Back then, Baoguo Temple still had its share of street stalls, and not just a few. They primarily hawked coins and porcelain shards. It was rumored that Beijing's famous "Pian Bai" had made his fortune right there at Baoguo Temple.
Each to their own niche, and as fate would have it, I brought porcelain and copper coins too—our interests perfectly aligned. In an instant, my despondency was swept away, replaced by a surge of confidence.
I refused to believe there was no market for these old treasures!
Fortune smiled on me, and I managed to secure a spot right in front of a newsstand, and with the last three yuan I had, I bought two chicken sausages.
Munching on the sausages, I thought to myself: "Whether I starve or freeze to death in Beijing, or live a life of luxury, it all hinges on today."
Unexpectedly,
No sooner had I laid out my stall than a crowd gathered around it, not even ten minutes in.
“Boss, how much for this Song Dynasty coin and the Qing money?”
“Boss, could you show me that pastel small salt pot?”
Suddenly, I was swamped with customers.
“Boss, how much for that pair of foreign blue gallbladder vases? Just give me your best price, and if it's right, they're sold.”
In a flurry, I blurted out, "For a pair of Foreign Blue Gallbladder Vases, the least I'll take is eight hundred."
“Deal, wrap it up for me. How should I pay you?” The customer readily agreed.
“Hold on, don't rush. I'll offer eight hundred and thirty for the pair,” another voice chimed in, raising the bid.
“Third Brother Ma, this isn't quite proper, is it?” the first customer said with a cold tone.
“Heh, proper? You haven't paid yet, have you? The young boss here can sell to whomever he pleases!”
“You're talking to me about proper? Boss Song, good finds are getting rarer by the day, and as for a Dowry Vase like this, it's a guaranteed sale. Just pair it with a nice box in your shop—do you have any idea how much it could fetch?”
Boss Song slapped his thigh with a smack.
“Damn! Sixth Brother Ma, what's it to you how much I sell for? How much I make is none of your business!”
The two seemed on the verge of a fight, and I hurried to mediate.
“Let's not fight, gentlemen. There are other items here. Take a look at this pastel small salt pot—it's quite exquisite, even without its lid, the craftsmanship is top-notch.”
Boss Song, eyeing the salt pot in my hands, asked loudly, "Little Brother, you said eight hundred to me just now, so who are you planning to sell to?"
I wondered to myself, "How come the stuff nobody wanted at Panjiayuan is now so sought after here?"
After a moment's thought, I looked at him and said, “Big brother, I did say eight hundred for the pair, so eight hundred it is. I won't go back on my word.”
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“Ha, ha.”
“Alright!” The man laughed heartily, patting his beer belly, looking at Sixth Brother Ma with a smug expression.
He quickly glanced over the rest of my stall.
“Alright, Little Brother, you're a straightforward guy, so I'll make this simple too.”
“I'll take everything you have here.”
“One shot deal!”
“Huh?” I was momentarily stunned. These Beijing bosses sure knew how to splurge.
“Enough, stop selling and pack up. Follow Boss Song to the shop to get your money,” a neighboring stall owner said to me enviously.
“Oh, okay, sure,” I quickly gathered up my stall.
Following the big-bellied Boss Song into his shop, he told me to leave the suitcase and that he would include its value in the payment.
In the end,
For the porcelain, the coins, and the suitcase, the big-bellied boss handed me four thousand seven hundred in cash! That was the equivalent of a year's savings for an ordinary worker back then!
That's how impressive it was—the big boss made a sweeping purchase in one fell swoop, even buying the rolling suitcase...
Emerging from Baoguo Temple with empty hands, I fondled the thick wad of hundred-yuan notes inside my clothing, my face nearly splitting with glee.
Standing atop the Guang'anmen Bridge, with a hefty sum in hand, I bellowed with all my might, "Heaven rewards the diligent! I, Xiang Yunfeng, may not excel in academics, but I was born to do business! Elder Aunt's Agritainment is nothing! I'm going to be the most badass Antique Dealer in the whole country!" Passersby shot me curious glances at my outburst.
Now, fifteen or sixteen years later, I chuckle every time I recall that moment, thinking myself a fool.
That trip netted me over four thousand!
With a full purse, there's no panic in my heart; and with money in hand, my first stop was to sate my hunger.
Village lads like me have hearty appetites; I devoured two bowls of knife-shaved noodles and a cold dish, leaving me satisfyingly full.
With a toothpick working at my teeth, I plotted, "Hmm, this route's profitable. After paying back my brother-in-law, I'll have a nice sum left. Enough to start my own venture. Next time, I won't need to borrow from him. If I can make four thousand in one trip, what about ten trips? Wouldn't that be forty thousand?"
That evening, at West Station, I was swindled by a middle-aged woman into staying at a small inn, costing sixty yuan a night.
After settling in, the landlady sidled up and whispered, "Young man, would you like me to find you a little sister?"
Once I grasped her implication, I hastily waved her off, "No, no, I don't need any company."
She persisted, soft-soaping and pressuring until, exasperated, I handed her an extra twenty yuan to leave me in peace.
The old saying goes, "When away from home, do not flaunt your wealth."
I still vividly remember how the landlady's eyes latched onto my stack of red notes.
That night, I was exhausted and quickly succumbed to sleep, but not without first tucking the plastic bag of money under my pillow for safety.
Upon waking, I discovered to my horror...
The money was gone...
The over four thousand I had painstakingly earned, vanished.
"Where's my money! My money!" My face drained of color as I frantically tore through the bedsheets and pillows.
But there was nothing, just the shriveled black plastic bag.
Panic-stricken, I rushed to the landlady, demanding she check the surveillance, declaring my intent to call the police.
The outcome was predictable.
Not a single cent was recovered.
To this day, I hold a grudge against those little inns near train stations.
Decades have passed, and I suppose that little inn is long gone. Hate? It's not quite that.
Had the money not been lost, I might now be the proprietor of a small antique shop, perhaps married with children. My life's path could have been entirely different.
But no one gets a second chance.
Had the money not disappeared, I wouldn't be known in certain circles, nor would the moniker "Divine Eye Peak" exist in the underworld.
The police made a cursory report and hinted that there was little hope of recovering the money.
Empty-handed, I was utterly despondent.
I didn't dare return to Mohe, to face home.
I knew I'd be the laughingstock, ridiculed by my peers, looked down upon by my elder uncle's family.
The shame was too great!
Even if I claimed to have made four thousand, no one in the village would believe me.
Standing on the overpass outside West Station, for a fleeting moment, I contemplated ending it all.
An orphan, uncared for and unloved, I thought perhaps an early death would lead to a better rebirth.
Such thoughts are terrifying in the mind of an immature youth.
I was ready to leap from the bridge, and even if the fall didn't kill me, the passing trucks surely would.
My legs were already dangling over the edge.
It was then that someone tapped me on the shoulder. (To be continued)
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