Chapter 63 (Three-in-One)
Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi followed the man all the way.
The man was probably in a hurry and didn't notice the two people following behind him.
They might have thought Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi were just two ordinary tourists, and even if they saw what was in his bag, they wouldn't have guessed it was an antique, so they didn't pay any attention to them.
This was Yan Ruyi's first time doing surveillance, and she was so nervous that her heart was pounding.
This alley is about 300 meters long. Once you exit the alley, you'll find yourself on a bustling main street.
There is a guesthouse across the street called East Street Guesthouse.
The man crossed the road and went straight into the guesthouse.
Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi followed them into the guesthouse.
There was only one server at the service counter, so the two of them walked over.
The waitress was knitting a sweater. When she heard someone coming, she didn't even look up. "A double room is 5 yuan, a single room is 3 yuan, and a room with a private bathroom is 6 yuan. You need a letter of introduction, and if you are a couple, you need to provide your marriage certificate."
Song Yiping took out his military officer's ID card and said to her, "Which room did that person who just came in stay in? He might be an antique dealer."
The waiter was startled.
She remembered the person who came in earlier asking her, so she told Song Yiping, "He came to find someone, and the person he's looking for lives in room 301."
How many people are staying in room 301?
The waiter quickly took out the register, found room 301, and said, "Two people are staying here."
Yan Ruyi saw a phone at the service desk and said to the clerk, "Do you have the police station's phone number? If so, call the police right away."
Yan Ruyi's reminder made the waiter remember to call the police. He quickly found the police station's phone number and dialed it. "Hello, is this the police station? This is the East Street Guesthouse. A People's Liberation Army soldier said that there are antique dealers in our guesthouse. Please come over as soon as possible."
Song Yiping said to Yan Ruyi, "You wait here, I'll go up and take a look."
There were originally two people in the room, and with the person who just came in, there are three people now.
Song Yiping, however, was alone.
If a fight breaks out, it will be Song Yiping against three people, and we don't even know if they brought weapons.
Yan Ruyi was still worried, so she pointed to the waiter and said, "She has already called the police. Let's wait downstairs for the police to arrive."
The waiter said, "The police said they'll be here soon."
Song Yiping said, "What if they separate and we don't know the other two?"
Yan Ruyi asked the waiter, "Those two people staying in room 301, when they come downstairs in a little while, will you recognize them?"
Whether the waiter was genuinely frightened and forgot, or simply didn't want to cause trouble for himself, he shook his head and said, "I can't remember what they looked like."
Song Yiping no longer hesitated and said to Yan Ruyi, "You stay here and don't go anywhere. I'll go up and take a look."
Yan Ruyi regretted telling Song Yiping that the man's bag contained bronze artifacts.
Song Yiping is a soldier with a strong sense of responsibility. Now that he knows about it, he won't ignore it.
No matter how precious a cultural relic is, it is not as important as a person.
Song Yiping knew she was worried, so he patted her head and said, "Don't worry, I'll act according to the situation."
Yan Ruyi could only say, "Then be careful, and come back if things get tough."
Song Yiping nodded and went upstairs.
He went up to the third floor, found room 301, and was about to knock on the door when it was suddenly opened from the inside.
The man who came out was the one who had tripped over the little yellow dog. He remembered Song Yiping and, seeing him, asked warily, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"
Song Yiping showed his military officer's ID and then asked the man, "Where did the bronze artifacts you had in your bag go?"
The man's heart skipped a beat, then he feigned impatience and said, "What bronze artifact? Comrade, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
He pushed Song Yiping away and tried to leave, but Song Yiping stopped him.
Through the open door, Song Yiping saw two other men inside.
The two men were clearly not with the one at the door. The man at the door was stopped, and the two men didn't come over either. They were obviously wary of Song Yiping being a People's Liberation Army soldier and didn't want to take the initiative to fight. They wanted to find a chance to escape.
Song Yiping saw that one of the men was looking down from the window. It was probably too high, and there was nothing to hold onto, so he didn't dare to jump down. He kept an eye on the doorway, probably looking for an opportunity to escape.
Seeing that something was wrong, the man at the door suddenly threw a punch at Song Yiping.
Song Yiping dodged, and the man missed.
