Chapter 726: Xu Damao Strikes It Rich

As soon as Liu Lan left, He Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Dad, are you familiar with that Liu Lan? You just offered her a job right off the bat?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "They are all workers under me, what's there to be familiar with or not. She's fallen on hard times now; if I can give her a hand, I will."

He Zheng nodded and didn't say anything more.

He Jia, however, was quick-tongued: "Dad, I know about her. Who doesn't know about that business she had with Li Huaide in the past? You and Li Huaide are mortal enemies, why are you helping his mistress?"

He Yuzhu sighed: "She had no other choice. If there were any good path to take, who would want to get mixed up with someone like Li Huaide?"

He Jia thought for a moment and also nodded: "That's true, too."

He Yuzhu turned his head to look at Fang Deng: "Fang Deng, what has your mother been busy with lately?"

Fang Deng replied with a smile: "She wants to help the Street Office set up an Old Age Home."

He Yuzhu muttered to himself, this Wang Xia really is a strange person. The Street Office Director isn't even tired enough, she has to go and add a burden to herself, "Is it government-run or is she doing it herself?"

Fang Deng sighed: "The Street Office only provides the space; she has to scrape together the money herself. She's worrying about it right now."

He Yuzhu asked: "How did she think of running this?"

Fang Deng frowned: "It's because of those three old people she used to take care of. Now that she's getting older herself, she can't really keep up with the work. There are quite a few old people like that in our street, and it's quite pitiful to see."

He Yuzhu said directly: "Go back and tell your mother, don't worry about the money, I'll find a way."

Fang Deng was delighted the moment she heard this: "If she knew about this, she would definitely be overjoyed. She even told me that if things really got desperate, she would come to you."

He Yuzhu complained: "This person, she should have come to me the first chance she got, instead of dragging it out until the very end."

He Jia chimed in: "Then who pays for the workers?"

Fang Deng said: "She said she'd let the younger old people take care of the older ones, and only hire people if it's absolutely necessary."

He Yuzhu instructed: "You tell her, hire people when they need to be hired, she doesn't need to worry about the money."

After the group finished their meal and returned to the courtyard, the moment they stepped into the main gate, they heard crying coming from the Yi family's side—Yi Xiaotian was howling until his voice cracked.

He Jia was stunned: "Brother Xiaotian is nearly thirty, why is he crying like this?"

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat; he felt something was wrong and hurriedly led the others running toward the Yi family's home.

As soon as they entered, they saw Yi Xiaotian slumped over Mother Yi, crying until he was gasping for air.

Yi Zhonghai sat on a stool, looking like he had lost his mind, motionless, appearing as if he had aged a dozen years.

He Yuzhu walked over and patted his shoulder, asking in a low voice: "First Uncle, Mother Yi... has she passed?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes reddened, and tears fell: "The two of us went for a stroll and bought some things. When I called her for dinner, there was no response. When I went inside to look, her body was already cold."

He Yuzhu comforted him: "First Uncle, please accept my condolences. You must arrange the funeral quickly."

Yi Xiaotian sat up, his eyes red as he said: "Brother Zhuzi, I want to give my mother a grand funeral."

He Yuzhu nodded: "Alright."

Yi Zhonghai was in a bit of a dilemma: "Zhuzi, look at that passageway in our front yard, it's only a meter wide, the coffin won't even fit through."

He Yuzhu thought for a moment: "I'll go talk to the Wang family and have them tear down their two rooms."

Yi Zhonghai hesitated: "I'm holding a funeral, tearing down someone else's house, is that appropriate?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "There's nothing inappropriate about it. Wang Shucheng works at my company now, and Qin Jingru isn't short on money. That Anti-seismic House of theirs was built just to spite the Yan family anyway. If they really aren't willing, I'll just have the company allocate them two other rooms."

Only then did Yi Zhonghai feel at ease.

At this time, Shen Guizhi, He Daqing, Yan Bugui, and Liu Haizhong all rushed over.

Liu Haizhong was still walking a bit unsteadily, with Second Aunt supporting him tightly by his side.

