Chapter 211

Ling Yue was calm and unhurried, instead glancing lightly at Qiao Yun in front of the camera.

"Red Bean Paste."

She wasn't calling Qiao Yun, but rather the usually unnoticeable Red Bean Paste; Little Cow curiously turned her big eyes, then looked at Ling Yue and lowed: "It's so lively today—someone else is actually calling me?"

"Aren't you going up the mountain? Take her up the mountain."

Hearing this, Red Bean Paste instantly cheered up and jumped around; the viewers in front of the live stream, including Qiao Yun, were all at a loss, not knowing what she intended to do.

Only Red Bean Paste, snorting as it lifted its hooves, looked at Qiao Yun: "Hurry up, let's go up the mountain—I have a surprise for you^_^."

Qiao Yun untied the rope, and Ling Yue watched her slightly flushed face, feeling resolved.

Red Bean Paste is a clever little cow; despite its injuries, it stubbornly walked toward the continuous blue-green mountains, while Qiao Yun's father, because his legs were disabled, did not want to burden his daughter and directly refused.

So this time up the mountain, only Qiao Yun and Red Bean Paste went.

Red Bean Paste led her onto a narrow goat-path; the winding trail wasn't hard to walk, at most a bit precarious. She stroked the little cow's head: "Red Bean Paste, where are you taking me?"

Red Bean Paste said nothing, puffing and panting as it walked up the mountain; it was very patient, leading Qiao Yun around and around the mountain—even someone skilled at climbing would soon be worn out by it.

What's more, Qiao Yun, although she often exercised, had long been doing desk work, so her stamina was nowhere near what it used to be; now she panted lightly, completely at a loss.

The live-stream viewers were even more so.

【What's wrong with the streamer, Niu Niu? Why suddenly let Niu Niu take a person up the mountain?】

【What Little Cow, it's called Red Bean Paste, really cute.】

【I'm just curious, what exactly did the streamer mean earlier?】

Ling Yue curled her lips into a light smile: "Just now I saw a wealth star fall into the fate plate of Green Bean Paste."

The live-stream viewers, buzzing with discussion: "!!!"

Ling Yue: "It's the wealth star entering one's fate!"

Upon hearing this, the viewers instantly grew excited, recalling that Ling Yue had once said something similar, and the person who consulted her ended up striking it rich!

Once money was involved, the live stream's traffic surged instantly; everyone eagerly stared at the stream, and someone with a good memory suddenly recalled what Uncle Qiao had said earlier——

【A treasure—could there really be a treasure?!】

【No way, those two white-eyed wolves rummaged through chests and cabinets and found not a trace of money—I thought it was fake, so how did traces suddenly appear? I don't believe it!】

【I don't believe it either……】

【I believe in the streamer; even if there's no treasure, the kind-hearted miss will definitely not lose out!】

As for the result, nobody knows, after all they haven't seen it yet; at this moment, Qiao Yun had collapsed from exhaustion against the mountainside, green vines hanging down and intertwining, when suddenly she heard the excited lowing of the cow and immediately looked up.

"Red Bean Paste!"

Although she knew the mountain's beasts had been wiped out, leaving only small animals like wild rabbits and pheasants, she remained nervous; the moment she looked over, Red Bean Paste was also gazing her way.

It had lived for over twenty years and was extremely spiritual.

"Come over, come over! Yun Yun, hurry up and look."

Red Bean Paste kept urging Qiao Yun; Ling Yue translated those words, and Qiao Yun paused, then slowly walked over, only to discover that Red Bean Paste had used its head to push aside the tangled vines—she had thought beyond them was just the same rock face as hers.

On camera, a narrow, person-high cave appeared before everyone's eyes.

【!!! How could there be a cave entrance here?!】

Ahhh, so exciting, sis, hurry in and take a look—there's definitely something good!

I remember now—Red Bean Paste leads the way. Legend has it that the reason the Yuan dynasty tombs were never discovered is because they used animal pathfinding: the process is brutal, killing the mare in front of the foal, so the foal remembers the place for life; if the animal dies, later generations won't know the tomb's location.

