San Pao's Thoughts

"Brother, you're setting up your stall so early?" 

"Come on, there's no one around; let's have a smoke before we get started..." 

"What should I call you? Are you friends of Man Ge?" 

The next morning, as Fang Yi and Fatty entered the market, greetings echoed all around them. Several vendors, who had been chatting nearby, quickly gathered around, offering cigarettes and friendly salutations, clearly eager to forge a connection with Fang Yi and his companions. 

"Ah, Wang Ge, smoke mine. My surname is Wei; just call me Hua Zi. This is my brother, Fang Yi..." Fatty greeted them with familiarity, his memory serving him well as he recognized one of the stall owners from the previous morning. 

"Hua Zi, Fang Zi, you two must be starving after arriving so early!" The stall owner known as Wang Ge called out to the vendor selling duck blood vermicelli soup, "Bring us two bowls, and put it on my tab..." 

"Wang Ge, that's too generous!" Fatty said, distributing cigarettes with a beaming smile. 

"Are you looking down on Wang Ge? It's just a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup; if it's not enough, we'll order more..." 

Wang Ge displayed a hearty generosity. As the saying goes, good news travels slowly while bad news spreads like wildfire. The events from the previous day had already circulated, and everyone knew that the young brothers under Man Jun had formidable connections, managing to topple the once-dominant Gu Director of the market. 

"Thank you, Wang Ge..." 

Fatty accepted graciously, pulling Fang Yi to sit down. He had been overly excited the day before, tossing and turning throughout the night, rising around six or seven to play with beads, skipping breakfast to rush to the market with Fang Yi. 

"Hua Zi, I heard that Old Sun visited the market yesterday. Did you see him?" Old Wang sat down beside Fatty, seemingly engaging in casual conversation, but actually probing for information. 

"I did see him; he came with Deputy Director Zhao..." Fatty chuckled, adding, "We even had a meal together..." 

Fatty, with his innocent demeanor, was not lacking in cunning. He understood that some truths were better left unsaid, so he straightforwardly mentioned their shared meal from the night before. 

"Had a meal together? You're just boasting..." 

Old Wang scoffed at Fatty's words. It was well-known that Old Sun had little regard for antique dealers; despite the antique market's long existence, he had never set foot in it during his tenure at the museum, only occasionally visiting after retirement. 

"Hey, Wang Ge, you might not believe it, but Old Sun even said he wants to take us as disciples..." Fatty said, half-jokingly. Yet, none of the others at the table took him seriously, assuming he was just bragging. 

"Oh, come on, Hua Zi, stop boasting. We all know you have some connection with Old Sun. If there are issues in the market in the future, make sure to look out for us..." 

Old Wang chuckled as he pulled out his wallet to pay for breakfast. He had specifically sought out Er Liu the day before and learned that Old Sun seemed to know Fang Yi and his friends, though the depth of their relationship was questionable, given Old Sun's notorious disdain for antique dealers. 

"Wang Ge, you flatter me. As newcomers, it's you and your friends who are looking out for us..." Fatty chatted amiably with Old Wang and the others, almost as if they had known each other for years. 

"Fatty, just be cautious when dealing with them..." As they went to fetch goods from Man Jun's shop, Fang Yi advised Fatty. Those who thrived in the eclectic world of the antique market were rarely straightforward. 

"I understand; you can rest easy..." Fatty maintained his innocent grin, but Fang Yi felt reassured. Fatty's charm could easily deceive others, and it was possible someone might be unwittingly aiding Fatty while being taken advantage of. 

Not long after Fang Yi and Fatty set up their stall, San Pao arrived, his face beaming with pride, which Fatty found quite irksome. The two couldn't help but engage in some playful banter. 

"By the way, San Pao, what does your fiancée do for a living?" 

Business on Mondays was considerably slower than on weekends. By nine in the morning, the market was sparsely populated, with fewer tourists than vendors. After San Pao's arrival, Fatty wandered off to mingle with other stalls, leaving Fang Yi and San Pao to chat. 

"Her name is Ye Qianqian, and she works as a sales clerk in a mall. I'll bring her here on Sunday..." 

Mentioning his girlfriend brought a glimmer of happiness to San Pao's face. He was genuinely invested in this relationship; after meeting her during a family visit while on leave from the army last year, he had insisted on leaving the military, unwilling to remain any longer. 

