Chapter 5 My heart was pounding.
The antique shop is located downstairs from the Cultural Relics Bureau, consisting of three storefronts facing the street. There is a locust tree in front of the shop. The locust tree is quite old, with a trunk that is about the width of a person's arm. In the summer, its canopy acts like a large umbrella, blocking the scorching sun.
Xu Licheng stood under the locust tree, his belly protruding, one hand on his hip, the other holding a purple clay teapot, sipping tea from the spout.
Yan Ruyi got out of the car and called out, "Director Xu."
Xu Licheng turned his head and said with a smile, "Xiao Yan is here."
Yan Ruyi went to park the car. As soon as she parked, she looked up and saw Shen Zhimin.
He wasn't alone; he came with a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
The man's name is Jiang Dongming, and he is an appraiser at the appraisal center.
The appraisal center operates on a shift system. Whoever is on duty comes to the antique shop to check the quality of the acquired artifacts.
Today it's Jiang Dongming's turn to be on duty.
Seeing that Shen Zhimin was a stranger, Xu Licheng asked Jiang Dongming, "Old Jiang, have you taken on a new apprentice?"
Jiang Dongming, who was rather serious, pushed up his glasses and said to Xu Licheng, "This year's newly assigned college graduate, Director Tang asked me to mentor him for a while."
Shen Zhimin bowed to Xu Licheng and said, "Hello, Director Xu, my name is Shen Zhimin."
Shen Zhimin is handsome and fair-skinned. He speaks slowly and calmly, and his attitude is humble, which makes him very likable.
Xu Qingmei and Wang Aizhen were leaning on the counter chatting idly.
The two women were sales clerks at an antique shop. Hearing the conversation outside, Xu Qingmei peeked out and her eyes lit up. She nudged Wang Aizhen with her elbow and said, "This new college graduate is quite handsome. I wonder if he has a boyfriend?"
Xu Qingmei has a younger sister who is a bus ticket seller. She is beautiful and has high standards; she is 22 years old and still single.
Xu's mother keeps urging Xu Qingmei to introduce her younger sister to potential partners, so now whenever Xu Qingmei sees a young man she likes, she tries to match him up with her sister.
Wang Aizhen, “You’re too late. He already has a boyfriend. His boyfriend is Deputy Director Tang’s niece. She’s also a college student and just graduated this year. She’s been assigned to the office.”
Seeing that Yan Ruyi had gone to change into her work clothes, Xu Qingmei leaned close to Wang Aizhen and whispered, "I heard that three college graduates were assigned here this year, and two of them stayed in the bureau. How come Xiao Yan ended up here?"
Wang Aizhen's brother works in logistics at the Cultural Relics Bureau and is well-informed. He whispered to Xu Qingmei, "I heard that originally it was supposed to be Xiao Yan going to the Appraisal Center and Shen Zhimin going to the Archaeological Team. But now Shen Zhimin is dating Tang Yanna, who is the deputy director's niece. So Shen Zhimin went to the Appraisal Center, and Xiao Yan came here instead."
Wang Aizhen looked around and, seeing that Yan Ruyi hadn't come over yet, continued to whisper to Xu Qingmei, "I heard that Xiao Yan used to date Shen Zhimin. Shen Zhimin got together with Tang Yanna and broke up with Xiao Yan. He also took Xiao Yan's job and squeezed Xiao Yan into our place. He said he was here to train her, but he's just taking advantage of the fact that Xiao Yan doesn't have any connections. It won't be easy for Xiao Yan to transfer back to the bureau in the future."
After saying that, he winked at Xu Qingmei and then instructed her, "I only heard my brother mention it once. Don't tell anyone else, and don't ask Xiao Yan. Don't hurt her feelings."
Xu Qingmei understood immediately, "I won't tell anyone."
She looked at Shen Zhimin just now and thought the young man was fair-skinned and refined, and a college student at that; he was pleasing to the eye no matter how she looked at him.
After hearing what Wang Aizhen said, and looking at Shen Zhimin again, she felt that his nose and eyes were not what they seemed.
What a scumbag! He's utterly despicable!
Shen Zhimin just came in and politely greeted Xu Qingmei and Wang Aizhen.
Wang Aizhen smiled politely, but Xu Qingmei rolled her eyes at Shen Zhimin without any attempt to hide it.
