Chapter 14: Making Money

Below the guesthouse, Shi Feng and Zhao Weinan parked their car and strolled around the street.

Zhao Weinan was young when he joined the army, and he was only twenty-two when he was discharged. Everyone who knew him called him “Heizi,” his nickname.

He walked behind Shi Feng, remembering something and asking with a curious and questioning expression, “Shi Tou, didn’t you say that your sister-in-law was a hot-tempered and unreasonable woman? Why did you lie to me? You’re really cunning.”

Shi Feng laughed, “Cunning? Why would I lie to you? Are you crazy? You don’t know what your sister-in-law was like before. Just the other day, she went to the factory and argued with the battalion commander about a divorce.”

“What? No way!”

Seeing his shocked expression, Shi Feng continued, “But these past few days, she’s been like a different person. Anyway, from what I see, they shouldn’t be getting divorced for now.”

Zhao Weinan looked completely unconvinced, “But your sister-in-law looks so… I mean, she looks so gentle and graceful, like a lady from a noble family, how could she be the kind of person who makes a fuss for no reason?”

“Our battalion commander is so good, he’s talented and good at everything, how could she argue with him about a divorce?”

Shi Feng looked at him speechlessly, then said calmly, “Just because she’s beautiful doesn’t mean she’s not unreasonable. You, kid, you really don’t understand anything.”

Zhao Weinan choked and raised his neck, “What do you mean, you understand? Hey, Da Shi Tou, if you understand so much, why can’t you find a girlfriend? I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand anything, you’re just talking nonsense!”

“What’s wrong with being single? Oh, you’re not single?”

…

In Zhao Weinan’s eyes, the little sister-in-law, Jiang Ning, who smiled with such gentleness and grace, was currently chatting with someone at the antique shop.

Her eyes sparkled, and she spun a story without any hesitation, her soft voice saying, “Comrade, this is a family heirloom passed down from my grandfather, it’s definitely a valuable item.”

“It was originally a set, the teacup was bought by a knowledgeable gentleman for two hundred, and only the lid remains. Although there’s a small chip, the overall condition is still good, take a look.”

In this era, the eight major departments were considered respectable jobs, and the staff at the antique shop were not just anyone.

The clerk at the counter was a young man who knew some basic knowledge about antiques. He first looked at Jiang Ning, seeing that she was dressed elegantly yet brightly, standing there gracefully, with a radiant face and no sign of fear, clearly a girl from a well-off family.

Then he lowered his head and carefully examined the teacup lid, frowning, “Your lid has a chip, it’s a single piece and has no inscription.”

Jiang Ning explained, “During the special period, it was difficult to keep things safe, so it chipped a little. But I’ll tell you the truth, the teacup is now in the hands of that person. If I weren’t in a hurry to go to school and needed money, my family wanted to find a way to send the lid to that person to complete the set and sell it for a good price.”

Huh?

That person?

The clerk was a little confused when he heard her say this. Who was “that person”?

But this girl looked so decent and beautiful, he subconsciously didn’t want to appear weak in front of her, so he pretended to ignore the topic and nodded, “Well, I see the item is genuine, but we have a rule here. Based on the condition and type of this item, I can only give you twenty yuan for it.”

This price was obviously not satisfactory to Jiang Ning.

Holding the valuable item in her hand, she wasn’t in a hurry to sell it. She chatted for a while, and the clerk raised the price to twenty-eight, but no higher.

Just then, more people started coming in. Jiang Ning immediately said that she was reluctant to sell it and would think about it again, then left the shop.

Leaving the antique shop, she went straight to the nearby secondhand market.

She had just heard people talking about it in the shop, saying that there was a secondhand market nearby, where they also bought and sold antiques, but it was more hidden.

She arrived at the place and found an inconspicuous specialty shop on the street. She wandered around for a while and casually asked the owner, “I heard you buy things here?”

The owner, who was cracking sunflower seeds, glanced at her, his face cold, “What kind of things? We don’t do that.”

Jiang Ning looked confused, “I heard it from Xiao Yang at the antique shop, he’s an acquaintance of my family. He said that my item is too valuable and he couldn’t afford it, so he recommended me to come here.”

She pretended to walk outside, puzzled, “Did I come to the wrong place?”

The owner immediately called out to her.

“Hey, girl, wait.”

“If you were introduced by Master Yang, then you’re one of our own. I won’t beat around the bush with you, but you’re so young, girl, what did you bring?”

Jiang Ning then mysteriously took out the teacup lid.

…

Half an hour later.

She was walking back towards the guesthouse with the money she had received.

The owner of the shop was a knowledgeable expert who recognized her teacup lid at a glance. Seeing that she was young, he initially wanted to deceive her and deliberately lower the price.

Jiang Ning didn’t rush, mentioning, “The guy at the antique shop, Xiao Yang, told me that the teacup from this set is currently being admired by that person in the province. He also advised me not to sell the lid in a hurry, to wait a little longer, maybe I could find a chance to complete the set for that person, and I’m sure I could get a good price!”

“If you don’t believe me, boss, go ask Xiao Yang.”

The owner of the secondhand market actually didn’t get along very well with the staff at the antique shop, but they all pricked up their ears to listen to any information coming from there.

After all, some things involved the policy direction from above, so even a small clerk at the antique shop, they had to smile and call him “Master” on the surface.

The owner heard this and saw that she looked like a pretty and innocent city girl, not someone who would just make things up, so he also hesitated. This “that person”… who was it?

But it wasn’t unheard of.

There had been a big shot before who was particularly fond of purple clay pottery, and the value of items that were originally of average value immediately skyrocketed in the market. People with inside information had bought them in advance and made a lot of money.

Thinking of this, the owner made a decision and gritted his teeth, offering fifty yuan.

Jiang Ning turned to leave, seemingly indifferent, as if she was going to ask elsewhere.

Finally, after some back and forth, the owner reluctantly offered seventy.

The lid was a single piece, in poor condition, and it was quite good to get this price.

Although in the years to come, the price of these valuable items would skyrocket, Jiang Ning’s current goal was to accumulate some initial capital, buy and sell slowly. If she could make money, she would then buy some items that she liked and were worth collecting.

This was a long-term game, no need to rush.

Today’s harvest was very good, she finally sold it for seventy-five!

After deducting the twenty-five she spent at Su Chanzi’s, Jiang Ning made a net profit of fifty.

Right! She still had the ten yuan that her cheap husband at the guesthouse had left for her.

Maybe Lu Dingquan was afraid that she would get lost because she was unfamiliar with the place, so he left her ten yuan to make it easier for her.

When she saw the money on the table, she instantly forgot all the sarcasm and ridicule from this man.

I swear to die for you… no, if he’s a big shot, what’s wrong with being a little sarcastic!

Anyway, she was willingly clinging to this big leg.

Jiang Ning walked back, looking around, in a good mood.

She increasingly felt that she had entered this script world, a bit like playing a strategy game.

She played the role of her true self, encountered different NPCs along the way, gained opportunities to make money, and at the same time, gradually “conquered” the big boss next to her for protection.

When she returned to the guesthouse, it was just about time for dinner.

But Lu Dingquan and the others hadn’t come back yet. Jiang Ning put away her bag and money, leaving ten yuan on her person, planning to go downstairs and wander around the area.

This guesthouse was not far from the meeting hall. It was noon, and everything was quiet. As she went downstairs, she saw a familiar figure passing by the corridor.

Wasn’t that Meng Yuanbin!

Jiang Ning immediately stopped and waited for two seconds, peering out at the backs of the group of people.