Ye Qianqian's family had once lived in the outskirts of Jinling, which had only recently been incorporated into the city as it expanded. She was the eldest sibling, with two younger siblings, and had left school to work before graduating from high school, being a year younger than San Pao. 

According to San Pao, the girl had a wonderful personality and was very gentle, never minding that he had been discharged for over six months without securing a job. Their relationship was progressing well; they had long since passed the hand-holding and kissing stage, yet the final barrier had yet to be broken. 

"Hey, you're doing well; aim for an early marriage..." 

Fang Yi chuckled, giving San Pao a light pat on the shoulder. He had originally trained as a wild Taoist under his master, with no restrictions on marriage or family. The old Taoist had once mentioned that, aside from his legitimate wife, he had three concubines in his youth. 

"Yi Ge, once we start making money, I... I want to rent a place to live. What do you think?" After introducing his girlfriend, San Pao spoke hesitantly, his face betraying a hint of anxiety. He felt that voicing such intentions might seem a bit too focused on romance over friendship. 

"Of course, why not?" 

Fang Yi saw no issue with it and replied, "We currently have over twenty thousand on hand, and housing here isn't expensive. You could rent a place nearby to start. When we're no longer staying at Man Ge's, you can move in..." 

In the year 2000, properties near Chaotian Palace were selling for only one or two thousand per square meter. Renting a two-bedroom apartment would cost no more than three hundred yuan a month. Fang Yi believed they could easily afford that expense each month. 

"Wait, don't be hasty, Fang Yi. We haven't even started making money yet; let's talk about it later..." Upon hearing Fang Yi's suggestion, San Pao quickly waved his hands. Regardless of the situation, he now considered himself a city dweller; relying on Fatty and Fang Yi for income was one thing, but he didn't want to take advantage of them. 

"Alright, let's see how business goes. If it's good, we can have your girlfriend come and join us..." Fang Yi pondered for a moment and nodded. They were all still dependent on others; if he and Fatty were living rent-free at Man Jun's while San Pao rented his own place, it would indeed be awkward to explain. 

"This business is significantly slower than yesterday..." 

By noon, their stall had yet to make a sale, causing both San Pao and Fatty to grow anxious. However, Fang Yi remained calm, quietly fiddling with his beads, showing no signs of impatience. 

"San Pao, you can close up today. Fang Yi and I will head to Zhao Ge's..." 

It seemed that Man Jun had overindulged the previous day and hadn't shown up at the shop by noon. After a quick lunch, Fang Yi and his companions prepared to visit the museum to see Zhao Hongtao. For Fang Yi, the opportunity to learn during the midday hours was far more valuable than selling goods. 

Before entering the museum, Fang Yi called Zhao Hongtao, who personally came out to greet them and instructed the staff at the entrance to allow them direct access to the office in the future. 

"Who are these two young men? Are they relatives of Deputy Director Zhao?" 

Seeing the two young men so familiar with Deputy Director Zhao puzzled the staff at the entrance, one of whom vaguely remembered Fang Yi and Fatty from their visit to the management office the day before to secure their stall. 

"Probably. It seems they rented a stall at the antique market yesterday, and Old Gu got taken down; perhaps it crossed paths with Deputy Director Zhao's relatives..." 

One staff member remarked with a hint of schadenfreude. Although they were both part of the logistics department, they were not under Old Gu's purview, and manning the entrance was a thankless job. They had long wished for Old Gu's misfortune. 

"Make sure to inform the shift workers not to provoke these two..." An older staff member cautioned. They had both temporary and permanent workers, but offending Deputy Director Zhao could spell trouble for anyone, regardless of their employment status. 

"Zhao Ge, your office is truly impressive..." Fatty exclaimed as he and Fang Yi followed Zhao Hongtao into his office, unaware of the discussions happening behind them. 

Zhao Hongtao's office was located in a two-story building on the east side of the museum, which had originally been part of Chaotian Palace, serving as a residence for Taoists. After the palace was converted into a museum, the building was renovated into office space. 

As the first deputy director of the museum, Zhao Hongtao occupied an office of around forty square meters, furnished in a classical style that exuded elegance. When he opened the window, a magnificent view of the Chaotian Palace complex came into sight, making the location truly exceptional.