Song Yiping was already behind the man, grabbed his arm, twisted it, and slammed him to the ground.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the other two men in the room pounced on Song Yiping together.
One of them was carrying a chair, and he swung it down at Song Yiping.
With a sudden burst of strength, Song Yiping dislocated the man's arm, and then kicked him aside.
Back in the army, even three or four soldiers together couldn't beat him, let alone these two ordinary people with no fighting experience. Song Yiping easily took down the other two.
Yan Ruyi was afraid of causing trouble for Song Yiping, so she didn't dare to follow and could only anxiously wait below.
The waiter comforted her, "The police station is very close by; they'll be here in five minutes at most."
Yan Ruyi wasn't comforted at all; who knows how much could have happened in just five minutes!
She rushed to the entrance of the guesthouse to see if the police had arrived, but didn't see any. Just as she turned around, she heard sounds of fighting and screams coming from upstairs.
She didn't recognize the voice as Song Yiping's, but she was still worried. Regardless of the danger, she grabbed a stool next to the service desk and rushed upstairs.
She ran up to the third floor in one breath, and by the time she reached room 301, the fighting had stopped.
The door to room 301 was open, and a person was lying in front of it. Yan Ruyi recognized him as the same person who had been tripped by the little yellow dog at the restaurant entrance.
He lay on the ground, one hand hanging by his side, it was hard to tell if it was broken or dislocated, and he was groaning and crying out in pain as he held his lower back with the other hand.
Several rooms on the third floor had their doors open, and the people inside didn't know what had happened. They were all too afraid to come in and were peering out from behind the doorframes.
Yan Ruyi ran inside and saw two other people on the floor of room 301, rolling around and screaming in pain, seemingly fighting somewhere.
There were large commemorative balls everywhere in the room—on the floor, the bed, and the table.
Song Yiping bent down and picked up the bronze artifact from the ground to check if it was broken.
Yan Ruyi ran over, asking worriedly, "Are you alright?"
Seeing Yan Ruyi panting heavily, carrying a stool in her hand, Song Yiping felt a warmth in his heart and said gently, "I'm fine, they didn't bring any weapons."
Yan Ruyi put down the stool, pulled him up and down and looked him over from all sides. Seeing that he was indeed not injured, she was relieved.
Song Yiping handed the bronze artifact in his hand to Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi took it and examined it carefully, then confirmed, "A bronze wine vessel from the Qin Dynasty."
This bronze wine vessel is 20 centimeters tall, with a trumpet-shaped mouth and engraved with dragon and tiger patterns.
Because of its age, the surface has oxidized and turned green.
In the Qin Dynasty, only the powerful and noble could use dragon and tiger patterns. Based on this alone, it can be determined that this bronze wine vessel is already a national treasure.
Police officers also arrived, and the waiter explained the situation while leading the police officers up.
A total of four police officers arrived.
The police were initially worried when the waiter told them there were three people in room 301 and only Song Yiping was alone. However, when they went upstairs, they found the three people lying on the floor screaming in pain, while Song Yiping was unharmed.
The policeman at the front was in his thirties, with a straight back; judging from his posture, he must have been a soldier.
He was stunned when he saw Song Yiping, then exclaimed with delight, "Old Song!"
Song Yiping recognized him too: Cheng Qianjin, a comrade-in-arms who had fought in the same trench.
Cheng Qianjin excitedly grasped his hand, "It's been so many years since we last met, I almost didn't recognize you."
He patted Song Yiping on the shoulder and said, "You're even stronger than before."
There were still three antique dealers lying on the ground, and money was scattered all over the room; it wasn't the time for reminiscing.
After shaking hands with Cheng Qianjin, Song Yiping told Cheng Qianjin what had happened.
Yan Ruyi handed the bronze wine vessel in her hand to Cheng Qianjin.
Song Yiping added, "My wife works in the field of cultural relics. This is a wine vessel from the Qin Dynasty, probably a first-class cultural relic."
Although Cheng Qianjin did not work in the field of cultural relics, he knew the research value of bronzes and that they were strictly prohibited from being sold.
The bronze artifacts and the large coins scattered throughout the room were irrefutable evidence. He was so angry that he kicked the antique dealer on the ground, "You spendthrift! Don't you know these are treasures left by our ancestors?"
Not satisfied with kicking him once, he kicked him again.
