The trip to the Northeast this time, I had originally thought it would be easy, after all, I was just coming to find someone. Who knew it would be so full of twists and turns.
For two consecutive days, we were trapped in this nameless village.
Every day, people watched us, and our range of activity was limited to a single tile-roofed house.
The food was also steamed buns with cilantro, and those steamed buns had been there for who knows how long; they tasted of stale dough.
"How long are they going to keep us here?" Jiang Lingxi sighed.
"Who knows," I replied. "Judging by their demeanor, they'll probably let us go after they finish looting the tomb."
"Ah? How long will that take?" Jiang Lingxi asked. "I've seen the rock formations here; they're very hard. And from the looks of it, they don't plan to use explosives. If they're going to rely on manual labor, it'll take ages."
I almost forgot, this girl is in geological surveying. If she's right, it would indeed be quite difficult for us to leave.
Could it be that we'd have to stay here for half a year or more?
The thought of this possibility gave me a sense of helplessness.
These guys were completely unreasonable. Even if I offered them money, they wouldn't let us go.
Around noon, we were all starving. Those guys didn't bring us any steamed buns. Around one o'clock, a guy named Dakui walked in and said to me, "Master Qu wants to see you. Come with me."
Why would that old man want to see me?
Following Dakui, I finally got out of that room. Outside, there was snow everywhere, and four or five people were guarding the entrance.
I arrived at a tile-roofed house. As I entered, the old man surnamed Qu was sitting by a stove, roasting potatoes.
I walked over, and he gestured for me to sit.
"Master Qu, keeping us imprisoned like this isn't a solution, is it? Everything can be discussed, don't you think?" I said with a smile.
Old Man Qu looked up at me and smiled, "Tell me, how should we discuss it?"
"How much money do you want? Name your price. Even if I can't afford it, I'll find a way. As long as you set the terms, we can talk about anything."
"Set the terms?" He chuckled, then used tongs to pick out a blackened potato from the stove, placed it on the ground, and rubbed it. He picked up a small wooden piece and scraped off the scorched peel, then handed it to me. "It's not impossible for me to let you go, but..."
I took the potato. It was still quite hot, but my hands were cold, so I used it as a hand warmer, cupping it in my palm.
"But what?"
"But you have to do something for me."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Since you're in the antique business, you must be good at appraising treasures, right?"
A flicker of joy went through me. "Master Qu, you've found the right person. Don't let my age fool you; in Guangling, I'm a prominent figure in the appraisal world. I've never been wrong before."
Dakui, standing nearby, interjected, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Brother Kui, I'm not bragging. Since you could find out my identity, you can certainly ask people in the Guangling antique circle..."
Before I could finish, Old Man Qu said, "I've already looked into your background. Otherwise, I wouldn't be asking for your help."
Hearing him say that, I felt more confident.
If there's anything I'm good at, it's appraising treasures, isn't it?
"Then, Master Qu, when do we start?" I asked, taking a bite of the potato in my hand.
He glanced at Dakui. "Kuizi, go get that thing."
"Master Qu, do you really believe him?"
"Just go when I tell you to, stop asking so many questions!"
Dakui looked displeased, scratched his head, and turned to leave to get the item.
After eating steamed buns for two days, eating this potato now felt like I was enjoying a delicacy.
I finished the potato in a few bites.
Seeing this, Old Man Qu smiled and had someone bring over some bread and juice.
Upon seeing these items, I didn't hesitate and quickly filled my stomach.
After eating my fill, I asked, "Master Qu, I've eaten, but what about my friends..."
"Don't worry. I'll have someone send them food soon. As long as you help me properly, these things are not a problem."
I smiled and said, "Of course, Master Qu, you can rest assured."
Soon, Dakui returned carrying a square wooden chest. He placed it on the ground. Inside, there were many bottles and jars.
A quick glance made me gasp.
Good heavens, this chest contained items from various dynasties, and their condition was exceptionally exquisite. Many of them could be considered relics.
Seeing my astonished expression, Old Man Qu wore a broad smile.
He asked Dakui to pick out a vase from the chest and handed it to me. "Can you tell what era this item is from?"
The vase was about twenty centimeters tall, short at the top and long at the bottom, with many chrysanthemums depicted on its body.
The moment I saw this vase, I knew why Old Man Qu had asked me to appraise it.
Logically, he shouldn't be unfamiliar with antiques and should possess a certain level of appraisal skill, being able to identify the rough era of many items.
The reason he couldn't be sure about this vase wasn't due to a lack of skill, but because this item wasn't a Chinese antique at all.
Seeing my silence, Dakui on the side sneered, "Master Qu, I told you, if you can't tell, how can this kid possibly figure it out?"
Old Man Qu raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
I pursed my lips and asked, "Master Qu, are you planning to sell this batch of goods?"
"What? You want them?"
I smiled. "To be honest, Master Qu, I do have my eye on the items in this chest. But I can't handle them all by myself. However, I can cooperate with you."
"Cooperate?" Old Man Qu looked at me, puzzled.
"Exactly! Master Qu, you're definitely going to sell these things, right? I don't care who the buyer is, but I can vet these items for you and help you sell them for a good price. In today's terms, I'll be responsible for promoting them, and you'll give me a commission."
I smiled and continued, "I'm not asking for much; I just want ten percent."
"Ten percent? Dream on!" Dakui cursed. "Do these things need your promotion?"
I ignored him and looked at Old Man Qu. "Master Qu, taking this vase in my hand as an example, how much were you planning to sell it for?"
"That depends on its era."
"Regardless of the era, give me an estimate first."
Old Man Qu hesitated, stared at the vase in my hand for a long time, and said, "Judging by the craftsmanship, such an exquisite item should sell for at least a hundred thousand, shouldn't it?"
"A hundred thousand?" I smiled and shook my head.
"What? Too little?" Old Man Qu stared at me.
"Not too little, but too much. This vase is worth a thousand yuan at most." I said.
As soon as I finished speaking, Dakui on the side cursed, "What bullsh*t are you spouting!"