Chapter 65 - 64: Not Only Losing the Entire Family Fortune, But Also Falling Deeply into Debt?

Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Not Only Losing the Entire Family Fortune, But Also Falling Deeply into Debt?

She now just wanted to make the sale and then go back to get a good night’s sleep.

So, Gu Qiaoqiao took out the olive-shaped pendant and handed it to Elder Shen.

Elder Shen took it, squinted his eyes to inspect it for a while. His heart, tempered by time, still felt a shock.

This was a fine item.

When he held it in his hand, there was a gentle warmth that eased the chronic pain in his chest considerably.

Although he was not particularly interested in antiques, it did not mean he didn’t understand them.

...

And most importantly, the item caught his fancy.

Elder Shen pondered for a moment, then took out a paper-wrapped package from his tunic’s pocket and handed it to Zhang Yi, “This is the jade pendant that I’ve worn for decades; it was left to me by my mother. During ’46, it blocked a bullet for me, and in the ’50s, it blocked a knife. I thought it would be with me till death, but last night it suddenly shattered. Everyone says Yubao Square’s restoration skills are the best in the Imperial Capital, give it a try. If you can fix it, then fix it; if not, then let it be.”

Zhang Yi opened the package in shock; Gu Qiaoqiao glanced at it and was surprised to find that the jade pendant was broken into dozens of pieces. Could it even be repaired?

“Elder Shen, I’ll do my utmost to repair it, but a complete restoration is impossible…” Zhang Yi said earnestly and sincerely.

Elder Shen waved his hand indifferently, “No matter, just do your best.”

He then looked at Gu Qiaoqiao and said straightforwardly, “Young lady, I like this item. How much do you want to sell it for?”

Gu Qiaoqiao hesitated for a moment, “My family said the lowest is three thousand eight…”

“My goodness, why don’t you just go rob someone? Three thousand eight for such a tiny thing; you could buy a handful for ten bucks outside at the street stalls, and with three thousand eight, you could buy several thousand buns…”

Before Elder Shen could speak, a young man holding a thermos cup, his eyes wide and speaking with an accent from Lu region, stared incredulously at Gu Qiaoqiao.

“See that little blue and white vase? Offer thirty thousand buns for it and ask the boss if he’d make the trade,” Gu Qiaoqiao pointed to a small vase displayed in Duobao Pavilion.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Boss Zhang; Zhang Yi spread his hands as if to say he was innocent.

“I’ll give you ten bucks; with that, you won’t even be able to buy one of those Eighteen Arhats back. If you do, I’ll give you this pendant for free.”

Although Gu Qiaoqiao wasn’t angry, it was still uncomfortable for her to see her painstaking work belittled in such a manner.

“My goodness, this young lady, not only do you ask for the moon, but you also have a sharp tongue. A wise man doesn’t fight with a woman; I’ll let you have this one,” said the young man, finishing with the remark.

After that, he winked at Elder Shen as if to warn him not to be fooled.

To think, Elder Shen’s annual salary to him was not even three hundred, and here it wasn’t even a jade pendant and she dared to ask for such a high price.

She must think Elder Shen is easy to deceive.

Even though Elder Shen had some money, it was meant for medical expenses. Everyone says the Shen Family is rich and influential, but only he knew that now it was nothing but an empty shell.

Alas, Elder Shen did not catch the young man’s signal, but laughed heartily for a few moments, looked at the olive-shaped pendant in his hand, and asked the young man, “How much savings do we still have?”

The young man instinctively covered his crossbody bag and said protectively, “Not much left…”

“How much is ‘not much’?”

“Just over a thousand…” the young man said with a low voice.

“Exact number!” Elder Shen’s voice was a bit harsh.

“1,892.73!” the young man immediately responded.

“…” Elder Shen hesitated for a moment, frowned, but still handed the olive-shaped pendant to Gu Qiaoqiao, “Pity, it’s quite a bit short.”

Then he said to the young man, “All right, our savings are preserved, happy now?”

The young man chuckled and mumbled, “That’s our entire fortune. If you had bought that little thing, we’d be left to catch the northwest wind…”

Gu Qiaoqiao was stunned.

Seeing the respect and reverence from Zhang Yi, she knew this man must hold significant status and influence.

Could such a person really only have this little money? Who would believe that?

What kind of joke is this?

However, seeing Elder Shen walk decisively toward the front door, coughing as he went, and the young man with a cup of water meticulously following, it was clear

that the water must have been meant to suppress coughing.

Just as he was about to disappear beyond the door, Gu Qiaoqiao felt a rush in her brain and called out, “Old Mr. Shen, wait a moment…”

She said, striding toward the doorway.

Elder Shen stopped and looked at Gu Qiaoqiao quizzically, “What is it, girl?”

Gu Qiaoqiao handed over an olive-shaped pendant to Elder Shen, “Give me the bankbook, I agree to it…”

The young man quickly covered his bag, upset as he said, “This is the head of the house’s medicine money, I won’t give it to you, you swindler.”

“Who are you calling a swindler? I earned this through hard work, how did it turn into swindling?”

Gu Qiaoqiao said irritably, “If you don’t give it to me now, I might just regret it.”

Elder Shen looked at Gu Qiaoqiao, his sharp gaze turning somewhat dim, “But didn’t you lose out?”

“I did lose out…”

Elder Shen took the pendant again, feeling the familiar warmth in his palm, and without any more hesitation, said to the young man beside him, “Give the bankbook to the girl, and write a promissory note.”

He couldn’t take advantage of this situation.

“Oh my dear mother, old family head, are we going to not only deplete our wealth but also end up buried in debt?”

Elder Shen laughed, patting the young man on the shoulder approvingly, “Not bad, you used the idiom well, quite appropriate…”

“But…”

“No buts. This is an order!” Elder Shen’s demeanor suddenly became stern.

The young man, with a grief-stricken face, took out the bankbook, made a promissory note, Elder Shen signed it, and then, reluctantly, he handed both items to Gu Qiaoqiao, his glare sharp as a knife.

Gu Qiaoqiao chuckled, opened the bankbook, and casually asked, “And the password?”

“It’s on the back, 123456!”

The young man said gruffly.

Gu Qiaoqiao instinctively glanced at the name on the bankbook, Shen Yu.

Such a familiar name.

The same name was on the promissory note.

Gu Qiaoqiao frowned, but suddenly her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the bankbook, then at the elderly man who was now carefully examining the pendant with his reading glasses.

She quietly suppressed the shock in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she asked the young man, “Can I withdraw this money?”

“Of course you can, do you think we’d cheat you?” the young man retorted heatedly.

Gu Qiaoqiao thought it over and agreed, indeed, there could be many people with the same name and surname. She didn’t make a fuss and quickly glanced at the promissory note—its term was for one year.

The money would be directly transferred to the bankbook.

She intended to give the promissory note back to Elder Shen but on second thought, if Elder Shen was as noble as everyone said, surely he wouldn’t take advantage. Besides,

Elder Shen wasn’t losing out at all.

In fact, one could say he was lucky.

“Elder Shen, you should wear this pendant as soon as you get back, never take it off. Trust me, it will only bring good, no harm,” Gu Qiaoqiao advised earnestly.

Elder Shen examined the string of the pendant, which was made of strong silk thread tied into a knot at the olive-shaped part, and nodded, “Thank you, girl.”