60s: I have a store

Chapter 644 Quanjude

Li Youde and Dapeng quietly left and followed the route they took yesterday back to the courtyard house.

They planned to hand the items over to Zhou Yimin as soon as they got back to the courtyard house; they felt unsafe leaving them in their hands.

These items are worth seventy catties of flour; if anything goes wrong, they can't afford to pay for them.

When we got back to the courtyard house, it was even earlier than yesterday. If we woke Zhou Yimin up now, we might wake up the others, and it wouldn't be good if they were discovered.

Although, who can guarantee that they haven't been to the black market, they need to keep a low profile and not let the whole world know, otherwise who else would they arrest if not them?
With no other option, the two could only take their belongings back to their respective homes and get some sleep first.

I slept exceptionally well that night, probably because I was too tired last night. I rarely take so many things to the black market.

Going to the black market is risky. You might get robbed on the way there, and you can't call the police. You just have to swallow your grievances.

Otherwise, it would be troublesome if I got arrested myself.

As soon as Li Youde opened his eyes, he remembered the antique under his pillow. He quickly touched it and breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed that it was still there. He hurriedly put on his clothes and ran to the Dapeng House next door.

Da Peng had just woken up and was staring blankly at the old cloth when he saw Li Youde arrive. Without saying a word, the two carefully carried the cloth bundle containing the antique and hurried towards Zhou Yimin's house.

At that moment, Zhou Yimin was cooking when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Li Youde and Dapeng carrying a bundle. He quickly invited them in.

Once inside, Dapeng couldn't wait to ask, "Yimin, look what this is?"

He then carefully opened the bundle, and the contents were slowly revealed: a blue and white porcelain vase, a jade bracelet, a brass thumb ring, and two small copper bells.

Zhou Yimin asked, "Were you not bumped or knocked over?"

You know, the value of an antique drops significantly if it has even the slightest flaw, which is why I couldn't help but ask another question.

Dapeng quickly assured him, "Perfect! Perfect! Not a single scratch or dent!"

Zhou Yimin squatted down and picked up the blue and white porcelain vase first.

He gently stroked the bottle, feeling the smoothness of the porcelain surface with his fingertips, his gaze falling on the blue and white pattern.

It was a typical lotus scroll pattern, with well-balanced colors and smooth brushstrokes. Turning it over to check the bottom mark, the six characters "Made in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty" were clear and neat, with vigorous characters, without the stiffness of new imitations.

"What a find! This is a fine piece from a folk kiln during the Qianlong era, so well preserved, it's rare!" Zhou Yimin's eyes lit up, his tone full of surprise.

Then he picked up the jade bracelet, weighed it in his palm, and found it to be quite heavy. When he held it up to the sunlight, he saw that the jade was translucent, without any impurities, and only had a few natural water lines. It was a top-quality Hetian jade.

This jade bracelet is at least a hundred years old. The jade is warm and lustrous, with good translucency, and it is free of cracks and flaws. It is not an easy thing to preserve it so well.

Zhou Yimin then gently tapped the jade bracelet, the clear and melodious sound confirming its quality.

In later generations, this kind of thing would cost at least a million dollars to even be worthy of seeing!

Next was the brass thumb ring. Zhou Yimin picked up the thumb ring and carefully examined the cloud pattern on it. Although it was somewhat worn, the pattern was clear, and the traces of hand carving were obvious. The copper color also gave it the weighty feel of an old object. This thumb ring was from the Qing Dynasty. Judging from the craftsmanship, it seemed to be used by officials. The copper material was pure.

Finally, Zhou Yimin picked up two small copper bells, shook them, and the sound was crisp and clear. The oxidation marks on the bells were natural, without any signs of deliberate aging.

This bronze bell is also old. Although it is not as valuable as the porcelain vase and jade bracelet, it is still a genuine antique and is worth keeping for enjoyment.

Li Youde and Dapeng stood aside, watching Zhou Yimin grow happier and happier, and their hearts also felt at ease.

Da Peng couldn't help but ask, "Yi Min, are these items really that good? If we trade eighty catties of flour for them, we won't lose out, will we?"

I would feel bad if I lost out on the first time I helped Zhou Yimin buy something.

"It's totally worth it! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's a steal." Zhou Yimin put down the copper bell and said with a smile.

The stenographer added, "Don't even mention eighty catties of flour, it would be worth it even if we doubled it or added ten more catties of meat!"

Zhou Yimin thought to himself, if it weren't for the three years of famine that had left his family in dire straits, they wouldn't have brought out such good things to sell.

