Chương 2: Chapter 2: The 'Task' for Three Thousand Yuan (Seeking Various Supports)

The beautiful woman's voice got stuck in her throat for a moment, and her face stiffened, while the young men behind her had even stranger expressions.

So, was this girl asking for money out of gratitude?

This isn't normal! Such a clear and pretty young girl, shouldn't she be blushing, waving her hands saying it's no big deal, it's deserved...

"Little sister, this is helping others. Doesn't your school teach you to be a living Lei Feng?" one youth said with a grin.

Sui Yi glanced at him sideways, turned around listlessly, and floated a sentence, "That's why he's dead."

A chilly wind happened to blow up.

Several people: "..."

Suddenly they felt something was off.

Is it really this cold in September?

But as Sui Zhen walked away, they didn't follow, instead planning to drag this "..." to the police station.... (Maybe Sui Zhen was scared into paying up, so...)

The gorgeous woman casually turned her head, just in time to see that odd girl entering a quaint-looking shop at a busy street corner.

What was that store name again?

— Yantang Residence?

Upon entering the store, the cool to nearly ice-cold air hit her in the face. How cool was it?

It made you feel like the shop's emptiness was completely natural.

Sui Yi seemed to really enjoy this temperature, so her eyes and brows softened slightly, diminishing some of her indifference.

The store was filled with bottles and jars, paintings and inkstones, and various weapons...

A dazzling array.

A screen painted with Tang-dynasty court ladies, a petrified and desolate wood carving, a perfectly carved ivory bowl...

All these were treasures of incalculable value, real or fake, Sui Yi never cared much about this.

Not-so-heavy footsteps made the person slouched over the counter lift his head, his messy white-grey hair tied with a floral cloth, his stubbly beard patchy, wearing a grey cloth shirt, somewhat unkempt.

People in pawn shops mostly dressed like this, to look more "authentic," to show some ancient charm...

But only Elder Tang of the Yantang Residence could wear a top-quality silk long gown and still look like a street beggar.

Elder Tang saw her and smiled, stroking his Little Beard, he said, "It's rare to see you in such a good mood. What happened, got laid?"

"Does getting laid on a public bus count?" Sui Yi offhandedly replied then picked up a duster lying on the table to dust the antiques in the store.

Her movements were indeed graceful, but they always made the person behind the counter twitch nervously, his brow furling and his fingers unconsciously twirling his beard.

"Hey, stop ruining my antiques," Elder Tang groaned in pain, clutching his clothes as he hurriedly snatched the duster away...

In his eyes, this girl was unlike anyone else; she treated these treasures worth hundreds of thousands as if she was just wiping dishes after a meal, not caring if they broke, yet she never actually broke them!

It made him anxious yet unable to seek any compensation... truly exasperating—

As there was nothing else for her to do, Sui Yi could only help out in the shop, but obviously Elder Tang had something he needed from her today, otherwise, the shopkeeper on shift this morning wouldn't be him.

Sitting at a divided small tea seating on the left side of the hall, Sui Yi held her tea, didn't drink, just quietly watched Elder Tang and asked softly, "What did you need from me, Elder Tang?"

Today was her first day of school; normally, she wouldn't work here during school hours, only on weekends. Elder Tang usually respected her schedule, so a sudden deviation today was unlikely to be a trivial matter.

Elder Tang wasn't in a hurry, warming the teapot, slowly smiling, trying to exhibit an air of mystique, yet Sui Yi simply lowered her head to study the patterns on her teacup once she saw his pose...

Alright, Elder Tang sighed, asked, "What do you think of the antiques in our shop?"

"Expensive," Sui Yi replied without a second thought.

Elder Tang's eyes flickered, "And do you know why they are expensive?"

His tone somewhat profound, seemingly laying the groundwork to draw Sui Yi into another mysterious world...

Why? Sui Yi looked at him, paused briefly, then said moodily, "Because you overprice them."

Such a damn incisive reply! It hit the nail on the head! It even seemed to carry a calm suggestion— you're a swindler!

Elder Tang was taken aback, his hand resting on the table, almost looking like he wanted to flip the table, but considering it was an expensive peach wood table, he hesitated, then sighed and spread his hands, "You, you, why do you have absolutely no interest in this business? Actually, you have quite the Talent. If you're willing, I could take you under my wing..."

