Rebirth: The Tumultuous Year of 1979

Old Li was in excellent physical condition. Despite being over ninety years old, he chased after Lu Guoqiang and Zhang Qiang for a while before finally stopping, panting heavily.

Zhong Wei sat beside him, smiling slightly.

Lu Guoqiang looked mournful and stole a glance at Zhong Wei. He swallowed the words that were about to come out, but his third brother never told them that antique furniture should be stored separately!

Zhong Wei shrugged.

"Hmph!" Old Man Li sneered, "If you two still haphazardly pile up the antiques and curios that are delivered in the future, I won't let you off the hook!"

"Yes," Lu Guoqiang replied helplessly.

Zhong Wei chuckled: "Old Li, don't be shy. Guoqiang and the others brought quite a few antiques. Take a look?"

Old Li's attention was drawn in, so he went to the side to wash his hands first, as he had gotten oil stains from handling fried dough sticks. After washing and drying them, he approached the bag and began to take out the antiques one by one, his eyes gradually immersing himself in them, his mind completely captivated.

"Have something to eat." Seeing that Lu Guoqiang looked listless, Zhong Wei placed the breakfast from his bag in front of him.

"Thank you, Third Brother." Lu Guoqiang smiled, picked up the steamed bun, took a few bites and swallowed, then suddenly said, "Third Brother, there's something I want to tell you."

"What's up?"

Lu Guoqiang put down the steamed bun: "There's a courtyard house for sale about 400 or 500 meters away from ours. I heard it used to belong to the wealthy Zhu family."

As soon as the words "Zhu Mansion" were uttered, Old Man Li suddenly stopped, put down the antiques he was holding, and pricked up his ears to listen.

"Then let's buy it," Zhong Wei said.

Lu Guoqiang looked troubled: "But that courtyard is too expensive, three times more expensive than ours."

Three times? Zhong Wei frowned slightly. These days, he earns tens of thousands a month and isn't short of money, but he doesn't want to be a sucker and get ripped off. That courtyard is at most a third larger than this one, yet it's three times more expensive—it's clearly a scam.

"How big is that yard?"

"It's a bit bigger, but only about a third bigger," Lu Guoqiang explained.

"One-third of the area, three times more expensive?" Zhong Wei curled his lip. Did he really think I was a sucker?

"Buy it..."

Before he finished speaking, Old Man Li stepped forward and looked at Zhong Wei calmly.

"Huh?" Zhong Wei was surprised. This mysterious old man had amazing skills, and his sudden words surprised him.

"Are you short of money?" Old Li asked thoughtfully.

"I don't need it." Zhong Wei smiled faintly. These days, while others earn thirty yuan a month, he can easily earn tens of thousands. This little bit of money is nothing.

"Then let's buy it." Old Li sighed. "Even if it's three or five times more expensive, the courtyard is worth it."

"Third Brother..." Lu Guoqiang was shocked. What was that crazy old man doing? He could buy something three to five times more expensive? That money could buy a yard twice the size! Zhang Qiang was also dumbfounded.

"Okay, I'll buy it." Zhong Wei grinned and nodded.

"What?!" Lu Guoqiang was stunned, his jaw dropped. His third brother really agreed?

"Third Brother." Lu Guoqiang swallowed hard, utterly shocked.

"Buy it, but I have one condition," Zhong Wei said in a deep voice, "make them all move out today."

"Really buying?" Lu Guoqiang suppressed his shock. "There aren't many households in that courtyard, so moving today isn't a problem, but this price..."

"Do as I say," Zhong Wei said calmly.

Lu Guoqiang glared helplessly at Old Man Li: "Don't worry, Third Brother, I'll take care of it right away." After saying that, he left with Zhang Qiang.

Old Li watched his retreating figure and said to Zhong Wei, "Zhong Wei, don't worry, this old man won't cheat you. That courtyard is really worth it."

"It's alright," Zhong Wei laughed. "Even if it's several times more expensive, it doesn't matter."

In later generations, such courtyard houses would cost two or three hundred million, and one that was a third larger would be worth more than five hundred million. He didn't care about this amount of money at all.

"Hehe!" Old Man Li saw that he really didn't care and thought to himself that this kid had quite the guts!

Old Li had seen many wealthy and powerful figures, and had even dealt with some of the powerful warlords who had once ruled their own territories, including those who had plundered imperial tombs. All of them were formidable figures of their time, but when he met Zhong Wei, Old Li found that this young man's boldness was even stronger than that of any of the warlords he had ever met.

This man... has a limitless future. What's even more remarkable is his ability to conceal his talents. Old Man Li had already seen through him; Zhong Wei was hiding behind the scenes, while Lu Guoqiang was his public representative. "Knowing how to conceal one's talents already puts him ahead of countless others," he silently commented to himself.

Time slipped quietly to 11:30, and there was another knock on the door. Lu Guoqiang and Zhang Qiang pushed the door open and came in.

"Third Brother, it's done!" Lu Guoqiang exclaimed excitedly as he jogged over, handing over the property certificate and contract. "Here are the property certificate and contract."

