Everyone was shocked by Miss Yao's ambition, and even Chen Zikun couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself, thinking that he, a big man, didn't have as much courage as the young girl. He slapped the table and said: "When buying cars, we should go all out and buy big ones. Ten is not enough, at least twenty, and then select a few clever ones to go to Shanghai to learn how to drive, and when they come back, we will dominate the Beijing automobile industry."

  Everyone applauded together, and Xue Baoqing, Wang Dongliang and others were even more envious. This car is too rare, people can drive it away by sitting inside, running hundreds of miles without stopping. The drivers are all wearing brand new uniforms, looking very proud. It's said that their monthly salary is also very high, hiring a driver in Beijing costs at least 20 yuan per month.

  "But where does the money come from?" Baoqing raised a question, which was also everyone's question. A pair of eyes looked at Chen Zikun, and Chen Zikun looked at Yao Yile.

  Yao Yile took out a checkbook and showed it to the crowd, this thin little book had beautifully printed checks with the header of Communications Bank, which everyone recognized.

  "I write down the amount of money on it, sign my name, and then I can take it to the Bank of Communications to exchange for dollars. This is called a check." said Yao Yilei.

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, with an expression of incredulity. They toil every day from dawn till dusk, and after a whole year, they can only save thirty bucks. Meanwhile, those rich people just scribble a few words and earn tens of thousands of dollars. It's really infuriating how some people have it so much better than others.

  "If you want to buy, then buy a Ford car. It's cheaper than German or British cars. I've inquired about it and the domestic price of a T-type car in the US is only $850, which is equivalent to 2,900 yuan. Adding tariffs and whatnot, it'll be around 3,000 yuan. If you buy more, you can even get a discount. Twenty cars would cost no more than 60,000 yuan, a small price to pay."

  600,000 yuan! It's nothing, everyone's eyes are about to pop out, 600,000 yuan can buy a royal mansion, but in Miss Yao's mouth it becomes a small matter, is this still letting poor people live?

  She said and did, Miss Yao took out a fountain pen and wrote "Sixty-three thousand yuan" on the checkbook, tore it off and handed it to Chen Zikun: "Here, take this and go directly to the car dealership to place an order. I estimate they don't have so many cars in stock, they'll need to transport some from Shanghai, but that's okay, there's always tomorrow."

  Chen Zikun hesitated for a moment, knowing that if he accepted the check, his fate would be tied to Miss Yao's and could never be separated again. However, she was just a young girl who had been so good to him, and it would be too pretentious of him to refuse her kindness.

  He readily accepted the check: "Consider it a loan from me."

  "What nonsense are you talking about? It was my capital that invested in the stock, humph! The Zi Guang Car Factory, now I'm the chairman of the board. That little nobody, get me a cup of tea." Yao Yirei raised her legs with satisfaction.

  Xiao Shunzi was the most attentive and promptly came over to help Ms. Yao make tea, with a smile on his face saying: "Chairman, please have some tea."

  "Uh-huh, good girl." Yao Yire's eyes curved into a crescent smile.

  ……

  Yao Gongguan, Yao Qizhen was furious and scolded his wife: "Look at the daughter you've spoiled, what kind of behavior is this? She's actually eloping with a rickshaw puller."

  "Is this what you've spoiled her into? Everything is done according to her temper, and now that things have come out, you're blaming me. What were you doing earlier?"

  Just then, the butler came in and reported: "Master and mistress, someone has come to collect a debt, saying that the young lady owes money from outside."

  "What?"

  "Miss, yesterday's installment payment for furniture, bedding, porcelain and other decorations, the account is still pending at the government office."

  "Tell them to scram, whoever owes the debt can go and find the person themselves." Yao Cilang waved his hand in annoyance, this small matter could be handled by the butler.

  Suddenly he had an idea and a good solution came out.

  The daughter has been accustomed to wearing silk and eating jade since she was a child. If her supplies are cut off, she will come back obediently.

  Immediately pick up the phone and call the Bank of Communications to freeze all of Yao Yire's accounts.

  This trick is really vicious, in the afternoon, those businessmen all ran to Ziguang Car Factory, apologizing while moving back all the valuables they brought yesterday. Ms. Yao knew something was wrong and wrote a check for Xiao Shunzi to cash at the Transportation Bank, as expected, not a single cent could be cashed.

  Yao Yilei was stunned, she didn't have much cash on her, only checks and deposit slips. The big talk had already been spoken, but there was no way to take it back, so she could only think of pawning the jewelry on her body.

  Although Miss Yao was the daughter of a wealthy family, after all, she was just an unmarried young lady, and her accumulation of jewelry and accessories was not even comparable to that of a typical rich family's wife. She only had a dozen or so pieces of jewelry, and they were all ordinary goods worth no more than three or four dollars.

  Never mind, take them all to the pawnshop. The necklace, ring and bangle were placed in a high cabinet window. The old shopkeeper looked down on Miss Yao through his old glasses, picked up the jewelry and drawled: "The gold ring is not 24K, at most 18K, the jadeite is not of good quality, not an antique..."

  Miss Yao had never been to a pawnshop before, and seeing the high counter, narrow windows, and the arrogant attendant, she felt unhappy. Before he finished speaking, she waved her hand and said, "How much can you give?"

  He sneered and said, "This little family heirloom of yours is worth at most 500 yuan."

