Chapter 116 Panjiayuan Taobao
Zhou Zhixing smiled. This was a piece of cake! He'd just finished his meal and met the real estate agent. He quickly extended his hand and shook the twenty-something man's. "Zhou Zhixing, my wife Jiang Nan. What a coincidence! We were just looking for a house nearby. How about a time tomorrow at nine o'clock?"
Yan Hui breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, nine o'clock, then we'll meet at Guang'anmen?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "See you at Guang'anmen."
After they parted, Jiang Nan smiled. "Yan's family used to be wealthy capitalists, owning a flour mill in Beijing and having relatives overseas. They had five courtyards in Beijing, all quadrangle courtyards, and they've all been returned. We plan to keep three of the larger ones for our children and grandchildren, and sell the other two smaller ones for their cost."
Zhou Zhixing nodded. "As long as he's reliable, that's fine. Let's test him tomorrow. If he's honest, we can make another friend."
Jiang Nan's mood brightened up again, and he even started to bounce as he walked. "Of course, the system has checked it out. His character is not a big problem."
The two were in a good mood and met Yan Hui again at Guang'anmen the next day. Yan Hui had arrived as scheduled.
"Let's go." Yan Hui was a quick-witted man, leading the way without further ado. "To be honest, I just came from the countryside. I haven't been to Lao Mo in ages. I finally got back and wanted to reminisce a bit. Who knew I'd meet you two by chance? It seems we're destined to be together."
Zhou Zhixing also laughed: "Indeed, I can tell at a glance that you are not an ordinary person. I feel at ease buying a house from you."
Yan Hui was amused. This man was very cautious, and his compliments were always so blunt that they contained no real information. However, Yan Hui was straightforward and began to explain the reason for selling the house.
"My ancestors were big capitalists, but my parents were scholars. That's why they gave me this name, hoping that I would also pursue an academic career. Unfortunately, I was only interested in business and even majored in economics in college. It was also because my grandfather was rehabilitated that the several houses in our family were returned. He loved business all his life and wanted to make some money even in his old age. To make some money, you need capital. My family is thinking of selling two houses so that he will have the start-up capital for whatever he wants to do."
Jiang Nan nodded slightly. The fact that he could pamper the old man like this meant that he must have been extraordinary back then.
Zhou Zhixing no longer hid the truth and explained their situation: "We are both university students at the nearby Public Security University. We came here to study. We have three children at home, and we couldn't leave them all with the elderly, so we wanted to bring them here. That's why we came to Beijing early to sort out the housing issue first, and then pack up so that we can move in when school starts after the New Year."
Yan Hui laughed heartily: "Finally, I heard the truth from Brother Zhou. Let's go and take a look. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. If you're not satisfied, that's fine. I have another one. If you're not satisfied with any of them, I can help you find another one. I'm an old man in the capital, so I know a few people. I'm sure you'll find one you'll like."
The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked to the bus stop. They waited for a quarter of an hour before finally getting on the bus. After a short while, they got off the bus one by one, walked 500 meters, turned right into the alley, and the first door was Yan Jiajia's house. It was incredibly convenient transportation.
The black lacquer door had become mottled with age, with white edges showing where it was often touched. Yan Hui reached out and slowly patted the door, sighing inwardly before perking himself up, taking out his key and opening the door while introducing himself.
"It's an old house from the Qing Dynasty, constructed with blue bricks and gray tiles, and it's solidly built. It covers about an acre and has two courtyards. Come in. The first house is the back house, with five small rooms. Past the screen wall is the second courtyard, with the main house, east and west wing rooms, side rooms, and a corridor. The second courtyard has a total of nine rooms, and there's a well in the middle of the courtyard. The open space is divided into four areas, suitable for growing flowers, vegetables, or fruit trees. It can be considered a regular quadrangle."
