Ning Yuan was a little speechless. These days, most people are quite simple and honest, and they don't even know how to lie.
If this person wants to lie, they shouldn't be clutching something in their arms like that, and they shouldn't be saying they're leaving get off work...
"It's Sunday today, who cares about getting off work? If we'd known you were such a coward, the kind of person who wouldn't even dare to call the police if you were robbed, we would have been pointless to help you!"
Chen Chen finally couldn't hold back and angrily blurted out.
He was so frustrated. He stepped in to help someone in need, only to save a coward and then get blamed by the other person.
The middle-aged intellectual clenched his fists angrily upon seeing Chen Chen's tall stature, then shrank back in fear.
Ning Yuan said calmly, "Since this comrade doesn't want to tell the truth, let's call the police."
She meant well, but she wasn't brainless.
The middle-aged intellectual's face turned pale instantly, and he quickly shook his head: "No, no, comrade, I'll talk, I'll talk..."
He gritted his teeth and carefully unwrapped the things wrapped in layers of tattered cloth in his arms, revealing a beautiful indigo bottle: "They... just want to steal my family heirloom."
When Ning Yuan saw the bottle, her eyes almost popped out of her head.
She blurted out instinctively, "Blue glaze... auspicious cloud and dragon pattern... could this be a blue glaze plum vase with white dragon pattern from the Yuan Dynasty?"
The middle-aged intellectual's expression changed, and he subconsciously covered the bottle in his arms again: "You...you're mistaken. This is a family heirloom from the Qianlong period. It's not particularly valuable, but it has special significance for my family."
He acted as if he was afraid she would take his things, leaving Ning Yuan speechless once again.
She rubbed her temples: "The entire bottle is covered in a special azure glaze, with only the central motif featuring a majestic dragon playing with a flaming pearl and auspicious clouds in a bluish-white glaze, symbolizing a dragon soaring through the clouds. This style of design is only found in the official kilns of the Yuan Dynasty!"
During this time, Grandma Xia drew pictures of the most representative porcelain pieces from the official kilns of various dynasties for her. She had to memorize them by rote, and Grandma Xia would test her. If she failed, she would get a slap on the palm of her hand!
The Yuan Dynasty and the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty are the most representative and easiest to remember.
This Yuan Dynasty celadon-glazed plum vase features dragon patterns and was exclusively made for the imperial family. It was not permitted for ordinary people to possess it. It represents the highest achievement of Yuan Dynasty porcelain, combining magnificence and elegance, with a very sophisticated blue hue.
As for why porcelain from the Qianlong period is easy to remember?
Because Emperor Qianlong was extremely flamboyant and had little artistic talent, he wrote tens of thousands of poems, but not a single one of them required memorization in a Chinese textbook.
The art of porcelain making also pursues the intricate layering of techniques and colors—bold red, green, yellow, and blue.
Emperor Qianlong's taste was evident in his ability to gather every imaginable bright and auspicious pattern into a large vase; he didn't find it vulgar and was quite pleased with it.
Ning Yuan crossed her arms and scoffed, "If you say this elegant indigo bottle is from the Qianlong era, do you think Qianlong would climb out of his coffin and say you're talking nonsense?"
And is this man brainless, telling such a lie?
If she had bad intentions, she would steal anything, whether it was a vase from the Qianlong era or a chamber pot from the Zhoukoudian primitive man. Do you think she would let you off the hook just because you underestimated the value of the treasure?
Chen Chen was also disgusted and waved his hand: "Even at this point, he still won't tell the truth. If he doesn't want to call the police, then we won't. We'll leave him here alone and let him do whatever he wants!"
He despises cowards and good-for-nothings who flee without a fight; they only drag others down on the battlefield!
The middle-aged intellectual's expression shifted unpredictably. He was all alone now. Not only would he lose his family heirloom, but he would also be beaten to death by those people!
Despite his advanced age, he wiped his face and finally couldn't hold back his tears, sobbing, "Waaah... It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just... I'm scared, I'll tell you now!!"
It turns out that this middle-aged man is a teacher at the No. 2 Middle School in the county. His surname is Zhu and his given name is Zhu Li. His ancestors were princes of the Ming Dynasty.
After receiving the Yuan Dynasty plum vase as a gift from the emperor, the family regarded this treasure as a source of pride for generations, and even when people were starving to death during the war before liberation, they refused to sell it.
As a result, Julie's elderly mother was already seriously ill and had been hospitalized, and his wife, who was nearly forty, finally had a child, which should have been a joyous occasion.
Who knew that she would suffer a difficult childbirth and severe bleeding, and then fall into a coma in the hospital, her life hanging in the balance, with money needed everywhere.
Julie, a senior teacher, only earned forty-five yuan a month. He borrowed from all his relatives and was so poor that he was eating dirt. He had no choice but to secretly sell the family's precious plum vase without telling his hospitalized mother.
He originally thought he could sell it for a hundred yuan to cover his medical expenses.
