Chapter 53: The Treasures of Heaven and Earth Hidden in the Wooden Box (4)

  Duan Shichen took one look at the scene and knew that this noble guest had not yet taken a liking to his beloved, and his originally turbulent emotions also calmed down. He turned his head to interrogate the old madam: "Liu mama, I came here this time specifically to take back my family's heirloom, to come and redeem Lan Zhi's body. How could you arrange for Lan Zhi to receive guests?"

  "You're so poor that you're clanking all over, and you still owe me five taels of silver. How would I know if you have any family heirlooms? Lan Zhi is my daughter, how can I not arrange for her to entertain guests?" Liu Mama saw that she had pulled over her daughter, and the burly man had also put away his sword, so she knew the storm had passed, and responded to Duan Shi Chen without being polite, "Besides, Master Zhou is handsome and elegant, with a noble status. If he can look at Lan Zhi, it's still my daughter's good fortune!"

  Liu's mother explained the reason clearly on one hand, and quickly flattered Zhou Wenbo on the other. She deeply knew that at this time, her and Furen Hospital's fate might be decided by Young Master Zhou with just a word.

  Zhou Wenbo, on the other hand, was no longer in a hurry. With a smile on his face, he said to the old procuress: "Liu Mama, why don't you test this young man's family heirloom? If it can really pay off Duan Gongzi's debt and also redeem Lan Zhi's body, wouldn't that be a wonderful story?"

  After hearing this, Duan Shichen carefully sized up the elegant and refined young man in brocade clothes. He had originally thought he was a spoiled rich kid, but this person's eyes were clear and bright, with an air of confidence about him, not at all like a dissolute playboy. So he bowed his head: "I am Duan Yuanchen, courtesy name Deran, from Jinzhou. I have known Lan Zhi since we were young, and two years ago my family was attacked by bandits, with my parents and relatives killed. Now I'm drifting here, fortunately I met Lan Zhi again, and our feelings for each other are mutual. Today, in the heat of the moment, I accidentally offended you, sir, please forgive me."

  This truth was unknown even to Liu's mother; she still thought that Shi Chen was just a lecher.

  But judging from Lan Zhi's expression, what Duan Shichen said was indeed true.

  Zhou Wenbo had originally intended to recruit this man, and now that he saw him come from a large clan, with courtesy and etiquette, being a man of sentiment and righteousness, his intention to recruit him was even more firm.

  Liu's mother saw that Zhou Gongzi didn't seem to blame her, so she put down the big stone in her heart. Having been in this business for many years, she had seen many people bring their family treasures to pay off debts or redeem someone, and thus she familiarly called over an old man.

  This old man was a former pawnshop owner hired by Liu's mother, who had some knowledge of gold and silver jewelry, calligraphy and painting porcelain, etc., buying at low prices and selling at high prices, which has become a profitable source of income over the years.

  Only then did Duan Gongzi take out a purple sandalwood carving of a big-bellied Buddha from his sleeve, which was about the size of a ten-centimeter square. Upon closer inspection, the carving was extremely vivid and lifelike, revealing the exceptional skill of the carver. The surface of the wood carving had a silky luster, and the purple sandalwood emitted a refreshing fragrance that seemed to purify one's mind.

  Zhou Wenbo had also watched many antique appraisal and collection programs in his past life. In his opinion, this wooden carving indeed has a certain value for collection, but unfortunately...

  The old man carefully weighed and played with it for a while, finally looking at Liu's mother.

  Liu's mother knew that the old man was asking her to quote a price, and she didn't dare to be deceitful in front of Xiao Guogong, so she made a gesture with her eyes, telling the old man to quote a real price.

  "This wooden Buddha is made of precious sandalwood, with exquisite craftsmanship and a lot of charm. If it were in the early years, if you met someone who liked it, selling it for tens of thousands of dollars would not be a problem," The old man spoke slowly, his words brought a hint of joy to Duan Shichen and Lan Zhi's faces.

  However, no matter how well something is said, it's always the "but"s and "however"s that are feared. As expected by Zhou Wenbo, the old man's next words dealt a heavy blow to the pair of star-crossed lovers: "In today's chaotic world, many wealthy families have been destroyed, and the value of weapons, food, and even human life has become cheap. What's the worth of a mere plaything?"

  The old man shook his head, seemingly deeply grieved that the industry he was engaged in had withered away due to the war.

  Duan Shichen was also deeply affected by these words.

  He was originally the eldest son of a large family, his grandmother was a devout Buddhist, and this purple sandalwood carving was placed in the most noble place at home, and grandma burned incense and worshiped every day.

  His grandmother told him that this was a priceless treasure, and even at the time of her death, she held it tightly in her hand. In her last moments, she saw her beloved grandson kneeling by her bed, and with great reluctance, handed it over to Duan Shichen before passing away.

  Duan Shichen naturally enshrined the purple sandalwood Buddha, but when his home was attacked by soldiers, Duan Shichen hastily escaped and brought this so-called family heirloom with him.

  He had naturally doubted the value of this wooden carving in his heart, and today, after being told by the old man, he was extremely disappointed. He had been wandering with this thing for two years without finding anything special about it, but now, for the sake of the one he loved, he could only let it go.

  Duan Yuchen looked at him with hopeful eyes and asked: "Old sir, I wonder how much this wooden carving is worth?"

  The old man didn't respond, but instead returned the wooden carving to Duan Yuchen. "I think it's only worth five hundred coins, young master might as well keep it, also as a keepsake."

  These words completely dispelled Duan Yuchen's luck and expectations, he owed Furen Temple five taels of silver, this five hundred wen could only offset one tenth of the debt, let alone redeem Lan Zhi.

  The old man's quotation was indeed within Zhou Wenbo's expectations. People say "prosperous collection", only when society is rich and the world is at peace, will people pursue some spiritual enjoyment. When today's world is in chaos, the common people are displaced, being able to eat a meal that fills their belly, wearing clothes that keep out the cold is already a great enjoyment, who would go buy this stuff?

  But the play has reached this point, it's time for Zhou Wenbo to take the stage.

  "Mother Liu, if I want to redeem Miss Lan's body, how many taels of silver do I need?" Zhou Wenbo flicked his folding fan open with a swift motion and gently shook it, looking quite elegant.

  The people present did not despise Zhou Wenbo's arrogant action of shaking the fan in the cold winter, but instead stared at Liu Mama.

  "Lan Zhi was bought by me from a human trafficker two years ago for 80 taels of silver. At that time, Lan Zhi was still skinny and frail, and her body hadn't developed yet. In these two years, I've been treating her to the best food and clothes, and spent a whole year teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing. She's just started making money, but it's far from covering the costs. If Young Master Zhou has taken a liking to my daughter, I'll consider your face and sell her for 160 taels of silver."

  Liu's mother was naturally unwilling to sell her own cash cow, but Xiao Guo Gong wanted someone, how dare she not sell? She could only endure the pain and cut off the flesh.