Although there were no tables or chairs, and he simply sat on a large rock, Gao Hongfei felt extremely satisfied as he ate his mother's homemade dumpling soup. He hadn't had it in over fifty years, and he never imagined that his wish would come true one day.
"Zhaozhao, have you eaten yet?" Gao Mingcheng's concerned voice suddenly came from the side.
Xing Zhaozhao shook her head: "I haven't had time yet. There's still some at home. I'll eat it when I get back."
“Then you can eat with me. There’s so much food, I can’t finish it all by myself.” Gao Mingcheng said, picking up chopsticks and feeding Xing Zhaozhao.
Xing Zhaozhao accepted it without hesitation.
Gao Hongfei: "..."
Gao Hongfei suddenly felt that the food didn't taste good anymore; this old man was really cunning.
He immediately handed over his porcelain mug: "Mom, I have some too, you can eat mine."
Xing Zhaozhao peeked over and couldn't help but smile.
Gao Hongfei sensed something was wrong. He looked down and his face immediately burned. There was only a little bit left; at most, he could take a bite.
Xing Zhaozhao patted her son's shoulder: "You eat it yourself. Since you like it, Mom will make it for you next time."
"Hmm." Gao Hongfei responded softly, resignedly lowering his head to finish the last bite. Unexpectedly, when he looked up, he met Gao Mingcheng's smug smile. He was furious. Just you wait, the old man will definitely win next time.
After breakfast, Xing Zhaozhao remembered her main purpose for finding Gao Mingcheng this time, so she quickly took out the map that Ling Xiao had drawn for her earlier and handed it to Gao Mingcheng: "By the way, this is for you."
Gao Mingcheng took it, but didn't understand at first: "What is this?"
Gao Hongfei also curiously leaned closer: "A map?"
Xing Zhaozhao nodded: "A map of the mountain next to Qingxi Town."
As she spoke, Xing Zhaozhao told them in detail about Fu Lan's situation: "Back in our area, those mountain people have been arrested, and Fu Lan has been rescued. Although the case is still under investigation, there should be results soon. But here..."
Xing Zhaozhao hesitated, but Gao Mingcheng and Gao Hongfei understood what she meant. Their faces turned very ugly. Although the country had increased its efforts to combat crime in recent years, it was impossible to cover everything. Thinking that fifty years had passed and this den had never been eradicated, how many people might be trapped inside? Gao Mingcheng and Gao Hongfei felt a chill run down their spines.
Fearing they wouldn't understand, Xing Zhaozhao pointed to the map and explained it to them again: "This is the route into the mountains. So many years have passed, I don't know if it has changed, but it should still be a reference. At the end is the hideout of those mountain people. This is where we found Fu Lan. If she hasn't been found all these years, she should still be there. If you can find her, please bring her back to her sister. Her sister is still looking for her, at the Xunlan Tea House on Renmin Road."
As Xing Zhaozhao spoke, her voice choked up again.
Gao Mingcheng patted her head reassuringly: "Don't worry, we will find her as soon as possible."
After saying that, Gao Mingcheng didn't waste a moment. He picked up his phone, got up, and went to the side to make a call.
After a while, he returned, smiling and nodding gently to Xing Zhaozhao.
Xing Zhaozhao finally felt relieved, and a smile returned to her face.
"Oh, by the way, I recently found a treasure. I'll go get it and show it to you." Xing Zhaozhao said with a smile, and went back to get a cloth bag.
"What is this?" Gao Hongfei asked curiously, touching the bag through the cloth. It was hard and felt like a jar.
Xing Zhaozhao opened the bag and said with a smug look, "A bronze jia from more than 3,000 years ago. I had someone check it, and it's genuine. It's extremely valuable."
When Gao Mingcheng and Gao Hongfei saw it, their eyes lit up. Xing Zhaozhao only knew that this thing was valuable, but she didn't have a clear idea of how much it was worth. Gao Mingcheng and Gao Hongfei, however, had a good idea. It was indeed extremely valuable. However, there were very few bronze artifacts circulating in the market at the moment, and there was no evidence to prove its legal origin. Even if you wanted to sell it, probably no one would dare to buy it, as it would be illegal.
"Where did you come from?" Gao Mingcheng asked.
"I collected it from scrap metal," Xing Zhaozhao said.
Gao Hongfei: "..."
Gao Mingcheng: "..."
Gao Mingcheng and Gao Hongfei exchanged a glance, and thinking about the era Xing Zhaozhao was in, they both felt relieved.
“And this too.” Xing Zhaozhao took out the knife-shaped coins and cloth coins that she had previously treated as scrap copper to show off. “I made a fool of myself before, not knowing what these were, and almost threw them away as junk.”
Gao Hongfei was startled and quickly took it and put it away.
"Help me find some books to read, Mingcheng, so I don't make a fool of myself next time I encounter a treasure and don't recognize it," Xing Zhaozhao said to Gao Mingcheng.
“That’s no problem, but are you still planning to continue collecting?” Gao Mingcheng asked.
"Why not?" Xing Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow and said, "Rather than watching these treasures be destroyed, it's better to let me have them."
"That's true," Gao Mingcheng said with a smile, then added with a touch of concern, "But you still need to be careful; not everyone is ignorant of quality."
Xing Zhaozhao nodded: "I know, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Gao Hongfei looked at the bronze wine vessel and the two Warring States period coins, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Mom, what are you going to do with these?"
“I previously met an elderly gentleman surnamed Lu who does appraisals at an auction house. I’ve already asked him to help me consign a huanghuali wood box and a bronze mirror for auction, and I plan to ask him to do the same for me again,” Xing Zhaozhao said.
Gao Mingcheng frowned and asked, "Can I trust him?"
“No problem.” Xing Zhaozhao said confidently, “This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with him, and he’s also a good friend of Zhou Huaixi.”
Gao Mingcheng knew Zhou Huaixi, so he was temporarily relieved.
“The previous cooperation was indeed fine, but this time, I’m afraid you won’t be able to cooperate,” Gao Hongfei suddenly said.
Xing Zhaozhao looked over, puzzled: "Why?"
"The state does not allow the sale of bronze artifacts whose legal origin cannot be proven," Gao Hongfei said.
Xing Zhaozhao's face immediately fell: "Then I'm stuck with this mess?"
"Why don't you give it to me, Mom? I'll buy it from you at the market price," Gao Hongfei said to Xing Zhaozhao.
Xing Zhaozhao's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again: "Isn't the country against buying and selling these things? It's illegal." She didn't want to go to jail, nor did she want her son to go to jail.
“How can this be called a business transaction? My mother loves me and gives me antiques to play with. I am filial to my mother and give her some money to spend. Isn’t that only natural?” Gao Hongfei said righteously.
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." That makes a lot of sense.
Gao Mingcheng: "..." How shameless.
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