The other three policemen turned their faces away, pretending not to see.
Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi were the parties involved, and it was Song Yiping who apprehended them. As required, the two went to the police station to give statements.
After all that commotion, it was already dark when we left the police station.
Cheng Qianjin escorted the two out.
Cheng Qianjin had been so busy with the antique dealers that he hadn't had a chance to chat with Song Yiping. Now he chuckled and teased him, "Well done, Lao Song, you're all married now. I thought you were going to be all alone for the rest of your life."
She complained to him again, "Look at you, you didn't tell me you were getting married, and you didn't contact me when you came to Yangcheng to play. You know I'm in Yangcheng."
Song Yiping said, "Yangcheng is too far from the capital, and it's inconvenient for you to travel back and forth, so I didn't tell you. I was originally planning to say goodbye to you when I left."
Cheng Qianjin said, "It's settled then. You must let me know before you leave, so I can at least show you some hospitality."
He then said to Yan Ruyi, "Sister-in-law, if Lao Song forgets, remind him. We haven't seen each other for years, so we have to have a couple of drinks this time."
Yan Ruyi smiled and said, "No need to remind him, he remembers. He even said he wanted to drink with you when he came."
Cheng Qianjin still had to interrogate the three antique dealers overnight. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Song Yiping, Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi left.
As they exited the police station, Song Yiping spotted a noodle shop across the street and asked Yan Ruyi, "Are you hungry?"
Yan Ruyi shook her head, "I'm not hungry, I ate too much at noon."
Song Yiping didn't feel hungry. He saw a pastry shop next to the noodle shop and, just in case, bought a box of mung bean shortbread.
It was a bit far from their guesthouse, so Song Yiping called a taxi.
Back in the guesthouse room, Yan Ruyi praised Song Yiping with admiration, "He took down three people by himself. My Commander Song is amazing!"
Those three men looked to be about the same size as Song Yiping, but their fighting abilities were worlds apart. Song Yiping took them all down in just two or three minutes.
No wonder Qian Shengbing always said that Song Yiping's physique was not human-like.
Fortunately, none of the three were carrying weapons, otherwise it would have been very dangerous. Even if Song Yiping had subdued the person, he might still have been injured.
Song Yiping: "Now you know, I already went easy on you last night."
Yan Ruyi pondered for a moment before realizing what he meant. Her face flushed red, and she glared at him, saying, "No fooling around tonight. We're going hiking tomorrow."
"I promise to sleep peacefully tonight."
He really didn't dare to do anything reckless, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to go hiking tomorrow.
Yan Ruyi, however, was somewhat skeptical of his assurance.
Of course, I also had some doubts about myself; how could I possibly resist such beauty?
Then he came up with an idea and said to Song Yiping, "You said before that it wouldn't affect your push-ups if I sat on your back, is that true?"
Song Yiping lay down on the ground and said to Yan Ruyi, "Come on, 100 is the minimum."
Yan Ruyi happily climbed onto his back and sat down, reminding him, "Don't push yourself too hard. Tell me if you can't hold on."
Song Yiping didn't say much and got right to work. Yan Ruyi sat on his back and counted for him, "One, two, three, four..."
Song Yiping did 50 sits in one go without getting red in the face or out of breath, and it seemed like he could still do more.
Yan Ruyi felt sorry for him. What if he overworked his strong back?
She wrapped her arms around Song Yiping's neck and gently licked his ear.
Song Yiping's body trembled, his arms went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
Yan Ruyi got off his back and said triumphantly, "Only 50, you lost."
Song Yiping: "Comrade Xiao Yan, you launched a sneak attack."
Yan Ruyi said, "It wasn't mentioned beforehand that sneak attacks were prohibited, so this doesn't count as a foul."
While Song Yiping was still lying on the ground reminiscing, she quickly grabbed her pajamas and went to take a shower.
Song Yiping kept his word and really did sleep all night without doing anything else.
The next day, after breakfast, we went to climb Lishan Mountain.
Lishan is more than 50 kilometers away from Yangcheng, so you have to take a bus there first.
Song Yiping bought tickets, and Yan Ruyi ate something before going up the mountain. After eating and drinking her fill, she started climbing.
In early summer, Lishan is lush and vibrant. Wildflowers of unknown names bloom on both sides of the mountain road, filling the air with their fragrance.
