Chapter 26: The Predicament of the Treasure Pavilion

  Su Wen never dreamed that the earring he picked up was actually Yuxue's, but now these were not the key points. The two women seemed to be very curious about him, and in less than thirty seconds, they had already sized him up three or four times.

  "Where did you pick it up?" Yuxue finally spoke up.

  "In the yard." Su Wen said casually.

  Actually, when he was retrieving it, he didn't pay attention to the location either. Anyway, it should be roughly within a radius of 500 meters around here.

  It's more suitable to say it in the courtyard.

  "Sue Wen, I really didn't expect you to have this skill. My cousin has been searching for it for several days and couldn't find it, but you found it on the first day after moving in. Tell me! What do you want my cousin to do to repay you? Even just having a meal with you is acceptable." Chu Fei said with a sarcastic tone.

  Su Wen said with a sullen face: "Do I look like someone who would take advantage of kindness? Forget about the meal."

  Yi Xue took the earrings and examined them carefully: "Indeed, they are my earrings. What do you want? You can make a request, this doesn't count as taking advantage of kindness to repay a favor, it's just that I really need to show my gratitude to you. Otherwise, I would feel uneasy in my heart."

  Su Wen smiled in her heart, indeed it was like this.

  "How come, aren't you daring to make demands anymore?" Chu Fei sneered.

  Su Wen was not afraid at all and shouted: "Who dares not? I've already thought it through."

  "Speak!" Yuxue looked at Suwen.

  "I want you..."

  "What did you say? Believe it or not, I'll kill you!" Chu Fei bellowed.

  "I want you to make more breakfast every day, by the way, your cooking is really good. This steamed egg is so smooth and tender, and there's no greasy smell at all. The porridge is also super delicious, the flavor is almost as good as my mom's cooking! It's so yummy!" Su Wen said with a smile.

  "It's okay, from now on I'll make an extra breakfast every day." Yuxue didn't think much of it.

  "Thank you!" Su Wen cupped his hands together in a gesture of gratitude.

  There is a beauty who makes breakfast for him every day, and it's really an extremely happy thing.

  Chu Fei pouted her small mouth and looked at Su Wen, feeling angry in her heart: "Hmph, no one will take care of your lunch and dinner, you can solve it yourself."

  Su Wen smiled but did not speak.

  At half past eight, Su Wen set off on time.

  He estimated it would take about twenty minutes to walk to Jibaozhai.

  The timing is just right.

  The first day of work seems different.

  "Do you need a ride?" Yixue asked as she drove past Suwen.

  "It turns out that the car at the entrance was yours." Su Wen was stunned for a moment, he looked ahead and shook his head: "No need to send me, from here to Jibao Street there are six red lights in total, and it's also rush hour, taking a car would be slower than walking."

  "Alright, I'll go first." Yuxue didn't say another word.

  Twenty minutes, to be exact, twenty-one minutes less.

  Su Wen entered the Treasure Pavilion.

  "Mom Wu!"

  "So it's Xiaowen, come to work?"

  A middle-aged woman said with a smile.

  Yesterday Su Wen saw Wu Ma, usually in the morning and evening, Wu Ma would sweep the floor.

  "Yes, I'm going to work!" Su Wen smiled, "Where's Old Chu, has he arrived?"

  "She's here, upstairs." Wu Ma pointed.

  "Then I'll go take a look at him." Su Wen was about to go upstairs.

  Wu's mother hastily pulled Su Wen back and whispered, "Don't speak when you go up, Chu Lao is in a bad mood. If you say something, he might scold you again."

  "What's wrong?" Su Wen was puzzled.

  "Wang Xiaoge and Cui Guanshi have resigned together, can Chu Lao be happy?" Wu Ma mysteriously told Su Wen.

  "Resigned?" Su Wen was stunned.

  Yesterday Zhang Bu Fan left, today is even better, two more have left.

  "Yes! These two, one is in charge of receiving goods outside, and the other is in charge of operating outside. Now they have started their own business, no shortage of goods, no shortage of connections, this is going to make a big fortune!" Wu Ma sighed, "Alas, Chu Lao actually raised some white-eyed wolves, wasted several years teaching them, can't even raise them properly!"

  Su Wen also scratched his head.

  Is it impossible for me to be a lucky star, in this small antique shop with less than ten people.

  Just arrived, and three people have already left.

  "I'll go take a look."

  Su Wen still decided to go comfort Chu Lao.

  Second floor.

  Some precious items are here.

  Look at these two buildings, they are almost all over 300 square meters, and the area is just a little smaller than the first floor.

