Rui Rui and Shu Shu made several trips back and forth before finally moving all the items Chu Ye had prepared back to the Farm.
Fang Jinzhu crouched down to inspect them roughly.
Whether it was the calligraphy and paintings, the flowerpots, or the bowls and plates, none were particularly exquisite, yet each exuded a rich, ancient charm.
Unfortunately, Fang Jinzhu knew nothing about antiques and had no idea whether these items from the unheard-of Tangwu Dynasty were valuable or not.
However, both she and the General’s Manor were currently in dire straits with no other options. Even if her plan failed, the worst-case scenario would simply be following the original course: she would be saddled with massive debt, and Beiliao City would fall.
Fang Jinzhu had always been the type who, as long as she still had a breath left in her, would never resign herself to fate.
“Rui Rui, Shu Shu, do you want to eat your fill every day?”
Fang Jinzhu straightened her thoughts, then looked at the two little ones, her eyes filled with a do-or-die determination. “Do you want everyone in the General’s Manor and Beiliao to have enough to eat?”
Though confusion lingered in their eyes, Rui Rui and Shu Shu understood the words “eat your fill” and nodded repeatedly. “Yes!”
“Good. Big Sister has a difficult task for you two…”
Fang Jinzhu’s gaze grew solemn. “Rui Rui, Shu Shu, only the two of you can move freely between my home and the General’s Manor. So, Shu Shu will stay with me for now, and Rui Rui, you must return to the General’s Manor first…”
“If your uncle or I have any messages, you two will need to deliver them for us. Understand?”
Hearing they would have to separate, Rui Rui and Shu Shu exchanged glances, their big eyes filled with reluctance and fear for each other.
But then Rui Rui patted Shu Shu’s head. “Don’t be scared, little sister. Uncle is a great general! We… we have to become… as strong as Uncle, right!”
“Mm!”
Shu Shu nodded vigorously. “Shu Shu… wants to be a general too!”
“Good girl. We… listen to Big Sister!!”
“Mm-hmm! Listen to Big Sister!!”
Seeing this, Fang Jinzhu’s heart melted, and the conviction in her mind grew even stronger.
Man proposes, but Heaven disposes.
This time, she was going all out!!
After returning to her dorm, Fang Jinzhu didn’t rush things. Instead, she turned on the shower, planning to give Shu Shu a bath and wash her hair.
The little girl’s clothes were thick and filthy. Though it was already early autumn, some lingering summer heat remained, and she was afraid the child might overheat.
During the bath, Shu Shu’s big eyes stayed wide open, and her little mouth kept letting out gasps of “Wow!” and “Whoa!”
Wow, Big Sister has magic—she can make it rain!!
Wow-wow, the bubbles that appear in Big Sister’s hands smell so good!!
Whoa, Shu Shu has become so clean and smells so nice!!
Without any children’s clothes, Fang Jinzhu dressed Shu Shu in one of her own short-sleeved shirts.
Surprisingly, it reached just to Shu Shu’s ankles, giving it the look of a casual dress.
Once cleaned up and neatly dressed, Shu Shu seemed like a different child.
Though still thin, with a slightly sallow complexion from malnutrition, her features were as delicate as a doll’s, making it easy to overlook these minor flaws.
Especially her eyes—clear as if washed with water, radiating an obedient and clever spirit. One glance was enough to make anyone adore her.
In ancient times, people didn’t cut their hair. At just three years old, Shu Shu’s hair already reached nearly to her waist, fine, soft, and slightly yellowish, cascading down her back. This added an extra touch of gentleness and quietness to the already well-behaved little girl.
Even Fang Jinzhu, who wasn’t usually one to fawn over looks, couldn’t help but marvel. While drying Shu Shu’s hair, she couldn’t resist ruffling it affectionately several times.
Once Shu Shu was tidied up, Fang Jinzhu began racing against the clock.
She brought Shu Shu to the office, set up an animated show on her phone for the child to watch, then plopped herself down in front of the computer and began searching for channels to sell antiques.
