Chapter 134: Relics Shop
The door of the guesthouse where Yang Hui and her friends stayed was very thin, and the room was at the innermost side of the corridor, a bit far from Yang Hui's room. They didn't think she would come over to eavesdrop, so they didn't have any concerns.
So she easily heard their plan.
It turned out that these people had made arrangements in advance to smuggle themselves to Gangshi by boat from the Yueshi Wharf.
Because the boat ticket was too expensive, all the money of Yang Hui's boyfriend and his current girlfriend was drained. The two of them planned to lure Yang Hui over and take her money as well.
Unexpectedly, Yang Hui was very smart. The man tried many ways to get her to hand over the money but failed. In desperation, he had to bring her over as well.
This time they were discussing tomorrow's travel plans, and of course they were also warning Yang Hui's boyfriend to act quickly and not delay the group trip because of his own troubles.
Yang Hui was standing outside the door listening to her boyfriend's solemn promise that he would resolve his issues by tomorrow night at the latest. Her heart felt as cold as ice water poured into it.
But she also knew that this was definitely not the time to act on her emotions, so she thought about finding a way to escape first, and get away from this place first.
But unfortunately, because she was too panicked, Yang Hui's legs went weak and she stumbled and fell to the ground when she turned around to run away. The sound immediately alarmed the people in the house.
Seeing Yang Hui lying outside the room with tears on her face, what else did these people not know?
They immediately realized that their plan had been exposed.
So they decided to go all out and tied Yang Hui up, tying her tightly to the bedpost with a rope.
They also searched out the money she had hidden on her body and took it all away.
Yang Hui was tied up in that room for a whole day and night.
Finally, because the room fees that this group of people had paid earlier had expired, the hotel waiter saw that they had not come to renew their room and thought that they must have left early. When they came to clean the room, they saw Yang Hui who had already fainted.
After being rescued, Yang Hui immediately went to the police station to report the incident, telling them the whole story of how she had been deceived and what she had heard outside the door.
After hearing what she said, the police officers at the police station looked at her with complicated expressions.
Finally, an old policeman told her that her money could not be recovered because the coast guard intercepted a smuggling boat yesterday, arrested more than a dozen stowaways, shot and killed two others, and two others fell into the water and drowned because they were not rescued in time.
The new notice they received listed the names of those who died, including Yang Hui's boyfriend and two of his classmates.
The old policeman finally sighed and said that Yang Hui was lucky.
Although I suffered for two days, at least I saved my life. Unlike those people who had good days to do such things and ended up losing their lives in vain.
Yang Hui didn’t think she was lucky at all. She just felt that her efforts over the years were a joke.
Not only did she waste her feelings on an ungrateful guy, but she also ended up losing everything.
"Before I went to Yue City, I heard many people say that the road was unsafe, so I was more careful and sewed the gold necklace my mother left me into the seam of my clothes, so they didn't steal it.
After I got out of the police station, I pawned the necklace for 120 yuan, and then bought these goods.
I heard that business is good in Qin City, so I wanted to give it a try."
Yang Hui said this with a self-deprecating smile: "After all, I don't have anywhere else to go."
After hearing her words, Shi Xiaoai was also shocked. She never thought that Yang Hui would have such an experience.
Although Yang Hui sounded unwilling and angry, she actually felt that the old policeman was right and that Yang Hui was quite lucky.
At least her short-lived boyfriend and his classmates were not heartless people. They were just after her money and didn't want to kill her.
Otherwise, it would be an unjust death and no one would pay for it!
She didn't know how to comfort Yang Hui, and after a long while she managed to say, "There is always a way out."
Hearing her say this, Yang Hui also smiled and nodded, "That's right. Losing money is nothing. I have hands and feet and can always earn it back. My parents were penniless when they ventured into the overseas market, but they eventually made a living. I will definitely not be worse off than them."
Xiao Ai hadn't remembered it before she mentioned it. But when she mentioned her parents, Xiao Ai suddenly remembered what Wang Xiaofeng had said to her before.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Yang Hui, I heard your parents used to run a clothing store. How much of their craftsmanship did you inherit?"