There are no mountains in Beijing, and this was the first time Yan Ruyi had ever climbed a mountain in her life.
At first, he was full of energy and ran ahead of Song Yiping. But when he saw Song Yiping carrying big bags and small bags and a camera around his neck, he followed behind at a leisurely pace and even mocked him, "Old Song, you're walking too slowly. Are you running out of energy?"
Song Yiping didn't argue with her. He raised his camera and pointed it at her. Yan Ruyi stopped laughing at him and quickly posed for Song Yiping to take her picture.
On this trip, Song Yiping took on multiple roles: tour guide, accountant, photographer...
He excelled in photography, his skills improved rapidly, and he even mastered framing and composition.
When Yan Ruyi reached the halfway point of the mountain, her legs felt weak and she could no longer climb.
Song Yiping, however, remained unfazed and continued climbing steadily.
Yan Ruyi gritted her teeth and followed him.
Lishan is not high; the map shows an altitude of only a little over 1,000 meters.
It wasn't particularly steep, but it was still quite challenging for Yan Ruyi, who was a complete novice at sports.
She stopped every few steps, and for the last part, Song Yiping had to drag her along, but she finally made it to the top.
After climbing up, I was too tired to enjoy the panoramic view, so I collapsed on a bench in the pavilion, too exhausted to move.
"Wow, climbing mountains is so tiring!"
Song Yiping took off her shoes, put her legs on his own, and massaged her legs and feet. "Your constitution is too weak. From now on, get up early and run with me to exercise."
Song Yiping has a habit of getting up early to run, almost without fail all year round, rain or shine.
Even if they don't run, they'll practice military boxing in the yard.
Yan Ruyi is the opposite of him. She doesn't like sports and likes to sleep in late in the morning, especially in winter. Getting her out of bed in the morning is harder than climbing to heaven.
Yan Ruyi: "What did you say? It's windy, I can't hear you."
Song Yiping, "I want to kiss you."
Yan Ruyi kicked him and pulled her leg away from his embrace.
Song Yiping pulled him back again, "Come here and let me rub it, otherwise your legs will be stiff when you go down later."
Song Yiping massaged her for a long time, which finally relieved the soreness temporarily.
Only then did he stand up to admire the view from the summit.
The view is of lush green mountains and forests, and the air feels exceptionally fresh.
Song Yiping saw a middle-aged couple approaching. The man had a camera hanging around his neck, so he went over to him and said, "Comrade, could you please take a picture of me and my wife?"
The man readily agreed.
Song Yiping briefly taught Yan Ruyi how to use the camera, then handed it to the middle-aged man, pulled Yan Ruyi into his arms, and asked the man to take a photo of the two of them together.
The last photo they took together was taken by Liu Yunmin. At that time, they were still dating, and it was in front of acquaintances, so Yan Ruyi was a little shy.
Things are different now. They're married now, and the person who took their picture is a complete stranger.
Since no one knew each other, Yan Ruyi was particularly relaxed. After the middle-aged man took a picture of the two of them, she said to him, "Comrade, could you please take another picture of us?"
After saying that, she pulled Song Yiping to sit on the rock, put her arms around Song Yiping's neck, and the two of them took another picture with their faces close together.
This middle-aged couple were not the kind of people who were old-fashioned. When the man was taking pictures of Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping, the woman stood aside and watched with a smile, even a little envy on her face.
It's true that young people today are lucky to be born in such a good era. In the past, even married couples wouldn't dare to be so affectionate in public when they were young.
After taking the photos, the middle-aged man returned the camera to Song Yiping.
Yan Ruyi said to them, "Comrades, the scenery here is so beautiful, why don't you two take a photo together? My husband is a great photographer."
The woman was somewhat tempted by what she heard.
She and her partner went on a trip and took some photos together, but they both stood very formally, with enough space in the middle for another person to stand.
She was infected by Yan Ruyi's liveliness and wanted to take a more intimate photo with her lover.
Let's just consider it a moment of youthful exuberance.
Yan Rujian noticed that the female comrade was interested, so she enthusiastically took the camera from the male comrade and handed it to Song Yiping, then directed the two of them to pose.
"Big brother, stand behind big sister and hug her. Big sister, lean closer to big brother. Yes, just like that. Both of you smile. Okay, that's it. Yiping, hurry up."