He introduced the house as he walked. "Because it faces the street, the neighborhood office used to be here. It's a public institution, so there's no illegal construction and the house isn't damaged much. You can buy it and do some minor renovations before you can live in it. If you don't like the vegetable plots in the courtyard, you can pull them out and plant flowers. There's a well anyway, so it's convenient for growing anything."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing walked through several rooms and took a closer look. The house was completely bare, the furniture gone, and even the floor looked stripped. They assumed the floor tiles had been there before, but they'd been stripped away during the eviction. The room looked quite large, and while the window sills weren't carved, they had a neat, regular swastika pattern. The solid mahogany construction hadn't decayed, suggesting it was in excellent condition.
Zhou Zhixing asked with a smile, "I wonder how much Brother Yan would be willing to part with it for?"
Seeing that the two men hadn't been picky, and hadn't said anything bad about the house or that it was in a remote location, Yan Hui said straightforwardly, "You two are straightforward people, and I won't bother with empty promises. Take this courtyard for three thousand two hundred yuan. You've seen how well it's been preserved, and I'm not asking for more."
Zhou Zhixing didn't know if the price was high or low, but seeing that Jiang Nan had no objection, he knew Yan Hui hadn't lied. This time, the two of them had brought all their family savings and borrowed some, totaling 20,000 yuan. It was enough to buy the house. Zhou Zhixing didn't think much about it and asked directly, "I don't know the procedures..."
Yan Hui smiled awkwardly. "Well, there's no rush for the formalities. I have another house on Qianmen Street. How about we take a look at that one first? Didn't you say you wanted to buy four courtyards? If both of my two are interesting to us, we can handle the formalities together and save a lot of trouble."
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up. Qianmen Street, that was a prime location. But why was such a nice yard being sold...
Just as he was wondering, Yan Hui dragged Zhou Zhixing out of the yard, and Jiang Nan hurriedly trotted after them. It wasn't until they were on the bus that Yan Hui spoke sheepishly, "Well, this yard is even bigger, with three courtyards, covering almost two acres. It's just... it's just that the residents inside won't move. But don't worry, the property ownership certificate and everything have been given to my family. But you know... it's not their own house, and those people who live there don't take good care of it, so it's a bit damaged..." As he spoke, his eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance, their interest in the house waning. There were at least ten households living in the three-story courtyard. If they all stayed, wouldn't their money have been wasted? But since they were already on the bus, they might as well go and take a look.
Soon, the bus stopped at Qianmen Street. The three of them got off the bus and turned around a few times before arriving at an alley. Yan Hui introduced the alley, saying, "This is Dajiang Hutong. My yard is at the third gate..."
Before I even entered, I saw a little boy who was squatting and playing at the entrance of the alley suddenly stand up, kick his stirrups and run back, shouting as he ran: "The capitalists are here to take over the house again, the capitalists are here to take over the house again..."
Yan Hui looked quite embarrassed: "Um...it's okay, they..."
Before he could finish his words, seven or eight elderly men and women came over, arm in arm, looking very aggressive. Seeing the three of them, they sat down on the ground without a word, completely blocking the entrance to the alley.
The dark and thin old man who was leading the group shouted, "You little bastard of a big capitalist, you want to take over the house by forcing us old guys to take it! We have lived in that house for more than ten years, and you want to take it back just like that? Bah, wishful thinking! We old guys won't agree! Don't think that you can be arrogant just because you have been rehabilitated. We are all genuine working class people, and we are not afraid of you, a big capitalist..."
After a burst of output, Yan Hui had just finished speaking when he wanted to interrupt, but the old lady next to him spoke again: "Why, you want to go around from another alley, huh? Let me tell you, little bastard, all twelve families in the yard are guarding it, just try it and you'll know! I'm not afraid of you, I have three cotton mill workers..."
People around were pointing and talking. Some said that capitalist Yan Hui should stop being so arrogant, while others said that Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were aiding and abetting the evil. There was a lot of noise.
Yan Hui was so angry that he was speechless. Seeing that everyone was getting more and more excited, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing hurriedly pulled Yan Hui out of the crowd. Before they left, they heard the laughter of children behind them: "The reactionaries are all paper tigers!"
Yan Hui was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He wanted to turn around and refute, but Zhou Zhixing pulled him forward and said, "There are too many of them. Let's get out of the way first and talk later."
