The two quickly found the place.
The souvenir street of the Sleepless City isn't really a place that mainly sells antiques.
They mostly sell all sorts of modern-made souvenirs or things like traditional Han Chinese clothing.
There are only two or three antique shops, and they mostly sell worthless little trinkets.
For example, ancient copper coins with large circulation that can be bought for just a few dozen yuan, porcelain from folk kilns after the Ming Dynasty, and some ordinary-material ancient furniture and such.
Although they bear the name of antiques, most things aren't worth as much as modern crafts.
Once inside the shop, Chen Yiyang set Xu Xiaosheng down.
But Xu Xiaosheng wasn't very awake at this moment, so she clung tightly to Chen Yiyang's arm and stayed by his side.
"Are you two a couple looking to buy an antique as a keepsake?" The shop owner, a big brother, thought Chen Yiyang and Xu Xiaosheng were a young couple tired from playing and ready to buy a special souvenir to take back.
So he started introducing items.
"If you want to get something for your girlfriend, we have some silver hairpins, bracelets, and ornamental dots from the Ming Dynasty here, all excellent keepsakes. You can take them back and they're both collectible and practical."
"How much for this makeup box?" Because he was really tired today, Chen Yiyang didn't feel like haggling with the shopkeeper.
Of course, another reason is that with Xu Xiaosheng around, buying a female-related item for his female friend seemed quite normal, not arousing suspicion.
"This box is from the early Ming period. Although it's just a wooden makeup box used by a common family, its style is absolutely beautiful. Even modern people using it wouldn't find it at all tacky." The shopkeeper gushed with introductions.
"Just tell me the price." Chen Yiyang asked for the price.
The shopkeeper glanced at Xu Xiaosheng, who's leaning drowsily against Chen Yiyang.
He guessed in his heart that this young man was preparing to give his girlfriend a gift. So the initial asking price was quite important.
Young people care about face; if the price is too high, they'll find an excuse to look at other things.
So he needed to name a price that's not too high or too low—though young folks may find it a bit painful on the wallet, they'd still buy it directly for face's sake.
"Three thousand," the shopkeeper said.
"Too expensive, I actually have one of these," before Chen Yiyang could speak, Xu Xiaosheng suddenly mumbled, "I only bought mine for six hundred."
"Fifteen hundred," Chen Yiyang countered.
He thought if he haggled earnestly, the price could go lower. But he was too tired, so a few hundred bucks wasn't necessary.
"Alright," the shopkeeper gritted his teeth, thinking this price was acceptable.
"Too expensive," Xu Xiaosheng pulled at Chen Yiyang's arm. This girl still thought Chen Yiyang intended to buy it for her.
Chen Yiyang glanced at the drowsy Xu Xiaosheng, then at other items in the shop.
"Add this ear-scoop hairpin," Chen Yiyang said, pointing to a small hairpin in the shop.
"This is from the Qing period, quite valuable too." The shopkeeper hesitated but seeing that the girl among the young couple didn't seem interested in buying anything, he agreed. "Alright, then we'll add this ear-scoop hairpin."
As the name suggests, an ear-scoop hairpin from the Ming Dynasty combined an ear-scoop with a hairpin, creating a practical and aesthetically pleasing hairpin.
After the Qing Dynasty, this item became very fashionable, and in its later development, the ear-scoop function was omitted, turning it into a purely female accessory.
Thus, a large number of Qing Dynasty ear-scoop hairpins exist, especially those made of silver, which was almost dropping out of the precious metals category due to its low value.
After paying and buying the items, Chen Yiyang pulled Xu Xiaosheng out of the Sleepless City and luckily caught a taxi right away.
"You should go back to your dorm," Chen Yiyang helped Xu Xiaosheng into the taxi, "Make sure to send me a voice message when you arrive."
"Mm, okay." After getting in the car, Xu Xiaosheng reached for the makeup box in Chen Yiyang's arms.
"This isn't for you," Chen Yiyang held down Xu Xiaosheng's hand.
Then he hurriedly, before she got completely drowsy, placed the ear-scoop hairpin in her hair. "This is for you; I had a great time today. Thank you."
After sending off Xu Xiaosheng, Chen Yiyang booked a nearby chain hotel online and walked there.
The next morning.
Chen Yiyang turned on his phone.
There was a voice message from Xu Xiaosheng sent last night.
Too lazy to listen to it, Chen Yiyang converted it to text, confirming the girl safely returned to her dorm, freeing him from any responsibility.
He then took out the makeup box he purchased last night.
This is a single-layer makeup box, so if anything were hidden, it would be beneath the bottom board of the box.
Chen Yiyang initially planned on dismantling it violently, considering the box itself wasn't as valuable as Great Ming Treasure Notes.
But upon examining it closely, he found a small hole on the box's bottom board; he could pry it open with an ear-scoop and remove the board directly.
After taking out the box's bottom, Chen Yiyang looked closely.
Sure enough, beneath it, there were five folded Great Ming Treasure Notes.
This makeup box dated back to the early Ming period, and likely many had discovered the hidden layer inside.
