Chapter 29

Chapter 29

If I wasn’t mistaken, this type of small Bronze Tripod was generally used for burning Incense before Buddha in temples. The sandalwood scent emanating from its interior was very pure. If nothing was amiss, this was a bona fide Pure Yang object.

The longer it had been used for offerings and the more vibrant the incense burned, the more effective it became.

I liked this little tripod very much, so I asked, “Sir, what is your surname?”

“My name is Fang Yuan,” the man replied.

So his name was Fang Yuan.

With Fang Yuan’s consent, I picked up the small Bronze Tripod and leaned in for a closer look.

Setting aside its spiritual efficacy, judging solely by its age, it appeared to date back at least to the pre-Qing Dynasty era.

This was indeed a fine item.

As for whether to accept it and whether I could afford it, that still required further consideration.

I inquired cautiously, “Such a fine item-why is Mr. Fang willing to part with it at a pawnshop?”

“I need the money,” Fang Yuan said sincerely. “I suffer from a Congenital Deficiency and have lived on medicine for years. When I was nine, I almost died from coughing up blood. My father paid a high price to invite this small Bronze Tripod from a temple for me, saying it could help extend my life to a hundred years. If it weren’t for my terrible luck this past year and losing money everywhere, I wouldn’t be willing to bring it out to pawn.”

After saying so much in one breath, he began to cough violently again. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a Spray Bottle, and sprayed several times into his mouth.

A thick medicinal scent permeated the Pawnshop. It was a bit pungent, making me sneeze twice.

After Fang Yuan used the medicine, his coughing finally subsided. He said apologetically, “Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, I’m sorry. The smell of the medicine is a bit strong.”

“It’s fine.” I smiled and said, “This Bronze Tripod is quite a good antique. If you found the right channels to sell it, you might get even more for it.”

“But I don’t want to sell it,” Fang Yuan said with a bitter smile. “To me, it’s a life-sustaining object and a source of spiritual support. If I weren’t in such a bind, I would never have brought it out.”

I understood. “So you want a Live Pawn?”

Fang Yuan nodded immediately. “Yes, a Live Pawn. A Pawn Period of three months for a principal of one hundred thousand. Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, do you think that’s acceptable?”

I did the math in my head.

One hundred thousand yuan-I had that.

There was still over two hundred thousand in the bank card Granny had left me.

In three months, when Fang Yuan came to Redeem Pawn, he would not only have to return the hundred thousand but also pay me fifteen percent interest on the principal.

If Fang Yuan failed to Redeem Pawn after three months, the Bronze Tripod would become the property of the Pawnshop five days after the final deadline.

Whether I offered it to Liu Junyan or sold it afterward, I wouldn’t lose out.

This was a guaranteed profitable deal.

And this was also the first Live Pawn item I had received.

However, I also had my concerns: I couldn’t be entirely certain of the Bronze Tripod’s authenticity or its potential for appreciation.

Under Granny’s tutelage, I had learned a fair bit through osmosis and had a sharp eye for these old objects, but I wasn’t a professional after all. My level of expertise was still shallow.

Originally, my chosen major in university was Cultural Heritage and Museology. If nothing had gone wrong, I would have continued through my master’s and doctorate, delving deep into this field.

Precisely because of my love for this major, I always visited the local museum whenever I went to a new place.

Unfortunately, heaven’s will is unpredictable; I hadn’t even been able to attend university for more than a few days.

For a Pawnshop to operate soundly, it was vital for the shopkeeper to have a sharp eye and broad knowledge. Since I lacked that, I needed to seek out talent.

But the Pawnshop was currently at the center of a storm. If I hired an ordinary person, they probably wouldn’t last more than a few days.

It might even put their life in danger.

Moreover, the Pawnshop’s current primary business relied on Yin Pawn transactions. An ordinary person wouldn’t even be able to see the clients, so how could they manage the shop?

They couldn’t exactly apply Ox Tears every single day, could they?

Thinking of this, I felt a bit dejected.