  In the antique business, a store with nearly a thousand square meters of space on two floors is not common. If this place wasn't passed down from Old Man Chu, it would be hard for anyone to bear the cost of operating an antique business in such a large space.

  Su Wen went upstairs and saw three people.

  Two were Zhao Shu and Ma Shu who worked on antique maintenance, and the other was naturally Chu Lao.

  "Su Wen, you're here?" Chu Lao beckoned with his hand. "Now that you're also a member of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, come sit down and listen!"

  Su Wen sat down next to Uncle Zhao.

  "Now, two more people have left Jibaozhai, and they are the key ones. Without them, it's hard for us to receive goods from outside and make deals with outsiders. I plan to recruit two more people, but thinking about it, it's not easy to find trustworthy people in our line of work."

  "This is true, but if Treasure Pavilion wants to operate, it must have a source of goods at least!" Zhao Shu said.

  Uncle Zhao's name is Zhao You. He used to be the administrator of the Provincial Museum, and later jumped into the jewelry store, where he stayed for ten years.

  "Goodness gracious!" Chu Lao sighed, "In our line of work, the thing we lack most is goods. As long as you have something, there will be people coming to buy it. If you don't have anything, no matter how big your storefront is, it's useless. This has always been our weakness."

  Su Wen listened quietly, her mind also turning over calculations.

  "Otherwise, in the future, I and Zhao You will go out to collect goods alone. Although we may not get anything good, it's still possible to keep the gathering going." Ma Shu said.

  Ma Shu's name is Ma Cheng, and because he is a relative of Chu Lao, he is also the most loyal to him. From thirty years ago, Ma Cheng started as an apprentice in Jibao Pawnshop and has now become one of the best in this line. Although his work is focused on antique conservation, he has a good grasp of antique appraisal, collection, cultural research, and other related fields, sometimes making Chu Lao feel that Ma Cheng's talents are being wasted.

  "Can you all take it?" Chu Lao sighed, "Wanting to get goods, we need to rush around outside every day, and sometimes there are some unpredictable dangers. I really don't want you all to work so hard. It seems that I should consider Yuxue's suggestion after all."

  "Chu Lao, you mean to say that we should sell off the Ju Bao Lou or just get rid of it?" Zhao You asked in surprise.

  "This is absolutely unacceptable." Ma Cheng also said in a low voice.

  Su Wen was silent, he didn't think that Jibao Inn had reached this point.

  "I'm just saying, don't worry so much," Chu Lao hastily said, "With just the few of us, we're barely managing to keep things going. From now on, I'll be looking for suitable people to help out while also coming over to lend a hand myself. And let's not forget about Fei Er, have her come and help out too, we'll get through this tough time."

  Zhao You and Ma Cheng were clearly distrustful of each other.

  Su Wen took a deep breath and said: "Chu Lao, if you believe me, then from now on, let me handle the goods sourcing!"

  He can't watch Tongbao Pawnshop go down, let alone it's his first job.

  Some of the items he collected also need a place to dispose of them.

  Jubaozhai is obviously the most suitable place.

  "Who?" Chu Lao was taken aback, "Su Wen, in our line of work, getting the goods is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Sometimes we have to rummage through antique markets, go to remote rural areas to dig up treasures, and even collect goods from tomb raiding gangs. At the same time, we also need to guard against the deception of some middlemen. If one deal goes wrong, and we end up with fake goods, the loss will be enormous. It can be said that doing this line of work makes it difficult to have a stable life. When times are good, you can eat your fill, but when times are bad, you can starve to death."

  Su Wen couldn't help but laugh: "Chu Lao, I'm timid, don't scare me."

  Chu Lao frowned: "I'm not joking, and you're too young, just entering society, you have no connections, how can you get the goods?"

  "I naturally have my own way, and it will be done if Chu Lao waits with bated breath." Su Wen smiled mysteriously, "Chu Lao, I'm not an ordinary person. If you treat me like a fool, then you'll become the real fool. When we first met on the train, I could casually take out a stone ring, and I can also take out something even more precious."

  Chu Lao felt the arrogance in Su Wen's words.

  "This is the stone ring that we first met, it's the first treasure I got for Jubaoshan. Later, Jubaoshan will have more precious and rare treasures." Su Wen took out the stone ring, "Everything is really fate, we will cooperate happily."

  "Cooperation?" Chu Lao was taken aback.

  "Hehe, I will be a good employee." Su Wen hastily corrected herself.

  Zhao You and Ma Cheng were both speechless, wondering if this young man they had just recruited was crazy.