The book also mentions 'an old horse knows the way,' meaning animals have memory. Red Bean Paste must have walked this route many times!

This discussion initially attracted little attention; a few people were amazed by Red Bean Paste's spirituality, while most stared fixedly at the cave mouth on the screen—since there was no light, it was a pitch-black mass, seemingly a bottomless abyss.

But at this point, who cares about any abyss!

This is clearly a treasure cave!

Hurry hurry hurry, I'm the best at live-streaming treasure hunts! I can lug the tools and fly there overnight!

Nice dream, brother—you're not a tomb robber, are you? What tools do you need? Isn't just having hands enough?

Ling Yue happened to catch that remark, her eyebrows slightly lifting—how could that be?

Since the hidden cave mouth was discovered, it has stirred up a storm, sparking heated discussion among the livestream's viewers; meanwhile, Qiao Yun in the frame calmly brushed aside the vines.

Sunlight streamed into the cave entrance, faintly revealing the interior's outline.

Qiao Yun's careful observation made some impatient viewers anxious, like ants on a hot pan.

Whoa, why aren't you going in yet? Let's see what treasure's inside!

Ling Yue shook her head: "Why rush to go in?"

She is the host, the source of all the livestream's popularity; a word from her draws many eyes.

Does the host know?

Ling Yue: "We don't know how long this cave has existed, nor how long it's been undiscovered; if we rashly go in and it lacks oxygen, what then?"

This is no small matter—take the rural sweet potato cellar commonly used: after storing something for a while, one must enter with a candle; if the candle stays lit a long time, there's oxygen; if it goes out, you must never enter, otherwise, once oxygen-deprived, it poses a mortal danger.

Ling Yue has seen many such cases online.

Many viewers nodded in agreement.

But this—

Ling Yue caught sight of a thick layer of □□ on the ground and immediately laughed: "However, the danger level of this cave should be low."

"A thick layer of white lime spread on the ground—it keeps moisture out and dry, so whoever stored things here must have gone to trouble; moreover, the footprints on the ground are still clearly visible, suggesting someone came not long ago."

Not only did people listen to her with relish, but even Red Bean Paste beside her couldn't help nodding its head: "Human, you're really smart."

Although it has lived over twenty years, it has always stayed in the village, finding Ling Yue's words novel and interesting.

By now Red Bean Paste knew Ling Yue could understand its speech; it scraped its hoof in the wet, soft soil before saying: "You're absolutely right—just a few days ago, my old master last led me up the mountain, chattering on and on, constantly muttering about his ungrateful relatives; later the dew soaked his clothes, and only then did I lead him back down."

"After that, he just lay in bed, unable to get up."

Hong Dou Sha said, shaking its head: "So before the old master passed away, he never mentioned this to anyone; the place where he hid the treasure is known only to me. When the master died, I swore that whoever takes me away, I will tell them where the treasure cave is."

It spoke, looking affectionately at Qiao Yun; at this moment, who knows how many people felt their vision blur, actually seeing gentleness and affection flickering in the cow's eyes: "I still remember this little guy; when she was little, she loved riding on my back, walking back and forth in the paddy fields with me, and she would even fan me to drive away the flies—haha, I didn't even need her to chase them away..."

"Little one, you've grown up."

A cow's lifespan is not the same as a human's; the red bean sand with an elderly grandmother's mindset has already come to regard Qiao Yun as its own descendant—indeed, she even drank its milk.

Hong Dou Sha is not an ordinary yellow cow; it is a red-and-white spotted cow that the vendor happened to obtain, and, to be precise, it even has foreign bloodline.

It produces an extremely high amount of milk; the vendor bought a calf out of curiosity, but who would have thought—because of its strange appearance, the locals didn't want to buy it, and it almost ended up a loss for the vendor.

Later, Grandfather took Qiao Yun to the market; she took an instant liking to the calf in the pen, her big eyes full of affection, yet that day they did not end up buying Hong Dou Sha.

After a while, Grandfather suddenly brought Hong Dou Sha back.

