I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

The office was much quieter than the activity hall.

Once the glass door was closed, all the voices outside, such as "family tradition," "Master Bao," and "Teacher, please take another look," were shut out.

As Lin Ye followed Lu Zhixia inside, he subconsciously hid the black plastic bag in his hand behind his back.

This place is so clean.

Light-colored walls, a black desk, and a display case containing several pieces of porcelain and jade.

Lin Ye suddenly felt like he had moved a plastic stool from a roadside barbecue stall into a high-end restaurant.

Lu Zhixia didn't react much.

She sat down in front of the computer, placed the snuff bottle on a soft cloth, and then took a few close-up photos with her camera.

Lin Ye stood beside her, watching her take pictures of the rim, bottom, and patterns on the body of the pot.

Her movements were very practiced.

So familiar with it that it felt like dealing with something that made Lin Ye's heart race every day.

Lin Ye couldn't help but ask, "Do we need to do another appraisal?"

Lu Zhixia did not look up.

"Keep it on file."

"oh."

Lin Ye nodded, trying his best to appear worldly-wise.

But his eyes kept glancing at the computer screen.

There is a table on the screen.

Product name.

Material.

Era.

Acquisition price.

Lu Zhixia entered the data into the system and then handed him a customer information form.

"Fill out some information first. Please give me a copy of your ID card. The payment will be made through the company account and will arrive in about ten minutes."

Lin Ye took the watch.

Name, mobile phone number, ID card number, bank card number, occupation.

He paused for half a second when he filled in the occupation field.

Writing about freelancing?

Not really suitable.

He doesn't even have freedom, so writing about freelancing is somewhat offensive to the word.

Finally, Lin Ye honestly wrote two words.

security guard.

After filling out the information form, Lu Zhixia handed him an acquisition order.

"Take a look, and sign if there are no problems."

Lin Ye took the order.

The inscription reads: "Late Qing Dynasty, agate snuff bottle with intricate coloring."

Acquisition amount: 32000 yuan.

Lin Ye stared at that string of numbers with more seriousness than he had with any transcript from his four years of university.

Thirty-two thousand.

The three zeros that follow quietly look perfectly pleasing to the eye.

Lin Ye took a deep breath and picked up the pen to sign his name.

He suddenly stopped halfway through the check-in process.

Lu Zhixia looked up.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Ye asked earnestly, "After I sign this, the money won't change, will it?"

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Won't."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

He finished signing his name.

When Lu Zhixia took the form, the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

Not obvious.

But Lin Ye caught it.

He is now very sensitive to other people's micro-expressions.

Especially people involved in money matters.

Lu Zhixia took her ID card to make a copy.

Lin Ye stood alone in the office, looking down at the plastic bag in his hand.

The bag contained an old cigarette box, a copper cigarette holder, and a lighter that wouldn't light.

Just now, they could be considered equals with snuff bottles.

They can no longer afford it.

The changes were as rapid as his life these past two days.

Lu Zhixia returned quickly and handed him her ID card.

"Are you a security guard at Qingshan Cemetery?"

Lin Ye paused for a moment as he took the ID card.

He glanced at the customer information sheet on the table and realized she had seen the occupation column.

"right."

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Just graduated?"

"Um."

"A newly graduated cemetery security guard can easily find a snag worth around 30,000 yuan by buying a bunch of cigarette paraphernalia at a flea market."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye suddenly realized that she wasn't stating facts, but rather listing points of doubt.

He remained calm.

"Good luck."

Lu Zhixia did not speak immediately.

Her eyes were very clear, as clear as freshly wiped glass.

As she watched him, Lin Ye felt as if his hastily made-up "grandfather's birthday celebration" was trembling behind the glass.

After a moment, she said, "Good luck is a good thing. But this industry is very complex. Don't think that just because you've found a bargain once, you can find one every time."

Lin Ye didn't expect her to remind him of this.

He froze for a moment.

Lu Zhixia continued, "Many people who get a bargain the first time will fall into a trap the second time. Especially someone like you who seems to know little but has already tasted success."

Lin Ye looked down at himself.

"Do I look that clueless?"

Lu Zhixia remained calm.

"You just asked if a snuff bottle is a smoking accessory."

Lin Ye had nothing to say.

