I understand Sister Ying's feelings. Although I'm not very knowledgeable about the antique market, I know the value of a Xuande censer.
A genuine Xuande censer is worth at least a million.
A million from that era was no small sum.
That's why, when I saw the Xuande censer, I thought Sister Ying was no ordinary collector.
"Sister Ying, I'm very grateful for your care during this time, which prevented me from ending up on the streets. You can doubt me, but I want to say that I would never cheat you."
I spoke with utmost sincerity.
Sister Ying looked at me for several seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Alright! With your words, I won't say anything more. Eat first. After you finish eating, have Old Xu take you to find me. Uncle Hong and the others should be arriving soon, let's have a meeting."
I nodded.
Sister Ying stood up, patted my shoulder gently, and then left the private room.
I let out a sigh, my palms were also sweating. I didn't know why I was so nervous.
Logically, even if Sister Ying kicked me out now, I wouldn't starve, as I hadn't spent much of my salary these past few months.
Could it be that I didn't want to leave her?
Thinking of this, I gave a wry smile.
Sister Ying was so beautiful, and a major collector at that. How could she possibly be interested in me?
After finishing my meal, I left the private room. I didn't see Xu Dashan, so I went to find Sister Ying myself.
Arriving at the door of the room where I first met the Hong father and son, I was about to knock when I heard Sister Ying's voice.
"Uncle Hong, how are the negotiations with the buyer going?"
"The buyer's stance is to follow the contract strictly. They said if we fail to deliver the item by the agreed date, we'll have to pay late fees, and they'll only allow a maximum of one week's extension."
"What about your side, Yunpeng?" Sister Ying's voice sounded again.
"I've already sent people to inquire. The fellow who sold us the censer has left Guangling. We don't know where he went yet."
"It seems very likely that this was a setup by the buyer," Uncle Hong chimed in.
"Then what should we do?" Hong Yunpeng asked. "If it's a setup by the buyer, then the Bai family is definitely involved. The question is, why would the Bai family do this?"
Sister Ying said: "It seems the Bai family is likely targeting my Fourth Uncle..."
"Young lady, you mean..."
Before I could hear more, my shoulder was patted, startling me.
Turning around, I saw Xu Dashan smiling at me. "I was just looking for you. President An was worried you wouldn't find your way, so she sent me to pick you up."
I smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
Just then, the door opened, and Sister Ying saw me. She smiled, "Xiao Fei, you're here? Come in."
I nodded and walked in.
"President An, you two talk. Call me if you need anything." Xu Dashan greeted them and left.
Inside, Uncle Hong and his son glanced at Sister Ying when they saw me.
"Xiao Fei is one of us," Sister Ying said.
Hearing this, I felt a sense of peace and reassurance for some reason.
"Xiao Fei," Uncle Hong smiled at me. "How is that censer coming along?"
I quickly replied, "It's almost done, it just needs to absorb some earthly energy."
"Earthly energy?" Hong Yunpeng asked, looking confused.
I explained, "It needs to be buried in the earth for a while."
"How long will it need?" Uncle Hong asked.
"At least ten days," I replied.
"Ten days?" Uncle Hong frowned, looking at Sister Ying.
"Ten days it is. Just go along with the buyer's terms," Sister Ying said.
"Young lady, this..." Uncle Hong hesitated, glancing at me.
"As I said, Xiao Fei is one of us. Since he's one of us, I trust him," Sister Ying said.
"Alright, I'll try to stall the buyer," Uncle Hong sighed.
Seeing everyone fall silent, I interjected, "Sister Ying, I'll go back to the shop during this time. I'm just idle here. I can tend to the shop when I go back."
Sister Ying nodded, "That's fine. Yunpeng, you can drive Xiao Fei back to the shop later. Uncle Hong and I are going into the city."
"Okay," Hong Yunpeng replied.
Leaving the farmhouse, I got into Hong Yunpeng's Santana.
To be honest, Hong Yunpeng didn't look like an antique dealer at all, but more like a small businessman.
He had slicked-back hair, a gray suit, and carried a small leather bag. He was very talkative.
"Brother Xiang, how did you meet Sister Ying?" Hong Yunpeng asked after starting the car.
I truthfully replied, "I work at Sister Ying's shop in Hongyuan."
He lit a cigarette and offered me one. I waved my hand in refusal, "I don't smoke."
"You mean you met Sister Ying at the Zisha teapot shop in Hongyuan?"
I nodded.
"Then, you've been with Sister Ying for some time?"
"Almost four months," I replied.
Hong Yunpeng slowly nodded and said, "Four months... that's not too long. Sister Ying trusts you so much, you must have helped her move some goods before, right?"
"Move goods?"
I frowned, not understanding his meaning.
"You haven't helped Sister Ying move goods?" Hong Yunpeng seemed surprised.
"Brother Hong, what does 'moving goods' mean?" I asked.
Hong Yunpeng gave an awkward smile and took a drag from his cigarette. "It's nothing, just pretend I didn't ask."
I found it a bit strange. What did he mean by "moving goods"?
My father had taught me a lot of slang from the antique trade.
Terms like "palace ware," "overglaze enamel," and "cold food stealing" were all familiar to me.
But this term "moving goods" was something I'd heard for the first time.
Going by the literal meaning, it should mean helping Sister Ying sell or transport items.
But the Chinese language is profound, and some words that seem to mean one thing often have hidden meanings.
This left me completely baffled.
The car stopped at the entrance of Hongyuan. I got out, thanked Hong Yunpeng, and returned to the shop.
But as soon as I reached the shop door, I was stunned.
The rolling shutter was halfway open!
My heart sank. Had there been a break-in?
Thinking this, I quickly pulled open the rolling shutter.
The shop was in disarray, completely ransacked. Not only that, but the wall cabinets holding the Zisha teapots had also fallen to the ground, with teapots shattered everywhere.
This was a disaster!
I quickly turned and ran towards the entrance. I saw Hong Yunpeng's car was still there and rushed towards it without a second thought.
"Brother Hong! Something's happened!"
Hong Yunpeng poked his head out of the car window, "What is it?"
"The shop's been robbed!"