I never imagined Liu Zai Xi would live in a place like this.
It was a very simple rental room, and quite out of the way.
Logically, given her status and income, her living situation shouldn't be this poor.
I placed her on the only wooden plank bed in the room and poured her a cup of hot water, letting her drink a few sips.
Seeing that she had slightly improved, I decided to leave once she sobered up a bit.
Looking at the simple furniture in the room, my heart was filled with questions. Her income shouldn't be low, and she was wearing a valuable chi jade pendant around her neck.
There was no way she should be living in a place like this; the rent here probably wouldn't exceed two hundred a month.
A simple wooden door with a padlock, and only one window, which looked like it was rarely opened.
Inside, there was a wooden plank bed, two plastic chairs, and an old dressing table with some cosmetics on it.
"Mr. Xiang, thank you."
Liu Zai Xi sat up from the bed, gently shaking her head. She seemed to have woken up quite a bit.
I was also quite impressed. After drinking so much, she sobered up so quickly.
But then again, it made sense. She worked in a place of entertainment; if she didn't have a good tolerance for alcohol, she would have left long ago.
"As long as you're alright, it's getting late. I think I'll head back now," I said, standing up.
"Mr. Xiang..." she called out to me.
I turned around, "What is it?"
She gave a wry smile and said, "It's hard to get a taxi at night where I live, and you're new to Guangbei, unfamiliar with the place..."
As she said this, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, "Why don't you just make do here tonight?"
I was taken aback. I looked at the wooden plank bed, then at her.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, "I often stay up late, so whether I sleep or not doesn't matter. If you're tired, you can rest on the bed."
"And you?" I asked.
"It's alright, I'll just read a book," she said, pointing to a few books on the dressing table.
I glanced over and noticed that the books were a bit unusual, looking somewhat like ancient texts.
The books were wrapped in parchment, so I couldn't see what they were.
I took out a pack of cigarettes and was about to light one, but hesitated, "Do you mind the smell of smoke?"
"It's fine, you can smoke if you want to," Liu Zai Xi said with a smile.
Lighting a cigarette, I took a puff and said, "Your monthly income should be quite substantial, shouldn't it?"
A hint of confusion flickered in her eyes, but it quickly vanished. "Do you think my place is too simple, Mr. Xiang?"
I smiled and nodded, "Logically, you shouldn't be living in a place like this..."
As I spoke, I looked at the chi jade on her neck, "The jade on your neck, if I'm not mistaken, should be chi jade, right?"
She was slightly startled, "How did you know?"
I smiled, "I enjoy studying antiques and curiosities, so I have some knowledge of them."
She looked skeptical, "Really? But many people can't tell that the jade on my neck is chi jade..."
As she said this, her eyes suddenly showed a hint of wariness, "You're a treasure appraiser, aren't you?"
Being asked that, I couldn't hide it anymore. After all, being a treasure appraiser wasn't a shameful profession.
"Something like that. I have an antique shop in Guangling." I said.
"Are you in Guangbei to participate in the Treasure Appraisal Convention?" she suddenly asked.
"Huh?" I was surprised, "How did you know?"
She smiled slightly, "Everyone in the antique business in Guangbei knows about the Treasure Appraisal Convention. And this year's convention is different from the usual. Quite a few out-of-town appraisers have been arriving one after another."
"Miss Liu, are you also in the same trade?" I asked.
Her expression suddenly dimmed, and a trace of hidden hurt flashed in her eyes, "My ancestors were also treasure appraisers..."
"Oh?" This surprised me, "Then how come you..."
"You mean how come I ended up working in a nightclub, right?" she gave a bitter laugh, "Have you heard of 'Gambling Appraisal'?"
I had certainly heard of Gambling Appraisal; it was a form of competition among treasure appraisers.
Gambling Appraisal, when broken down, simply meant "gambling" and "appraising," its meaning was quite clear.
The origin of Gambling Appraisal is unknown. It's said that a long time ago, two appraising families were in constant competition. After a prolonged struggle, they both ended up suffering heavy losses. Finally, an elder, unable to bear it any longer, proposed the concept of "Gambling Appraisal."
Both parties would decide the winner through an appraisal competition, with their entire fortunes as the stakes.
I only heard my father mention two incidents of Gambling Appraisal, and both happened a very long time ago. In recent times, there have been fewer and fewer events of Gambling Appraisal, as everyone now values harmony.
Liu Zai Xi told me that her family was once a prominent appraising family in Guangbei. Unfortunately, her father's Gambling Appraisal later resulted in the loss of all their family wealth.
After that, her father fell into despair and eventually hanged himself, leaving behind only a pair of unfortunate mother and daughter.
Liu Zai Xi's mother was a frail woman. After her husband's suicide, her health deteriorated day by day. Now, she was admitted to the hospital, and the monthly medical expenses were extremely high.
This was why Liu Zai Xi worked in entertainment venues and lived in such a dilapidated rental.
The reason she was crying in the restroom earlier was because of a call from her mother.
After hearing her story, I couldn't help but sigh.
Liu Zai Xi looked crestfallen and managed a smile, "Mr. Xiang, you've seen my embarrassing side."
"Miss Liu, what are you saying?" I said with admiration, "What you've managed to do is already remarkable. I'm just a bit curious, as a descendant of appraisers, why didn't you make a living by appraising, and instead went to work in that place?"
Liu Zai Xi said, "I didn't learn much about appraising skills. The salary for working there is quite considerable, and the boss there is also quite good to me..."
"But this can't go on forever..." As I said this, I glanced at the chi jade on her neck.
I originally wanted to suggest she sell that chi jade to solve her immediate financial problems.
However, seeing her expression, I didn't voice the thought.
"This jade is the only thing my father left for my mother... My mother said that even if she were to die, she wouldn't sell this chi jade," Liu Zai Xi said softly.
Upon hearing this, I found myself at a loss for words.
After all, every family has its own difficult issues, and everyone has their own troubles.
In the blink of an eye, time passed unknowingly. The sky had already become dimly lit.
I never expected that on my first arrival in Guangbei, I would end up talking with a woman all night. It was truly comical.
After it was completely light, Liu Zai Xi walked me to the door and helped me call a taxi.
Before I left, she smiled and said, "Mr. Xiang, I'm very happy to have met you. We'll meet again if there's a chance."
I nodded, waved goodbye to her, and then asked the driver to take me to the apartment complex that Liu Jiang Min had arranged for Fatty and me.
Upon returning, as soon as I entered the door, I saw two living people lying on the ground: one was Fatty, and the other was Liu Jiang Min.
Their snoring was louder than each other, sleeping soundly on the floor. They weren't afraid of getting rheumatism.