That is indeed very convincing.

He touched his nose.

"I will be careful."

Lu Zhixia reminded him, "In the future, if you really want something, you can take a picture and show it to me first. Don't buy things randomly, especially expensive ones."

"Mmm," Lin Ye nodded emphatically.

At that moment, Lin Ye's phone suddenly vibrated.

He looked down.

Bank transfer notification.

32000.00 yuan.

For a moment, the air in the office seemed to quiet down.

Lin Ye stared at the screen.

I checked it again.

I checked it again.

Thirty-two thousand.

It's not 320.

It's not three thousand two.

It's 32,000.

This feeling is so unreal.

It felt so unreal that Lin Ye even wanted to hold his phone up to the light to check if it was just a hallucination he was having while he was sleepy.

Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, Lu Zhixia asked, "Has the money arrived?"

Lin Ye looked up, trying to remain calm.

"arrive."

"That item will remain at the auction house."

"it is good."

Lin Ye agreed quickly.

After saying that, he glanced at the snuff bottle again.

The little thing lay quietly on the soft cloth.

The teapot has a warm, smooth surface and beautiful patterns.

If Old Zhou hadn't cursed half the night in the grave, it might still be lying in the corner of a stall next to the toilet in the secondhand market.

A subtle emotion suddenly welled up in Lin Ye's heart.

Old Zhou couldn't bear to sell it while he was alive.

After he died, his son used the money to exchange for two packs of cigarettes.

He eventually bought it for 800 and sold it for 32,000.

This is absurd.

It's absurd yet somewhat realistic.

What the living don't understand, the dead can't help even if they're anxious.

Lin Ye picked up the black plastic bag and prepared to leave.

Lu Zhixia suddenly called out to him again.

"Linye."

He turned around.

"Um?"

Lu Zhixia looked at the bag in his hand.

"Are you sure you don't need to buy a new gift for your grandfather?"

Lin Ye almost couldn't keep his composure.

Why does this person still remember this?

He coughed.

"I'll definitely buy it."

Lu Zhixia nodded.

"Stop buying used smoking paraphernalia."

Lin Ye looked at the old cigarette box and lighter in the bag.

Why?

"When an elderly person celebrates their birthday, they don't necessarily want to receive a bunch of unusable things."

Lin Ye fell silent.

This suggestion is reasonable.

His lies were so reasonable that they seemed almost unfilial.

He could only bite the bullet and say, "That makes sense. I'll buy something more practical later."

"for example?"

Lin Ye was stumped by the question.

After two seconds, he said seriously, "Cake."

Lu Zhixia glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

Lin Ye quickly picked up the bag and left.

If they continued talking, he was afraid he might end up making up his deceased grandfather's birthday too.

As I stepped out of the Jiahe Auction House, the sunlight shone on me.

Lin Ye stood at the entrance of the office building, looking down at his phone balance.

Yesterday it was 6,800.

Today's figure is 32,000.

The total is close to 40,000.

For many people, 40,000 yuan might just be a handbag, a watch, or a meal.

But for Lin Ye, this was a huge sum of money.

Lin Ye did not return to the cemetery immediately.

He first went to a convenience store and bought a bottle of iced cola.

When the can of cola is opened, bubbles hiss out.

Lin Ye took a sip, and the coolness slid from his throat all the way to his stomach.

Cool.

This is much better than the instant noodle soup I had last night.

He originally wanted to buy milk tea.

But thinking of Lao Li, I gave up.

It seems somewhat disrespectful for someone who made his first fortune from Lao Li's stamp album to then turn around and drink milk tea.

Lin Ye sat on a bench in front of the convenience store and looked at his phone for a long time.

I want to buy a new phone.

Want to buy clothes.

I want to buy a pair of comfortable shoes.

In the end, he only ordered a cheap backpack for himself because his old one was too worn out.

After placing the order, he opened the food delivery app and looked around at nearby restaurants.

steak.

BBQ.

Hot Pot.

seafood.

Everything was beckoning to him.

Lin Ye was captivated by what he saw.

But after much deliberation, I finally chose a fast food restaurant.

I ordered a chicken leg rice.

Add braised eggs.

This already represents a consumption upgrade.

It cannot be done in one step.

After finishing his meal, he took a bus back to Qingshan Cemetery.