With a "click," their beautiful smiles were captured in the camera lens.
Song Yiping returned the camera to the man.
Yan Ruyi sincerely praised the female comrade, "Sister, you look so beautiful when you smile."
The woman blushed slightly at being praised so directly for the first time, and smiled as she said to Song Yiping, "Your husband is so cute."
Song Yiping patted Yan Ruyi's head and smiled, "She is very cute."
After the middle-aged couple left, Yan Ruyi whispered to Song Yiping, "When we were taking a photo together, that lady was so envious. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you to take a photo of them."
Aside from Yan Ruyi, Song Yiping was always oblivious to the emotional changes of others.
Besides, he's a grown man; he can't possibly stare at a woman all the time.
He asked in confusion, "Really? I didn't notice it?"
Yan Ruyi said disdainfully, "You men are so oblivious. Even though it was so obvious to me, you didn't notice."
Commander Song, who was delighted to receive a "rough-around-the-edges" hat, still didn't understand what was so obvious about the eldest sister.
However, adhering to the principle that "the wife is never wrong," Commander Song immediately said that his wife was right and that he had been too careless.
Yan Ruyi nodded in satisfaction, "But this is also the eldest sister's fault. If she wanted to take a photo with her brother, she should have just asked him. What is there to be embarrassed about between the two of you?"
If it were her, she would just tell Song Yiping what she wanted to do; she wouldn't compromise herself.
The top of Lishan Mountain is not very big; you can walk around it in about 10 minutes.
After sitting on the mountaintop for a while, the two descended the mountain.
Even though Song Yiping massaged her legs, Yan Ruyi's legs were still shaking when she went down the mountain. When she got halfway down, she couldn't walk anymore.
Song Yiping squatted down in front of her. "Get on."
Yan Ruyi: "Won't you get tired carrying me down?"
Song Yiping: "No, the backpacks we carried during our training exercises were heavier than yours."
Yan Ruyi didn't believe it. "How heavy were your backpacks during the training exercises?"
"30 kilograms, but when carrying out special missions, the load can be 50 to 60 kilograms."
Yan Ruyi weighed only 45 kilograms at her heaviest, and she doesn't weigh 45 kilograms now, so she is indeed not as heavy as their backpacks.
She then climbed onto Song Yiping's back with peace of mind, and hugged his neck, saying, "Put me down after a while, and I'll walk on my own once I've rested."
Song Yiping hummed in agreement and steadily carried Yan Ruyi down the mountain.
Yan Ruyi lay on Song Yiping's back, as if she were in a cradle, gently rocking him.
The warm sunlight shone gently on her, making her gradually feel sleepy.
At first, she managed to stay awake, but gradually her eyelids started to droop. Finally, she couldn't hold on any longer and mumbled something, asking Song Yiping to put her down in a bit. Then she fell asleep on Song Yiping's back.
Song Yiping woke her up when they reached the foot of the mountain.
If it weren't for the need to take a car, Song Yiping would probably have carried her back to the guesthouse.
Yan Ruyi got off Song Yiping's back and, seeing that he was indeed perfectly fine, truly realized that her Commander Song's physique was indeed exceptionally good.
Back at the guesthouse, Yan Ruyi collapsed onto the bed, unwilling to move.
Song Yiping took off her shoes and massaged her legs.
The massage felt so good that Yan Ruyi started to feel sleepy.
Song Yiping straightened her legs and said to her, "You go to sleep, I'm going out for a bit."
Yan Ruyi, still half asleep, asked him where they were going. Song Yiping said Xianxi Road, and she mumbled something under her breath, then turned over and went back to sleep. Song Yiping covered her with the blanket, opened the door, and went out.
When he returned, it was already dark. Yan Ruyi had woken up, sat up, and turned on the light. "Where did you go?"
Only after saying that did I realize that Song Yiping had said he was going to Xianxi Road.
"You went to Xianxi Road, not tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yes, I went to check it out beforehand, so I won't waste my time tomorrow."
Not only would it waste time, but his little girl's physique couldn't handle it either.
Her commander Song was so considerate. Yan Ruyi got out of bed, hugged his neck, and gave him a loud kiss.
Yan Ruyi originally thought that her leg would recover after a night's sleep.
