Before returning, after purchasing valuable items such as ginseng and deer antlers, Mr. Wang also bought some local specialties such as Hericium erinaceus and red pine seeds.
When Mr. Wang ran out of cash and found a small yellow croaker, he was stopped by Zhang Guoqing, who lent him a thousand yuan.
Zhang Guoqing didn't accept the gold that Old Man Wang handed him, and even said, "Gold in troubled times, antiques in prosperous times. These will be passed down to the family!"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang paused, raised his hand, and without a word, put the small yellow croaker away. It wasn't that he didn't want to return it. Besides the cash he brought with him on this trip, he still had some at home, so he could just return it to the child when he got back.
What made him uneasy was the meaning behind Zhang Guoqing's words. With Zhang Guoqing's current background in Beijing and his methods, he would definitely be able to spot any disturbance.
This made the child lower his voice and speak with profound meaning. That was quite interesting! Plus, the couple had spent so much money this time. If they said they were all helping relatives, they would just be lying to the child.
Who the hell would be so bored as to take a baby to the wilderness to get ginseng worth 50,000 yuan?
Especially since this young couple were the type to show off? Did they not know that people's hearts were unpredictable? Could they trust the character of their relatives and friends? Not only them, but even Zhou Xiaozheng wouldn't agree!
Old Master Wang secretly decided: From now on, there is no need to arrange for his grandchildren to work in the factory. It is safer for them to stay under his supervision.
Arriving in the provincial capital, Zhang Guoqing separated from Mr. Wang and his son, using the excuse of visiting Zhao Chuangguang. After seeing them off on the bus, the family went to the post office to mail a large package.
Aside from valuables like ginseng, Zhang Guoqing tried to send everything he could by parcel post. To ensure a source of supplies for the future, he had to spend the postage.
When the family arrived in the provincial capital, they did not rush to the military region to see Zhao Chuangguang. Instead, they went to the guesthouse where they had stayed before, took out their student ID cards and a letter of introduction to register for a room.
"Do you think Mom and Dad will bring the children over?"
Zhang Guoqing nodded. "Yes, Uncle Wang will give the letter to Dad, and he will come over tomorrow. He knows what I promised the children before. It just so happens that we haven't had a good time in the provincial capital yet. We can have fun together for two days, and then we have to go home."
Zhou Jiao smiled. The home he was talking about was the one in Beijing. It seemed that the three of them had already gotten used to life in Beijing.
"Dad, do you want to go to Second Grandpa's place? And why didn't Aunt Yuan come to play with me?"
"Let's go to your second uncle's house before we return to the capital. If your grandfather and his family come tomorrow, it will be inconvenient with too many people. As for Crazy Zhao, let's wait and see what's going on."
Ping An chuckled with joy. If his aunt Yuan knew this nickname, she would definitely fight with his father!
Zhou Jiao packed her luggage, putting what needed to be put in the space, leaving some things visible. Now she heard this, shook her head and said, "It's better not to go look for the young couple. They are probably going for a summer internship."
Zhang Guoqing didn't care, "Okay, you arrange it."
After the family washed up and changed their clothes, it was already time for dinner.
It was still daylight when they came out of the state-owned restaurant. Seeing this, Zhou Jiao asked Zhang Guoqing to go do his business first, while she planned to take her son for a walk around to see if there was anything good.
Zhang Guoqing looked around and said, "Then don't go too far. When it gets dark, go to the night market. I'll find you there when I'm done."
"Okay, go ahead, be careful."
Zhang Guoqing patted his trouser pocket, signaling her not to worry.
Nowadays, there are no markets to visit, and the provincial capital's famous night market is even more crowded. Of course, this market has changed its name and is now called the Second-Hand Goods Exchange Market.
No one dared to stir up trouble now. This place was filled with old stuff that didn't need to be replaced first, including defective items. And you couldn't openly express your dislike for it.
Under the dim streetlights, broken tables and chairs, broken water jars, and even broken bowls lined the streets. If it weren't for the occasional scrap of unevenly dyed cloth, one would have mistaken it for a scrap yard. Even so, shoppers still crouched on the ground, eagerly examining the items and bargaining in low voices.
Zhou Jiao, holding her son, glanced past quickly. She reached the end of the street before she saw something of interest. She stepped forward and pushed a wooden horse in the corner.
"Comrade, you have a really good eye. Even though it's second-hand, the material is very good. If you paint it again when you get home, it will be as good as new."
Zhou Jiao asked with a smile: "Oh? What material is it?" She didn't believe that the other party could tell her. Don't think she didn't see how much he disdained this thing.
"Mom, don't take it. I don't like it. Look, there are cracks on it, and there are scratches all over it. Someone must have wanted to chop it for firewood, but didn't think it was worth burning."
"Oh, this is a treasure passed down from my ancestors. What nonsense are you talking about, little kid? What about the cuts? It's just the child who got older and made some mistakes accidentally. It will be fine after some paint."
Zhou Jiao frowned, turned around and left with the child in her arms. She actually said that she didn't want her son even if it was gold!
"Hey, don't go... I'll give you a discount..."
Zhou Jiao was too lazy to argue with such a person, so she ignored him and continued walking forward.
Ping An turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and glanced at the other person.
"Don't bother with these people!"
"I know. Mom, is it really valuable? Did someone miss out on it?"
Zhou Jiao patted him in amusement. "It's not bad. It's a very special kind of wood called snakewood. It comes from the primeval forests of South America. You're a little right. People can't cut it for firewood. It's very hard and can't be cut without special tools. Also, this kind of snakewood has poor oil resistance, so it's easy to crack if you don't take good care of it."
Ping An thought back to what he had just seen. It really did have snakeskin patterns. Since his mother had identified it, it had to be right.
“Is it expensive?”
"It's okay. It's not in great condition, but rarity makes things valuable. This must have been a tribute from the Ming Dynasty, made into a small wooden horse and presented to the favored grandson of the emperor."
Ping An was shocked when he heard this! He quickly leaned over to Zhou Jiao's ear and said, "Mom, go back. If they call us again, we can take the opportunity to buy it."
"Do you like it? We have this kind of wood at home."
"That person is so annoying, let's go get revenge."
Seeing his interest, Zhou Jiao nodded. As long as her son was happy, that was all that mattered. She didn't turn back immediately. Instead, she patted him, continued walking for a while, then turned around and casually slowed down her pace.
"Comrade, take another look at this. It's perfect for your son. It's been passed down from generation to generation in our family. It's a truly wonderful thing."
Zhou Jiao looked at him speechlessly. He had the nerve to speak, but she was too embarrassed to listen. And it was passed down from generation to generation, what a lie! She feigned impatience and asked, "How much?"
"Ten dollars!" the other party said, looking at her face.
Zhou Jiao laughed. This guy really was… "Don't talk nonsense! How much is pork? Name a fair price. Who's crazy enough to spend ten dollars on this piece of broken wood?"
The other party rubbed his hands together with a wry smile, "Comrade, what do you think is a suitable price? My family really has no other choice, otherwise I wouldn't have sold this heirloom."
Zhou Jiao glanced at the other broken furniture on the ground and smiled at him. "Two dollars, not a cent more. It's up to you to decide whether it's okay or not."
"A little more..."
Zhou Jiao immediately turned around and tried to leave.
"Okay, that's the price."
After paying two yuan, Zhou Jiao carried the wooden horse and walked a long way with her son. She was exhausted, but seeing the child's happy smile, it was worth it.
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