Ye Tian rejoiced, "Is Master Guang Ji also coming?"
Li Yuankun replied, "We happen to be traveling together. If I go, he will certainly follow."
Ye Tian said, "That would be excellent. I'm contemplating alchemy and have some matters to consult you both about."
Li Yuankun exclaimed in surprise, "You're into alchemy? That's remarkable. I must come and witness it."
After hanging up the phone, Ye Tian emerged to find the villagers waiting for him expectantly.
Wang Dalong, his face beaming with excitement, announced loudly, "Villagers, if it weren't for Ye Tian today, our ancestral graves would surely have been lost!"
Everyone thanked Ye Tian profusely. They weren't foolish; though they didn't understand the specifics, they knew Ye Tian was involved.
Ye Tian stated, "Everyone, it was Sun Qichen who angered the spirits of our ancestors today, and thus he received his punishment. Sun Qichen deserved it; he had it coming!"
The crowd agreed, and they were convinced of the ancestors' divine intervention. After all, who else could have dealt with Sun Qichen in such a manner if not for the spirits of their ancestors?
After saying a few words, Ye Tian prepared to leave.
His uncle suddenly stopped him, "Xiao Tian, you're leaving?"
Ye Tian replied, "Yes, Uncle. Is there something you need?"
His uncle sighed, "Xiao Tian, regarding the matter of selling the house last time, it was my fault. Please don't be angry."
Ye Tian said, "It's alright, I'm not angry anymore."
His uncle pleaded, "Xiao Tian, please help Ye Gui. He's in such a desperate situation that his daughter-in-law is divorcing him. Xiao Tian, Uncle begs you." As he spoke, he knelt on the ground.
Ye Tian sidestepped, his expression complicated. This paternal uncle, during his family's most difficult times, not only offered no assistance but had also kept his distance and watched from the sidelines. Thinking back, it truly chilled him.
He said indifferently, "Uncle, you don't need to do this. I can't help with the money."
His uncle's eyes welled up with tears, "Xiao Tian, please, for Grandpa's sake, help Ye Gui."
Ye Tian fell silent. He had the deepest affection for his grandfather, and the old man had indeed said that family members should support each other.
After a few seconds, he asked coldly, "How much does he still owe?"
His uncle replied, "Over two million."
Ye Tian opened the trunk of his car. It was filled with gifts, given by various dignitaries during his time in prison, which he kept in the car to give away.
Glancing over them, he took out four bottles of wine and handed them to his uncle. "Find someone who knows wine to sell these. It should be enough for Ye Gui to pay off his debts."
Without further explanation, he got into the car and drove away.
Ye Gui quickly took a bottle to examine it and exclaimed, "Dad, this is aged Maotai. I know many people who collect wine; old wines like this are very valuable!"
His uncle eagerly asked, "How much do you think it will sell for?"
Ye Gui replied, "I'm not sure, but I know a big boss who collects wine. Let's go ask him right away."
The father and son, eager to find out, took the four bottles of wine to have them appraised.
Arriving at a shop that dealt in collectible wines, Ye Gui asked someone to examine the bottles. The person was an expert. He opened the wine boxes and found that the bottles were made of yellowish-brown glazed ceramic, with short wooden stoppers sealed with dark red wax. The neck of the bottle had two raised lines, and the body had a fine, glossy yellow glaze. The porcelain was relatively thin. The label read: "Produced by Fang Di Fang Guo Ying Mao Tai Jiu Chang" (Local State-run Maotai Distillery), with slight variations in the characters for "Mao" and "Pin" compared to current ones.
He astonished Ye Gui by telling him that these were undoubtedly aged Maotai, produced sixty-five years ago. The expert also cited a previous auction price of eight hundred and ninety thousand!
Ye Gui was both shocked and delighted. He immediately expressed his willingness to sell. The buyer offered two hundred and forty million, and after some negotiation, the four bottles were purchased for two hundred and forty-nine million.
Ye Tian had already returned home. As soon as he arrived, he received a call from Yang Zheng, who said the people he sent were on their way and would contact him shortly.
Half an hour later, a car pulled up to his doorstep. A middle-aged man in military uniform alighted. Judging by his insignia, he appeared to be a general-ranked officer.
The middle-aged man was extremely respectful. "Divine Doctor Ye, I am here on the orders of Old Master Yang."