In this era, everyone was practically glued to the internet. Coupled with Fang Jinzhu’s precise keyword choices, she quickly found the information she wanted after just a few searches.
There were three channels to sell the items sent from the General’s Manor: antique shops, auction houses, or posting photos of the antiques on an antique trading platform and waiting for buyers.
The latter two options involved long transaction cycles, which she couldn’t afford at the moment. Her only choice was antique shops, where she could exchange goods for cash on the spot.
After considerable effort, she discovered that there was a Hongxing Second-hand Trading Market in the east of An City, which reportedly housed antique shops.
Having no prior experience and fearing she might be cheated, Fang Jinzhu gritted her teeth and spent another hour learning some basic knowledge and professional terminology about antiques.
She also searched on a certain social media platform for tips on avoiding pitfalls and negotiation techniques when selling antiques.
“Shu Shu, let’s go!!”
By the time she finished her preparations, it was already 1 p.m. She didn’t even bother with lunch. After carefully wrapping what she believed to be a valuable calligraphy and painting, Fang Jinzhu called Shu Shu back to reality—the child was utterly mesmerized by the animated show—and prepared to head into the city.
After all, these were ancient artifacts. Carrying too many might attract unwanted attention, so she decided to test the waters first.
Just as she stepped out the door, she paused, turned back, and rummaged through the pile of antiques. She picked out a bowl with carved patterns around its base, wrapped it up, and stuffed it into her bag.
She wasn’t sure whether the calligraphy and painting or the carved bowl was more valuable, so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring both.
Climbing into the only asset her parents had left behind—a dilapidated Wuling mini-truck on the verge of being scrapped—Fang Jinzhu felt an overwhelming sense of contentment.
At least it was a four-wheeled vehicle that gave her the freedom to come and go. Otherwise, she would have had to walk several kilometers to catch a bus, then transfer to another bus just to get into the city.
If she had to go through all that hassle, the opportunity would have long passed.
The journey into the city was naturally filled with Shu Shu’s exclamations of wonder.
So fast, the iron horse!!
Wow, so many iron horses!!
Wow wow wow, such tall, tall houses!!
Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow!!
Fang Jinzhu drove for an hour and a half, and Shu Shu marveled for the entire hour and a half.
As they approached the second-hand market, Fang Jinzhu repeatedly reminded Shu Shu to hold back and not speak carelessly, no matter how strange the things she saw might be.
With such a lively little antique by her side, she was afraid that if Shu Shu spoke up, it might attract trouble!!
It wasn’t that she thought Shu Shu would cause trouble, but she couldn’t afford to waste even a single moment on trivial matters or unexpected incidents.
Although her family had never been extremely wealthy, Fang Jinzhu had always lived comfortably. Before today, she hadn’t even known there was a second-hand market in An City, let alone that it housed antique shops.
After parking the Wuling mini-truck in the market’s outdoor parking lot, Fang Jinzhu took Shu Shu’s hand and entered the market.
Classical furniture, modern collectibles, stone carvings, antique-style dining establishments, handmade collectibles and accessories sold by street vendors, and shops of all kinds with an antique charm…
The dazzling visual impact made Fang Jinzhu feel as if she had stepped into another world.
The streets were relatively spacious, and the crowd wasn’t too chaotic.
About two hundred meters into the market, Fang Jinzhu spotted the first antique shop.
Jubao Antique Shop.
The storefront exuded an antique charm, with traditional Chinese-style doors wide open, offering a clear view of the various antiques inside.
Fang Jinzhu took a deep, silent breath, allowing the tension and urgency around her to ease before she stepped into the shop.
Upon entering the shop, she didn’t look directly at the counter where transactions were handled but instead strolled with her hands clasped behind her back, marveling at the display cases filled with antique ornaments and curios.
In truth, her peripheral vision had already taken in the person at the counter.
It was an elderly man wearing round spectacles with chain ear pieces, dressed in a blue-gray long gown and a skullcap.
If not for the bustling traffic outside, Fang Jinzhu might have thought she had traveled back to the Qing Dynasty.