Yang Hui looked ashamed: "I didn't learn anything. The environment was not good at that time. The sewing machines at home were taken away and there was nothing left. My parents were so scared that they didn't dare to pass on the skills to me!
They used the last of their hidden money to buy me a quota at the textile factory, but the family-inherited skills were lost to me.”
Having said this, she felt too uncomfortable to continue.
Shi Xiaoai also sighed.
Indeed, what the country lost during that difficult period was not just material things, but more importantly, its cultural heritage.
The losses in this regard will never be made up.
Shi Xiaoai's words served as a reminder to Yang Hui.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Xiao Ai, what do you mean by asking me this? Do you think I can open a clothing store?"
Shi Xiaoai said, "If you have the skills, it would be safer to open a store. It's definitely safer than carrying around large and small packages like you do. What I meant was that if you have the skills, you could consider opening a store, but you don't..."
"I can learn!" Yang Hui said immediately. "I have a cousin who used to be an apprentice in my family's shop. Although his skills are not as good as my parents', they say he is also pretty good.
My uncle has contacted me before. He is now living with his son in his hometown. Why don’t I go back to his hometown after I finish my work and ask him to teach me? He will definitely be willing to teach me!
Yang Hui looked excited, as if a new world had been opened up to her.
Shi Xiaoai was deeply moved by her unyielding tenacity.
I immediately said to her, "If you ever return to Yuncheng, remember to contact me. If there's anything you need help with, tell me. I'll definitely help if I can."
Yang Hui also agreed readily.
The conversation had almost finished, so Yang Hui didn't stay any longer and stood up, saying she wanted to go back to her seat.
Shi Xiaoai suggested that she leave her things here and come early tomorrow to leave the station together, and she did not refuse.
After Yang Hui left, Cheng Yang returned to the box. Shi Xiaoai told him what happened to Yang Hui, and Cheng Yang was speechless.
Obviously, this kind of thing was also a big shock to him.
As expected, Yang Hui arrived early the next day. Shi Xiaoai and the others were just there for a party and didn't bring much luggage, so after sharing the luggage, Yang Hui's two large bags were no longer conspicuous.
They got out of the station smoothly and then parted ways.
Cheng Yang and his friends had originally planned to find a guesthouse to stay in after leaving the station, but as soon as they got out of the station, they saw Qian Yingming and two other people in military uniforms.
Seeing the three of them running over excitedly, the two men immediately gave Cheng Yang a big hug.
Qian Yingming and Cheng Yang had only been separated for a few days, so he was not excited to see him.
He walked over and picked up Mingrui and Mingxi, then said to Shi Xiaoai with a smile: "Sister-in-law, it's great that you can come with us!"
As he said this, he kissed Mingrui and Mingxi on both faces without any hesitation, and his eyes narrowed with laughter.
The two children were a little dazed when they were suddenly picked up, and then they were kissed. They all protested and twisted in Qian Yingming's arms, refusing to let him hold them.
But the guy had no idea he was being disliked. He hugged the two children even tighter and asked, "Do you like the little frog and crab your dad brought back? Uncle helped him pick them out. Uncle also bought you new toys this time: building blocks and a big airplane! I'll give them to you when we get to the guesthouse."
Mingrui and Mingxi were still struggling, but when they heard the crabs and frogs, they stopped at the same time.
Those two toys were bought for them by Cheng Yang when he returned home. They were also the first toys the two children had ever received since they grew up, so they cherished them very much.
When the two children heard the uncle with a slightly prickly beard say that he was the one who chose the toy, their impression of him improved a little.
Mingxi immediately said, "I want a big plane."
Octavia immediately said disapprovingly: "Big airplanes are for boys to play with. You can only play with building blocks."
Mingxi was not happy with it at the time and retorted directly: "Who said that big planes are only for boys to play with? I want a big plane! You are my older brother, you have to give in to me."
Hearing that the two of them were about to fight again, Shi Xiaoai felt a headache.
But Qian Yingming didn't feel that there was anything wrong. On the contrary, he was very happy to hear it. He even joined in instigating and deliberately teasing the two of them.
As a result, the two children were not fooled, and he himself was amused and laughed out loud.
