Siheyuan: I am the Smart Pillar

Yan Fugui was busy picking out jade. He Yuzhu was sincere enough, so he, as the third uncle, had to do his job well. When he heard this, Yan Fugui looked up. He respectfully took the jade hairpin made of Lantian jade, moved closer to the lantern next to him, pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and looked at it carefully.

The more he looked at it, the more surprised he became. Yan Fugui sniffed the Lantian jade, nodded and said, "Li Shangyin once said that Lantian jade produces smoke on a warm day. This Lantian jade has been a tribute to the royal family since the Tang Dynasty. Until the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the Lantian jade mine was once exhausted. Nowadays, if you go to Lantian to buy this kind of Lantian jade, you can't buy it at all. Do you know why? Because there is no Lantian jade in the jade mine at all."

Yan Fugui pursed his lips, smiled and said, "And the Lantian jade I'm talking about is not the ordinary Lantian jade. The full name of this jade is Lantian Warm Jade. According to historical records, during the Republic of China, the warlords in Shaanxi over-exploited this Lantian jade, causing the already very depleted Lantian jade mine to become extinct. When Japan invaded China, the Japanese were very fond of jade. This is especially Lantian jade, which the Japanese like the most."

"Those spineless people in our country did everything they could to curry favor with the Japanese. Most of the Lantian jade was taken away by the invading Japanese army, and only a small portion remained in the hands of the people. Let me see, this piece of Lantian warm jade is a top-grade product. I saw it only once in my master's jade shop, and it was my master's favorite treasure at the time. What a pity, it was eventually snatched away by the high-ranking officials."

Yan Fugui was stunned when he saw the jade hairpin. He picked up the lantern beside him and took a closer look. He sighed and said, "This thing is worth 3000 yuan, and it is very cheap. This thing came out of the palace. It is probably something that a concubine or imperial concubine has worn. Zhuzi, don't even think about this jade hairpin. Although this thing is quite precious, let's be pragmatic. We are ordinary people. We should focus on having enough food and clothes."

He Yuzhu knew that what Yan Fugui said made sense, so he nodded helplessly. The side was already full of people who were interested in jade, and they all stared at the jade hairpin. The stubborn old man didn't have any expression, but just nodded and said with a smile, "You have a pretty good eye, you can tell a lot about this treasure of mine."

After a long time, Yan Fugui took out two bracelets and a jade pendant from the pile of jade, nodded and said with a smile, "These three things are pretty good, brother, just name a price." The stubborn old man glanced at Yan Fugui, nodded and said with a smile, "You have a good eye, these three things are all good. Two hundred yuan."

Yan Fugui nodded and said, "These three things are really good for 200 yuan." The stubborn old man snorted and said, "What are you thinking? 200 yuan each. These three things are 600 yuan." Yan Fugui said in surprise, "I say, old man, you are really too much, one thing is only 200 yuan. I admit that your things are really good, but they are not as good as one thing, 200 yuan."

He Yuzhu smiled and said to the stubborn old man, "Old sir, my wife and I just got married. I want to buy some wedding gifts for my wife. Please be kind and give me a real price. Nowadays, everyone is struggling to feed themselves. Although your jade is really good, there is no need to charge 200 yuan for one piece. It is really too expensive. I will buy all of them for 300 yuan, okay?"

The old man sniffed, thinking that his family was about to run out of food. In this era, everyone was lucky to be alive. Who had the spare money to buy such jade? Originally, it was handed down from his ancestors. Thinking that he had no children and died, these jades would be sold to others. It would be better to sell them to make his life better? He rolled his eyes and nodded helplessly. Now he really couldn't live happily anymore.

300 yuan can make him live comfortably for three months. He used to be a young master of the Eight Banners. How could he fall to such a state? He sighed helplessly, thinking about how he used to walk his bird and drink tea, and then thought about his current life. He sighed helplessly, and finally bowed his head for his life.

He Yuzhu smiled and took out 30 big unity notes from his pocket and put the three jade articles in his pocket. The two of them left the black market and walked towards the courtyard with a smile. He Yuzhu said to Yan Fugui curiously, "Uncle, don't you think I'm a bit of a spendthrift? I spent more than 500 yuan to buy these things that can't be eaten or drunk?"

Yan Fugui smiled and said, "Don't play dumb with an old man like me. Gold in troubled times is antique in prosperous times. Don't think that an old man like me doesn't know that if our country really becomes rich and strong, the things you bought tonight will be worth several times more. I have lived to such an old age and have seen many ups and downs in my life."

He Yuzhu asked curiously, "Since you think so, Third Uncle, why don't you leave some heirlooms for your descendants. Antiques on the market are very cheap now, so you won't lose out by buying some." Yan Fugui smiled bitterly and said, "You kid, do you think I didn't think about it at the beginning? I also wanted to buy some real antiques and leave them to my descendants, leaving a wealth for them."

Yan Fugui smiled bitterly and said helplessly, "But you also know that my monthly salary is only 27 yuan, and I have to live frugally every month. To tell you the truth, Zhuzi, we have to calculate every grain of millet in our family and know when we can eat it. 5 yuan a month is sometimes not enough. So I gave up the idea. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. I am already very good if I can raise these boys up and marry them off. Why put pressure on myself for no reason? If I really had your ability, I would also like to collect some jade or antiques."