In Boguzhai at Panjiayuan, Xu Damao was obsequiously ushering a man who looked like a Hong Kong businessman into the shop.

He turned on the electric light and pulled a bronze vessel out of an old trunk on the floor.

The Hong Kong businessman was surnamed Chen, in his fifties, wearing glasses, quite tall at a full one meter eighty, and dressed very respectably.

Xu Damao introduced: "Mr. Chen, this is a Western Zhou bronze round pot, a few brothers just brought it over from Shaanxi."

Mr. Chen leaned in to sniff it, took out a magnifying glass, touched the rust on it with his hand, examined it carefully for a long time, and circled it twice before asking: "What is the price for this item?"

Xu Damao lowered his voice: "Two hundred and seventy thousand, not a cent less."

Mr. Chen shook his head: "Mr. Xu, your asking price is too high. If I take this item to Hong Kong, I wouldn't even be able to sell it for that amount."

Xu Damao gave a crafty smile: "Mr. Chen, I have friends in Hong Kong too. Do you know Ming Shu?"

In truth, he had only met Ming Shu once and wasn't familiar with him at all, but at a time like this, he had to use a big name to bolster his own image.

Mr. Chen gave a disdainful snort: "That man? He's just a Xiangxi Corpse Driver who made a little money later by trafficking ancient corpses; he has no real power. The circles in Hong Kong stopped letting him play with them a long time ago."

When Xu Damao heard this, he felt a bit of regret for bringing it up. But since the words were already out, he had to smooth it over: "Mr. Chen, you don't know, Ming Shu has struck it rich recently. He went to the Kunlun Mountains and brought back quite a few good things, making a fortune."

Little did he know, Ming Shu had indeed gone with Hu Bayi, Wang Pangzi, and the others, but not only did they fail, they lost everything—Han Shuna died, Peter Huang died, his subordinate A Dong died, and his goddaughter A Xiang was severely injured.

However, Xu Damao didn't know this, and naturally, Mr. Chen didn't either.

But when Mr. Chen heard this, he was still moved.

He pondered, if someone who traffics in ancient corpses can get rich, why can't I? He immediately asked: "Mr. Xu, can you make it any cheaper?"

Xu Damao shook his head: "Mr. Chen, it's not that I'm asking for a high price. I spent two hundred thousand just to get this item, you have to let me make a profit."

Mr. Chen thought for a long time: "I'll give you two hundred and thirty thousand at most."

Xu Damao still shook his head. Finally, he gritted his teeth: "Two hundred and fifty thousand, let me make fifty thousand, the overhead for this shop isn't small."

Mr. Chen gritted his teeth: "Fine, two hundred and forty thousand."

Xu Damao finally nodded.

After speaking, he placed a leather suitcase on the table and opened it; inside, it was full of US dollars.

After Mr. Chen left, Xu Damao was so happy he could almost feel the snot bubbles forming in his nose.

Liu Sanmei came out from the inner room, and seeing those colorful US dollars, she hugged Xu Damao and kissed him several times: "This bronze vessel is just too profitable, making over two hundred thousand on one item!"

Xu Damao said with a grin: "I can't say I made over two hundred thousand, there's still a cost of thirty or forty thousand in there. That trip to Zhongyuan Province, renting cars and hiring people, cost quite a bit too."

Liu Sanmei said: "Isn't that just a small matter?"

Xu Damao continued, "We must hurry and return the money to Siqiang. With what's left, we need to quickly buy two courtyards. Although we've sold this thing now, they will recognize it as a fake sooner or later. This line of work won't last long. Once it's discovered, they won't do anything openly, but who knows what kind of dirty tricks they might pull behind our backs."

Liu Sanmei panicked a little: "Then what should we do?"

Xu Damao said, "They won't do anything during the day; I'm just worried about them striking in the shadows."

Only then did Liu Sanmei realize: "Damao, then let's hurry and go buy those houses with the money."

Xu Damao nodded: "Don't go to work for the next few days. Take the money and go to the Qianmen Xiaojiu Guan to find Niu Ye, and have him help you scout out a few properties."

Liu Sanmei replied: "Understood."