To my surprise, my legs hurt even more the next morning. They were sore and painful, even more so than when I ran 800 meters in school.
However, she still insisted on getting out of bed.
Yesterday, Song Yiping had already arranged with a driver to come at 6 o'clock.
The two left the guesthouse, where the driver was already waiting.
The two got into the car, and Song Yiping said to the driver, "Driver, go to Xianxi Road."
Driver: "You two are going to the antique market, right?"
Song Yiping: "Yes, I heard you can find good stuff there, so I'd like to go check it out."
The driver kindly reminded them, "You can look around, but if you don't know anything about this place, try not to buy anything there. Ninety percent of the things there are fake. A friend of mine didn't believe it and bought a brass Buddha statue there last year, claiming it was from the Tang Dynasty. Later, he accidentally dropped it, and the base broke. Only then did he realize that the thin outer layer was copper, and the inside of the Buddha statue was hollow and filled with sand. No wonder it was so heavy. When my friend went back to them, they refused to acknowledge it."
The driver was very talkative, chatting away the whole way to take the two of them to Xianxi Road.
The driver dropped them off at the intersection of Xianxi Road and Chunping Road.
"The car can't go any further. You two can get off here. Walk along this road for about 200 meters, and you'll see an alley. Go through the alley and walk a little further, and you'll get there."
Song Yiping paid the fare, thanked the kind driver, and got out of the car with Yan Ruyi.
Song Yiping had already come by yesterday and led Yan Ruyi into the alleyway as if he knew the way well.
Many people also walked into the alley, probably heading to the antique market just like them.
Judging from their accents, some are locals and some are from other places.
Those from out of town are probably tourists, who likely came here hoping to get lucky.
The sky was already beginning to lighten, and the further we went in, the more people there were. Emerging from the alley, we came to an inconspicuous main street lined with stalls on both sides, one after another. Judging by their scale, they were much larger than those in Beijing.
Because these antique markets are not openly permitted, they are very quiet, unlike other markets where there are shouts and hawking everywhere.
Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping looked at them one by one, and indeed, just as the driver had said, nine out of ten were fake.
Yan Ruyi watched as a middle-aged man was tricked by the stall owner into buying a "Chengni inkstone" for 20 yuan.
The middle-aged man was overjoyed, thinking he had gotten a great deal.
Upon seeing Yan Ruyi's expression, Song Yiping guessed what had happened and asked her in a low voice, "That person bought a fake antique, right?"
Yan Ruyi nodded.
Seeing the middle-aged man leave with the inkstone, Song Yiping asked Yan Ruyi, "Should we go over and remind him?"
Yan Ruyi shook her head.
That's the rule in this industry: authenticity isn't guaranteed, and once you've placed your order, you're done. If you suffer a loss or get cheated, you can only accept your bad luck.
Quite a few people have been cheated, mainly because the stall owners are too good at deceiving people. In addition, people have a tendency to be greedy for small gains and always feel that buying something is a bargain. With this mentality, they are bound to get ripped off.
This was completely beyond Song Yiping's comprehension. However, every profession has its own rules, and it's best for outsiders not to interfere with some of the unspoken rules.
The two walked around and saw that quite a few people were buying things, but most of what they bought were fake.
However, even if there are genuine ones, they might be missed by those looking for bargains because they don't know their value.
For example, the beast swallowing was placed in the most inconspicuous position.
It's also possible that because the beast-shaped ornaments aren't popular antiques like porcelain or calligraphy, almost no one looks at them.
Yan Ruyi, however, couldn't move once she saw it.
Beast-devouring arm armor is usually a single piece, protecting both shoulders.
Yan Ruyi only managed to buy one in Gangcheng last time, and she was quite disappointed at the time.
I didn't expect to see a beast-shaped tortoise here again, and judging from its appearance, it seems to be the same one she bought in Hong Kong.
This is such a wonderful coincidence!
Yan Ruyi pulled Song Yiping to squat down in front of the stall. They pretended to look at other things first, and finally picked up the beast-devouring beast and asked the owner, "Boss, how much is this beast-devouring beast?"
The boss was a man in his sixties with a goatee and an air of mystery.
When Yan Ruyi asked about the price, he lifted his eyelids to look at Yan Ruyi, and then glanced at Song Yiping next to him.