After the crowd had left, Yan Hui, with red eyes, could not help but talk about some family matters: "Although my grandfather is a capitalist, my parents are both university professors and have never exploited anyone. Even my grandfather, I dare say, his flour mill has made contributions to the country. What's wrong with being a capitalist? My grandfather has also helped many people. It's not an exaggeration to say that he is a red capitalist. But now..."
Realizing he'd said too much, he took a few deep breaths, swallowed his complaints, and said to the two of them, "Excuse me, let's not look at that house for now. If you still want to buy a house, I'll help you find out."
Zhou Zhixing nodded and asked about the transfer of ownership of the original house. Yan Hui said, "If you think it's suitable, we can go to the Housing Authority to handle the formalities. We have to make one thing clear: houses cannot be bought and sold at the moment. I'd like you to pretend to be my cousin. I'll write a gift agreement in advance, stating that I'm voluntarily giving the house to you. We can take this form with us to handle the matter, and it will be much simpler. The transfer should be completed in about two days."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had no objections, and the subsequent transfer of ownership was handled by Yan Hui. His ancestors were all from the capital, and he was familiar with the people. In just two days, the house was transferred to Jiang Nan's name.
At four o'clock in the afternoon of the third day, the keys were given to Zhou Zhixing. Yan Hui had returned to his usual elegant demeanor and was even soliciting clients: "If you still want to buy a house, come find me. I currently live in Qingyun Hutong, Qianmen Street. When you get there, just ask for Yan Hui. University hasn't started yet, so I'm just doing this brokerage work for now. If you have any questions, just come to me. You're welcome."
"Okay, let's go to Lao Mo's Restaurant. We'll treat you, husband and wife." Zhou Zhixing pulled the other person and walked forward affectionately. "We met at Lao Mo's Restaurant. Now that we're done with today, we have to eat at Lao Mo's again."
Yan Hui laughed out loud: "I've met a gentleman of distinction. Okay, let's go, Lao Mo."
The three of them ate again. This time, Jiang Nan ordered a chestnut cake. It had been a while since she had had it, and she was craving it. Zhou Zhixing and Yan Hui talked about the house, while Jiang Nan ate the cake seriously, occasionally responding with a few words and expressing his requirements for the house.
It was already six in the afternoon and completely dark when they parted at the restaurant entrance. As they walked towards the bus stop, Jiang Nan said, "Let's go buy furniture tomorrow? At the flea market?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded. "Yes, let's go to the flea market first. If there's furniture that's suitable, buy it. If not, look for a furniture factory. If it can be custom-made, then have it made. If not, seal off the front yard first, clean up the room you're going to live in, and then slowly clean up the other rooms."
Jiang Nan whispered, "I've got the ebony basin and the yellow croakers we've been collecting. If we run out of money, we can use that."
Zhou Zhixing patted Jiang Nan's hand: "Don't worry, I have enough money on hand. I think..."
As he spoke, he sat down on a bench on the platform. After a long pause, Zhou Zhixing said, "Let's not go to the flea market tomorrow. Let's go to Panjiayuan instead."
Jiang Nan's eyes widened, and he whispered, "You want to...exchange for antiques?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled and looked around. Seeing no one around, he said, "Why? Is it impossible? I'm an expert in antiques. I'm not better than all the experts in the world, but I'm at the top of the pyramid. As long as there's a genuine piece, I can find it. Don't worry, go there three or five times, and you'll have enough money to renovate the yard."
Jiang Nan swallowed, her eyes sparkling: "I married a big boss."
Zhou Zhixing smiled. Seeing the bus coming, he hurriedly pulled the man up and said as he walked, "Even the big boss has been trapped by you. If we leave, the big boss will have to take the bus too."
Jiang Nan chuckled. Even if she wasn't hooked, there were still three little ones: Cha Cha, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Ye. Which one wouldn't be so clingy that he couldn't let go? Soon, the two of them returned to the guesthouse. Although they had bought the courtyard house, it was empty. There was nothing in it yet. They had to make some money before they could move in.
After returning to the room, Jiang Nan dared to ask boldly, "Which area of antiques are you interested in? Calligraphy and painting, gold, silver, jade, porcelain, or antique furniture?"