Along the way, he took out Lu Zhixia's business card and looked at it several times.

It's not because of anything else.

The main reason is that this business card is very valuable.

It means that if he hears any clues about old items from the cemetery in the future, he won't have to search the whole world for the owner, nor will he have to get caught up in the "old" stories of the flea market.

Professional people, professional prices.

This is very important.

When I returned to Qingshan Cemetery in the evening, Uncle Zhao was watering flowers at the entrance of the security booth.

The potted green ivy wasn't growing very well; its leaves were wilted, like an ox or horse that had worked several night shifts in a row.

Uncle Zhao saw Lin Ye and looked up.

"What did you learn today?"

Lin Ye spoke calmly.

"I learned about risk control in antique appraisal."

Uncle Zhao frowned upon hearing this.

"Is this how you young people talk nowadays?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"It means you should be careful when buying secondhand items in the future."

Uncle Zhao nodded.

"I understood that sentence."

He glanced at the black plastic bag in Lin Ye's hand.

"What did you buy?"

Lin Ye looked down.

Old cigarette box, copper cigarette holder, lighter.

The truly valuable items are gone.

He paused for a second.

"A birthday present for Grandpa."

Uncle Zhao was stunned for a moment.

"Is it your grandfather's birthday?"

Lin Ye almost bit his tongue.

Why is everyone so concerned about his grandfather?

An elderly person who was temporarily created is bearing too much social pressure today.

Lin Ye mumbled, "Soon."

Uncle Zhao nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

"It's a good thing to be filial."

Lin Ye silently put the plastic bag into the dormitory.

He decided that from today onwards, this lie could no longer be used.

If he continues to use it, his grandfather might actually come to talk to him in his dreams.

Night fell quickly.

Lin Ye sat down in the security booth and tucked Lu Zhixia's business card into the first page of his notebook.

There's a hook behind Old Qin in the south of the city.

He also drew a checkmark behind the Nanqiao Secondhand Market.

Stamp album, 6,800.

Snuff bottle, 32,000.

The two checkmarks are placed side by side, like two freshly stamped seals.

Lin Ye stared at them for a long time.

Then, he silently turned to the third page.

blank.

Very clean.

It looks very tempting.

He put the pen down and looked up out the window.

The eastern district was shrouded in night.

The shadows of the pine and cypress trees swayed gently.

After midnight, the familiar voice came again.

Old Li was still cursing his grandson.

Old Zhou was still scolding his son.

Mr. Wei seemed to be in a good mood today, showing off that his son had burned another paper cell phone for him.

"Although it can't connect to the internet, the screen is quite large."

Principal Chen asked very seriously, "If it can't connect to the internet, how can you prove it's a smartphone?"

Boss Wei said, "It looks intelligent."

Grandma Zhao laughed heartily.

Sitting in the guard booth, listening to these absurd and noisy sounds, Lin Ye suddenly felt that he was not on night duty.

It's like listening to an old people's talk show that never ends.

He was just about to jot down a few notes when a strange voice suddenly came from the other side of the East District.

The voice was somewhat shrill and urgent, as if it had been holding back for a long time and had finally found an opportunity to speak.

"Are you finished? Let me say a few words."

Boss Wei immediately asked, "New here?"

The voice snorted.

"It's not new. I've been lying in that row on the north side for three months. You guys argue every day, and I can't get a word in edgewise."

Principal Chen offered a gentle reminder.

"From a linguistic perspective, it should be 'burial,' not 'lying down.'"

The voice was angry.

"Even though I'm dead, can't I say I'm lying down?"

Boss Wei laughed out loud.

Lin Ye lowered his head and wrote in his notebook:

The new voice, from the north row, has a short temper.

The voice spoke again very quickly.

"Let me tell you, what are your stamp albums and snuff bottles compared to my Qianlong enamel revolving vase, which is worth at least eight million?"

Lin Ye's pen stopped.

Eight million.

These three words were like three nails, directly pinning his attention to the paper.

The wind in the guard booth suddenly calmed down for a moment.

Lin Ye slowly raised his head and looked into the depths of the eastern district.

The 32,000 yuan that just arrived in my account hasn't even been warmed up yet.

The cemetery has already started promising him eight million dollars.