Xu Si Qi quickly nodded, "Yes, it's her. Do you still remember her, Uncle?"
Xu Duan neither confirmed nor denied, merely casting a light glance at his bicycle.
Although his uncle hadn't said a word, Xu Si Qi could sense his anger. Just moments ago, when he learned it wasn't for a "romantic interest" but to find a job for Shu Jin Yue, his uncle's attitude had been quite gentle.
When Uncle got angry, he wouldn't erupt in rage but would simply watch you quietly. The longer the silence, the more uneasy Xu Si Qi felt.
He recalled when he was four years old, coveting a neighbor child's comic book so intensely that he secretly took it home unnoticed. When the child couldn't find it and got upset, his eight-year-old uncle just watched him silently, as if knowing he had taken it.
Eventually, unable to bear his uncle's gaze, he tearfully returned the book. His parents sternly reprimanded him, and from then on, he became particularly fearful of his uncle, never daring to disobey his slightest word.
"You plan to repay the favor." It was a statement, not a question.
Xu Duan sat in a Huanghuali wooden armchair, his slender fingers lightly tapping on the table.
Xu Si Qi swallowed hard, "Yes, mainly because I see her family is quite struggling. If I can help, I should."
"Hmph."
Xu Si Qi wanted to explain further—that he wasn't ungrateful, that he had even prepared the money to buy her the job himself, truly intending not to let her spend a single cent.
But Xu Duan raised a hand to stop him. "Tell me, what jobs have you been trying to find for her recently?"
"The Machinery Factory is hard to intervene in. My dad and I tried the street office, district library, cultural center, and department store branch for her, but the competition was fierce—none worked out. Today, it was the pesticide factory…"
Xu Duan's expression remained neutral until he heard "pesticide factory," then his brows furrowed. "Just as well it didn't work out."
"But… her holiday is ending soon. We can't delay any longer…"
Xu Duan gazed thoughtfully at a painting of a green pine on the wall. "Leave this matter be. Focus on your studies."
Did that mean Uncle agreed to help?! Overjoyed, Xu Si Qi was about to express his gratitude.
But Xu Duan looked at him with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Don't think you're the only clever one."
Xu Si Qi didn't grasp the meaning of those words, but his uncle had already risen and returned to his room.
Meanwhile, Shu Jin Yue wasn't idle either. After getting off at Jianshe Bridge, she wandered around the area. This time, she had changed her appearance again: a blue work uniform under a floral-patterned cotton jacket, two pale yellow braids hanging over her chest, and a Lei Feng cap pulled low over her brows, revealing only her fair, delicate face.
She looked like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, completely different from the "Northeastern youth" of her last disguise. As she strolled along, no one recognized her.
This time, she was wiser. Instead of actively seeking buyers everywhere, she found a corner to squat quietly, observing everyone. When she spotted someone who looked educated, she would approach softly and ask a couple of questions, gauging their interest from their tone. If they showed no inclination, she would immediately withdraw.
After asking four or five people with no success, she began to doubt herself. Her childlike appearance lacked credibility, and potential buyers worried she might be sneaking family possessions to sell, fearing disputes if parents found out—just like when she sold the wild ginseng last time. Even those interested would hesitate.
"Little girl, you want to sell old books?" A middle-aged man who had been squatting beside her struck up a conversation in a low voice.
Jin Yue remembered he specialized in trading grain coupons – converting local coupons to national ones, coarse grains to fine grains. He seemed to have some useful connections.
She nodded.
"You won't be able to sell them this way. I have a friend who knows an old professor that collects old books and stamps."
Jin Yue knew he wouldn't offer help without reason, so she waited quietly for him to continue.
Seeing her calm demeanor, completely unlike the impatience typical of children her age, the man paused, thinking this young lady was quite composed. "I'll be straight with you – he can arrange a meeting with that old professor. If it works out, your family might be able to afford something substantial, right?"
He knew the rules and didn't ask to see the items first. Jin Yue really didn't want to reveal her possession – she wanted to sell this ancient book to someone who truly appreciated it, not to some profiteer.
Only those who understood its value would treasure it properly.
"If the deal goes through, you'll give him twenty percent."
Shu Jin Yue immediately frowned. "No."
"Twenty percent is the standard rate. Can't expect people to work for free. You're young, you don't understand these things…"
"Three yuan."
"What?"
Shu Jin Yue remained perfectly calm. She had figured out that this man was also a middleman. These profiteers made money both ways – as traders and as intermediaries. They got paid if things sold, but lost nothing if they didn't.
Understanding his mindset, Jin Yue pressed her advantage firmly. They finally agreed that for any sale arranged through his contact, she would pay the intermediary five yuan as a service fee, regardless of the final price. How they split it wasn't her concern.
Seeing no reason to delay, Jin Yue mentioned her family's elderly was ill and needed money for treatment. The profiteer then took her to a hutong, asked her to wait while he fetched his "friend," who would then take her to meet the old professor at the medical university gate.
