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

The lesson learned from the 18,000 lesson had a very significant effect.

In the following days, Lin Ye became much more composed.

Automatically filter out what Lao Ma says, especially phrases like "family heirloom," "national treasure," and "expert."

The anti-floating bottle is placed in the corner of the security booth.

The bottle is brightly colored, has a striking size, and a small label is affixed to the bottom.

Although the bottle cannot speak, it is better at educating people than Uncle Zhao.

After a few days, Uncle Zhao gradually got used to it.

Sometimes when he comes to hand over his shift during the day, he will also take a rag and wipe the dust off the bottle.

Lin Ye was startled when he first saw it.

"Uncle Zhao, what are you doing?"

Uncle Zhao said, "Damn, it's still 18,000 after all."

Lin Ye fell silent.

That's a really hurtful thing to say.

Evenings in the East District are still bustling.

Old Ma blows his spinning bottle every day.

"Only those who truly understand my bottle can truly appreciate its beauty."

Mr. Wei laughs whenever he hears this.

"I understand, I understand perfectly. You even have the customer service number."

Lin Ye sat in the guard booth and almost spat out the water.

He felt that Boss Wei didn't know the details, but was just too sharp-tongued and happened to hit the nail on the head.

Old Ma was furious.

"If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."

Principal Chen responded earnestly.

"Based on the information available so far, no one has actually seen it with their own eyes, so we can only say that it remains a question."

Old Li snorted coldly.

"Still have doubts? I think it's fake."

Old Zhou slowly finished off the enemy.

"Old Ma was deceived while he was alive, and he continued to be deceived even after he died. He had a beginning and an end."

Grandma Zhao laughed for a long time.

As Lin Ye listened, he drew a little star for Lao Zhou in his notebook.

That old man has a really sharp tongue.

That night, the noise in the East District lasted until late into the night, and the topic finally shifted from Old Man Ma's fake bottle to the children of each family.

The most distinctive characteristic of groups of people who have died is that no matter what they start talking about, they always end up talking about their unfilial children and grandchildren.

Old Li continued to curse his grandson.

Old Zhou continued to berate his son.

Mr. Wei complained that the paper phone his son burned for him couldn't connect to the internet.

Principal Chen said that the inability of paper phones to connect to the internet is in line with objective laws.

Boss Wei scolded him for lacking imagination.

Grandma Zhao didn't say much.

After Old Li cursed the twelve-yuan milk tea for the third time, Old Mrs. Zhao finally sighed softly.

"I'm tired of you men always cursing your sons and grandsons."

Boss Wei laughed and said, "Grandma Zhao, isn't your granddaughter quite filial? She even burned paper money for a villa for you a couple of days ago."

Grandma Zhao remained silent for a few seconds.

"My granddaughter is a good girl, but my daughter-in-law is short-sighted."

Lin Ye had already prepared to close the notebook.

Upon hearing the words "shallow-minded," his hand stopped again.

He's very familiar with this kind of opening now.

Usually, what follows is either family ethics or asset loss.

Either way, it's worth listening to.

Old Zhou responded as expected.

"What's wrong?"

Grandma Zhao's voice slowed down, sounding less like she was angry and more like she was heartbroken.

"That jade bracelet of mine was part of my dowry, left to me by my mother. I wore it my whole life, and before I passed away, I told her to leave it to my granddaughter. But my daughter-in-law said the bracelet was cracked and unlucky, so she pawned it for eight thousand yuan."

Lin Ye paused, his pen poised.

Jadeite bracelet.

dowry.

Eight thousand yuan.

He did.

He glanced at the anti-floating bottle instinctively.

well.

This time, there wasn't eight million.

The amount sounds much more normal now.

Old Li asked, "Is there really a crack?"

Grandma Zhao immediately became anxious.

"That's not a crack, it's a stone grain! Do you understand what a stone grain is? I've worn it my whole life, how could I not know?"

Mr. Wei asked, "Is there a difference between stone veins and cracks?"