Its temperament is like the reddish-brown patches on its back—gentle and delicate.

Qiao Yun's heart stirred; when she realized it, her hand was already resting on Hong Dou Sha's back, her eye sockets slightly red.

Her mother abandoned her and her father when she was very young; without a mother, in the eyes of her peers she was just a wild child, and only Hong Dou Sha was willing to keep her company.

Therefore, in a certain sense, Hong Dou Sha's existence is her mother.

Gentle and serene, it cannot speak, yet it understands each of her movements.

Its slightly coarse fur brushed against her cheek, and Hong Dou Sha let out a low moo; sunlight streamed through the gaps in the branches and leaves, the beautiful scene as lovely as a painting scroll.

Qiao Yun quickly composed herself, checked things over, and finally put her mind at ease; Hong Dou Sha also urged her to hurry inside: "Before the old master died, he was disheartened, constantly muttering that these things ought to be donated altogether, but in the end he did nothing. He was bedridden with illness, and neither of his beloved son nor daughter came to see him—truly he played favorites."

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't tell them at all!"

"Only my Yunyun, Yunyun, hurry inside—these are all I'm giving you."

Ling Yue heard this and couldn't help laughing.

At the same time, Qiao Yun held up her phone and walked into the narrow cave.

Dry, quiet.

Under the flashlight's beam, everything came into view for everyone.

【Wow, so much stuff!】

The items were not piled haphazardly but were neatly arranged, from an exquisite dressing table to box after box; Qiao Yun casually opened a wooden box that held a long scroll, with no intention of opening it.

It was the moment the second large box was opened that shocked everyone.

The clean, lustrous lotus-shaped cup is exquisitely small, displaying a greenish-blue glaze that is as clear as the sky; a faint, delicate blue is captivating, with a jade-like smoothness—under the light, like a beauty half‑veiled by sheer gauze, even through the screen its breathtaking splendor makes everyone hold their breath in awe.

The barrage on the live‑stream screen froze solid for a full two minutes.

After a moment, someone finally posted: 【Does anyone know how to appraise treasures? Bring an expert—what antique is this? It's so beautiful!!!】

【This color is so high‑end—I don't know appraisal, but I have taste!】

Before the screen, Ling Yue's eyes flickered slightly; she couldn't help but say, no wonder that star she saw was so huge and bright—it even altered her fate line.

How could it not change?!

Ling Yue apprenticed under the Feng Shui Turtle master; her first lesson was treasure appraisal. She has snatched great bargains before—six miraculous sobering cups—without mentioning their special functions, just looking at their appearance they are already top‑notch; yet if she were to hold them here now, they would be completely crushed by comparison.

Because it is celestial‑blue glaze!

Ling Yue: "The glaze is thin yet strong, lustrous and smooth; the most moving thing is that hint of rain‑after‑celestial‑blue—"

Ling Yue didn't say much more, but just that sentence alone was enough to shock everyone.

【Rain‑after‑celestial‑blue!!!】

【Good heavens, could it really be what I'm thinking? My heart feels like it's going to jump out!!!】

Ling Yue: "What do you all think?"

Rain‑after‑celestial‑blue.

Upon hearing those words, countless minds sprang into action; the first thought was of a song that once swept across the nation and even spread abroad—"Celestial‑blue awaits the misty rain, while I wait for you."

The song's title is "Blue‑and‑White Porcelain," but in fact it refers to celestial‑blue glaze, which was fired at the Ru Kiln, the foremost of the Song dynasty's five great kilns; the color is exquisitely beyond compare, praised as "the break in the clouds after the rain clears," and has long been reserved for imperial use—yet after enduring turmoil, fewer than a hundred Ru Kiln celestial‑blue glazed porcelain pieces survive today.

To be precise, there are seventy‑nine pieces, seven of which are in private hands while the rest belong to the state, showing just how valuable and important they are.

Thinking of this, Ling Yue suddenly said: "A few years ago, Sotheby's auction house sold a Ru Kiln celestial‑blue glazed brush washer, which finally fetched 280 million Hong Kong dollars, setting a new world record for Song‑ceramic auctions at the time; the auction host, Qiu Guo Shi, once remarked that in his lifetime he never expected to auction another antique of comparable importance."

