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

The stamp shop owner did not immediately offer a price.

He moved the stamp album closer to himself, his gloved fingers gently pressing the edge of the plastic film, his movements noticeably slower than before.

Lin Ye stood in front of the counter, outwardly calm, but inwardly he was in a state of great anxiety.

This reaction is wrong.

If this booklet weren't valuable, the shopkeeper would have closed it long ago and told him in a detached tone, "Young man, keep this as a souvenir."

But the boss didn't have it.

The boss is watching.

And they looked at it very carefully.

Lin Ye suddenly realized that poverty can sharpen a person's observational skills.

He used to be distracted eight times in ten minutes while looking at the teacher's blackboard writing during class.

Now, even if the boss's glasses slip down by half an inch, he can analyze three different market signals.

After finishing the fifth page, the boss turned to a few more pages.

There are also a few commemorative tickets and zodiac tickets.

Lin Ye doesn't understand.

But the more silent the boss remained, the more itchy he felt inside.

Sometimes silence is more agonizing than a price quote.

He might be disappointed if the price is too low.

He gets excited when the price is high.

But the boss didn't say anything, so he could only repeatedly calculate in his mind whether his eighty dollars could turn into a miracle.

After a while, the shopkeeper took out a small magnifying glass from the counter drawer and examined the perforations and surface of the monkey stamp carefully.

Lin Ye stood to the side, even his breathing became soft.

He didn't understand what the boss was looking at.

But he knew that the more seriously the boss looked at it, the more likely the deal would turn out.

Half a minute later, the boss finally looked up.

"Young man, you've kept this booklet quite well."

Lin Ye nodded, trying his best to appear less excited.

"The older generation in the family used to cherish it more."

After saying that, he silently added a sentence in his mind.

They truly cherish it.

He loved her so much that even in his death he was cursing his grandson in his grave.

The shopkeeper pointed to the monkey stamp on page five.

"This one is genuine, but its condition is just average, not top-notch. There are some slight marks on the corners, and the note looks a bit old."

Lin Ye listened very attentively.

Although he didn't quite understand how to classify the quality of goods, he knew that when the boss pointed out flaws, he was mostly preparing to lower the price.

This is the same principle as buying a car in the used car market.

You said the car was fine, but he said there were scratches on the paint.

You said the engine was good, but he said the seats were worn.

In short: I want the things, but I don't want to pay more money.

Lin Ye didn't reply.

His biggest advantage right now is that he doesn't know anything about it.

If you don't understand, then say less.

Say less and you'll avoid revealing your weaknesses.

The boss turned two more pages.

"There are a few other tickets that are worth seeing, but overall they're not particularly high-end."

Lin Ye continued to nod.

"Um."

The boss glanced at him.

"Did you really find this in the house?"

Lin Ye's expression remained calm.

"right."

The boss glanced at his dusty cuffs.

"Your house has been thoroughly searched."

Lin Ye looked down at the dust on his body.

He certainly didn't look like he'd been dug up from the house.

It looks more like it was dug out from under the foundation of a house.

But you can't panic at this time.

Lin Ye said without batting an eye, "It's an old house, and the things are buried at the very back of the storage room. It's not easy to find them."

The boss smiled.

People who do this kind of business are probably already used to all sorts of "family heirlooms," "found at home," and "gifts from friends."

They don't care whether the story is true or false, they only care whether the things themselves are true or false.

The shopkeeper closed the stamp album and tapped the counter lightly with his fingers.

"Alright, I'll take this booklet and give you five thousand."

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Five thousand.

Eighty becomes five thousand.

Such a price increase would be enough to make anyone suspect that the platform is planning to abscond with their money, regardless of the investment product.

But he didn't agree immediately.

He may be poor, but he's not stupid.

The fact that the boss can give five thousand on the first bite means that this thing is worth at least five thousand.

Lin Ye was silent for two seconds, then hesitated slightly.

"Boss, I did some research before I came."

Actually, he didn't figure it out.

He had only searched "Are monkey stamps valuable?" on the street.

The webpage was only halfway through loading when it failed to open due to poor signal.

But this must be said.

A person can lack knowledge, but cannot lack spirit.

The boss looked up at him.

"How many have you checked?"

Lin Ye's heart tightened.

This brings us to his blind spot.

He could only vaguely reply, "Anyway, it's higher than five thousand."

The boss smiled.

"You can't judge online prices like that. With stamps, even a slight difference in condition can result in a huge price difference. Besides, you're buying the whole album, not just individual stamps for auction."

Lin Ye didn't understand the details, but he grasped the general idea.

The boss was telling him not to believe the get-rich-quick stories online.

This sounds familiar.

He thought last night that you shouldn't believe what people say at gravesites.

And now he's standing here.

Lin Ye looked at the boss and suppressed his guilt.

"Then please add some more."

The boss wasn't in a hurry.