Cheng Yang finally finished being intimate with his two comrades, and then he remembered that his wife and children were still around, so he hurried over to introduce them to them.
One of these two people is called Zhang Gang and the other is called Han Jin. They were from the same recruit camp as Cheng Yang, and they were brothers who were pulled to the front line with him in the same carriage.
It’s just that after arriving at the front line, they were assigned to different camps.
Zhang Gang has now retired and is working in Qin City, while Han Jin chose to return to his hometown after coming down from the front line and is now assigned to Yue City.
This time, like Cheng Yang, he also came here specially to attend the comrades-in-arms gathering.
After introducing themselves to each other, they left the station together and headed to the guesthouse that Qian Yingming had booked for them in advance.
The three of them came here by bicycle this time, so Cheng Yang took Mingxi and Shi Xiaoai, Qian Yingming took Kaikai and Mingrui, and the other two rode a bike, and they all chatted and laughed as they rode towards the guesthouse together.
After arriving, Xiao Ai and the others realized that there were more than just their family staying in the guesthouse. They had arranged for all the people who came to the party to stay here.
After arriving here, Cheng Yang seemed to be in a state of excitement. He became much more lively than usual and no longer had the calm look that everyone was familiar with.
He would hug his comrades tightly, laugh with them, pat each other's shoulders and joke loudly, and he would also feel sad because of the experience of a comrade.
Shi Xiaoai and the others accompanied them silently at the beginning, but gradually they discovered that this kind of comradeship was something that lingered in these men and outsiders could not interfere.
They need a space to communicate and confide in each other.
So she quietly retreated from the room with her child.
Shi Xiaoai took the children out of the guesthouse. They didn't walk far, but just walked around.
Qin City is an ancient city with high ancient city walls, which exudes a majestic aura.
The place where they lived was not far from the ancient city wall, and several people walked there.
It was already four or five in the afternoon, and the hottest time of the day had passed.
There are many small vendors on this side of the ancient city wall, selling food and daily necessities, and some are selling things by using two chairs to place a bamboo pole with a few clothes hanging on it.
It was very lively and had some of the rudiments of a later commercial street.
The management of individual businesses in Qin City is obviously much more relaxed than that in Yun City. Those who are hawking here do not have any tension on their faces, and they are not like the individual business owners in Yun City who are always cautious.
They shouted loudly, one after another.
The three children, who had never seen this scene before, found it very novel.
Shi Xiaoai bought an ice cream each. She asked for cream popsicle, Mingrui and Kaikai asked for mung bean popsicle, and Mingxi asked for red fruit popsicle.
A few people ate as they walked, and when they came across something they particularly liked, they would stop to look at it and taste it.
After walking for about half an hour, Xiao Ai prepared to take the children back because she was afraid they would be tired.
Just as she turned around, she inadvertently raised her eyes and saw an antique shop.
Shi Xiaoai stared at the storefront for a long time before realizing that this was really a cultural relics store!
She had heard from her parents before that the 1980s was the best time to collect antiques and cultural relics.
Not to mention finding bargains, even the items in the antique shop are genuine and reasonably priced, with no deductions for anyone.
My mother also told me several stories she had heard. They were all about things that were bought very cheaply in antique shops. After being kept for decades, their prices increased by hundreds or thousands of times, which was ridiculously high.
There are no cultural relics shops in Yuncheng, probably because it is a new city and there are not many cultural relics.
Shi Xiaoai didn't expect to see an antique shop here. Of course, she would not miss this opportunity, so she pulled a few children in.
After entering, she found that this antique shop was not at all as high-end as she had imagined.
The layout here doesn't look like an antique shop in later times.
Generally speaking, this place looks similar to a grocery store or supply and marketing cooperative on the street.
The counter was made entirely of wood, with a piece of glass inlaid on top. The glass was rough and not clear at all.
The only difference is probably the row of glass sliding door display cabinets behind the counter. Although they are also rough, at least there is a electric baton installed on them to provide some light.
But the light was like a death light, making the objects inside look extremely ugly.
But even in such an environment, Shi Xiaoai was amazed by the treasures behind the counter!
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