Fishing with a Long Line

Miss Gu, it was a pleasure doing business with you. If you have any more valuable items to sell in the future, feel free to bring them to Guhong Studio. Here's my business card, please take it," Qin Sheng said, handing over his business card after Gu Ming confirmed that the two million had been successfully transferred.

"Of course," Gu Ming replied, taking the card with both hands. Thinking about the two million now in her account, she felt a great sense of relief.

After shaking hands and bidding farewell to Qin Sheng, Gu Ming immediately left Guhong Studio.

"Did it work?" Old Xu looked at the hurriedly departing Gu Ming and then turned to Qin Sheng.

Qin Sheng nodded, his gaze sweeping around before noticing someone was missing. "Did Old Li leave?"

"You two went inside not long ago, and Old Li walked off with his things. I couldn't stop him. Qin Sheng, you shouldn't have said that earlier. We hadn't even verified whether Old Li's item was real, and you went and offended him," Old Xu said, looking a bit frustrated.

"Qin Sheng never does anything without reason," Mr. Qiao chuckled.

Old Xu glanced at the relaxed Qin Sheng, then at Mr. Qiao, who had a teasing look on his face, before realizing, "You two know something, don't you? Or maybe you're acquainted with Old Li?"

"Old Xu, I know you can't resist pulling in good things to the store, but your judgment isn't quite up to par. Three months ago, I saw that Old Li elsewhere; he was selling a porcelain pillow, but back then, he wasn't dressed like the simple country man today. He was an elite from the city," Mr. Qiao chuckled, sipping his tea.

"So that man is a scammer?" Old Xu was shocked, then slapped his own forehead in realization. "I knew something was off. His porcelain pillow was far inferior to Miss Gu's. I should have trusted my instincts! I'm lucky Mr. Qiao was here, or I would have gotten into big trouble."

"Don't say that. Even if I hadn't come, Qin Sheng likely wouldn't have taken Old Li's porcelain pillow. He's far more astute than you think," Mr. Qiao said, setting his teacup down and turning to Qin Sheng. "How much did you offer?"

"Two million," Qin Sheng said calmly, carefully putting the porcelain pillow in a safe place.

"Has the sun risen in the west today? Qin Sheng, you sly businessman, you actually offered such a high price without haggling! What happened to your usual tactics?" Old Xu exclaimed.

"This is called fishing with a long line," Qin Sheng said, spreading his hand to reveal a small piece of paper.

The note, which Gu Ming had slipped into his hand when they shook hands, simply read "Fake."

And he was certain that "fake" didn't refer to Gu Ming's porcelain pillow.

"Miss Gu... was it?" Qin Sheng's lips curled into a slight smile.

On a cool May morning, with temperatures just right—not too hot like midday, and not too cold like night—the breeze gently caressed Gu Ming's face. She took a deep breath, feeling a sense of comfort settle over her.

She genuinely thanked the jade bracelet that had given her the power to discern objects, helping her solve the dilemma she faced. It made her trust that, even without help from others, she could stand strong and live a fulfilling life.

Money, after all, is best earned on one's own!

Gu Ming hurried to the hospital, eager to share her excitement with her mother, Ji Ying. As she entered the hospital room, she saw her mother slumped over at her grandfather's bedside.

It seemed that Ji Ying had stayed up all night looking after Grandpa Gu, likely just having had a short rest.

Seeing this, Gu Ming's previously eager heart calmed down. She tiptoed over and gently covered Ji Ying with a light blanket.

"You're here so early?" Ji Ying, sensing someone's presence, slowly opened her eyes.

"Mm," Gu Ming nodded. When Ji Ying woke up, she gestured to the door, signaling her mother to step outside.

Ji Ying looked back at Grandpa Gu, who was in a deep sleep, then carefully tucked him in before following Gu Ming out of the room.

"I told you, you don't need to come today. You haven't had enough rest lately. You should take the weekend to sleep in at home," Ji Ying said with concern, noticing Gu Ming's dark circles.

Her daughter had always been the type to lose weight easily and struggle to gain it back. It would take a long time to replenish the weight she had lost recently.

"Mom, we have the money now. You don't have to worry about Grandpa's medical expenses anymore." Gu Ming hugged Ji Ying and whispered in her ear.

"The house was sold so quickly?" Ji Ying asked in surprise.

Gu Ming shook her head. "The house was bought by you and Grandpa for my marriage, and the renovation was a joint effort. I can't bear to sell it."

"Then where did the money come from?" Ji Ying's expression changed, and she looked at Gu Ming seriously. "Did you go to Du Hao?"

"Mom, don't you know what kind of person I am? This money was earned with my own abilities. It has nothing to do with Du Hao," Gu Ming raised her head.

"You earned it?" Ji Ying looked at her with doubt. How could Gu Ming have earned enough money in just a few days to cover Grandpa's medical expenses?

"Of course, I earned it," Gu Ming nodded confidently, leaving out the fact that her left hand had special abilities. She briefly explained the situation about how she had "picked up" the money.

She knew that it would be impossible to hide such a large sum of money from Ji Ying, and she didn't want to. After all, Ji Ying had put so much effort into her marriage, and when Du Hao and Qiao Qingya got married, it was likely the hardest blow for her. Gu Ming wanted her mother to know that even without Du Hao, she could still live well and take care of the family.

Someday, she would prove to everyone that Du Hao's choice to abandon her and marry someone else was because he was blind—not because Gu Ming wasn't good enough.

A woman doesn't have to rely on a man to succeed!

When Ji Ying heard that her daughter had taken a risk and earned two million by picking up valuable items, she was so shocked that her mouth almost hung open.

However, after the shock, Ji Ying didn't jump for joy. Looking at her daughter's happy face, she became somewhat worried. "Ming Ming, I know you did this for Grandpa and me, but picking up valuable items is risky. You were lucky this time, but next time it may not be so. Many people go from sudden wealth to sudden bankruptcy. I don't expect you to become rich, just to live a steady life."

"Don't worry, Mom. I know what I should do," Gu Ming said, looking at Ji Ying with clear eyes.

She knew that this time she was lucky to pick up something valuable. She couldn't rely on such luck for the rest of her life—it was too conspicuous. One or two times was fine, but too many times could lead to disaster.

If she didn't want to be seen as naive or be used by others with bad intentions, she would have to proceed with caution.