The man, perhaps sensing his request was rather abrupt, quickly explained, "I'm quite a collector. I saw the vase in your hands and thought it was quite nice, so I wanted to take a closer look."
The owner of the jade shop, upon hearing the man's words, also hurried out. "Brother Jiang, is there something special about this vase?"
Jiang Chengyi nodded, "I have a feeling it's an opening piece."
Hearing his words, the shop owner's gaze also fell upon the vase in Gu Xingdong's hands.
Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong didn't understand their specialized jargon, but they knew the vase in their hands was likely genuine.
Chen Lishu, in particular, felt a surge of excitement. Had she made the right gamble this time?
Hearing their conversation, stall owners from nearby who enjoyed a bit of excitement also gathered around.
Soon, the group re-entered the shop. Jiang Chengyi and the shop owner took out magnifying glasses and began to meticulously examine the vase.
Whether they understood the trade or not, everyone's eyes were fixed on the vase. Those who saw that Chen Lishu had bought it as a bargain at a stall were filled with envy. How long had it been? They were sure she was about to make a substantial profit.
"Comrade, I'll buy this vase. Name your price," Jiang Chengyi said, putting away his tools and turning to Gu Xingdong.
"This belongs to my wife. She makes the decisions."
Jiang Chengyi’s gaze settled on Chen Lishu. "How about three thousand?"
Since it was genuine, Chen Lishu was reassured. She wasn't short of money, so she had no intention of selling it.
"I'm sorry, I'm not planning to sell."
Jiang Chengyi frowned. "Five thousand?"
Everyone present gasped. Especially the stall owner who had come over after hearing the news. He had sold it to Chen Lishu for only eight hundred. In such a short time, it was being resold for nearly ten times the price. He felt his intestines were about to twist into knots with regret.
"Comrade, five thousand is quite a lot," the shop owner tried to persuade her.
Jiang Chengyi continued, "If my guess is correct, this vase should have a pair. If they are matched as a pair, the price would surely multiply several times over. But now you only have one, so the price is significantly discounted. The price I'm offering is definitely not low. Won't you reconsider?"
Chen Lishu smiled and shook her head, "No, thank you."
Hearing her words, Jiang Chengyi looked somewhat disappointed.
Gu Xingdong picked up the vase, Chen Lishu took Rui Rui's hand, and the three of them walked out of the shop.
"Ten thousand." Seeing them about to leave, Jiang Chengyi, unwilling to give up, gritted his teeth and spoke again.
Ten thousand?
Everyone was utterly stunned.
How many people could afford ten thousand yuan at this time?
Chen Lishu’s footsteps didn't stop, and she walked directly out of the shop.
No one noticed the flash of fierce determination in the eyes of the stall owner from the other side.
"Xingdong, do you remember the vase on our Kang cabinet? This one is definitely a pair. That Mr. Jiang said the price would be even higher if they were a matched set."
On the way back, Chen Lishu said excitedly, "I used to watch TV. For treasures like this, if you collect them, they'll be worth at least a million or so in the future."
Gu Xingdong praised, "My wife is truly amazing."
"My mom is amazing," Rui Rui added, looking up.
"You flatter me," Chen Lishu said with a smile. "We're not selling this pair of vases to anyone. Mom will save them for you to use when you get married, okay?"
Rui Rui, being at an age of innocence, blushed slightly and pursed his lips upon hearing about getting married.
"Wait a moment, both of you." As the three were walking forward, a voice suddenly rang out from the side. Immediately after, a thin, dark man emerged from a nearby intersection, followed by four or five men with unfriendly expressions, looking at the couple.
Chen Lishu turned her head and recognized the stall owner who had bought the vase. Her heart sank.
Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow, handed the vase to Chen Lishu, and stepped forward, subtly blocking his wife and son behind him. He smiled at the stall owner and asked, "Comrade, is there something you need?"
"Yes, there is," the stall owner said directly. "I'm not selling the vase anymore. Here's eight hundred yuan. Take it and leave, and we'll be even. We can consider ourselves friends."
Shameless, and yet he spoke so righteously.
Gu Xingdong said with a chuckle, "That probably won't do. It's already promised to our son for when he gets married. If we're friends, you shouldn't make things difficult for us."
The stall owner's face immediately darkened. "Don't mistake kindness for weakness. You don't know the rules of this area. Hurting your wife and child wouldn't be worth it."
Although Gu Xingdong was smiling, his eyes turned cold. "I'm not familiar with the rules of this area, but in front of me, you must follow my rules."
Seeing that negotiation was clearly failing, and although Gu Xingdong's military uniform made him seem formidable, greed for wealth drives men to do desperate things. For a vase worth ten thousand yuan, and especially since it was originally his, he wouldn't hesitate to use other means.
"Xingdong." Seeing that the other party had four or five men, Chen Lishu felt nervous and angry at the same time. These people were incredibly audacious, trying to rob them in broad daylight.
"It's fine. You take Rui Rui to the car and wait for me," Gu Xingdong said, handing her the car keys.
"Trying to leave? Hand over the goods first."
The stall owner, seeing Chen Lishu about to leave with the vase, showed a fierce look and lunged towards her.
Chen Lishu, startled, pulled Rui Rui protectively into her arms.
Gu Xingdong raised a foot and kicked the stall owner to the ground. In a few swift movements, he had also taken down two others.
The remaining three, seeing his skill, braked in time, hesitating whether to advance or retreat.
"Is that all you've got?" Gu Xingdong nudged the stall owner with his toe. "My son knows that business requires integrity. Don't come out here embarrassing yourself again."
With that, he turned and pulled Chen Lishu and Rui Rui towards the car at the street corner, leaving the resentful stall owner far behind.
"Dad, you were really amazing just now."
"My son has good judgment," Gu Xingdong said without modesty. "In the future, if I'm not around your mother, that task of protecting her will fall to you. As the only lady in our family, you must never let her suffer any injustice."
"Yes!" Rui Rui immediately puffed out his chest and said with all seriousness.
Soon, the three of them got into the car and drove back to the residential area opposite the school.
Meanwhile, Chen Liyuan was once again being reprimanded by Accountant Zhou, unable to lift her head.
"I asked you to do an expense reimbursement form, and look at the mess you've made. Are you a pig's brain? You can't even do this right. I think you should just get out of here sooner rather than later."
Little Liu had left, and only this young girl with yet un-matured hair remained. She wanted to see how long she could last.
"I heard you're dating Technician Shi. Why are there twenty extra yuan in the reimbursement form for their technical team this time? Are you colluding with him to embezzle company funds?"
Initially, Chen Liyuan had been standing silently by the desk, listening to the scolding. But when she heard Accountant Zhou's words, she looked up in surprise. "I filled out the reimbursement form according to the invoices. There can't be any mistake."
"Look for yourself!" Accountant Zhou angrily threw a stack of receipts in front of her.
Chen Liyuan took them and carefully compared them. The total amount of the receipts was indeed twenty yuan short.