Presumably seeing that the two were well-dressed and looked like a newlywed couple, he made an exorbitant demand, stretching out a hand and flipping it over a couple of times, "You actually know about beast swallowing, which means you're an expert. I won't give you any more fluff, it's a fixed price, 100 yuan."
The one Yan Ruyi bought in Gangcheng only cost the equivalent of 8 yuan, but this one cost 100 yuan.
Song Yiping knew that beasts always devoured each other in pairs.
There's already one at home, so Yan Ruyi's interest in this one is definitely because she wants to complete the set with the one at home.
He didn't understand this either. Seeing that Yan Ruyi wanted it, he was about to take out his money when he saw Yan Ruyi take out two yuan from her pocket. "I'll take the two yuan. If you don't want it, then forget it."
Song Yiping, "..."
The price difference between 100 yuan and 2 yuan is too big!
The shopkeeper glared and said, "This is the beast-shaped tortoise shell used by Li Sheng, a famous general of the Tang Dynasty. I won't sell it for a penny less. Take it for 100 yuan. If you don't want to buy it, go look somewhere else. Don't delay my business here."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a whistle blew, followed by someone shouting, "The police are here!"
As soon as they heard the police were coming, the vendors skillfully stuffed their antiques into their cloth bags, hoisted them up, and ran away.
Goat-beard hurriedly packed up his stall. Seeing that Yan Ruyi was still holding two yuan, he grabbed the money, stuffed the beast into Song Yiping's arms, and then ran away quickly.
He was acting like a hermit a moment ago, but now he's running incredibly fast, not at all like a man in his sixties.
The police had already arrived, and Song Yiping quickly stuffed the beast into his pocket.
When the police arrived, all the vendors had already fled, leaving only some Taobao shoppers who hadn't had time to escape.
The police probably just came to make a show of it and didn't intend to actually arrest anyone. Seeing that the vendors had all run away, they gave them a few perfunctory words of advice and left quickly.
After the police left, Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping also quickly left.
After all, given Song Yiping's status, it was indeed inappropriate for him to appear in such a place.
Once outside the alley, Song Yiping took the beast out again.
This beast-shaped jade is of better quality than the one Yan Ruyi bought in Hong Kong.
Yan Ruyi couldn't help but laugh, "If the police hadn't come, we might not have been able to take the two yuan."
She asked for two yuan, waiting for the owner to raise the price further.
She originally wanted to buy it for 5 yuan, but because of this incident, she got it for 2 yuan.
She bought the one in Gangcheng for 8 yuan; she really made a killing this time.
Moreover, she and her family partner became a couple, making up for the regret in her heart.
She was delighted and patted Song Yiping's wallet generously, "Come on, I'll treat you to gourd chicken today."
On the train, Chen Yu introduced her to famous Yangcheng dishes, including gourd chicken.
Gourd chicken has long been known as "Chang'an's No. 1 Chicken" because it is shaped like a gourd after cooking, hence the name "Gourd Chicken".
However, some say it's a homophone for "囫囵鸡" (húlún jī).
Regardless of the explanation, it's undeniably delicious. Chen Yu, who has tried it, said that if you pick it up with chopsticks and shake it, the whole chicken will separate from the bone, with crispy skin, tender meat, and a rich, savory flavor.
Yan Ruyi could only drool at the thought.
I haven't had a chance to try it out for the past couple of days, so I'll go today.
Song Yiping nodded. "Thank you, Comrade Xiao Yan."
The two spent three days in Yangcheng. On the afternoon before returning to Beijing, they bought gifts and took a car to Cheng Qianjin's house.
Cheng Qianjin moved into the police station's family compound.
Song Yiping called him yesterday, and Cheng Qianjin and his family of three were already waiting at home.
Cheng Qianjin's wife is named Jin Xiuling. When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping arrived, she was cooking in the kitchen. She heard someone knocking on the door and called to Cheng Qianjin, "Qianjin, go and see if it's Commander Song."
Cheng Qian went over and opened the door. Seeing Song Yiping, he said with a smile, "We've finally been waiting for you."
Jin Xiuling came out of the kitchen wiping her hands. "Old Cheng has been talking about it for days. Today we finally get to see him. Please come in and have a seat."
