr. He, those gilded artifacts are definitely not from ordinary tombs. I think they're burial goods of royal or noble rank! This is..."

"I know these things probably won't be available to your museum."

"why?"

“Where they dug it, it will belong to.” He Yuzhu said.

"Eh!"

"If you can't bear to part with it, then take a look around some more."

"well."

About an hour later, the team members who were tracking them returned.

"Boss, those four people went into a large courtyard in the west of the city and never came out. We asked around and found out that most of the people living in that courtyard are from out of town, and their backgrounds are very diverse."

"What's the specific address?"

"Weiying Hutong *** Hospital"

"Okay, you go down."

"Yes."

He Yuzhu turned and went into the inner room, where he dialed Lao Fang's number.

"Uncle Fang, there's something I need your help with."

On the other end of the phone, Lao Fang's voice turned serious: "You mean, a high-ranking Tang Dynasty tomb has been robbed, in Shanxi Province?"

"Yes, judging from their accent, they're from Bingzhou."

"Where's the stuff?"

"We received a portion."

"Where is he? In the courtyard of *** in Weiying Hutong!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Check who they associate with in Beijing. If they don't know anyone, it would be best if someone went with them to Bingzhou. My accent is from the south, so that won't work!"

"You mean the 'little life' side?"

"Yes, but the possibility is not high. Also, I think you should ask the people in Shanxi Province, just in case they have someone watching these people, so as not to run into each other again."

"Hehe, they're selling all their stuff to you. Do you think they even know? I bet they don't even know a Tang Dynasty tomb has been robbed."

“Then please be more tactful when you ask!” He Yuzhu said.

"Okay, I'll arrange this. Keep your things safe, we'll deal with them together when the case is closed. Also, do you need me to send some people to your shop?"

"No need, we can defend it ourselves."

"That's fine."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu came out and said to Li Shoucheng, "Old Li, strengthen the security at the store these next few days. Also, keep an eye on foreign accents and foreigners, see if anyone comes to inquire about these bronzes."

"Understood, boss." Li Shoucheng nodded in agreement.

After giving his explanation, He Yuzhu went home.

For the next few days, He Yuzhu basically drove his father and master all over Beijing, looking for chefs and decorators.

He Yuxin was conscripted by Chen Lanxiang and drove back to their hometown with Old Master Chen, Chen's second uncle, and Chen Lanxiang.

He Yaozu, He Yaozong, He Ningxue and the others were basically not at home except for mealtimes. They were assigned by He Yuzhu to supervise the renovation of No. 95 Courtyard.

By the way, the east wing has been bought back. With the east wing, He Yuzhu no longer plans to demolish the back building to convert it into a garage. However, the back building was still demolished, and the wall between it and the front yard was also demolished. A room was added to the west wing of the front yard, directly against the main courtyard wall. He Yuzhu plans to build a flower bed in the empty space in front.

The east courtyard, apart from the garage, has no other plans for the time being. As for the other messy houses, they have all been demolished.

Seven or eight days passed in this way, and "Cangguzhai" received a few more nice items, but no more large shipments like those from Shanxi Province came to their door.

He Yuzhu instructed Li Shoucheng to focus on sorting out the previously received goods, classifying and cataloging them, and considering gradually putting some duplicates or those of slightly lower value on the shelves for sale.

Two days later, news finally came from Lao Fang.

"Zhu Zi, we've found out who that group is. They're just a bunch of tomb raiders who dug up the tomb of a Tang Dynasty military governor in Shanxi Province. They're incredibly audacious! We've already contacted the Shanxi authorities and are preparing to make our move."

"That's great!" He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief. "What about those guys from Yaodu?"

"The other group is digging up a Jin Dynasty noble's tomb! If it weren't for your discovery of the clues, who knows how many treasures would have been lost!"

"The Jin Dynasty?"

"Yes, the one after the Three Kingdoms."

"Has everything been investigated?"

"Don't worry, this time both sides are working together, no one will escape!"

"That's good. By the way, Uncle Fang, what about those gilded artifacts?"

“The case is closed, and it will definitely be transferred to the local museum. You won’t have wasted your money,” Lao Fang said.

"Money is secondary. We need to keep a close eye on these things in Shanxi Province. If they get lost again, they might be hard to find!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has already severely criticized them. They have also sent people to investigate Jinmu and strengthened its protection."

"That would be best!" He Yuzhu said.

"What, you don't trust them?"

"No, it's just that those diggers are impossible to guard against. The relevant departments are all focused on the economy now, and I'm afraid..." He Yuzhu recalled a major case in southern Shanxi in the 1990s, in which a group of Jin tombs were excavated, and a bunch of millions and tens of millions of yuan were found.

"Well, let's just do as much as we can. Nobody listens to us now."

"Ah."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. About that company you mentioned last time, it's been approved, and I've chosen the people. What's the next step?"

"Let them go to the special economic zone for an internship for a while, so they can learn more. I'll put in a good word with them there."

"Okay, I'll arrange for them to go there as soon as possible."

"Uncle Fang, let me be frank from the start: they're going there to learn."

"I understand. If anyone tries to cause trouble, I will handle it."

"That's good."

After hanging up with Lao Fang, He Yuzhu called Xu Damao, gave him a few instructions, and Xu Damao said he would make the arrangements. He also reported on the progress of the special economic zone before the two hung up.

(End of this chapter)