Zhou Zhixing raised his eyebrows proudly: "I can't be a jack of all trades? I traveled back in time. Even though I'm a concubine's son, my family is still a duke. What good things haven't I seen? I've even been to the imperial palace many times. Don't worry, I've seen a lot of real things. Fake things, no matter how well made, just don't feel right."
Seeing Jiang Nan's eyes light up, Zhou Zhixing hung up his coat and said, "If you want to learn, wait until I buy the real thing and I'll tell you in detail. There's no rush."
Jiang Nan nodded, thinking that it was always good to have many skills. Maybe in the future she would be able to find old items on her own without Zhou Zhixing's help.
Because they were going to Panjiayuan to shop the next day, they went to bed early. The next day, before three o'clock, when it was still dark outside the window, Zhou Zhixing woke Jiang Nan up: "Aren't you going to shop? If you get up, you have to go to the ghost market to shop."
Jiang Nan suddenly woke up and said, "Ghost Market? There are still ghost markets now?"
Zhou Zhixing laughed, "There are ghost markets all the time. Come on, get up, wash up, and let's go check out the ghost market."
Jiang Nan perked up now. As he put on his clothes, he teased Zhou Zhixing, "I heard it's easy to make mistakes in the ghost market! You better keep your eyes open and don't get cheated. We don't have much capital, and if we make too many mistakes, we won't be able to make back our money."
Zhou Zhixing pushed Jiang Nan to the bathroom and said with a smile, "Alright, I promise I won't make a mistake once, okay? I'm afraid of you, so stop bullying me. Let's wash up first. Beijing is not warmer than the Chaoyang Oilfield. Put on more vanishing cream, otherwise you will get chapped."
Jiang Nan laughed and the two of them played around for a while, then soon they both packed their clothes and headed out. They hadn't even walked two hundred meters when they encountered a man on a tricycle heading to Panjiayuan to sell his wares. Zhou Zhixing paid fifty cents and got on.
The old man on the bike was a chatty guy. When the two were still walking in front, he called out, "Young man and young woman, where are you going? It's late at night, don't catch a cold. Tell me and I'll take you there."
Hearing that the two were also going to Panjiayuan, the old man was delighted. He first introduced himself and then said, "Get in the car. This is fate. I'm going there to sell goods, too. Come on, get in. Don't be polite. Panjiayuan is not close. You two can't walk like this."
"Judging from the young man's accent, are you from the Northeast? Great! I heard the Northeast is all black soil, where you can catch roe deer with sticks and fish with ladles, and pheasants fly into the rice pot. Are you talking about your place? It's really good, the food here must be better than in Beijing."
"Why are you thinking of going to Panjiayuan? Want to go hunting for antiques? Well, you better be careful. There are good things, but there are also a lot of scams!"
Hearing this, Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing: "Uncle Hu, you're just sabotaging yourself."
Uncle Hu shook his head and said, "I'm an honest man. These things of mine are all real, but they're not very valuable. They're all old pictorials, comic books, Yuan Datou coins from the Republic of China era, and they're not worth much. I'm old and have nothing better to do, so I'm selling them for fun. If you like them, I'll show them to you when we get there. If you want them, I'll give you a fair price."
The three chatted along the way, and soon they arrived at the Panjiayuan Ghost Market. A few scattered lights lit up the pitch-black ground, the beams of flashlights. Pedestrians swayed back and forth in the shadows, some setting up stalls to sell goods, others holding flashlights, trying to see things. As they arrived, Uncle Hu quickly explained, "Two rules of the Ghost Market: look at the goods, don't ask the price, and look at the goods, not the people. Remember this."
The two men are police officers who have investigated cases involving fake antiques, so they know the rules.
The items in the ghost market come from a variety of sources. Some are from families that have fallen on hard times and sold their ancestral property, while others are stolen or dug directly out of the ground.
When visiting a ghost market, be sure to control your mouth and don't ask about the origins of items. Don't ask the price before you decide to buy something. Even if you find something you like and want to bargain, do so stealthily and avoid shouting.
