I spent a full day searching all those addresses, but came up empty.
Not only could I not find the person, I couldn't even find any information about the name Yang Hanxue.
That evening, back in my hotel room, I sat alone and pondered.
It was impossible to search the entire city. There were only two paths left: the first was to find Yang Hanxue through his grandfather, and the second was the clue Wu Tingxiu mentioned.
Searching for bizarre and ancient artifacts might, by sheer luck, lead me to Yang Hanxue.
Frankly, I leaned towards the first option, as it had at least some discernible direction.
The second path, however, felt rather vague and highly dependent on chance.
What constituted a "bizarre and ancient artifact"? How bizarre? How ancient?
These were subjective judgments. What I found bizarre, others might not.
I found Bai Hanyan and asked if she knew any experts in Beijing's archaeology circles. She replied, "Archaeology experts? My mother is an archaeology expert in Beijing."
I was surprised by the coincidence and asked, "Could you introduce me? I have something I'd like to ask her about."
"Certainly. I'll call her later and ask her to have dinner with us tomorrow..."
Bai Hanyan hesitated for a moment and added, "But there's something I need to tell you first."
"What is it?" I asked.
"My mother's temper isn't as good as my dad's. She's very blunt and might not think before she speaks, so you should be prepared..."
Before she could finish, I smiled and said, "Don't worry, what's the big deal? She's an elder. At worst, I'll just agree with whatever she says and listen."
Bai Hanyan smiled, "That would be best. But you should still prepare yourself."
The next day, we met Bai Hanyan's mother at a restaurant. She was a middle-aged woman who appeared quite reserved.
She wore a grey work suit and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
As it was our first meeting, I greeted her politely, saying, "Hello, Auntie."
She retorted, "Who's your auntie?"
I felt incredibly awkward at that moment. Fortunately, Bai Hanyan stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Mom, this is Xiang Fei. He's my friend."
"Friend? What kind of friend?"
Bai Hanyan's mother, Hu Lan, was a professor in the archaeology department at Beijing University and an expert on the Beijing archaeological team.
"Just a good friend," Bai Hanyan replied.
"Your boyfriend?" Hu Lan asked, frowning and looking at me. Her gaze was quite intimidating.
"Mom!" Bai Hanyan said affectionately, linking her arm through Hu Lan's. "What boyfriend? We're just good friends."
Hu Lan visibly relaxed, which made me feel a bit awkward.
"You came to Beijing without telling me? Have you grown up and don't need your old mother anymore?" Hu Lan asked.
"How could that be?" Bai Hanyan said with a smile. "No matter how old I get, I'm still your daughter. I decided to come on short notice, so I didn't inform you. Besides, I arrived yesterday and I'm seeing you today..."
Hu Lan smiled, looking like she couldn't do anything about Bai Hanyan, "You're always in Guangling and don't come back to see me more often."
"Don't you not have time? Every time I visit, you're busy with research. I didn't want to disturb you."
Hu Lan sighed, a hint of guilt in her eyes.
The mother and daughter chatted animatedly for a while, ignoring me. Seeing that it was about time, I signaled the waiter to serve the food.
During the meal, Bai Hanyan subtly said many good things about me. I knew she was trying to set the stage for me.
However, as she spoke, Hu Lan's gaze towards me began to change. She then started asking about where I was from, what my family did, and similar topics.
Knowing that this would lead to misunderstandings, I decided to get straight to the point and tell her why I needed her help.
"Yang Qirui?" Hu Lan frowned slightly and thought for a moment, as if recalling something.
After a while, she looked at me and said, "What are you looking for Professor Yang for?"
"I'm not looking for him. I want to inquire about his grandson, Yang Hanxue," I said.
Hu Lan smiled, "He doesn't have a grandson. Professor Yang devoted his entire life to archaeological research. He never married or had children."
I was taken aback. Could it be a case of mistaken identity?
Hu Lan stated with absolute certainty, "Impossible. In the field of paleontology, Professor Yang is an outstanding pioneer. It's impossible for there to be a name overlap."
Hearing her so sure, I became confused. Could Wu Tingxiu's information be wrong?
"Is Professor Yang still alive?" I asked.
Hu Lan sighed, "He passed away long ago."
Upon hearing this, the last shred of my hope vanished.
I had wanted to ask her if Yang Qirui had any lovers or illegitimate children, but the words didn't leave my mouth.
Hu Lan likely wouldn't know such personal matters, and asking might even backfire.
After the meal, Bai Hanyan was called away by Hu Lan to go with her.
Song Bing and I were left alone, in the dark.
I had hoped to gather some information, but came away with nothing.
Seeing that it was still early, we went to Panjiayuan in Beijing to have a look.
If it were any other time, I would have eagerly anticipated visiting the famous Panjiayuan. However, I was in no mood for it now.
Upon arriving at Panjiayuan, it was crowded with people and filled with countless stalls. All sorts of items were on display, a feast for the eyes.
Every few steps, I could hear people haggling with vendors. It was quite lively.
Song Bing and I browsed around briefly, but I didn't pay much attention to the items being sold at the stalls.
Just as we were looking for a place to rest, I noticed a circle of people nearby, seemingly looking at something.
Curiously, I went closer and found it was a stall.
The vendor was a胖子 (pàngzi - fat guy) in his twenties, wearing a leather jacket and holding something in his hand.
"Come one, come all! Don't miss out! Everything I sell here is an ancestral heirloom, each with a great story."
The胖子 shouted while introducing the items on his stall.
If he hadn't started introducing them, I might have been quite interested, as there were indeed a few nice trinkets on his stall.
However, as soon as he started talking, my interest completely vanished.
"Do you all see this?"
The胖子 picked up a square imperial seal and spoke without thinking, "This is the imperial seal of Emperor Qianlong! Don't doubt me, my ancestors spent a lot of money to acquire this. Look at the craftsmanship, the details, this is definitely genuine..."