  "What! Five hundred, have you gone mad? This is something I bought for a thousand yuan!" Miss Yao widened her eyes and pretended to be exaggerated, but in fact she wasn't quite sure how much these accessories were worth, just making an empty show.

  Miss, this is the rule of our pawnshop. If we buy at the original price, can we still do business? If you want to exchange for more money, it's dead pawn, I'll give you 800 yuan.

  "If you want to die, then just die." Miss Yao was very impatient.

  Chao accepted the jewelry and gave Ms. Yao a pawn ticket with "dead pledge" written on it, and also handed her a 800-yuan mortgage ticket.

  Miss Yao took the IOU and mortgage deed out the door, under the bright sunlight, she sighed: "I never thought I'd end up like this, Father and Mother, you want to see me make a fool of myself? Not even a door is left."

  ……

  Yao Gongguan, the pawnshop servant who had been standing in front of Yao Erlang with a flattering expression, handed over the jewelry that Miss Yao had pawned as is. Yao Erlang immediately opened a check for 1,000 yuan and sent him away.

  Mrs. Yao walked over with a worried look: "My daughter has indeed become an ornament, and if this continues, I'm afraid she'll follow Zhuo Wenjun's example and sell wine by the roadside."

  Yao Cizhang puffed on his pipe and said, "Hmph, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru, do you think they're comparable? Let's not even mention our daughter. That Chen Zikong, I've already sent someone to investigate him, and it turns out he's a bandit! A standard martial artist. Our Yao family absolutely cannot allow someone like that into the family."

  "Qizhen, you have to think of a way."

  Yao Cizhang said: "I have already thought of a way."

  ……

  These days, the business of Ziguang Chechang has been very poor. The patrol police always like to find fault, and although there are only twenty rickshaws in Ziguang Chechang, they have a unique shape and are equipped with four lanterns, making them easily recognizable. The patrol police on the street seem to be connected, and as soon as they see one, they fine it. The rickshaw drivers are all young men who are quick to fight, and as soon as they disagree, they start fighting. As a result, several rickshaws have been confiscated, and the business of the factory has plummeted. There are dozens of mouths to feed, and it's not possible to rely on Miss Yao selling her jewelry to make a living.

  Chen Zikun found Xu Guodong to smooth things over, and Xu Guodong was also a straightforward person. He directly revealed the truth to him: "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you out. This matter is arranged by Deputy Minister Yao of the Ministry of Transportation through Director Wu. My heart is willing but my strength is insufficient."

  A high-ranking government official, using such means to pressure himself, Chen Zikun didn't know whether to cry or laugh. On the way back from the police station, he heard a newsboy shouting: "Get your newspaper here! The daughter of the Deputy Minister of Transportation has eloped with a rickshaw puller!"

  Chen Zikun took out a copper coin and tossed it over without even looking: "A newspaper."

  The newsboy caught a copper coin and said: "Give me another one."

  It turned out to be a Guangxu Tongbao small coin, although it was still in circulation, the face value was too small, and basically nothing could be bought with it. The commonly used ones were copper coins worth ten cents and twenty cents.

  He held the coin in his hand, lost in thought, when the newsboy shouted again: "Mister?"

  "Ah," Chen Zikun took out a copper coin, bought a newspaper and glanced at it casually. They were all just rumors and hearsay, except for tarnishing Yao Cilang's reputation, there was nothing worth reading.

  Back at the garage, Chen Zikun called Xue Pingshun over and asked: "How many emperors were there in total during the Qing dynasty?"

  Xue Ping Shun snapped his fingers and calculated: "From Emperor Shunzhi to Emperor Xuantong, there were a total of ten emperors."

  Chen Zikong said: "It's not easy to collect all these Tongbao coins with different year numbers?"

  "What's the big deal? They're everywhere on the streets."

  Chen Zikong said: "Alright, you help me gather these coins, the more the better, they must be complete with year numbers, I have a use for them."

  Then go to a carpenter's shop and have a good camphor wood box made, with a golden velvet lining.

  He then found Gu Hongming and asked him to write a brief introduction to the ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty in English, which was simply their birth and death years, life achievements and other similar information, just a few sentences. Gu Hongming was willing to help his beloved disciple, so he immediately finished writing it.

  The most important link, the difficulty is also the highest, but Chen Zikong has a way, he first found Dr. Shawn Stanley who appreciated himself and asked him to meet Mr. Zhuang Shidun who had moved to Di'anmen Street for a cup of coffee, and everyone sat together to get things done.

  Nowadays, Johnston is the English teacher of the deposed emperor Puyi. It's not difficult for him to ask Puyi to write a couplet. Chen Zikun asked for two simple characters "Baoquan".

  Two days later, the palace had a response. The young Puyi was delighted to write the characters and not only wrote them but also added his own jade seal. Chen Zikun immediately found craftsmen to engrave the characters on a wooden box.

  Nanmu wooden box, with golden silk lining, copper coins of the ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty in order, along with a brief introduction written by Gu Hongming and the personal inscription of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. What a beautiful thing! What a magnificent style!

  This box of "ancient coins" is worth putting in a crystal factory, and if it's said to be high-end, maybe it can sell for five yuan, but there's no guarantee anyone will want it.

  But in a place like Rokoku Restaurant where foreigners gather, it starts at 100 yuan and is non-negotiable.