Also, the vendors at the ghost market are not to be trifled with. Flashlights are for inspecting the merchandise, not for you to shine them in their faces. If you offend them, you'll have no way to complain.
Seeing that the two understood, the old man stopped the car and set up a stall in an open space. "Okay, you two understand. Do you want to take a look at my stuff? If you like it, you can come and see it after I put it on display. If you don't like it, you don't have to come back, just go and buy it somewhere else. When we do business, it's based on mutual consent."
Zhou Zhixing smiled and said, "I like it. I like illustrated magazines and comic strips. I'll come and see them once you've arranged them."
Uncle Hu waved his hand: "Okay, then I'll wait for you two, go ahead."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing both waved their hands and turned to leave. Jiang Nan whispered, "Things from the Republican era shouldn't have much room for appreciation."
Zhou Zhixing shook his head. "That depends on what it is. Comic strips are still worth a look. Some works by great masters, even though they are relatively recent, are still worth collecting. And there are also Yuan Datou coins. They are silver coins, and the value varies depending on the casting process. It won't be a waste of time to take a look."
Jiang Nan nodded, not quite understanding, and said, "Okay, you are an expert, I'll listen to you."
The two walked forward in silence. On either side of the road, shadows drifted in the darkness, filled with figures. Jiang Nan shone his flashlight along the path, seeing vendors selling books, calligraphy, and paintings, porcelain bowls, bracelets, hairpins, inkstones, brushes, pottery figurines, and so much more. Jiang Nan even spotted vendors selling door frames, coffin boards, and other miscellaneous items. The sheer variety and range of goods left Jiang Nan dumbfounded.
After a while, he felt that the arm he was holding was no longer moving. Jiang Nan looked carefully and saw Zhou Zhixing standing in front of the half-human-height terracotta figurine, looking at it carefully.
Jiang Nan, curious, leaned in to take a look, but after repeated glances, she could only discern the vivid expressions and crude craftsmanship, but nothing else. But even if the figurines' expressions were more vivid, they couldn't mask their crude craftsmanship. Pulling Zhou Zhixing closer, she muttered, "This one isn't pretty. Let's go to the front. There's jade in the front, all jewelry. They must be valuable..."
Zhou Zhixing looked back at Jiang Nan. This was a great assist. He smiled slightly, very dotingly: "Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's go..."
Jiang Nan felt annoyed. What was this person trying to do in public? Just as she was about to say something, she felt her palms pinched twice. Something in her heart moved, and she lifted her foot and pulled the person forward. "I tell you, even if that jade is not valuable, it is better than this unremarkable pottery figurine..."
Seeing that the two were really leaving and didn't seem to be pretending, the vendor finally spoke up. He had no choice. He only had one terracotta figurine, and he had brought it here with great difficulty. It was very heavy. There weren't many customers at the stall to begin with, and after finally finding one he liked, why would he leave?
The stall owner hurriedly tried to stop them, saying, "Comrades, please don't go. Take another look! This terracotta figurine of mine is a genuine antique! Honestly, my family is a tomb keeper at the Ming Tombs, and our ancestors have all lived in that area. This terracotta figurine was washed down from the mountains during a heavy rain one year. It's a true antique. Even though the workmanship may be poor, it's obviously old at first glance, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty at the very least. Take a closer look, you can't be mistaken."
Jiang Nan's heart was pounding. Judging from Zhou Zhixing's reaction, this thing was at least older than the Yuan Dynasty! Zhou Zhixing secretly patted Jiang Nan's hand, turned to the stall owner and said, "I can't tell if it's real or fake, but the expression on this pottery figurine is interesting. If I want to buy it, it's still a little lacking, so I won't look at it any further. Big brother, you can entertain the other customers, let's go look at the jade."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade the man to stay, the stall owner could only sigh. Fortunately, some people heard what he said and surrounded him to ask about the details of the gravekeeper, hoping to judge the truth of his words from these details.
After they walked out of the two stalls, Jiang Nan asked in a low voice: "What did you see? Is that thing real?"
Zhou Zhixing hummed softly and said in a low voice, "At least it's from the Eastern Han Dynasty. It must be very valuable."