However, in ancient times, Great Ming Treasure Notes were practically akin to toilet paper.
Even if someone occasionally discovered it, upon seeing what it contained, they would just close it back up again.
They probably wondered why the original owner would stash worthless treasure notes at the box's bottom. Ultimately, they just considered it as a symbol of wealth, implying a wish for prosperity and good fortune.
And in modern times, these makeup boxes aren't really used by anyone, so the Great Ming Treasure Notes hidden underneath were never discovered.
Only today were they brought to light.
Chen Yiyang briefly examined the five treasure notes; the writing was clear, and there weren't any stains.
Other than a crease, the rest of the note still maintained its original appearance.
To prevent accidentally damaging these fragile notes, Chen Yiyang pressed them back into the makeup box.
Having booked a morning high-speed train ticket, Chen Yiyang rushed back to Jin City by noon.
And he didn't even go home. He went straight to a convenience storage facility and rented a two cubic meter mini-storage. He stored the makeup box, the watch case, and some random items he bought inside.
Not that he felt this place was particularly safe.
But compared to leaving them in a rental close to the village or carrying them around.
The mini-storage was indeed safer.
After finishing everything, Chen Yiyang hurried to meet Chang Yuning. Today they also needed to sign the contract and prepare for the transfer.
It wasn't until the afternoon that they completed the related procedures.
But the entire transfer process would probably take over a week. This was even after skipping the financial supervision and doing a direct payment transaction for convenience.
After signing the contract, Chang Yuning handed over a thirty percent deposit to Chen Yiyang and also signed a loan contract with him.
Having completed everything, the two celebrated by cooking hotpot in the old house newly purchased by Chang Yuning.
"Congratulations, you'll soon have your own house."
"Actually, I should say I have my second house now. Who knows, maybe one day the unfinished building will be rebuilt."
"Well, you'll be waiting for that," Chen Yiyang had no hope that the unfinished building bought by Chang Yuning would ever be ready.
"Ah, after working hard for over a decade, I finally have my second home, although this house has already been lived in for nine years."
"True, you should look for a roommate soon. You still need to pay me back," Chen Yiyang reminded.
"Have a bit of heart, will you? I've already downgraded my spending to eating hotpot at home!"
"It's hard for everyone to make money, so you should understand my situation too," Chen Yiyang casually replied to Chang Yuning.
Then suddenly he thought.
Making money seems quite easy for him.
After all, the biggest challenge for ordinary people in earning money — information channels — has been perfectly solved by the "Bargain Hunter" app.
All that's left is to wait until he becomes the richest man someday and publishes a book bragging about how hard he worked to succeed.
"I hope to save enough for retirement before I look worn out, and you, we're friends now. If I ever lose my job and can't temporarily pay you back, you should give me a few months' grace."
Ever since signing the contract with Chen Yiyang, Chang Yuning didn't hold back.
Whether it was the pitiful look during their first meeting or the alluring charm in their second meeting.
It was all an act.
A fitness coach working at a private gym isn't someone to be underestimated.
If she wants to seduce you, she can transform into whatever style you like.
Now, having completely shifted into a business relationship with Chen Yiyang, she behaves just like one of his buddies, showing no interest whatsoever.
Unless she chooses to wear yoga pants and a tank top, relying purely on physical allure.
"By the way," Chang Yuning suddenly asked Chen Yiyang curiously.
"Are you living alone now?"
"Living with my girlfriend," Chen Yiyang answered casually, more focused on the tripe.
The tripe that Chang Yuning bought today was especially crunchy and cooked quickly in the hotpot.
"You don't seem like someone who has a girlfriend," Chang Yuning quickly saw through Chen Yiyang.
"Of course, I do!" Chen Yiyang immediately responded, "My girlfriend is a German girl, great figure, almost like a supermodel. Every morning we go out running together."
"Really?" Chang Yuning seemed skeptical.
"Really, really, let's hurry up and eat, I still need to go pick her up."
"Okay, but since you're eating hotpot for free, shouldn't you help me wash the dishes?"
Chen Yiyang pretended not to hear what Chang Yuning said. Washing those bowls, chopsticks, and pots after a hotpot meal is a nightmare.
Most people downgrade their spending from Haidilao to street stall hotpot only because they find washing dishes at home after eating hotpot more cumbersome than spending a bit extra to eat outside.
After placing the last piece of tripe in his mouth, Chen Yiyang took out his phone and noticed several messages from Xu Xiaosheng.
"Where are you now, why aren't you replying to my messages? Did you find a hotel safely last night?"
"Oh, I saw your message last night announcing you got home safely and just went to sleep. I'm back in Jin City now," Chen Yiyang casually replied to Xu Xiaosheng.
"Will you come to West Capital again?" Xu Xiaosheng asked.
"Not sure, I'll message you if I do," Chen Yiyang was afraid that if he stayed longer, he'd be caught by Chang Yuning to wash dishes.
So after replying to Xu Xiaosheng's message, he quickly pocketed his phone and left Chang Yuning's house.
He needed to go pick up Hans.