Li Youde and Dapeng were shocked when they heard this, never expecting that these things were so valuable.

Zhou Yimin paused, then looked at the two of them, "Thanks to you both this time, don't go back for lunch, eat here instead!"

"Okay!" the two agreed in unison, their faces beaming with joy.

Not only did they fulfill Zhou Yimin's request, but they also received recognition and got to eat stewed meat. This hard work was truly worthwhile.

Zhou Yimin went to the cabinet where the items were kept, pretending to take something out, but in reality, he bought two jin of pork belly and some eggs directly from the store.

He took the things and went into the kitchen to start making stewed meat.

Soon, the aroma of stewed meat wafted from Zhou Yimin's house. The other residents of the courtyard were already used to this scene.

The three of them ate and chatted.

Li Youde suddenly remembered the black market old man's instructions before they set off and said abruptly, "Yimin, there's something else I need to tell you. After we finished our transaction with that old man yesterday, he quietly told us before he left that he wanted to meet us at Quanjude this evening. He said he still has this kind of thing and wants to talk to us about it. Do you think we should go?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them stopped eating.

Da Peng nodded in agreement: "The old man said that those items were more valuable than the porcelain vase and jade bracelet we exchanged today. He was worried that it would be unsafe to trade on the black market, so he arranged to meet at Quanjude and said he would only meet with the two of us."

Zhou Yimin fell into deep thought, even though everyone was satisfied with the deal.

However, if the meeting is to be held in another place, and the elderly person is not familiar with the place, there is indeed a risk in going to the appointment rashly.

But then I thought, if the old man could produce a porcelain vase from the Qianlong period and a Hetian jade bracelet, he might actually have even rarer antiques in his possession. If I missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to encounter one again.

Zhou Yimin was silent for a few seconds, then tapped the stone table lightly with his fingertips, his eyes gradually hardening: "Go."

Li Youde and Da Peng were both stunned, not expecting Zhou Yimin to make a decision so quickly.

Da Peng couldn't help but ask, "Yi Min, there are so many people at Quanjude. What if there's any danger?"

"Fortune favors the bold; there's no way to acquire treasures without some risk." Zhou Yimin stood up, walked to the door to look around, and only after confirming that no one was passing by did he lower his voice and continue speaking.

"However, we need to be careful. We'll split up and do it separately. If any problems arise, we can look out for each other."

Li Youde and Dapeng thought this was a good idea; for people who didn't have much contact in the black market, it was always better to have a backup plan.

Zhou Yimin instructed again: "When you chat with the old man, don't mention too much about us. Just say you want to see the treasure. If it's really good, then talk about the exchange conditions. Food and money are easy to talk about, but don't rush to agree. Try to drag it out for a while and wait for me to give you a look before making a decision."

Li Youde nodded: "Okay! We'll go in first and find a window seat. Once you see us seated, you can come in and find a table." Zhou Yimin said: "Keep eating!"

Li Youde and Dapeng then continued eating, and sure enough, eating big chunks of meat was the best!
The two pounds of pork belly and eggs were quickly devoured, and the three of them patted their bellies, feeling quite full.

Zhou Yimin went into the room and soon came out with two bags. Judging from the contents, they were quite heavy.

Although Li Youde and Dapeng found it a bit strange, they didn't open it and didn't know what was inside.

At this moment, Zhou Yimin said, "There are five catties of flour in each of these boxes. If the old man wants to see our sincerity, you can take out the flour first and say that you have extra grain at home. As long as the treasure is good, there will be enough food."

The two hadn't expected the bag to contain flour, but after taking the bag, they felt much more at ease.

Da Peng said with a smile, "Yi Min, with all this white flour from you, we feel much more at ease."

This time it's being done separately, so we can't know Zhou Yimin's thoughts immediately, which will increase the "price".

Zhou Yimin felt it wasn't worth it and decided not to take it, even though the possibility was very low.

Zhou Yimin patted the two men on the shoulders: "Don't be careless. Quanjude is not like the black market. There are many people and many eyes. Be careful in everything you do."

"Wait a moment, I'll take you to the vicinity of Quanjude, then you can go in together, don't go in together, so as not to attract attention."

"Okay!" the two agreed in unison. Their initial nervousness subsided thanks to Zhou Yimin's arrangements.

As the agreed time drew closer, Li Youde and Dapeng stopped thinking about going back for another trip.