"Zhong Wei, you've hit the jackpot." Old Li chuckled.

"Well done, thank you for your hard work." Zhong Wei smiled at Old Man Li and patted Lu Guoqiang on the shoulder.

"Third Brother, I'm not tired," Lu Guoqiang said, grinning. "All the residents have moved out, and I've replaced all the locks."

Zhong Wei nodded slightly. He was quite satisfied with Lu Guoqiang's increasingly steady and meticulous approach to work, and he also saw the other man's growth. A long-planned scheme emerged in his mind, but it would take more than half a month before it could be launched.

"Let's go take a look at that courtyard house," Zhong Wei said with a smile, snapping out of his reverie.

After tidying up, the group locked the gate and left. Zhong Wei caught a glimpse of someone nearby looking in their direction out of the corner of his eye. He secretly praised them, thinking that they must be the guards arranged by Lu Guoqiang. They hadn't let anyone stay inside, but were just keeping watch outside the gate, which showed their prudent approach.

Walking a few hundred meters along the alley, they came to a large vermilion gate. Zhong Wei noticed a change in Old Man Li's expression; it was as if he were reminiscing, or perhaps revisiting a familiar place. Did he have some connection with the Zhu family before?

"Click!" Lu Guoqiang opened the gate, and the group stepped into the courtyard. Old Man Li, surprisingly familiar with the place, led them directly to the backyard. Zhong Wei's doubts deepened; this old man was indeed connected to this place. Could it be… he was the former owner? But his surname was Li, and this belonged to the Zhu family—they were completely unrelated. How could he be the owner?

"Zhong Wei." Old Li's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing excitement in his old eyes. "Tell them to wait outside for a while."

Zhong Wei glanced at him, nodded in agreement, and sensing that Old Man Li seemed to have a secret to tell, he asked Lu Guoqiang and Zhang Qiang to stay in the outer courtyard to wait.

"Follow me." Old Man Li led Zhong Wei through the corridor to a room and pushed the door open.

Zhong Wei frowned slightly.

"Zhong Wei," Old Man Li looked at him, "I advised you to buy this house, saying you wouldn't lose out. Now I'll show you."

"Oh?" Zhong Wei looked over in confusion.

Old Li walked to the corner and started counting the bricks. Zhong Wei, a man of wide experience, noticed this and his eyes lit up: "Is there a mechanism?"

"Crack!" Old Li's hand stopped in front of a brick. With a gentle push, the brick dented, revealing a small iron bar.

"Click!" He pressed down on the iron bar, and with a crisp sound, the sound of a mechanism turning echoed inside the room.

"Thankfully, it hasn't completely broken down after all these years." Old Li breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes shining.

With a loud "click," the wall in front of them slowly opened, revealing a dark passage.

"A secret room?" Zhong Wei was surprised. In the old days, wealthy families often set up secret rooms in their houses to hide gold and silver treasures. There was one here too.

But how did Old Man Li know that?

Zhong Wei looked at Old Man Li with a puzzled expression.

"Old Li," he called softly, his gaze fixed on the dark, deep basement, where a faint mist of light lingered.

"Hoo!" Old Li exhaled a long breath. "The Zhu family has some connection with me. During the war, when the Japanese came, the entire Zhu family was killed. Only I know about this underground secret room."

"Uh!" Zhong Wei frowned slightly. Old Li spoke casually, but he felt that this matter was definitely not simple. However, since Old Li was unwilling to elaborate, he did not press the matter.

"Are there air holes inside?" Zhong Wei asked.

Old Li nodded: "There's plenty of air. The air circulates constantly, and it won't feel stuffy even if the door isn't opened for decades. Don't worry."

The two stepped inside. The entrance to the secret chamber was narrow, but after a few steps it opened up into a stone chamber of about fifty square meters, surrounded by empty shelves covered in thick dust. Light streamed down from above, and the floor was also brightly lit.

Zhong Wei's eyes lit up.

"How about it?" Old Li chuckled. "This secret room alone should be enough to recoup your investment several times over!"

Zhong Wei nodded and smiled. Indeed, this place was extremely useful to him at this stage, especially since he needed a safe and undiscovered place to store the antiques and curios he had just acquired.

"Come with me." Old Li curled his lip. "I'm not just letting you buy this house to recoup your investment."

Zhong Wei followed, puzzled. Old Man Li walked to the corner of the wall, his gaze following the wall downwards. He muttered a few words to himself, then slowly pressed his hand down on a brick.

A loud "crack!" came from the wall behind him. Zhong Wei turned around and saw a bulge protruding from the opposite wall.

Old Li's eyes lit up, and he strode over, Zhong Wei close behind. Upon closer inspection, they saw a small wooden box embedded in the protrusion. The box was exquisitely crafted from Hainan huanghuali wood, its natural grain resembling a blooming rose, breathtakingly beautiful. Despite not having been handled for decades, it remained as bright and new as ever, faintly gleaming with a soft light.

"This is the real treasure!" Old Man Li exclaimed, looking at the box with admiration.