Unexpectedly encountering the real thing so soon, Jiang Nan was afraid to walk fast, fearing she'd miss something. Zhou Zhixing pulled her along and continued walking forward: "Don't be so cautious, most of them aren't worth much. This stuff depends on luck. If we can come across three or four real ones in the next few days, we'll be doing well."
Zhou Zhixing dragged Jiang Nan around the jade stalls, claiming they were looking at jade. At one stall, Jiang Nan spotted a phoenix hairpin, made of gold and exquisitely crafted. When she held it in her hand, the phoenix feathers trembled, and even in the dark, she could see the fleeting light around the hairpin.
Zhou Zhixing took a fancy to a ring made of green jade, with a very simple workmanship. He played with it for a while, then went up to the stall owner to carefully bargain for the price. It's unknown how much they ended up paying, but after leaving the stall, they each had something new in their hands.
Jiang Nan looked at Zhou Zhixing, his eyes full of doubt. Zhou Zhixing leaned over and whispered in Jiang Nan's ear, "Three hundred!"
Jiang Na raised her eyebrows. Three hundred is not a low amount, but if it is a gold item plus a ring, it will have great potential for appreciation in the future!
Zhou Zhixing continued, "This ring is probably from the Northern Wei Dynasty, and your phoenix hairpin looks like it's from the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongols loved gold, and at that time, the capital had the most gold jewelry, and the craftsmanship was at its peak."
Jiang Nan covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. She was so happy. After a long pause, she said, "Shall we go buy that terracotta figurine?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "Buy it! That one is the most valuable. But don't worry, let's go shopping and buy that one last time."
Jiang Nan nodded. Having already bought two antiques, the two of them were in no rush and began to wander aimlessly. Zhou Zhixing genuinely liked these things and bought a dragon-shaped jade pen holder and a jade-carved pen holder, spending a total of about a hundred yuan before wandering back to the pottery figurine stall.
Zhou Zhixing exclaimed, "I've been wandering around and now I'm back. Big brother, you haven't sold the terracotta figurines yet?"
The stall owner had a wry smile on his face. Anything that had been washed down the mountain must have been worthless items buried in an ancient tomb. He was just too honest, always telling the truth. He chuckled twice, "Little brother, what good stuff did you buy?"
Zhou Zhixing waved his hands repeatedly, "Just looking at it, it's not worth anything." He admired the terracotta figure for a while and said with a smile, "You know what, the expression on your terracotta figure is really quite amusing."
The stall owner was moved. This pottery figurine is not light. It is not easy to get it from such a long distance. If he can sell it...
A smile immediately spread across his face. The stall owner pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shook out a cigarette and handed it to him: "Little brother, want one?"
Zhou Zhixing took it and raised it: "Thank you." Then he put the cigarette behind his right ear and took out a lighter to light the cigarette for the stall owner.
The stall owner waved his hands: "No, you can't smoke here. Thanks. My terracotta figurines are really good things, if you want them, here are some."
He whispered a price: "Fifty-five, take it, how about it?"
Zhou Zhixing seemed startled and waved his hands in fear: "No, no, brother, I'm leaving. Please find someone else. I can't afford this price."
As he was about to leave, the stall owner quickly grabbed Zhou Zhixing and said, "Don't worry, brother. Business is about give and take. You can't just leave. So, you name a price. If it's right, I'll make you my friend. How about that?"
Zhou Zhixing pretended to struggle a few times and said helplessly: "Brother, you really have a strong grip..."
As he spoke, he gave Jiang Nan an ingratiating smile, turned around, and whispered stealthily, "Brother, you've seen it too. My wife is following us, so I really can't afford a high price. So, five dollars. If you're willing, I'll take it. If not, just pretend I never came. I only have five dollars left in my pocket. I can't afford any more, really."
The stall owner gasped, "Wow, this isn't just chopping in half, this is directly chopping off the head."
Zhou Zhixing finally broke free from the stall owner's hand and chuckled. "You see, the workmanship of this terracotta figurine is really not that great. I just wanted to buy it because I like the expression and think it's interesting. If you don't want to sell it, forget it. I'll find some friends in a few days and I can make it myself."