Principal Chen cleared his throat.

"Conceptually speaking, stone veins are natural textures that occur during the formation of jadeite, while cracks usually affect structural stability. The two cannot be simply equated."

The East District suddenly fell silent.

Boss Wei couldn't help but ask, "Old Chen, you even know this?"

Principal Chen spoke in a very calm tone.

"My wife used to like jade bracelets. I took her to see them a few times when she was still alive."

Grandma Zhao's voice softened a little.

"Principal Chen really knows what he's talking about. My bracelet has a nice color and decent clarity, but it has a crack in the stone. My daughter-in-law doesn't understand and insists it's cracked and that wearing it will bring bad luck."

Old Zhou asked, "Where did you pawn it?"

Old Mrs. Zhao snorted.

"Nanqiao Pawnshop. It's on the east side of the secondhand market street. There's a red lantern hanging at the entrance and a lucky cat on the counter."

Lin Ye quickly took notes.

Nanqiao Pawnshop.

East of the secondhand market street.

Red lanterns.

Lucky cat.

Jadeite bracelet.

Eight thousand.

The stone pattern is not a crack.

After writing these few lines, he stopped again.

South Bridge.

It's South Bridge again.

It seems that not only the fat boss at that place is a rip-off, but the pawnshop is no different.

Boss Wei clicked his tongue.

"Your daughter-in-law only paid 8,000?"

Old Mrs. Zhao's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

"She even felt she got a good deal, saying that the boss initially only offered five thousand, but she negotiated it down to eight thousand."

Old Li immediately felt the familiar anger.

"Why are all these kids the same? They sell things cheaply and think they know how to manage money."

Old Zhou was sarcastic and unsettling.

"At least he's better than your grandson. His is worth eight thousand, your grandson is worth twelve."

Old Li retorted angrily, "Old Zhou, will you die if you don't mention twelve yuan?"

Old Zhou said slowly, "No, but it makes me feel better."

Lin Ye suppressed a laugh and moved the notebook to the side.

He's learned to be smart.

This time, we can't rush in just because we hear a clue.

The anti-floating bottle was right next to him, watching him.

The 18,000 yuan modern handicrafts are using their vibrant colors to remind him that the words of the dead are not necessarily false, but the dead's judgment of value may be heavily influenced by personal emotions.

Grandma Zhao said the bracelet was nice, but it might not actually be valuable.

Perhaps it was the dowry left by her mother that she was so attached to.

Perhaps that bracelet really was only worth eight thousand yuan.

The pawnshop owner might even feel he lost out.

Therefore, it cannot be flushed.

Verification is required.

Lin Ye took out his phone, opened the search page, and began to look up the difference between jadeite veins and cracks.

After looking at it for five minutes, his head was spinning from seeing all the horizontal cracks, vertical cracks, textures, cotton-like patterns, and acid etching marks.

Finally, he came to a conclusion.

He doesn't understand.

Professional matters should be left to professionals.

Lin Ye opened Lu Zhixia's WeChat.

The message box still showed the photo of the fake bottle, along with the last question mark sent by Lu Zhixia.

Lin Ye thought for a moment and then sent a message.

"Teacher Lu, if a jade bracelet has veins (not cracks), does its value differ significantly?"

After sending it, he quickly added another sentence.

"I'm just studying."

Lu Zhixia did not reply immediately.

Lin Ye put his phone aside and continued listening to the group of dead men arguing in the East District.

About ten minutes later, my phone vibrated.

Lu Zhixia replied to the message.

"What have you set your sights on this time?"

Lin Ye stared at the screen in silence.

The word "again" is used very precisely, but it is also very hurtful.

He replied.

"Not yet, just theoretical learning."

Lu Zhixia replied quickly.

"Theoretical learning won't involve asking about stone patterns at midnight."

Lin Ye glanced at the clock on the wall.

12:47.

well.

He's been exposed again.

Lin Ye thought for a moment, then braced himself and replied.