Since they were in public places, Jin Yue wasn't worried about foul play.
"This is Professor Zhang from the Medical University. You've come to the right person, little girl – Professor Zhang is the top expert in collecting ancient texts."The middleman gives a thumbs up."
Shu Jin Yue observed the old man – graying hair, black-rimmed glasses, faded Zhongshan suit – he certainly looked the scholarly type. But she remained cautious, aware they might be conspiring to cheat her. Having been an A Piao for so many years, she had seen plenty of such plots in TV dramas and novels.
Professor Zhang spoke little, nodding briefly before getting straight to the point: "May I see the book?"
Instead of producing it immediately, Jin Yue asked, "Professor Zhang, have you heard of 'Essential Prescriptions for Women'?"
The professor nodded. "Anyone familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine has heard of it." He accurately identified the author, main biographical details, academic viewpoints, and the book's era.
Jin Yue nodded. Actually, unlike the well-known "Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases" or "Compendium of Materia Medica," this book's author, though renowned, had few disciples, causing his school's lineage to die out long ago. His works circulated only within small TCM circles – even regular TCM students might not know of it.
Professor Zhang's accurate knowledge of the author's life and academic thoughts, along with his evident respect for the work, surprised Shu Jin Yue.
However, the old man changed his tone, "Unfortunately, I only heard my father mention it a few times when I was a child. The original copy of this book is currently stored in the Jing City Museum, and even ordinary handwritten copies are no longer available in the market."
"That's right. In recent years, many ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine texts have been destroyed under the guise of 'eliminating the Four Olds,' and the number of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners has significantly decreased." Jin Yue remembered reading a report that before 1966, there were 350,000 Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners nationwide, but by 1978, only 140,000 remained—a sharp reduction of two-thirds! Meanwhile, the number of Western medicine practitioners had tripled.
This was a heartbreaking change. Jin Yue had always harbored an idea: first, survive in the city; second, collect and organize these lost "pearls"; and only then, third, promote Traditional Chinese Medicine and seek revenge.
Her life experience was pitifully limited, and her thoughts were simple.
Professor Zhang relaxed upon hearing her articulate explanation, "It's rare to meet a young friend like you."
The intermediary immediately chimed in, "Then, Professor Zhang, you must give her a fair price. Their family elder is hospitalized and waiting for life-saving money."
Jin Yue's face flushed slightly, and she hurriedly took out "Effective Prescriptions for Women's Diseases," which she had carefully protected along the way.
Professor Zhang's eyes lit up as he took it and carefully flipped through it. "Although it's not the original, judging by the paper and the omitted or altered characters, it should be a copy made by descendants during the Qing Dynasty. It's still quite precious."
Jin Yue truly didn't understand these details—what jade-button paper or omitted characters meant. After all, she wasn't formally trained and lacked specialized knowledge of ancient medical texts. But she knew that this book had likely found its rightful buyer.
"I won't cheat you, young comrade. This book could sell for over 250 yuan on the market, but finding the right buyer takes time. If you urgently need money, I'll give you 220 yuan. How about that?"
He speculated that Shu Jin Yue's family must have someone involved in Traditional Chinese Medicine circles; otherwise, she wouldn't be so knowledgeable about it, nor would she possess this handwritten copy.
The intermediary gasped, "Ah?" and rubbed his ears. "Professor Zhang, this… this…" So expensive!
But Professor Zhang couldn't be bothered to explain. Outsiders only saw the money, but for insiders, this was an irreplaceable, precious document—an indispensable part of the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine development. Once lost, it would be gone forever.
"I have a class soon. How about this: I don't have that much cash on hand. If you need money urgently, I can add another 30 yuan, but it would have to be in milk powder ration coupons. Is that acceptable?"
In those days, milk powder ration coupons were a privilege reserved for high-ranking cadres; ordinary people couldn't buy them even with money. Shu Jin Yue immediately nodded—her current body was in desperate need of nutrition.
Half an hour later, clutching 215 yuan in cash and 30 yuan worth of milk powder ration coupons, Shu Jin Yue happily returned home, accompanied by the intermediary's frustrated sighs and lamentations.
Of course, carrying such a large sum, she took a few detours and even made a stop at the hospital before finally returning to Liu Ye Hutong.
Not counting the milk powder coupons, she now had 370 yuan! If she could find two more ancient books like this, she would have enough savings to buy a job!
However, she knew that stumbling upon such a loophole once was already incredibly lucky—greedily hoping for more was impossible. Once her job was secured, she would still need to borrow a bit from Teacher Shu and Zhao Wan Qiu—at most three or four hundred more. Though she felt ashamed of relying on her elders, this was a matter crucial to her future. Within their means, they would likely help. As for the future, she would work hard to save money and repay them as soon as she started working…
Yet, the moment she stepped into the east wing room, she heard someone voice her exact thoughts—
"I will definitely repay this money, Dad. Please lend it to me."