When they went to the black market, the vendors only offered 30 yuan to take the bottle.
Julie was heartbroken that the bottle representing his ancestors' glory was being sold, so he refused to sell it for such a low price and left with the bottle.
As a result, he was tongue-tied and went to the black market several times, but he couldn't get a price from any of the vendors. He was also targeted by Uncle Liu's men, who figured out his background—he was just an ordinary high school teacher with elderly parents and young children to support.
"So, when they saw you selling bottles again today, they blocked your way and planned to rob you?" Ning Yuan understood.
Old Zhu burst into tears at the thought: "I'm all alone, with elderly parents and young children to support. They don't even have to do anything. They beat me up every day on their way home from get off work. If I get injured and can't go to work, what will happen to my family? Can the police follow me around all day long?"
Chen Chen fell silent. If he were facing a real enemy, he would fight!
But what could he say in this situation? He felt a sense of powerlessness. Could he blame this honest, middle-aged teacher?
Ning Yuan frowned slightly, looking at the plum vase in his arms, and suddenly asked, "Do you want to sell this vase to me?"
Julie froze, instinctively clutching the plum vase in her arms, looking at her with some fear: "I...I...what...do you want to do..."
He thought he had encountered a good Samaritan, but it turned out the other person was also after his family heirloom? He should have listened to his mother; he would never have sold it!
Ning Yuan held up her hand and showed a number: "I'll give you one hundred and eighty yuan."
Julie was even more stunned. He pushed up his thick-bottomed glasses in disbelief and asked in a trembling voice, "How...how much?"
Ning Yuan sighed: "One hundred and eighty yuan, do you want to sell it?"
Why is it so difficult to talk to this person? And they're a teacher!
Julie's eyes lit up with joy, as if afraid she might change her mind, and he immediately shouted, "I—I'll sell, I'll sell, but I don't want any other tickets as collateral, I just want cash!"
He has the tickets, he just needs the money!
He felt desperate when the short, fat man mentioned his workplace. He was afraid to call the police, and the bottle was now exposed to those people.
If he doesn't act, he'll eventually be forced to sell to them at a low price, or even be robbed!
This is the crime of possessing a treasure!
Ning Yuan looked at Zhu Li and nodded: "Okay, I don't like to leave things unresolved. Write me a receipt so that someone won't deny that the bottle is mine later."
This guy is still quite clear-headed; he knows that she's offering him a solution to resolve his worries.
Julie nodded vigorously, took the paper and pen Ning Yuan gave him, and began to write the receipt.
Ning Yuan turned around and, with a pained expression, carefully counted out 180 yuan from the pocket of her underwear.
All her savings amounted to just over three hundred yuan, half of which belonged to Rong Zhaonan, and she could only contribute one hundred and eighty yuan of her own!
After handing over the receipt, Julie trembled with excitement as he looked at the huge sum of 180 yuan in his hand, equivalent to half a year's salary.
He originally thought he would be lucky to sell it for 100 yuan, but when he couldn't find a price, he lowered the price to 80 yuan, but still no one would buy it.
This time, I actually sold it to this little girl for 180 yuan, plus the 50 yuan from before... But can I take that one?
Julie hesitated.
Ning Yuan asked Chen Chen to help her carefully take the exquisite plum vase.
As she examined the plum vase, she said casually, "Don't worry about the fifty yuan that the short, stout guy gave you. They won't bother you anymore."
With tears in his eyes, Julie clutched the money and suddenly bowed deeply to Ning Yuan and Chen Chen: "Thank you both so much. I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. I will do my best to help you in the future!"
After saying that, he put away the money, gritted his teeth, turned around, and left in a hurry!
"He ran away right after saying that, clearly trying to get away with it. He even offered to help, but he didn't even leave a contact address." Chen Chen shook his head, thinking that Zhu Li was very hypocritical.
Ning Yuan didn't care; the other party was in a predicament and couldn't take care of themselves, so it was just polite talk.
As she admired the plum vase, she exclaimed, "This vase is truly exquisite."
In her past life, she was also a 5G surfer, and she knew all the trendy internet slang.
Chen Chen was a little puzzled: "Sister-in-law, that Yongzheng flower bowl you sold for only 150 yuan last time, but you're offering 180 yuan for this? Didn't you come here to sell goods?"
She hasn't even sold her goods yet, how did she become a buyer? Isn't that a huge loss?
Ning Yuan stroked the plum vase's timeless indigo glaze and said softly, "Yes, I sell them. Who says I don't? Being a middleman is still selling goods."
Chen Chen: "Huh?"
Ning Yuan smiled without saying a word, a sly glint in her large eyes.
Before long, the two heard a kind and gentle middle-aged male voice say, "Girl, Happy New Year! It's been so long since I've seen you. Why are you only coming to see your uncle now?"
Ning Yuan put down the plum vase and turned to look at the newcomer with Chen Chen.
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