Chapter 3: Turning the Tide

Back then, there were still street stalls at Baoguosi, and quite a few of them, primarily selling coins and broken porcelain. It's said that the famous "Pianbai" from Beijing originated there.

Each stall had its niche, and I just happened to be selling porcelain and copper coins, which fit perfectly with the market. My spirits lifted immediately, and I thought, "I really don't believe that no one wants these antiques!"

I was lucky to find an empty spot at the front of the market and used the last of my three yuan to buy two chicken sausages. As I ate, I thought to myself, "Will I freeze or starve to death in Beijing, or will I eat well and live it up? It all depends on today."

To my surprise, not even ten minutes after I set up my stall, a crowd had gathered in front of it.

"Boss, how much are those Song and Qing Dynasty coins?"

"Boss, let me see that small powder-painted salt jar."

I was suddenly overwhelmed with customers.

"Boss, how much for that pair of cobalt blue bottles? Just tell me your lowest price, and if it's reasonable, I'll buy them."

In the chaos, I blurted out, "A pair of cobalt blue bottles, at least eight hundred."

"Alright, pack them up. I'll take them. How do you want the money?" The man nodded, asking me to wrap them up.

"Wait a minute, don't rush. I'll offer you eight hundred and three," another person immediately raised the price.

"Ma Lao San, this isn't right, is it?" The man said coldly.

"Heh, right? You haven't even paid yet, and you're talking about rules? The young boss can sell to whoever he wants!"

"Talking about rules with me? Song Lao Ban, antiques are getting rarer these days, especially these wedding bottles. You don't have to worry about selling them. Just put a box around them in your shop, and how much do you think you can sell it for? Don't you know, Song Lao Ban?"

Song Lao Ban slapped his thigh.

"Damn! Ma Lao Liu, how much I sell is none of your business!"

Seeing the two almost fight, I quickly stepped in to mediate.

"Don't argue. Why not look at something else? This powder-painted salt jar is nice, though it's missing a lid, the artwork is good."

Song Lao Ban looked at the salt jar in my hand and loudly asked, "Little brother, you said eight hundred earlier. Do you still want to sell it to me?"

I thought, "How is it that no one wanted these things in Panjiayuan, but here, everyone's fighting for them?"

After thinking for a moment, I looked at him and said, "Big Brother, I said eight hundred for the bottles earlier, so I'll stick to that. I can't go back on my word."

"Haha!"

"Good!" The man laughed heartily, patting his beer belly while looking at Ma Lao Liu smugly.

He glanced around my stall.

"Alright, little brother, you're straightforward, so I'll be the same. I'll take everything here."

"All of it in one shot!"

"Uh?" I was momentarily stunned. This Beijing boss was really generous.

"Okay, don't sell anymore. Pack up your things and come with me to my shop. I'll give you the money," the lady at the nearby stall said enviously.

"Okay, okay, I'll pack up." I hurriedly collected my things.

Following the big-bellied Song Lao Ban to his shop, he told me to leave my box behind, saying he'd include it in the payment.

In the end, for the porcelain, copper coins, and the box, the big-bellied boss handed me 4,700 yuan in cash! That was roughly the equivalent of a year's wages for an average person back then!

It was incredible. The big boss had bought everything, including my suitcase...

Walking out of Baoguosi empty-handed but with a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills in my pocket, I couldn't stop grinning.

I stood on the Guang'anmen Bridge, holding the cash, and shouted loudly, "Heaven never abandons those who persevere! I, Xiang Yunfeng, may not be good at studying, but I was born to do business! My uncle's farm isn't even worth mentioning! I'm going to be the best antique dealer in the country!"

At that moment, the people walking by gave me strange looks.

Looking back on it now, many years later, every time I think of that moment, I laugh. I realize how foolish I was.

In total, I made over 4,000 yuan in profit!

With some extra money in my pocket, I wasn't worried anymore. When I had money, the first thing I did was fill my stomach.

Coming from a small village, I had a big appetite. I ate two bowls of hand-pulled noodles and ordered a cold dish to go with it, eating my fill.

After finishing my meal, I picked my teeth with a toothpick and began planning in my head, "This works. After paying back my uncle, I'll still have some left. This money should be enough for capital. Next time, I won't have to pay my uncle, I'll gather more goods, and if I can make 4,000 in one trip, what if I do ten trips? That's 40,000, right?"

Later, I went to the West Station, where a middle-aged woman tricked me into staying at a small hotel, costing 60 yuan for a night.

Once inside, the landlady sneakily asked, "Little brother, would you like me to find a girl for you?"

Realizing what she meant, I hurriedly waved my hand, saying, "No, no, I don't need a girl."

The landlady kept pestering me, and in the end, I gave her an extra twenty yuan just to stop her from bothering me.

As the old saying goes, "When you're out in the world, don't flaunt your wealth."

I remember clearly how the hotel landlady looked at the stack of red bills in my pocket.

That night, I was exhausted and, in a daze, fell asleep. Fearing it wasn't safe, I carefully placed the plastic bag with the money under my pillow.

But when I woke up...

The money was gone...

All the 4,000 yuan I had painstakingly earned was gone.

"Where's my money?!" I panicked, my face turning pale, as I frantically searched under the sheets and pillows.

But everything was gone, leaving only the crumpled black plastic bag.

I was terrified and rushed to find the landlady. I asked her to check the surveillance cameras and said I would call the police.

But as expected...

The money was never found.

To this day, I've never had a good impression of those small hotels near train stations.

It's been over ten years, and I guess that little hotel doesn't even exist anymore. Do I hate it? Not really.

If my money hadn't been stolen, I might have been a small antique shop owner by now. I might have gotten married and had kids. My life path might have been completely different.

But no one gets a second chance.

If I hadn't lost that money, I wouldn't have ended up in this circle. I wouldn't have the nickname "Shen Yan Feng" in the underworld.

The police simply took a report and subtly hinted that the chances of recovering my money were slim.

Empty-handed and despairing, I didn't dare return to Mohe. I couldn't face my family.

I knew if I went back, I'd be laughed at by my peers and looked down upon by my uncle's family.

I couldn't bear the shame!

I couldn't tell anyone I'd made 4,000 yuan. The people in my village would never believe me!

Standing on the pedestrian bridge outside West Station, for a moment, I thought about jumping. I thought maybe it would be better to die this way.

No parents, no one cared about me, I was just a lonely, unloved child. Dying early would be better.

It's a dangerous thing when a young person has thoughts like that.

I had even prepared to jump off the bridge. Even if I didn't die from the fall, I'd probably get run over by a truck.

My legs were already hanging over the edge.

Just then, someone patted me on the back.