Nevertheless, I asked politely, “Mr. Fang, I need to appraise this Bronze Tripod more carefully. May I take a few photos? Please leave your phone number, and once I’ve decided whether to accept it, I will contact you.”
To my surprise, Fang Yuan was quite generous. “There’s no need for all that trouble. I can leave the Bronze Tripod at the Pawnshop for a few days. I’ll just come back once you have a result. I trust Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu’s character.”

That was, of course, exactly what I wanted.

Fang Yuan and I exchanged contact information, and then he departed.

I spent a little more time examining the Bronze Tripod. There was still a fair amount of incense ash remaining inside. I pinched a bit between my fingertips, crushed it, and brought it to my nose to sniff. It had a rich aroma-high-quality Sandalwood Incense.

I took several photos of the Bronze Tripod from various angles and sent them to a friend to help verify its authenticity. Just then, Li Qingying came over to call me for dinner.

When she saw the Bronze Tripod, she found it quite remarkable as well. She picked it up, inspecting it repeatedly, and remarked with a sigh, “This is a small tripod used for offering incense before a Buddha. It has quite some years on it; it’s a fine piece.”

I didn’t know Li Qingying’s exact age, but she was at least over a hundred years old, so she had seen no fewer treasures than I had.

If even she said it was an old piece, then it likely wasn’t a mistake.

After dinner, I spent some time in the courtyard practicing with my bow. Drenched in sweat, I headed back to my room to take a shower.

For some reason, the moment the hot water hit me today, I felt a searing, stinging pain on my skin, even though the water temperature wasn’t high at all.

When I raised my hand to adjust the temperature, I discovered that my arms were covered in red spots about the size of a small fingernail.

As the water washed over them, the spots began to sprout spiderweb-like blood vessels that reached out into the surrounding skin, quickly merging into a single patch.

Right before my eyes, some of them began to crack open, oozing beads of blood.

At first, the blood was bright red, but it quickly turned purple, then black…

I let out a startled cry. Moments later, there was a knock at the door, and Li Qingying’s voice drifted in. “Xiao Jiu, are you alright?”

I hurriedly dried myself off, wrapped a bath towel around me, and walked out.

Li Qingying immediately reached out to support me, but I dodged her. “Sister Qingying, don’t touch me yet. I… something is wrong with me. I might have been poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Li Qingying was confused. “We’ve been in the shop all day. Where would poison come from?”

She frowned thoughtfully, likely mentally reviewing the meals she had prepared for me today.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t think this poison has anything to do with the food.”

I pulled back the towel to let her see the state of my skin. Li Qingying’s face instantly turned pale. “What kind of poison is this? To be so potent!”

By now, I had calmed down. I changed into clean clothes and sat in a chair, reflecting on everything that had happened today.

Thinking it over, the only variable was Fang Yuan.

Could there be something wrong with that Bronze Tripod?

“Sister Qingying, check yourself and see if there’s anything unusual.”

Li Qingying immediately unbuttoned her top to check; she was fine.

I still wasn’t at ease and asked her to go rinse off with water to see. She said she had just taken a bath herself and her body showed no abnormalities.

That was strange.

Sister Qingying had touched the Bronze Tripod too, yet she was fine. Was it not the Bronze Tripod after all?

But aside from that, I couldn’t think of anything else.

Wait, no!

I suddenly thought of Fang Yuan’s Spray Bottle!

When he sprayed that medicine, the smell was incredibly pungent, making me cough.

Many things are harmless on their own, but if mixed together, they can undergo a lethal transformation.

Like incompatible foods!

I explained this to Li Qingying. After listening, she immediately grasped the key point. “In other words, Fang Yuan is trying to harm you. It’s very likely that the medicine he sprayed mixed with the incense ash in the Bronze Tripod, causing you to be poisoned.”

Was it really Fang Yuan?

We had only met once and had no conflict. Why would he want to harm me?

Fang Yuan was ill and desperately needed money. A hundred thousand yuan might solve his immediate crisis, but it wouldn’t treat the root cause.

Looking at his complexion, he seemed to be in the terminal stages of his illness. What he truly needed… wasn’t money.

It was life-saving medicine!