What might be inside?

Old Man Li took the box down: "Inside are the Zhu family's most valuable possessions, but they're soaked in blood. If you take them and it gets out, it could cause you a lot of trouble, even endanger your life. Do you still want them?"

"Heh heh!" Zhong Wei sneered, "Old man Li, nothing can scare me. What blood? It's probably from the Japanese!"

"You..." Old Man Li stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded. Zhong Wei immediately guessed that it was related to the Japanese!

Zhong Wei took the box from his hands. Just by looking at its exquisite craftsmanship, he knew that it must contain a priceless treasure, perhaps even a national treasure. Considering the massacre of the Zhu family, he immediately thought: the Japanese wanted to seize this item and force the Zhu family to hand it over, so they killed them.

"Phew!" Old Man Li took a deep breath. "Since you've guessed its origin and aren't afraid of the trouble, take it. All previous owners have met with misfortune; this is a cursed treasure." A look of reminiscence flashed in his eyes.

"What curse?" Zhong Wei asked curiously, examining the box before slowly opening it.

"Click!" The lid opened.

"Whoosh!" A flash of light streaked past the box, faint yet seemingly eternal. Zhong Wei stared intently, and there lay quietly in the box a jade hairpin with a warm, lustrous color, vibrant green, and a restrained luster—the legendary, rare jade dragon and phoenix hairpin.

Zhong Wei reached out and gently picked up the bead. Its green light was clear as water, and it felt cool to the touch. It was clearly a luminous bead.

"Click!"

To his surprise, with a slight exertion of his fingertip, the luminous pearl cracked in two, its green light vanishing in an instant.

"This is..." Zhong Wei was horrified. How could such a treasure be destroyed so easily? This was a priceless treasure! It was what the Japanese devils risked their lives to take?

"Ha ha!"

Old Man Li suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

Zhong Wei frowned: "Old Li, what's going on?"

Old Li smiled mysteriously: "Zhong Wei, try putting the two halves back together."

Zhong Wei was skeptical, but he did as he was told and pieced the two pearls together.

"call out!"

A horrifying thing happened: the two halves of the bead fit together perfectly without any cracks, and strands of green light moved across the bead, filling the entire bead in an instant.

"Hiss!" Zhong Wei gasped, his mind reeling, his eyes wide with shock. How could this be!

"Old Li, it can't be... this shouldn't be that thing!" he exclaimed in shock. As far as he knew, wasn't that treasure already in someone else's hands? How could it be here?

Old Man Li was shocked upon hearing this, staring wide-eyed at Zhong Wei: "You know the origin of this treasure?"

Aside from a few experts, how could an ordinary person recognize such a thing, let alone identify it at a glance? Zhong Wei's immediate recognition left him both surprised and doubtful.

"Hmm." Zhong Wei nodded. In his previous life, during the internet age, information was vast and abundant. He had seen detailed records of it in the "Ancient National Treasures" series on the "Haijiao" forum, and there were also people on military forums who thoroughly investigated the warlord who robbed the imperial tomb. Seeing the characteristics of the bead now, he instantly thought of the legendary priceless treasure.

"But according to legend, wasn't this luminous pearl sent to Taiwan?" Zhong Wei asked, puzzled.

"So you really do know." A glint flashed in Old Man Li's eyes. He felt that Zhong Wei was even more mysterious and unpredictable. He seemed to be a layman when it came to antiques, but he knew this kind of treasure like the back of his hand. His knowledge even surpassed that of many experts who had been playing with antiques all their lives.

"It is said that the luminous pearl can be held in the mouth of the deceased, preventing their body from decaying and keeping them lifelike for decades after death. It is true that the warlord took it from the imperial tomb and sent it to that person in Taiwan," Old Man Li said slowly.

"But this one..." Zhong Wei frowned, "How can it also be real?"

"That's true." Old Li coughed lightly; his throat was a little itchy from being in the secret room for so long. "Actually, there's not just one, but two in the imperial mausoleum."

"What..." Zhong Wei stared in shock. If this news was true, it would shake the entire Chinese antique industry.

"Besides the luminous pearl that pressed down on the tongue, there was another one of the same quality near the anus on that corpse."

Zhong Wei gasped, stunned. "You mean, this is the real tongue depressor, and the one from Taiwan is actually..."

Old Li nodded: "That's right. Back then, after the warlord obtained two, he was guilty of heinous tomb raiding. To seek protection, he sent one of the beads to a lady in Nanjing, thus escaping death. But he secretly kept the tongue-pressing bead. The Zhu family made a living by pawning, and someone in the family served as a bodyguard under the warlord. By chance, they obtained this bead. Later, when the Japanese invaded, they somehow discovered that the Zhu family possessed a mysterious treasure. They forced them to hand it over, then cruelly massacred the entire family and stole the bead."

After listening, Zhong Wei frowned: "But if it was taken by the Japanese, why is it still here?"

Old Li's eyes were deep and cold as he said, "Because the entire Japanese squad that tried to steal the pearl was wiped out without anyone noticing. That's why the pearl is stained with blood."