They stayed at Zhou Yimin's house, chatting and eating peanuts and melon seeds, having a great time.

Da Peng heard the clock in Zhou Yimin's house chime and checked the time: "Yimin, it's already four o'clock. There's still about an hour until the agreed evening. We should set off. It'll take another half hour on the road."

Da Peng nodded in agreement, stood up, and dusted off his clothes: "If it gets any later, there will be too many people on the road, and it will be difficult for motorcycles to travel."

Zhou Yimin nodded: "That's true, then let's set off!"

The three arrived at the gate of the courtyard house. Because the motorcycle was too heavy, and the gate had a threshold, unlike a bicycle which could be easily lifted in, the motorcycle had to be parked outside.

Zhou Yimin handed the bag he had prepared in advance to Li Youde: "There are some industrial coupons, grain coupons, and quite a bit of money in here. You two take them."

"When we get to Quanjude, don't be shy when ordering. Go all out. Although we're here to discuss business, we also need to show the old man our capabilities so that he'll dare to bring out the best dishes."

Li Youde took the cloth bag, felt the thick stack of tickets and coins inside, and felt even more confident: "Don't worry! We definitely won't lose face!"

Da Peng also came over to take a look and said with a smile, "With this much money, we could order five more roast ducks, let alone other dishes!"

Zhou Yimin hopped on the motorcycle and patted the back seat: "Wait a minute, when we get to Quanjude, you guys go in first."

“Okay!” Li Youde and Dapeng replied.

Zhou Yimin started the motorcycle, and with a "whoosh," it sped off down the alley.

Zhou Yimin quickly arrived near Quanjude and then let Li Youde and Dapeng go in first.

Zhou Yimin sat directly on the motorcycle and waited quietly.

He didn't know how long he had waited, but when he saw that it was completely dark, he looked at his watch and realized that it was about time.

As I drove my motorcycle to the entrance of Quanjude, the red lanterns hanging at the entrance lit up, making the three golden characters "Quanjude" stand out prominently.

There were already quite a few diners walking in from the entrance, and the place was bustling with noise and excitement.

As soon as Zhou Yimin entered the room, a warm, cozy aroma of roast duck wafted towards him.

The hall was full of people, and the waiters, dressed in uniform white coats, moved among the tables carrying trays.

Seeing that Li Youde and Dapeng had found a seat by the window, it seemed that the old man hadn't arrived yet.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be only two people sitting together.

Zhou Yimin found a table not far from Li Youde and his group so he could easily observe their every move.

This also makes it easier to provide timely feedback to Li Youde and the others.

When the waiter came over, Zhou Yimin didn't skimp on himself and ordered a whole roast duck without ordering anything else.

After all, you might not be able to finish a whole roast duck.

Li Youde and Da Peng glanced around every now and then, trying to see when the old man and Zhou Yimin would arrive.

Soon they spotted Zhou Yimin nearby, and the three exchanged a few subtle glances.

Not long after, an elderly man walked into Quanjude, looking around as if he were looking for someone.

They quickly found the person they were looking for and went straight to Li Youde's table.

"Would you two mind sharing a table?" the old man asked.

Da Peng was about to refuse when he looked up and saw that it was the old man. He quickly agreed, "Of course."

He then waved, and soon a waiter came over and handed the menu to Dapeng.

Da Peng took the menu and, without even looking at the other dishes, said directly, "Give us three roast ducks, fresh out of the oven, along with three dipping sauces, two baskets of lotus leaf buns, and two hot dishes, one stir-fried greens and one stir-fried liver tips."

Upon hearing this, not only was the waiter stunned for a moment, but even the old man opposite him raised his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them!
Quanjude's roast duck is not cheap. Most people would order one at most, but three people would order three, which is quite extravagant.

Li Youde explained with a smile, "Grandpa, please don't take offense. We both have big appetites, and this roast duck is delicious. If we can't finish it, we can pack it up and take it home to avoid waste."

As he spoke, he discreetly took out the tickets and money that Zhou Yimin had given him, placed them on the table, and made sure the old man saw them.

Only then did he slowly and leisurely hand the money and tickets to the waiter.

The old man looked at the tickets on the table, his surprise turning into approval, and nodded with a smile: "It's normal for young people to have a good appetite."

After he finished speaking, he swallowed hard. He hadn't eaten Quanjude roast duck in a long time; the aroma was simply divine.

He only has one thing on his mind right now: to eat the roast duck as soon as possible. He can talk about the rest later after he finishes eating the roast duck.

(End of this chapter)