Chapter 61

Song Haowen was worried that the two professors might have the habit of taking afternoon naps. He waited in the department until after 2:30 in the afternoon before approaching them. When he arrived at the professors’ building, coincidentally, they were chatting with some other teachers.

Professor Wang Qiang, upon seeing Song Haowen looking for them, invited him and Professor Zheng Gang to his home for a cup of tea.

After the three of them sat at the round table, Song Haowen took out a Doucai Chicken Cup from his bag to show them. They didn’t take it seriously and jokingly asked where he had bought this imitation and how much he had spent on it.

Although Song Haowen felt a chill in his heart after hearing this, the conclusion was within his expectations, so he calmly explained what happened in the morning.

“I didn’t expect you to be quite compassionate. Five hundred yuan is a considerable amount, and you gave it away so easily,” praised Professor Wang Qiang. He nodded at the cup. “This should only be worth ten or eight yuan. You might have been deceived. Fortunately, you don’t care much about the authenticity; you just wanted to show kindness, regardless of its true value.”

Professor Zheng Gang also picked up the cup and examined it. “But, to be honest, the level of craftsmanship in this imitation is quite high. It’s almost indistinguishable. Although it’s not valuable, it’s not bad for appreciation at home.”

Song Haowen took the cup back from Professor Zheng Gang and asked, “So, is this cup a replica from the Qing Dynasty or a product from the Republic of China?”

Professor Wang Qiang analyzed, “The era is not that distant. Last time, you managed to buy the Sword of Wu King and had a stroke of luck. Do you want to get lucky again this time? Your item doesn’t even qualify as a Qing Dynasty replica. A genuine Qing replica would have inscriptions like ‘Da Qing Qianlong Fangu’ at the bottom. What you have is a contemporary craft product.”

After hesitating for a moment, Professor Zheng Gang took the cup from Song Haowen’s hands. “Let me take a closer look. Contemporary imitations can’t be so realistic.” He asked Professor Wang Qiang for a magnifying glass, a small flashlight, and a tape measure, carefully examining the cup’s shape, size, body texture, glaze color, painting skills, and the inscription of “Made in the Ming Chenghua Year.” Soon, he began murmuring to himself, and visible sweat beads appeared on his forehead at an alarming rate.

“It’s impossible, it’s impossible…”

Professor Wang Qiang and Song Haowen were shocked by Zheng Gang’s expression, not knowing what peculiar things he had discovered on the cup. To avoid disturbing him, they consciously held their breath and waited for him to explain.

After a full hour, Zheng Gang put down the cup, took a deep breath, and collapsed onto the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the ceiling without saying a word. Song Haowen and Professor Wang Qiang were alarmed and hurriedly approached Zheng Gang, asking if something serious had happened.

Professor Zheng Gang didn’t speak; he just pointed at the Chicken Cup on the table with his fingers. Wang Qiang, puzzled, walked to the table, picked up the Chicken Cup, and carefully examined it from top to bottom, left to right, finding nothing strange.

Just as he was about to turn to ask Zheng Gang what the issue was, suddenly, his heart trembled. Sharp eyes fixated on the cup, and soon, he imitated Professor Zheng Gang, using a flashlight, magnifying glass, and ruler to scrutinize the cup.

Song Haowen, taken aback by the unusual behavior of the two professors, didn’t know what they had discovered on the cup. He wanted to ask but found himself unable to speak. A sudden fear overcame him, preventing even the slightest sound, creating an eerie silence in the room.

After another half an hour, Professor Wang Qiang finally put down the Chicken Cup, looking excitedly at Professor Zheng Gang.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely sure.”

Wang Qiang was so excited that tears streamed down his face.

“If this can be confirmed, it will be the twentieth one found in the world today. This is tremendous news. Once it spreads, it will attract global attention and cause a huge sensation.”

Zheng Gang jumped up from the sofa, hugged Song Haowen excitedly, and said, “Little brother, do you know how great your contribution is? This is earth-shattering.”

Song Haowen was bewildered by their behavior and became somewhat incoherent. “Wha…what’s going on? Is there something wrong with this cup?”

Wang Qiang wiped a tear with the back of his hand and said to Song Haowen, “You know, this Chicken Cup of yours is an authentic Ming Dynasty Chenghua artifact. There are only twenty of these in the world, and their value is immense, beyond estimation.”

Song Haowen’s brain buzzed, and he almost fainted. He could not believe that his unintentional purchase for only five hundred yuan turned out to be a national treasure worth billions. For a moment, he couldn’t grasp the reality of the situation, thinking it might be a dream.

He didn’t know how he managed to leave Professor Wang Qiang’s house and return to the department. With two incredible strokes of luck, he now possessed assets worth hundreds of millions, a fortune that would be unparalleled in 1980, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the entire country. The earliest billionaires from his previous life were still fumbling in the dark.

When Song Haowen returned to the department, everyone was present. Seeing his disoriented state, they thought something unfortunate had happened and didn’t dare to inquire about the reason. They couldn’t understand what he had done or encountered that afternoon.