The livestream's netizens: "!!!"

After being stunned so many times they'd gone numb, yet after Ling Yue mentioned that 280‑million‑HKD figure, countless people still couldn't help letting tears slip from the corners of their mouths.

【Mom asks why I'm kneeling on the floor to watch the livestream—what can I say?】

【Can I still go ask my grandfather, who walks the dog and teases the cat every day?】

【……】

After Ling Yue's explanation, the netizens who had been deeply shocked were rendered completely speechless; the news spread like wildfire—a Ru Kiln celestial‑blue glazed lotus cup, so exquisitely flawless, even more beautiful and delicate than that brush washer, instantly triggered a massive upheaval in the antiquarian world.

Countless renowned scholars and experts, upon hearing the news, flooded into the livestream; Ling Yue's viewership surged instantly, to the delight of the person in charge, who couldn't stop grinning.

Even ordinary people who know nothing about it, upon hearing that astronomical price and the phrase "rain‑after‑celestial‑blue," cannot help but long to catch a glimpse of its beauty.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yun swiftly set the items down on the ground; one could see her fingers trembling, the young lady nervously gulping: "I—I'd better just leave it on the ground."

Saying she isn't happy would be false; her excited blood vessels throbbed, making her walk as if her hands and feet were moving in unison.

Most of the comments were envy mixed with strong resentment; even funnier, someone directly posted: 【This is a precious Ru Kiln celestial‑blue glazed lotus cup—there are fewer than seventy‑nine in existence, and this would be the eightieth! For our country, how important is that?! I'm an expert, I suggest you donate it!】

Qiao Yun's motion stalled.

Beside her, the netizens who heard this were dumbfounded.

【Holy crap, do you even realize what you're saying? You open your mouth and it's all about donating—you're a "brick‑expert," while I'm just a "plank‑layman"!】

【Don't donate, don't donate—this is totally unreasonable, it makes me furious!】

【Earlier I saw a young lady take out her grandmother's stored phoenix crown and rosy clouds, and some clueless expert said to donate it—that's the old woman's last wish; are you even human?!】

In today's society, nobody is a fool, so after these remarks appeared, the netizens almost unanimously threw their support behind Qiao Yun.

【This is the heirloom the young lady inherited—she has the right to dispose of it!】

That person, however, refused to give up, even speaking up: 【Family heirloom? Do you have evidence to prove it?】

The shameless remark shocked a crowd of people.

Qiao Yun watched the barrage in the live stream, her brows slightly furrowed; she worked at a law firm, having seen countless bizarre incidents, she wasn't someone without ideas, she immediately snorted coldly, about to say something, when her foot kicked a large box beside her.

Compared to the antiques filling the room, the dusty box was quite inconspicuous, but when she saw the seal on the box, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Having searched in vain with iron shoes, it comes easily without effort.

That phrase was all that remained in Qiao Yun's mind; she immediately bent over, spent a great deal of effort, finally opened the box, and under the light, countless dust particles whooshed up into the air.

She coughed twice, and only then did the live-stream viewers see what was inside the box.

It turned out to be stacks upon stacks of yellowed books.

What does this mean?

The live-stream viewers were momentarily at a loss.

In front of the camera, the old man wearing reading glasses almost leaned against the screen, his gaze darting back and forth; after careful examination, he finally concluded: 【If I'm not mistaken, this box is made of golden-thread nanmu!】

Golden-thread nanmu!

【Hurry! Give me oxygen! I can't breathe!】

【Holy crap, isn't this the wood only ancient emperors could use? Such a huge box, I heard golden-thread nanmu is sold by the gram—how valuable must this be!!】

Some viewers racked their brains and asked: 【If a box can be made of golden-thread nanmu, just how important could the books inside be?】

One sentence awakened the dreamers.

In an instant, countless eyes were fixed on the yellowed books, yet it was Qiao Yun beside them who suddenly spoke——,:,.