Yan Ruyi only saw Xu Qingmei and Wang Aizhen whispering together, but didn't pay attention to what they were whispering about.
She was looking up prices, trying to see how much the little bowl she got from her grandmother was worth.
Antiques of the Ming Dynasty blue glaze calico ...
Antique shops mainly sell items with low cultural or artistic value; the real treasures are either in the cultural relics bureau's warehouse or in museums.
Yan Ruyi could only refer to the prices of porcelain from the same era.
There is a blue and white porcelain bowl from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty on the display shelf.
Many blue and white porcelain pieces from the Wanli period have survived to this day. This particular blue and white porcelain bowl is not a rare piece from the official kiln, but rather an ordinary blue and white porcelain bowl from a folk kiln. However, its condition is quite good, and it is priced at 200 yuan.
Based on this price, the small bowl that Grandma gave her must have cost at least 800 yuan.
Yan Ruyi's heart pounded: her father's current salary is 158 yuan a month, and this small bowl is equivalent to five months' salary for her father!
Shen Zhimin wandered around the antique shop and soon found himself in front of Yan Ruyi. He whispered to her, "I didn't expect you to be assigned to the antique shop. Why don't you go and ask Yan Na to put in a good word for you? Deputy Director Tang is Yan Na's uncle. It's just a matter of one word from him to transfer you back. Otherwise, when will you ever be able to transfer back?"
Yan Ruyi: "Is the Cultural Relics Bureau run by the Tang family?"
Shen Zhimin: "When did I say that the Cultural Relics Bureau was run by the Tang family?"
Yan Ruyi said, “With just one word from Deputy Director Tang, I was transferred from the appraisal center to the antique shop. With another word from him, I could go back to the bureau. Unless the cultural relics bureau is his family’s business, I can’t think of any other reason why he has such great power.”
After saying that, he grabbed Shen Zhimin and said, "Why don't you come with me to the bureau and ask whether the Cultural Relics Bureau belongs to the state or the Tang family, and who has made the calculation?"
Seeing Shen Zhimin leaning closer to Yan Ruyi, Xu Qingmei kept her ears perked up, listening to their conversation. She then chimed in, "The Cultural Relics Bureau has been taken over by the Tang family? When did this happen? I've never heard of it."
He nudged Wang Aizhen and asked, "Aizhen, have you heard?"
Wang Aizhen: "I haven't heard of it. I'll ask my brother later. He works in logistics, so he'll definitely know more about it than we do."
The two of them were singing in unison, which terrified Shen Zhimin.
He was thinking that if Yan Ruyi went to ask Tang Yanna for help, he could gain favor with Tang Yanna.
But Yan Ruyi was not fooled at all and even turned the tables on him.
Xu Qingmei and Wang Aizhen chimed in, saying that if word got back to the bureau, Tang Zhengjun would slap him across the face.
He dared not go to the bureau with Yan Ruyi and struggled to break free. "Don't slander people. I never said that the Cultural Relics Bureau was run by the Tang family."
Xu Qingmei said, "Xiao Yan didn't slander you. We all heard it. Xiao Yan, just take him away. Ai Zhen and I will vouch for you."
Just then, someone at the door asked, "Comrade, is this the place that collects old items?"
Yan Ruyi and the others turned their heads and saw someone coming in. It was a man in his fifties, wearing a white old-fashioned shirt and faded blue trousers, carrying a bulging black handbag.
The handbag is quite old; the outer layer is peeling.
Taking advantage of Yan Ruyi's distraction, Shen Zhimin broke free and ran to the side.
Wang Aizhen went up to them, "Is this the place? You want to sell old items? Did you bring your household registration book?"
The man replied, "Yes, I brought it. I checked beforehand and took everything I was supposed to."
He put the bag on the ground, unzipped it, and handed the household registration booklet to Xu Qingmei.
Xu Qingmei read aloud from the household registration booklet, “Zhao Zhonghou, member of Team 3, Zhaojiagang, Liucun Town, Ningyi County.”
Zhao Zhonghou nodded repeatedly, "It's me."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of five or six people rushed in from outside. The man in the lead grabbed Zhao Zhonghou as soon as he entered, saying, "Third brother, you came over before we even finished discussing things. Are you trying to eat alone?"
A note from the author:
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The male lead appears a little late!
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