Then he took Jiang Nan's hand and walked towards Mr. Hu, where they had met at the beginning. On the way, Jiang Nan whispered, "You bargained too hard. You gave them a small amount."
Zhou Zhixing rolled his eyes at Jiang Nan. "That's how it is in this business. Those who know the goods make a killing, while those who don't will naturally lose out. It's been like this since ancient times. Don't worry, if five dollars doesn't do the trick, ten should be fine. After we finish buying things from Uncle Hu, I think this guy will come looking for us. His terracotta figurine is too big and too heavy, so he has to sell it today. Except for me, everyone thinks it's fake and no one will buy it."
Jiang Nan shrugged. "Well, every profession is cruel. As a police officer, she's in danger of losing her life. She shouldn't be so naive." Soon, Uncle Hu's stall arrived. The old man was sitting on a stool, looking for comic books for two middle-aged men. As he looked, he introduced them: "'Xiao Erhei Gets Married' was a big hit in the base area back then. I went to several places to collect it. Look, there aren't many of these left now. Be careful with it and don't get it dirty."
One of the older brothers asked, "Uncle, how much is this copy of The Legend of the White Snake?"
Uncle Hu rolled his eyes at the man who had spoken: "Come forward and tell me, who is asking for the price so loudly?"
The older brother chuckled twice and walked over. The two of them whispered a few words, and the older brother showed hesitation and struggle. He whispered a few more words, but Uncle Hu remained indifferent. The older brother had no choice but to shake his head, put down "Legend of the White Snake" and left. With a vacant seat, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing finally squeezed in front of the stall. Jiang Nan greeted, "Uncle Hu, do you remember us?"
Uncle Hu laughed out loud: "It hasn't even been three hours, how could you not remember? Look, tell me what you want to buy, and I'll give you a fair price."
Zhou Zhixing nodded at Uncle Hu and picked up the copy of "The Legend of the White Snake" and flipped through it carefully. The painting was of a classical beauty, and even the clothing seemed to have been carefully researched. Zhou Zhixing suddenly felt that even if it wasn't for appreciation, it would be a good idea to bring a few copies home for his children to cultivate their aesthetic perception.
Jiang Nan had thought of this too. He picked out a copy of every comic book on Uncle Hu's stall, including "The Peacock Flies Southeast," "Cai Wenji," and "The Beginning of Storms." The older man reading "Xiao Erhei Gets Married" put down his book and left, and Jiang Nan immediately grabbed some and gathered them together. They were all short stories not currently available in bookstores. The two of them counted them and found twenty-three. Zhou Zhixing approached and whispered a few words to Uncle Hu, ultimately agreeing to a deal of forty yuan.
Seeing that the two of them were carrying a lot of things, Uncle Hu found a small basket from the tricycle and handed it to them: "Here, take it. Don't go out like this in the future. It's so inconvenient to buy things without even a basket."
Jiang Nan nodded and thanked him. As the two were walking out, the big man selling pottery figurines came over with a pottery figurine in his arms. He smiled awkwardly at Jiang Nan and pulled Zhou Zhixing aside to chat.
Jiang Nan was waiting by the side, thinking that if he was around, he would be more restrained, but he would only cheat you when you two were alone together.
But the stall owner obviously didn't think so. He thought this guy was really good. His pottery figurine was worth nothing, but the guy was willing to raise the price from five yuan to ten yuan because of his hard work. How kind!
After taking the money, the stall owner patted Zhou Zhixing's shoulder vigorously and said, "Thank you, good brother. Don't worry, if there are good things in the future, I will come to you first. Now I'm leaving."
Zhou Zhixing rubbed his shoulders, thinking, "You're so careless, I'll cheat you next time." But he smiled and said goodbye: "Okay, take care, big brother."
It was their first time visiting the ghost market, and they were quite successful. It was already past six when they left. They had baskets, so they packed everything in. Jiang Nan carried the basket, while Zhou Zhixing held the pottery figurine. As they did, they heard Jiang Nan mutter, "Let's go get breakfast at Old Beijing. I heard they have fried liver or sausage. We've finally made it here, so let's try something new."
