The situation became clear to me only after the person named Xiao Liu arrived.
It turned out that the entire setup was deliberately orchestrated by Fu Honglang. The primary purpose of this elaborate scheme was to lure his wife back to him.
Not only was I bewildered, but even Fatty was stunned.
After we were sent back to the hotel, Fatty remarked in the room, "That guy surnamed Fu is truly bizarre."
I shrugged, unsure of what to say for a moment.
"His own wife had an argument with him and stormed off. To get her to come out, he actually caused all this trouble," Fatty said. "For someone his age, how can he still be so immature? No wonder his wife ran away."
I replied, "You shouldn't underestimate him..."
Fatty looked at me, puzzled, "What? Did you discover something, Brother Xiang?"
"Didn't you see the place we went to today? Those people had such a strong earthy smell about them. And did you notice the location of Fu Honglang's tiger's mouth? It was full of calluses."
Fatty said, "Brother Xiang, stop beating around the bush. What exactly did you figure out?"
"Can't you use your brain a little?" I shook my head helplessly, sank into a nearby chair, lit a cigarette, and slowly started to smoke.
Fatty furrowed his brows, pondered for a while, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Brother Xiang, are you saying they are all tomb raiders?"
I nodded, "It seems to be correct... When the calligraphy and painting shop owner was chatting with us earlier, I noticed he was very cautious in his speech, as if he were hiding something from us. Now, it seems he was trying to conceal Fu Honglang's true identity."
As I spoke, I couldn't help but ponder. Sister Ying asked me to find Fu Honglang and hand over the Qin mirror to him. This meant Sister Ying would meet with Fu Honglang.
It also proved that Fu Honglang was a trustworthy person. However, his impression of me was far from matching the words "trustworthy."
Just now, at that self-built house, he didn't seem to care about the Qin mirror at all, only mentioning his wife, Mao Guizhi.
Later, he directly asked Fatty and me to go back and rest, saying he would find us again tomorrow.
I was now hesitant, unsure whether I should hand over the Qin mirror to him.
As I thought about it, I took the Qin mirror out of my bag. The moment Fatty saw the Qin mirror, he shivered, "Brother Xiang, can you put this thing away?"
I ignored him and examined it carefully. What did Sister Ying want with this Qin mirror?
Could there be a secret hidden within it?
If something was indeed hidden inside, it would likely have been discovered by Bi Zhengxiang back in Yanjing.
I turned it over and over for a long time, but I couldn't find anything unusual about the Qin mirror.
After putting it back in my bag, I stood up helplessly and asked Fatty to get some food from downstairs.
Before we could start eating, my phone rang. It was Fu Honglang calling.
"Brother Xiang, you can come downstairs. I've sent someone to pick you up," Fu Honglang said on the other end of the phone.
"Where are you sending us?" I asked.
"I was a bit emotional earlier and made you witness a spectacle. I've arranged a banquet to welcome you."
Listening to Fu Honglang's words, I was a little slow to react. How could this guy change his tune so quickly?
"Also, bring the item with you," Fu Honglang said before hanging up.
Fatty held a pair of chopsticks, looking at the braised noodles in front of him, "Brother Xiang, should we go or not?"
"What do you think?" I replied. "Since he's said so, we naturally can't refuse him. Let's go."
"Alright!" As soon as Fatty heard about food, he became spirited, moving faster than anyone.
After coming down from the hotel, a van was parked in front of us. The driver's face was severely swollen; it was Xiao Liu, the one Fu Honglang had dealt with earlier.
"Gentlemen, Boss Fu sent me to pick you up. Please get in."
When he smiled, it looked like he was crying, which made me feel amused.
After getting in the car, I asked him, "Are you alright?"
Xiao Liu turned his head to look at me, "Me? What could be wrong with me?"
"I mean your face."
"Oh... my skin is thick. Being slapped by Boss Fu actually helps circulation and removes blood stasis."
Fatty couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your skin must be exceptionally thick..."
Soon, we arrived at a not-so-large restaurant. As soon as we entered, I saw Fu Honglang sitting at a table in the hall, accompanied by seven or eight other people, men and women.
I scanned the surroundings and noticed that besides his table, there were no other customers in the restaurant.
After sitting down, Fu Honglang cupped his hands and said, "Brother Xiang, I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I hope you can forgive me."
"Mr. Fu, you jest. There's nothing to mention," I replied.
Fu Honglang smiled slightly, clapped his hands, and soon a woman walked over with a tray. On the tray was a bowl.
When the woman came in front of me, I finally got a clear look at the bowl.
It was a Jun kiln rose-purple glazed bowl!
Its condition was perfect.
This bowl alone could sell for at least over a million yuan.
I looked at Fu Honglang in confusion, not understanding his intentions.
"Brother Xiang, you spent a lot of money to redeem me earlier. I've never liked owing anyone anything, so this bowl is a token of my gratitude. I hope Brother Xiang won't find it too modest," Fu Honglang said with a smile.
What a generous gesture, using a Jun kiln porcelain bowl as a welcome gift.
Before I could speak, Fatty chimed in, "Boss Fu, this isn't fair, is it? Brother Xiang spent a million yuan for you, and you're only giving him this one bowl?"
As he spoke, Fatty directly reached out and took the bowl, weighing it in his hand. I felt a pang of anxiety watching him.
"What are you doing? Put it down quickly," I nudged him and quickly snatched the bowl from his hand, carefully placing it on the table.
Fatty seemed a bit taken aback. I whispered, "Do you know what kind of bowl that is? That's Jun kiln porcelain!"
Upon hearing this, Fatty was completely stunned and said, "Is that for real?"
I ignored him and said to Fu Honglang, "Mr. Fu, you are too kind. Regardless of anything, one matter is one matter. This bowl is too valuable, I cannot accept it. Furthermore, if I take this item, I will have to find a way to sell it. If you truly want to repay me, just transfer the money."
Fu Honglang blinked, "Are you sure? You don't want it?"
I nodded.
He looked troubled and said, "If you want money, then it will have to wait. I don't have much money on hand right now. At this point, I won't hide anything from you, Brother Xiang. My wife took all my money when she left."
"The reason I arranged the counterfeit goods market to scam others was to lure my wife out. I don't believe she would stand by and watch me suffer. I just didn't expect it to end up like this," Fu Honglang said bitterly.