How many do you want?

Lin Ye really wanted to say 80,000.

He was also afraid that the boss would just return the stamp album to him and politely ask him to go outside and clear his head.

He thought for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

"Eight thousand."

The boss shook his head.

"Too high."

Lin Ye's heart sank.

The shopkeeper reopened the stamp album and looked at the monkey stamp again.

"This one is indeed genuine, but not in top condition. The other tickets in the catalog can help raise the price. Here's what I'll give you: six thousand."

Six thousand.

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat again.

He almost agreed.

But as the words were about to come out, she remembered how badly Old Li had scolded her last night.

The old man was cursing loudly in the grave, even hating milk tea, which shows that this booklet must have been very valuable to him.

Although Lin Ye was prepared to sell it, he couldn't sell it too readily.

It would be unfair to Lao Li if we acted too readily.

He gritted his teeth.

"Six thousand eight."

The boss looked up at him.

Lin Ye also looked at the boss.

The two remained silent across the counter.

The air was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

Lin Ye had never negotiated such a high price in his life.

In the past, when he bought fruit, he would feel embarrassed to say anything if the vendor weighed out two cents too much.

Now he's standing in the stamp shop, adding eight hundred more in one go.

He felt he had matured.

At least in terms of bargaining, a crucial step has been taken.

The boss stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed.

"You look like an honest young man, but you're quite the bargainer when it comes to negotiating prices."

Lin Ye corrected him carefully.

"I'm not bargaining, I'm raising the price."

The boss was amused by him.

"Okay, six thousand eight."

Lin Ye's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

The boss had already picked up a calculator and pulled out another acquisition order.

"Did you bring your ID card?"

"I brought it."

Lin Ye quickly took out his ID card.

The boss checks the information and writes the purchase order.

Lin Ye stood in front of the counter, looking at the line "Acquisition Amount: 6800 yuan", and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

At this time yesterday, he was still at the school gate figuring out how to make ends meet with just over 300 yuan until next month.

Now, he has exchanged 6,800 yuan for old booklets he bought for 80 yuan.

Life can sometimes feel like a roller coaster.

However, roller coasters at least have seat belts.

He doesn't have that.

The boss transferred the money to him.

My phone vibrated.

A bank transfer notification popped up.

6800.00 yuan.

Lin Ye stared at that string of numbers for a long time.

He checked it again.

I checked it again.

It's not sixty-eight.

It's not 680.

It's six thousand eight.

The shopkeeper put the stamp album back on the counter and looked up to see Lin Ye still staring at his phone.

"Is this your first time selling something?"

Lin Ye raised his head.

"Is it that obvious?"

The boss smiled.

"His eyes looked like he had just found money, but was afraid others would find out."

Lin Ye put his phone back in his pocket, trying to calm himself down.

"If I have any old things at home, I'll bring them over for you to see later."

The boss gave him a meaningful look.

"Okay, but next time before you come, make sure to dust yourself off. Otherwise people will think I'm a waste paper collector."

Lin Ye looked down at himself.

indeed.

His current appearance is somewhat disruptive to the professional atmosphere of the stamp shop.

He thanked the boss, took the purchase order, and left.

The bell on the glass door jingled again.

The sunlight outside was a bit too bright.

Lin Ye stood on the street, unsure of where to go.

When people are broke, their goals are very clear.

Making money, eating, sleeping

The world suddenly becomes a little more complicated when there are suddenly 6,800 people.

He wants to buy clothes.

I want to get a new phone.

I want to have a good meal.

I want to order myself a large cup of milk tea that I used to think I didn't deserve.

He suddenly stopped when he thought of milk tea.

Old Li's grandson spent twelve yuan on milk tea.

Lin Ye felt that if he went to buy milk tea now, he would be doing Old Li a disservice.

So he turned around and went into the small restaurant next door.

Ten minutes later, he ordered a bowl of beef noodles.

The kind that actually contains beef.

When the noodles were served, steam rose up, and several slices of real beef floated on the soup.

Lin Ye looked at the few slices of beef with a somewhat solemn expression.

He used to eat braised beef noodles, but the beef only existed in the pictures on the packaging.

Today it has finally moved from pictures to reality.

He picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth.

Fragrant.

It smells really good.

The fragrance was so strong that he almost wanted to burn some paper money for Old Li.

After finishing his noodles, Lin Ye did not immediately return to Qingshan Cemetery.

He first went to the mall restroom to wash his hands and face, and then patted the dust off his cuffs.

The person in the mirror still had dark circles under their eyes, but their mental state was clearly different.

He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.

He stopped laughing very quickly.

It shouldn't be too floaty.

Overnight, his worldview had been shattered once.

If he gets too cocky, the cemetery might arrange a second visit for him that night.

Lin Ye walked out of the mall and stopped in front of the convenience store.