"A friend of mine might have a bracelet at home."

Lu Zhixia returns.

"Which friend? The grandfather who celebrated his birthday last time?"

Lin Ye looked at the words and felt slightly embarrassed.

He decided to stop explaining.

Ask the key question directly.

"If I take a picture and send it to you tomorrow, could you take a look at it?"

This time, Lu Zhixia took a while to reply.

"Photos can only provide a preliminary assessment; don't make payments rashly."

Lin Ye returned immediately.

"clear."

After thinking for a moment, he took another picture of the anti-floating bottle and sent it over.

"I have already begun to reflect on my actions."

Lu Zhixia remained silent for a full minute.

Then he replied with four words.

"It's quite conspicuous."

Lin Ye looked at these four words and felt inexplicably guilty.

The next morning, after finishing his shift, Lin Ye went back to his dormitory and slept for two hours.

After waking up, he made a point of washing his face and changing into some inconspicuous clothes.

This time, I can't go to the pawnshop like I did when I was knocked unconscious by eight million yuan at Yunhu Community.

He set new principles for himself.

First, don't listen to stories.

Second, they don't trust their boss.

Third, take the photo first and then pay.

Fourth, look at the photos of the anti-floating bottle.

He set the anti-floating bottle as his phone's lock screen.

When unlocking, that fancy big bottle appears on the screen.

The visual impact is very strong.

It was so powerful that every time Lin Ye saw it, he felt his sanity recover a little.

Nanqiao Pawnshop is not hard to find.

It's on the road east of the secondhand market.

Sure enough, a red lantern was hanging at the entrance.

Inside the glass door, a lucky cat figurine sits on the counter.

The lucky cat raises its paw and swings it back and forth.

Lin Ye looked at it, feeling inexplicably wary.

He is now skeptical of anything that seems to bring in wealth.

There weren't many people in the pawnshop.

A middle-aged man sat behind the counter, his hair neatly combed and a smile on his face.

That kind of smile wasn't as greasy as the fat shopkeeper's from the secondhand market.

It's more like a hybrid of a bank teller and a used car salesperson.

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Ye walked over, speaking naturally.

"I want to buy my mom a bracelet, but my budget is limited. I'd like to see if there are any suitable ones."

This time he didn't mention his grandfather again.

Grandpa has already endured too much.

It's time to have a relative share the burden.

The boss smiled.

"If it's for my mother, then I should choose something more conservative."

Lin Ye nodded.

"She likes green."

The shop owner turned on the counter light and took out several bracelets.

Some are white with a bluish tint, some are light purple, and some are grayish.

Lin Ye pretended to look carefully, but his eyes were scanning the corner of the counter.

Soon, he saw a jade bracelet.

The colors are really nice.

It wasn't particularly transparent, but the green was a perfect shade, and it lay quietly in a velvet box.

The label reads:

It has cracks, so I'm selling it at a low price.

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

found it.

But he didn't point immediately.

He first picked up a silver bracelet from the side.

"How much is this?"

The boss quoted a price.

Lin Ye then looked at two more inexpensive jade pendants.

After circling around, he casually pointed to the jade bracelet.

"Why is this labeled as having a crack?"

The boss glanced at it.

"This one? It's an old bracelet with a crack, which is why it's cheap. It's okay to wear it for fun, but don't bother giving it away as a gift."

Lin Ye picked it up and looked at it.

The line was on one side of the bracelet and wasn't very noticeable.

He couldn't tell whether it was a crack or a stone pattern.

But he knew he couldn't understand it.

This is already progress.

"Could you take a picture to show my mom?"

The boss smiled.

"Okay, but don't use the flash."

Lin Ye took a few pictures.

front.

side.

The location of that pattern.

I filmed another short video.

After taking the photos, he didn't rush to send them to Lu Zhixia.

Instead, he unlocked his phone and glanced at the lock screen.

The anti-floating bottle painted very firmly on the screen.

Lin Ye calmed down.