Zhou Zhixing shook the terracotta figurine and said, "Let's put the things back first. Haven't you noticed that there are more people wandering around the capital? I guess the security has been bad these past two years. I don't know if it's a good idea to ask Mom, Dad, and Cha Cha to come over."
Jiang Nan thought of the crackdowns in later generations and knew that only when the chaos reached a certain level would a ruthless crackdown be launched. She nodded and said softly, "It's okay. This is the capital. Chaos can happen anywhere, but not in the capital. Let's go."
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "I hope so." Having passed the college entrance exam, the educated youth saw hope of returning to the city. Even if they had to stay, they would stay put. But there weren't many jobs in the city. Without jobs, the young people would definitely wander around. They were all young men and women full of passion, so what good could they do?
But who can blame them? They were sent to the countryside at an age when their minds were still unformed, uneducated, so what could they possibly learn in the countryside? Perhaps they didn't learn much about simplicity. What impressed them most was the violence and violence among the villagers, fighting for water and fertilizer for their crops.
They were both silent for a long time. Jiang Nan felt strangely heavy-hearted. They were both police officers, having enrolled in 1978 and graduated in 1982. They were facing the 1983 crackdown, and who knew what would happen!
Zhou Zhixing patted her arm and said, "It's okay. You studied criminal science and it's a technical position. It's not very dangerous."
Jiang Nan nodded, understanding that Zhou Zhixing would likely have to start out as a field agent. His major offered ample potential for advancement, but before moving up to leadership, he'd have to spend some time working at the grassroots level, right? Unfortunately, graduation had coincided with the most dangerous period of his career.
The two of them stopped chatting, remaining vigilant along the way, and finally returned safely to the guesthouse. For safety's sake, Jiang Nan deliberately placed his belongings into his space. In the following days, the two of them went to the Panjiayuan Ghost Market a few more times, but none of them were as lucky as the first day. They only managed to buy two inkstones and nothing else.
After buying so many, Zhou Zhixing finally satisfied his antique-hunting itch. Now it was time to get down to business. Before moving in with the furniture, they had to do a thorough house cleaning, right? They also had to deal with pest control. They spread rat poison and realgar powder around the house, and even bought Lao Ai's fumigant for every room, completely ridding the yard of these annoying little critters.
Early in the morning, Zhou Zhixing was gathering the bodies of these little creatures together and preparing to find a place to burn them when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Jiang Nan was sweeping the dust with his head and face covered. When he heard the sound, he sighed and climbed down the ladder to open the door, saying to Zhou Zhixing, "Your place is not clean. Don't move. I'll do it."
Then he asked loudly, "Who is it?"
I only heard a majestic female voice say, "From the Street Office."
"I'm here." Jiang Nan trotted open the door and saw a woman in her forties, wearing a gray-blue Mao suit, standing outside. She asked seriously, "Are you two new here? Have you registered with the neighborhood office?"
Jiang Nan groaned, clasped her hands together, and apologized repeatedly: "Sister, I'm so sorry, we just moved here and haven't had time to go yet. What materials do you need for registration? We'll prepare them and go right away."
The elder sister's expression finally softened. She said, "Bring your household registration, property ownership certificate, grain and oil certificate, and marriage certificate. Bring everything you can. The subdistrict office is on the second floor of the building in front."
As she spoke, she turned and pointed to a five-story building to the east, saying, "Look for me when you get there. My last name is Fang. Remember that."
Jiang Nan smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Fang. Don't worry, I'll go in and look for my ID right away. Once I find it, I'll register right away."
Sister Fang nodded reservedly, glanced at Jiang Nan, and turned to leave. After the people were gone, Jiang Nan closed the door and said to Zhou Zhixing, "Let's go. You are so stupid that you even forgot to register! No wonder people are so rude."
With so little population mobility these days, the two of them went in and out so many times without registering, and no one would suspect anything. They were doing their job conscientiously. Even if their manner wasn't particularly good, at least they were doing their job conscientiously.
The two found the documents they brought in their luggage, locked the door, and went to the street office hand in hand.
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