He thought for a moment, then went inside and bought two buckets of braised beef noodles.

I took another sausage.

When he went to pay, the cashier asked him, "Is that all?"

Lin Ye looked at the instant noodles and sausages on the counter and nodded.

That's all.

It's not that he's stingy.

The most important thing is not to forget our roots.

Of course, the main reason is that it's convenient to eat here in the guard booth.

He walked out of the convenience store carrying a plastic bag, and couldn't help but take out his phone to check his balance.

The numbers are still there.

Not a dream.

He took the bus back to Qingshan Cemetery.

The city outside the car window receded little by little.

As Lin Ye passed by the school, he saw several people in graduation gowns taking photos.

Someone threw their graduation cap into the air.

Someone laughed loudly.

Someone was standing by the flower bed, looking intently at their phone, probably editing a photo.

Lin Ye looked at them and suddenly realized that he was not quite the same as he was yesterday.

Yesterday he sat at the school gate, like an old object no one wanted.

Today, he has proven at least one thing.

Some old things are not worthless.

I just haven't met the right person yet.

The bus drove all the way to the northern suburbs.

The gates of Qingshan Cemetery reappeared before my eyes.

The cemetery looks much more normal during the day than at night.

Sunlight fell on the stone tablet, and the pine and cypress trees didn't seem so gloomy anymore.

When Lin Ye got off the bus, he was carrying instant noodles and sausages in his hand, and had more than 6,000 yuan in his pocket.

He looked at the stone tablet that read "Qingshan Cemetery" with mixed feelings.

He came here yesterday, feeling like he was at the lowest point in his life.

Looking at it now, this place actually seems a bit like a startup hub.

As soon as the idea popped into his head, Lin Ye quickly suppressed it.

No.

That's outrageous.

A cemetery is a cemetery.

You must never develop unhealthy feelings toward your work environment just because you've made some money.

After returning to his dormitory, Lin Ye washed his face and then slept for two hours.

I slept very soundly.

There are no dreams.

Old Li didn't scold his grandson either.

When he woke up again, it was already dark.

Uncle Zhao knocked on the door from the outside.

"Xiaolin, are you awake? It's time to hand over the shift."

Lin Ye got up, his head still feeling a little heavy.

He put on his coat, grabbed the instant noodles, and went to the security booth.

Uncle Zhao is drinking tea inside.

He raised his eyes when he saw Lin Ye return.

"Has the science been verified?"

Lin Ye placed the instant noodles on the table.

"Preliminary verification shows it has some reference value."

Uncle Zhao glanced at him.

"Why do you speak so formally, child?"

Lin Ye laughed dryly.

"College remnants."

Uncle Zhao did not ask any further questions.

He handed the day shift log to Lin Ye.

"You're on duty tonight too. Don't push yourself too hard; take a nap if you're sleepy, just go on patrol when it's your turn."

Lin Ye took the registration book and nodded.

"understood."

Uncle Zhao was about to leave work when he turned back at the door.

"By the way, nothing happened in the East District last night, right?"

Lin Ye paused, his fingers moving slightly.

He looked up at Uncle Zhao.

Uncle Zhao's expression was very normal.

It sounded like a casual question.

Lin Ye gave a very ordinary answer.

"fine."

After he finished speaking, he added a sentence.

"It's just a bit windy."

Uncle Zhao nodded.

"That's how it is in the northern suburbs."

he's gone.

Lin Ye was left alone in the guard booth once again.

Night gradually fell.

The light in the cemetery changed from grayish-blue to deep black.

Lin Ye sat in the guard booth, opened the newly bought braised beef noodles, and tore open the seasoning packet.

Boil the water.

Steam rose up.

He broke the sausage in half and put it into the noodles.

He closed the lid, glanced at his phone to check his balance, and then looked out the window at the East District.

Those two tombs were in that direction last night.

Lin Ye remained silent for a while, then suddenly realized that he should be afraid.

But he discovered that the fear was still there, only now there was something else beside him.

money.

Money is a strange thing.

It cannot ward off evil spirits.

But it can embolden you.

The 6,800 yuan that just arrived had a particularly strong embolden-boosting effect.

Three minutes later, the instant noodles were ready.

Lin Ye lifted the lid, and the aroma of braised beef wafted out.

He picked up his fork and took a serious bite.

There's still no real beef.

But there are ham sausages.

Before midnight, Lin Ye took out the notebook and placed it on the table.

He then placed the pen aside.

Then he sat in the guard booth, holding the stun gun, his eyes fixed on the cemetery outside the window.

When the wind blows, the pines and cypresses rustle.

Deep within the eastern district, something seems to be slowly awakening.

Lin Ye glanced down at the notebook.

On the first page, he wrote four words.

Old Qin from the south of the city.

There was a checkmark next to it.

He stared at the checkmark for a few seconds, and suddenly felt that this job didn't seem so bad.