Then, he sent the photos and videos to Lu Zhixia.

"Teacher Lu, could you please take a look? The boss said there's a crack, but I don't understand it."

This time, Lu Zhixia replied very quickly.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Ye put down his phone and continued pretending to make a selection.

The boss asked, "How is it? Nice color, right?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"The color is nice, but I'm worried it might crack badly."

The shop owner said, "That's why it's cheap. If it weren't cracked, we couldn't get it for this price."

Lin Ye asked, "How much?"

The boss held up one finger.

"Twelve thousand."

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Old Mrs. Zhao's daughter-in-law was paid 8,000.

The boss is selling it for 12,000.

The middle four thousand is profit.

That sounds reasonable.

But the words "12,000" still made Lin Ye's fingers tighten.

He just lost 18,000 yuan on anti-floating bottles.

Seeing five-figure sums now still gives me a lingering sense of dread.

My phone vibrated.

Lu Zhixia replied to the message.

"It's not a crack, it looks like stone veins."

Lin Yegang breathed a sigh of relief.

The next message popped up.

"But the photos can't be completely confirmed. Don't exceed ten thousand."

Lin Ye stared at the line of text for three seconds.

Don't exceed 10,000.

These five words are more reliable than any ancestral story.

He looked up at the boss.

"Boss, 12,000 is a bit high."

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Young man, you can see the color yourself. If it weren't for the crack, it would definitely cost more than this."

Lin Ye said, "I hesitated because of the crack. If it really broke while my mom was wearing it, I would get scolded when I got home."

The shop owner said, "It's fine to wear it normally."

Lin Ye shook his head.

"Nine thousand."

The boss's smile faded a bit.

"Nine thousand won't do. I'd pay more for this than that."

Lin Ye thought to himself, "You got it for eight thousand."

Of course, this cannot be said.

He put the bracelet back in the box.

"Then I'll look at some others."

The boss didn't speak immediately.

Lin Ye turned to look at the jade pendant beside him.

This time he was truly calm.

The anti-floating bottle is proving its effectiveness.

The boss waited for about ten seconds before speaking.

"If you're really serious about it, the minimum is 11,000."

Lin Ye shook his head.

"The budget is nine thousand."

The boss sighed.

"Young man, don't be too stingy when buying things for your mother."

Lin Ye looked sincere.

"My mom doesn't want me to spend money recklessly either."

The boss looked at him for a while.

"Nine thousand eight."

Lin Ye looked down at his phone.

The anti-floating bottle is still on the lock screen.

He looked up.

"Nine thousand five. Any higher and I really can't afford it."

The boss frowned, as if he was somewhat reluctant to part with the business.

"Nine thousand five hundred it is, but let me make it clear first, if it has patterns or flaws, it cannot be returned."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Can."

Before making the payment, he sent Lu Zhixia another message.

"Nine thousand five hundred, is that alright?"

Lu Zhixia replied quickly.

"Can."

Lin Ye then scanned the code.

Payment successful.

Even as he walked out of the 9,500-yuan bank, his heart still ached.

But this time the pain wasn't intense.

Because he was finally not acting recklessly alone.

The shop owner put the bracelet into a box and then put it in a small paper bag.

"The young man is filial."

Lin Ye took the bag and smiled.

"I hope my mom thinks so too."

After leaving the pawnshop, Lin Ye stood by the roadside. His first reaction wasn't excitement, but rather checking his phone's lock screen.

The anti-floating bottle remains brightly colored.

Lin Ye said in a low voice, "This time it shouldn't be your brother, right?"

A breeze blew by from the roadside, and the paper bag swayed gently.

Lin Ye hugged the bracelet tightly and quickly sent a message to Lu Zhixia.

"I'll bring it over now so you can see it in person."

Lu Zhixia replied with a single word.

"Come."

Looking at this word, Lin Ye suddenly felt that his path of picking up bargains had finally been put on hold.

Good.

At least if things really go wrong in the future, someone will be there to warn him in advance.