Chapter 945: The Nanny and the Calligraphy Model

Qin Family Village

Cao Weiguo was taking inventory of the supplies in the warehouse, while Qin Jingru was helping out nearby, her mind heavy with worries.

The village chief and the accountant were maintaining order while chatting.

The villagers were busy with smiles on their faces, some weighing goods, others calculating money.

In the courtyard serving as a temporary warehouse, there was a scene of bustling activity.

As a new batch of supplies was put into storage, Cao Weiguo followed his plan and mixed in quite a few private goods.

These private goods were packed in large hemp sacks, consisting mainly of pork, cured meat, sausages, smoked duck, peanuts...

"Jingru, thank you for your hard work today!"

"Have a piece of candy!"

Cao Weiguo pulled a handful of White Rabbit creamy candies from his pocket and handed them to Qin Jingru.

"Thank you, Brother Weiguo!"

Qin Jingru took the candy with a beaming smile: "Brother Weiguo, come to my house for lunch!"

Cao Weiguo said: "No, I brought my own dry rations."

Every time he went to Qin Jingru's house, Cao Weiguo felt the atmosphere was strange.

Although the Qin family was very hospitable, he always felt he was being guarded against.

That inexplicable feeling made him very uncomfortable.

Cao Weiguo asked: "Are you tired?"

Qin Jingru smiled with the White Rabbit candy in her mouth: "Not tired! What's tiring about counting numbers?"

Cao Weiguo held the ledger, silently calculating in his heart.

Qin Jingru suddenly said: "Brother Weiguo! Can you help me find a job in the city? I don't want to stay in the village anymore!"

Cao Weiguo was somewhat surprised: "What's wrong?"

Qin Jingru: "My family is forcing me to go on blind dates and get married every day, but I don't want to..."

Cao Weiguo knew that Qin Jingru was determined to marry into the city, so naturally, she had no heart for blind dates at home.

This Qin Jingru was bright-eyed and clever, diligent in her work, and had her heart set on getting into the city...

Cao Weiguo thought for a moment and said: "I actually can help you find a job right now, but it's not a formal job; it's helping to take care of a household—washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning... If you don't mind, I can help you ask around."

Qin Jingru said in surprise: "I don't mind, I don't mind! Isn't that being a nanny? I've heard of it! I'm not afraid of being tired or dirty! As long as I can get into the city, I'll do anything!"

Cao Weiguo laughed: "Rest assured, this job isn't dirty or tiring; it's just taking care of a pregnant woman. It requires attentiveness and diligence, and you must keep your mouth shut. The work is easy and the pay is generous. I'll tell you the details later."

Bai Lijuan had already processed her medical retirement and moved into a new courtyard.

That courtyard was privately exchanged by Dong Xiaoxue, located in the Dongcheng District as a single-entry Sihe Academy.

The courtyard was clean and tidy, and the furniture was complete, but it was too desolate.

Cao Weiguo really didn't feel at ease with Bai Lijuan living alone.

It just so happened that Qin Jingru wanted to get into the city, so she could be of help.

After chatting for a while, Qin Jingru was called home for dinner.

Cao Weiguo entered the house, closed the door, and took out his "dry rations" from the storage space.

A hot roasted chicken, five sesame seed cakes, and a bottle of cola rewarded by the system.

Alone in the room, he ate with great enjoyment.

In the afternoon, Qin Jingru led Qin Ye, whom he had met once before, to the courtyard.

Seeing the room piled full of food, Qin Ye couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Before he could take more than a few glances, Cao Weiguo handed him a cigarette: "Uncle, does your elder self have something to see me about?"

Qin Ye wasn't one to be coy; he tucked the cigarette behind his ear and pulled a Red Treasure Book from his bosom.

He opened the Red Treasure Book, took out a piece of calligraphy, and handed it to Cao Weiguo: "This is a calligraphy model passed down by my ancestors; see if you have any interest."

Cao Weiguo took the calligraphy model and unfolded it cautiously.

"Uncle! This is a good thing!"

"And it's well-preserved!"

"What's your price?"

Observing the majestic brushwork, Cao Weiguo felt a vast sense of righteousness rushing toward him.

Qin Ye sighed with heartbreak: "How about twenty yuan? An authentic work by Xin Qiji should be worth that much!"

An authentic work by Xin Qiji was certainly worth it!

But as the saying goes, ask for the sky and bargain on the ground!

Authentic works by Xin Qiji were rare, but one had to look at the market conditions.

Nowadays, if this calligraphy model were on the market, it would definitely be priceless but unmarketable.

Domestic folk collectors were nearly starving; who would spend money tinkering with this stuff?

Send it to a cultural relic store?

They wouldn't hesitate to investigate your ancestors back eight generations!

What is your family's class background?

Is this thing from a legitimate source?

Since Qin Ye hadn't sent the item to a cultural relic store, the item's origin was likely questionable.

Cao Weiguo sighed slightly: "Uncle! The item is good, but nowadays it's not worth much. To put it bluntly—never mind, I won't say that. I can't meet the price you're asking."

Qin Ye also knew a bit about the market; not long ago, he had taken the item to the pigeon market.

The result was naturally very unsatisfactory, otherwise, it wouldn't have been Cao Weiguo's turn.

Qin Ye asked tentatively: "Then how much are you willing to offer?"

Cao Weiguo frowned and weighed the options: "Two yuan!"

"Two yuan!"

"No, no!"

Qin Ye shook his head: "You want to trade a calligraphy model for a single old hen; you're being too unreasonable!"

Cao Weiguo consoled him: "Uncle! It's not that I'm deliberately driving the price down; it's just that the market is the market. I'm buying this to give to someone else. As for making money? If you threw this on the street, passersby probably wouldn't even bother to bend down to pick it up. I'll return it to you; you can ask around and look some more."

Qin Ye stepped back half a step without taking the calligraphy model, sucking his teeth and saying: "But these two yuan are really too little! How about five? This is a rare authentic work by Xin Qiji!"

Cao Weiguo held the calligraphy model, and after a moment of silence: "Uncle! For the sake of our old friendship, I'll offer three yuan. If you're still not satisfied, then there's nothing I can do."

Qin Ye felt a wave of disappointment: "Three yuan! Fine! Three yuan it is!"

After the money and goods were exchanged, Qin Ye left with his hands behind his back.

Cao Weiguo asked Qin Jingru: "Is your Sixth Uncle in a hurry for money?"

Qin Jingru said: "His son is getting married, and he's preparing to renovate the house and buy some wedding items; it's said to cost quite a bit." ===== CHAPTER 947 =====