Entering his room, Song Haowen placed the Chicken Cup and the bag into the safe. He then lay on the kang, crying. Zhu Hongyu and Naren Hua’s eyes turned red instantly, rushing to comfort him. Wang Li knelt on Qian Youlai’s back, tears streaming down.

Fortunately, Song Haowen didn’t cry for long. Soon, he regained control of his emotions. He forced a smile at everyone, awkwardly saying, “I’m sorry; I’m just too happy. I couldn’t hold back.”

The crowd was once again dumbfounded. He had just cried so intensely, and now it turned out he wasn’t sad but happy? What kind of situation is this? Was his mental state still normal?

Song Haowen gently tapped on the heads of Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua with his fingers. “Sorry for troubling you; I lost control a bit just now. I sincerely apologize.” With that, he bowed deeply.

Ren Hua, in frustration, delivered a heavy punch to Song Haowen’s chest, causing him to cry out and intentionally fall onto the kang. Ren Hua was momentarily stunned, wondering how her punch could have such force.

Zhu Hongyu ran to the side of the kang and slapped Song Haowen’s thigh with a “pop,” then reached out to twist one of his ears, lifting him up. “I told you not to play tricks!”

“Ouch, it hurts, sis, please let go.”

Seeing Song Haowen’s disheveled appearance, Wang Li couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Someone complained, “Master, you shouldn’t play with people like this. It’s really frightening.”

While massaging his sore ear, Song Haowen explained, “I couldn’t help it; it was beyond my control…”

Ren Hua interrupted, “You’re still insincere…”

“Alright, alright, I apologize again.” Song Haowen was about to share a bit of the joy of finding the treasure in the form of a chicken soup bowl when he suddenly remembered the stern warnings from the two professors as he left Professor Wang Qiang’s house.

They emphasized the importance of keeping the information about the two national treasures a secret, cautioning that revealing it could lead to confiscation by relevant authorities or even pose a threat to his life. Thinking of this, he shivered and dared not tell the truth. “I heard from the Youth League Committee this afternoon that the school might lift my punishment.” In fact, he had heard this news a few days ago but hadn’t taken it seriously. Saying it now conveniently explained his emotional outburst.

Ren Hua said sadly, “I didn’t expect the school’s punishment to hit you so hard. I’m sorry.”

Song Haowen turned to comfort her, “It’s okay. I haven’t been bothered by it.”

Zhu Hongyu sighed, “Yesterday, I heard from the counselor that the reason you were punished is closely related to the vice principal who knows Yang Wei. Now that Yang Wei is in trouble, the vice principal, in order to distance himself from Yang Wei, voluntarily proposed to the school leaders a few days ago to revoke your punishment. Unexpectedly, it worked.”

Qian Youlai felt very confused. “This is a good thing, you should be happy. Why were you crying just now, Master?”

Wang Li sarcastically remarked, “You’re so clueless. Your master has endured so much injustice for this matter. Do you understand that he cried tears of joy?”

Having successfully covered up his emotional outburst, Song Haowen felt a huge sense of relief.

“Well, to celebrate my impending exoneration and restoration of reputation, I’ll treat everyone to a meal tonight. Let’s have a feast together!”

Everyone agreed.

During the dinner that night, Qian Youlai talked indignantly about Jiang Ping, “To bring a fake antique to the store and deceive money, claiming to have some serious illness. Only someone like Master can have such tolerance. Not only did he not expose the scam, but he also gave five hundred yuan. Probably dreaming of unexpected windfalls, he’s likely laughing in his sleep on the kang right now.”

Wang Li advised, “Haowen, we run this business to make money, not to be a charity. We can’t do this often.”

However, Zhu Hongyu expressed support for Song Haowen’s actions today. “If the young master can do this, it shows a kind heart, sympathetic to the weak.”

Ren Hua also expressed support. “Little brother, if the business grows in the future, consider establishing a charity organization. Allocate a portion of the funds from the business specifically for helping the needy. It would be a meaningful endeavor.”

“That’s a great idea, sis! In the future, I will definitely do that. When it comes to charity, it’s best not to rely on others; you have to personally get involved to make a difference.”

Zhu Hongyu questioned, “Why wait until the company grows? Many people don’t need much support. For those extremely hungry, even one or two steamed buns can make a difference. The business department is currently making good money. Just take a few hundred or a thousand each year from the profits and use it for helping those in need; that should be sufficient.”

Song Haowen’s eyes lit up at these words. The current thousands or eight hundreds were really small amounts for him. Setting aside this money each year for charitable purposes would undoubtedly help many people.

“I fully support Sister Hongyu’s suggestion. Now I’ve decided that Wang Li will take out a thousand yuan from the profits tomorrow, create a separate account, and use it specifically for doing good deeds.”

Ren Hua said, “It’s a good thing, and I support it. However, regarding the use of this money, I hope we can communicate in advance. It should be a steady and sustainable effort, not a spur-of-the-moment decision that uses up the funds after one or two occasions. Otherwise, charity might become a burden for the business, its an endless pit.”

“Of course. Today’s situation was exceptional. Next time I plan to do a good deed, I will try to discuss it with you all in advance.” Song Haowen quickly promised.