Chapter 456: Bang Geng's Growth Story

Bang Geng, who had lost his parents, was becoming more mature; he knew that with his own situation, his future outcome might not be as good as Liu Guangtian's.

As for Liu Guangtian, at least he still has parents, and they will even find a wife for him.

Is his grandmother useful?

She is lazier than him, greedier than him.

It's better to rely on himself than to hope for her.

His maternal grandmother's home is his only hope, unfortunately his own grandmother ruined the relationship.

Recently he discovered another place where his grandmother hid money; having learned from the previous incident, this time he does not intend to act rashly.

Anyway the money is there and won't run away; it's better to leave it there until he has mastered all the money-storage places, then he can take it all at once when he needs it.

For the future, he must not startle the snake now.

Moreover, over the past two years, while doing the red scarf (Young Pioneers), he has also managed to acquire some things.

Later he will go find Liu Guangtian; maybe he can exchange for some money.

In this way, he calculates: using his grandmother's savings to marry a wife, using his own salary to raise children, and the money from selling things can serve as his hidden reserve.

Hmm?

It seems something is off.

Using selling things as a trump card?

The things themselves seem to be the trump card.

People often call them family heirlooms.

That must be these things.

It looks like there is an opportunity; he can get some more from others' hands.

Having figured it out, he went to find Liu Guangtian, because he knew Liu Guangtian was collecting some small items.

He first took a small bottle to show him, to see if it was worth money.

Liu Guangtian knows nothing; Chen Hong only told him that items that flow out of the imperial palace and from mansions of noble families have value.

He just collects blindly.

He roughly knows what some things are used for.

He has no idea about their value.

So when Bang Geng came over with a small bottle, he only knew this thing was called a snuff bottle.

He took it, looked at it, and said.

"Bang Geng, this small bottle is for holding snuff, that is, that kind of tobacco powder."

Bang Geng didn't care about those details.

"Just tell me whether it's worth money or not."

Liu Guangtian extended two fingers, then retracted one,

"One and a half."

Bang Geng furrowed his brows; this isn't worth money either.

He then took out a string of beads, wooden, pitch-black, and felt sticky to the touch.

"Take a look at this."

Liu Guangtian couldn't tell what it was, but being wooden it probably isn't worth money.

"It should be worth a few jiao."

Bang Geng felt even more disappointed; finally he took out a piece of jade.

It was a dragon-shaped jade, about the size of a finger, curved, with a dirty yellowish patch on it and many black spots on its body.

It looked as dirty as it could be.

Bang Geng felt even less confident.

"Is this worth money?"

Liu Guangtian took it, looked at it, and according to what the book says, this should be from the Han dynasty.

But its condition is too ugly.

However, it is still a piece of jade, so it should be worth some money.

"Three (units)."

Bang Geng felt he had lost out, having gotten a bag of cheap goods.

"What kind of thing is worth money, Brother Guangtian?"

Liu Guangtian spoke frankly.

"Gold."

Bang Geng basically has no access to that.

"Are there any other valuable things?"

"Jade."

Then he disparagingly glanced at that jade pig dragon.

"It must look clean and white; also green is okay."

"These are valuable."

These are obviously good things at a glance, but Bang Geng also has no chance to come into contact with them.

"Anything else?"

Liu Guangtian shook his head.

"I don't know; the valuable things I know about are paintings, porcelain, bronze ware, and various jade seals—those I can't afford."

Everything else are just little trinkets, not worth money.

Speaking, Liu Guangtian casually pulled out a cricket cage.

You see this cricket gourd? I bought it for two dollars.

In summer I even caught a cricket and raised it.

This thing can fit in one palm, just a bit bigger than a snuff bottle.

This thing, my classmate also has one; it turns out it's for raising crickets.

Bang Geng looked regretful; he originally wanted to make it a family heirloom, who knew it was worth so little.

Selling it would just buy some candy to eat.

He threw the thing in his hand to Liu Guangtian.

I've sold it all to you.

Liu Guangtian has no money now.

Sell it to someone else; I still need to marry a wife, I have no money to buy.

Bang Geng still threw the thing to him.

Once you collect the bride price, you'll have money.

I also don't know where to sell it.

Liu Guangtian had no choice but to accept it.

Bang Geng left the courtyard gloomy; he originally thought these things were worth a bit of money, who knew they'd be so cheap.

He felt the pocket watch in his pocket.

These are the good stuff, all snatched away by those bastards.

And those paintings, Liu Guangtian said they're worth money, but others have taken them.

To make money we still need other ideas; I heard the black market is profitable, I'll go check it out later.

Bang Geng has a strong sense of crisis; having no parents, he must find a way to make money, others can't be relied on.

Afterwards he went to ask people about the black market.

After inquiring for several days, he finally had a clue.

One night he sneaked out.

He wrapped himself up tightly.

He didn't find the organization until late at night.

After paying to enter the black market, Bang Geng finally opened his eyes.

Food, drink, clothing, supplies—everything was complete, plus some mysterious people doing who-knows-what.

Bang Geng didn't join in the chaos; he just watched from the side.

The black market lackeys saw Bang Geng so undisciplined and kicked him out.

Bang Geng, still unhappy, went again the next day; this time he was more careful and didn't bother with those mysterious people.

Upon entering, he discovered a new world.

Here they sell things they've copied from others' homes.

Liu Guangtian said calligraphy, paintings, porcelain, and bronze ware are valuable, so he looked at those.

He picked up a painting, looked it over, saw nothing special, then asked others how much.

The seller saw he was so undisciplined and heard his young voice, realizing it might be his first time.

He pinched his throat and spoke softly.

You're a first-timer, right? Here you can't call out prices; you use hand gestures.

Bang Geng then understood.

Soon he followed the stall owner and learned how to call out prices.

In the end Bang Geng spent ten dollars and bought a pheasant painting.

Also called a wild chicken painting.

The stall owner said it was a painting by Gao Qifeng.

Who Gao Qifeng is, Bang Geng doesn't know; he guesses he's not a famous person.

The next day he went to find Liu Guangtian; he knew Gao Qifeng, but nowadays his paintings aren't worth money.

At most worth ten dollars.

This thing is too recent to be worth money; just a few decades old, it's merely an artwork.

To paint this, you need age; only works by famous masters are valuable.

Also, don't send this stuff to me.

I have no money, and it brings disaster.

Liu Guangtian tried to avoid it but couldn't.

Bang Geng didn't care; he threw the painting at him and ran.

Eleven, give me some escape money.

This shameless thing.

Liu Guangtian felt he couldn't indulge him too much, or something might happen someday.

After several times, Liu Guangtian firmly refused to accept it, and Bang Geng finally stopped.

But he didn't stop his trips to the black market.

As the saying goes, walking by the river you'll get your shoes wet; one day Bang Geng was blocked, and all the dozen or so dollars on him were taken.

Those people not only took his money, they also beat him up, and after that they still insulted him.

"Pfft, a poor ghost."

"Kid, speak, where's your money?"

"If you don't speak, I'll beat you to death."

Someone else pointed a gun at him, and Bang Geng pissed himself.

"Big brother, I have no money, really, no money."

Everyone thought this kid might really have no money.

"You have no money, yet you go to the black market every day?"

Bang Geng whimpered.

"Big brother, it's because I have no money that I go to the black market, hustle some stuff, Earning Money, hard-earned money."

Everyone didn't know what to say.

"Get lost."

Bang Geng limped away.