Chapter 1238 - 1111: Just Reliving the Old Days

Chapter 1238: Chapter 1111: Just Reliving the Old Days

Propped against a bicycle, the scroll of calligraphy and painting doesn’t take up much space, and it’s no issue to strap the package onto one’s back.

But that doesn’t ensure that each pair of porcelain can be safely taken back. Even though they’ve chosen the smallest ones, they’re still fragile items, right?

Fortunately, before coming, Zhang Guoqing’s bag was packed with enough supplies, including black bags and strings, so securing and safely carrying them wasn’t a problem with careful handling.

The downside was that these bicycles ended up being useless, and they had to free up a hand to push them.

On the way there, they were slow finding the spot, and the return couldn’t be quick either.

The most frustrating part was, not only was the car’s rendezvous point further away, but the two buddies had to take winding routes to avoid any tails.

After walking for over half an hour, Yi Jiefang finally heard his buddy declare the coast clear and couldn’t help but muse, "What are we doing this for?"

Zhang Guoqing grinned, "Just reliving the old days."

Back then, he and this guy would rush to various black markets by the end of the year, not only was the money good, but there was also plenty of great stuff.

"Hey." Yi Jiefang’s eyes lit up as he heard this, "I must say, it’s been years, we’re getting rusty, should we take another trip to the black market?"

"You’ve got quite the playful spirit!"

"I can’t help it, if we stop playing, we’ll really get old. Xiao Wu, do you feel old when you see the kids growing up?"

Zhang Guoqing burst into a soft laugh.

"I often think about our school days, how carefree those times were. Besides classes, every day was filled with playing ball, watching movies, sneaking out at midnight for cabbage, stealing melons during agriculture lessons, going wherever we wanted..."

Zhang Guoqing shook his head with a laugh.

Recalling the past often brings back pleasant memories, forgetting the backaches from farm work and the tough years when even a piece of meat was a luxury.

"After graduation, we agreed to have a reunion every five years, but over the years, only a few of us old classmates in Beijing have gathered. I wonder how many will come this year?"

"I doubt many. Some are still buried in the Northwest Research Institute and probably can’t leave. But classmates in neighboring provinces might actually come."

Chatting and laughing all the way, they arrived at the car rendezvous point near dawn.

Yi Jiefang didn’t go to pick up his daughter, instead returned directly to the Big Courtyard and went home.

His Little Tangtang has a special room at her godmother’s place and usually stays a night each month, having a better time than at home.

On the upstairs balcony, Zhou Jiaoyuan, alone and distractedly flipping through a book, contemplated going to the gate, worried that her father downstairs might be restless without company.

The car sounded in the early hours of the morning, easy for someone like Zhou Jiaoyuan to hear from afar. She waited for a short while, and sure enough, her husband came in with stuff.

"Xiao Wu is back?"

"Dad, you haven’t gone to sleep yet?"

"Just got up for the bathroom. Go rest, you have work tomorrow."

Standing at the second-floor stairway, Zhou Jiaoyuan smiled upon hearing this.

Zhang Guoqing went upstairs and saw his little wife squatting there, smiling like a little fox. Seeing him, she raised an eyebrow, light-footedly stepped up a few stairs ahead.

The couple silently shared a handshake and entered the bedroom.

"Is Little Ya staying here tonight?"

Zhou Jiaoyuan shook her head with a smile, "An hour after you left, her mom came all the way over after waiting for a while, worried about the father and daughter."

"Da Yi’s wife is so considerate. It’s not good for girls to stay outside too often. Even though our son isn’t home, it could be inconvenient. I see Mom really likes Little Ya and gave her quite a few things, I suppose?"

Zhou Jiaoyuan handed him a cup of warm water, "Not much, just a dress, and some extra candies. She’s aware that if Little Ya and Liu Yi are destined to be together in the future, they shouldn’t spoil the child."

Zhang Guoqing took a sip of water, nodding in agreement, "I’m quite inclined towards bonding with Da Yi, but there’s no rush; our son’s lifelong happiness is crucial."

Zhou Jiaoyuan smiled, squatted down, and opened the package on the floor, "Why did you take so long? Spent a lot of money, I suppose?"

Zhang Guoqing patiently explained, "The place was far, and without a car, we’d be back at dawn. The asking price was a hundred bucks each, we didn’t haggle, just paid and left."

"Wise decision, lingering could lead to exposure."

Putting down his cup, Zhang Guoqing squatted beside her, chuckling softly, "I paid special attention, including Da Yi and myself, three groups of us, and the other side secretly plans to clear out everything by tomorrow night."

"Didn’t tell Da Yi?"

"It’s tough to explain—you can’t exactly say, ’Buddy, your brother’s hearing is sharp enough to pick up sounds within a ten-mile radius.’ But among them was a father-son duo who seemed talented. I watched the elder hinting at a painting to deter his son. Too bad you weren’t there; we couldn’t make sense of it, can you authenticate the genuineness?"

Zhou Jiaoyuan couldn’t help but chuckle, glancing amusingly at him, then picked up a porcelain bottle.

The bottle was small, about twenty to thirty centimeters tall. After placing it on the table, Zhou Jiaoyuan shone a flashlight around it, touched it, and then turned it over.

Underneath were two rows of marks: "Made during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty." While observing these lines, Zhou Jiaoyuan particularly fetched a magnifying glass from the space, examining it for quite some time.

"Seems genuine, right?"

Zhou Jiaoyuan nodded approvingly.

"To be frank, the two pairs of porcelain were tucked in the corner, even laid on old quilts. Compared to other cluttered items, they’re likely genuine, but unfortunately couldn’t be dated."

Originally, Zhou Jiaoyuan intended to discuss some authentication traits, but upon hearing this, she refrained. Though not skilled in identifying antiques, her husband’s judgment is truly exceptional.

Just like her mother, Miao Lishan. If her mom were buying, she’d choose the priciest items, and though occasionally getting shortchanged, there’d always be genuine goods, right?

Of course, this differs from their current location, the market with fewer forgeries also plays a role.

However, soon Zhou Jiaoyuan felt a bit embarrassed.

Among ten paintings, two turned out to be fake. Then again, they couldn’t be deemed utterly false, but replicas from later years that could also be regarded as masterful works after decades.

Zhang Guoqing wasn’t bothered, laughing lightly, "Spending a hundred bucks isn’t a loss. Anyway, it’s just for fun, a legacy for the grandkids."

Not wanting to dampen his spirits, Zhou Jiaoyuan didn’t critique further. You know, in today’s antique shops, paintings generally cost around ten bucks apiece, barring particularly precious ones.

"Did you take a look at the paintings Da Yi has?" For their family, a hundred bucks isn’t much, but for Da Yi, it’s different; his wife’s salary is barely seventy-something.

Understanding her concern, Zhang Guoqing smiled and explained, "He’s planning to buy a place, no need to worry. In the dark, we didn’t choose individually—agreed to take ten each, relying on luck."

Moreover, Yi Jiefang isn’t the type to be petty. Even if all are replicas, he’d at most vent to himself, otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken him along.

Though a hundred bucks is a lot, that guy is capable of affording it.

Unlike Wan Dayong and the others, despite loving their wives, how could they compare to us? Apart from handing over their salaries, each has a hefty personal stash.