They ushered the two into the house and then busied themselves serving them tea and washing fruit.
A little girl of about four or five years old ran out from the inner room. She had two pigtails and big, bright eyes.
Cheng Qianjin said proudly, "This is my daughter, Cheng Yali..."
Cheng Yali was very outgoing. Before Cheng Qianjin could finish speaking, she took the initiative to greet Yan Ruyi, "Hello, sister."
After greeting Yan Ruyi, he greeted Song Yiping, saying, "Hello, Uncle."
Song Yiping, "..."
Cheng Qianjin was overjoyed and patted Song Yiping, "Luckily, my daughter didn't call you brother, otherwise we would be from the wrong generation."
Song Yiping wasn't comforted. Was he really that old? He looked like he was from a different generation than Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi might indeed have a way with children; within the time it took to eat a meal, Cheng Yali was already clinging to Yan Ruyi.
Jin Xiuling prepared a table of dishes. During the meal, Cheng Qianjin raised his glass and said, "Sister-in-law, Lao Song, this glass is on behalf of our Public Security Bureau to toast you. Last time we caught those three antique dealers, we followed the clues and uncovered a group that sold antiques. We found a lot of precious cultural relics and antiques in their residence. Sister-in-law, Lao Song, this is all thanks to you. I have already submitted an application for a reward to the higher-ups, and it should be approved in the next few days. It should be sent to your respective units soon... I will drink this glass first as a sign of respect. Lao Song, you have to drink it. Sister-in-law, feel free to drink as you like."
After saying that, he downed it in one gulp.
Song Yiping followed suit and drank as well. Yan Ruyi couldn't drink, so she just casually clinked glasses with Jin Xiuling and took a small sip.
Cheng Qianjin is a straightforward person, and he becomes more talkative as he drinks more, pulling Song Yiping aside to reminisce about the past.
Cheng Qianjin and Song Yiping were once comrades-in-arms in the same trench. Later, Cheng Qianjin was wounded and transferred to the Public Security Bureau.
Although Cheng Qianjin has been demobilized, what he misses most is his glorious years in the army.
Yan Ruyi loved listening to Song Yiping's comrades talk about the past. The more she listened, the more she admired her Commander Song and thought he was truly remarkable.
Such an outstanding person was actually won over by her, which shows that she is also very outstanding.
Excellent people are always attracted to each other.
The meal didn't end until almost 9 pm.
When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping were leaving, Cheng Yali grabbed Yan Ruyi's hand and wouldn't let her go.
Jin Xiuling coaxed and coaxed Cheng Yali until she finally let go of Yan Ruyi.
Jin Xiuling handed two silk scarves wrapped in cellophane to Yan Ruyi, saying, "We didn't know you were getting married to Commander Song, and we didn't go to congratulate you. This is a small token of our appreciation from Qianjin and me. We don't know if you'll like it."
Yan Ruyi looked at it and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. I really like the pattern."
Kim Soo-ryung: "If you like it, that's fine. Come visit again whenever you have time."
Cheng Qianjin had already passed out from drinking. Jin Xiuling escorted the two downstairs and only went back upstairs after they had walked away.
During the meal, Song Yiping also drank some wine, but he didn't drink much; he was only slightly drunk.
Back at the guesthouse, the two took a shower first.
Yan Ruyi lay on the bed, boldly provoking, "Old Song... Uncle Song..."
Song Yiping gritted his teeth, demonstrating to Yan Ruyi through his actions whether he was old or not.
The two were on the train at 3 p.m. the next day, so they didn't have to rush and indulged themselves a bit. In the end, Yan Ruyi was so tired that she kept pushing Song Yiping.
"Uncle Song?"
Yan Ruyi was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. She called out "Brother Song" several times before Song Yiping finally let her go.
Yan Ruyi slept until after 10 a.m. the next day.
After getting up, Song Yiping found a restaurant and ate. After the meal, he checked out of the hotel and hailed a taxi to the train station.
It was noon on the third day when I got home.
While I was traveling, I didn't miss home much, but on the way back, I missed home terribly. When I saw my house, it felt so familiar and I felt completely relaxed.
"Finally, we're back home."
Song Yiping was pleased by her use of "our family" and patted her head. He took out his keys and was about to open the door when Yan Ruyi shushed him and walked past along the wall.
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