"I'm not really interested in them..."

"It's precisely because you're not interested, and you possess a heart untainted by the lure of money, that I believe you have great potential..."

"Untainted by money? Elder Tang, don't say that... else I will think you are trying to delay paying me this month's wages,"

Speaking of wages, Sui Yi visibly frowned, while Elder Tang rolled his eyes. Him, delay payment?

However, Sui Yi needed the money because her tuition for the senior year of high school had not yet been arranged. Today, as the school year started, the teacher had subtly reminded her several times. In fact, she didn't need their reminders to know.

And the senior year was a special time that required spending in various aspects...

This was just concerning her academics.

"You need money, I know that, otherwise you wouldn't help me with my tasks," Elder Tang said, a stark contrast to his previous demeanour. At the moment, quietly sipping his tea, his gaze upon Sui Yi turned somewhat darker.

He had always been waiting for her to ask for money, yet for over a year now, this girl had stubbornly never asked for a single cent.

"Money isn't easy to earn. Merely minding the shop won't make much, so you help me with the business... You've always done very well," he added.

Sui Yi said nothing, waiting for Elder Tang to continue.

"However, this time, there's a bit of trouble. It's not just like before. I don't trust others. You, being clever, might be up to the task,"

Trouble? Sui Yi slightly furrowed her brows and glanced at Elder Tang, "Did they step in?"

Every pawnshop had its official methods of pawning, but there was also an underhand route: accepting certain items that couldn't officially be dealt with, mostly not concerning themselves with the origins, only the state of the goods, unless it was something blood-stained, which pawnshops tended to avoid.

There has always been a saying in the pawnshop industry—living things for the dead pledge, do not pledge living for dead things.

Anything blood-stained could invite trouble, hence the aversion.

But the official stance on this underhand route was supervised to varying extents depending on the political climate and severity of the situation, generally handled with a light touch.

Especially in Jiangnan Water Town, which boasted a long-standing culture, just the small town of Nanxun hosted a double-digit number of pawnshops, with uncountable antique traders visiting daily. How many of those antiques could withstand scrutiny?

How many could stand up to investigation?

Previously, they turned a blind eye, but now they had taken action; no wonder Elder Tang was unsettled.

"I knew you were smart; you guessed right," Elder Tang laughed, somewhat sleazily.

Sui Yi's slender fingers pressed against the cold white porcelain cup, her voice low and slightly thin, "Not smart, just read the newspapers... Last month, some cases were exposed downtown, and the officials issued directives... It was about time it reached here."

Elder Tang nodded, his gaze flickering briefly, "Since that's the case, do you still dare to take on this job?

Sui Yi sat very straight, not changing her posture since Elder Tang began speaking, still so now.

She just looked up and asked, "How much is the reward?"

This remuneration was separate from her wages at the shop.

Elder Tang held up a finger...

One thousand? Sui Yi raised an eyebrow, smirking without looking at Elder Tang.

Elder Tang raised an eyebrow, clenched his teeth, and slowly added another finger...

Sui Yi still said nothing, her index finger tracing a number in the droplets on the table.

—Three.

Elder Tang waved his hand, helplessly: "You girl, three thousand is too expensive... No one else charges like that."

"That's someone else," Sui Yi said, smiling faintly, her demeanor calm and graceful like a lady from ancient times, "Elder Tang can consider not accepting... But as it stands, we both seem to have only one choice."

That was to cooperate.

Because she needed money, and he needed someone.

Just that.

"Alright, then three thousand..." Elder Tang grudgingly agreed, taking out one thousand yuan as an advance payment for the job...

Sui Yi accepted the money without counting, as if it were just toilet paper to be used in the bathroom... Elder Tang twitched his mouth corner, "Why do I feel you're so odd?"

—A person who wants money yet doesn't love money.

(PS: I have plans tonight; I'm going to see a movie, so I'm posting early. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll post another update at eight in the evening ~~. If the new book gets a thousand favorites or ten thousand recommendations, I'll post an additional chapter. As for gifts, the old rules apply: a He's Jade warrants an extra update~~~OL!)

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