Chapter 109: What kind of relationship do they have?
In the depths of Fengshou Mountain, in Xinfeng Village, members of the Ri Yao Phone Charity event were sitting together and having breakfast. The phone signal in the mountains was so weak that it was almost non-existent, let alone having internet access or making phone calls. However, they found a way — Yesterday, they followed the old village chief to Wei Na in the county and took advantage of the signal on her mobile phone to take screenshots of all kinds of news back
Using broken coarse porcelain bowls, they had half a bowl of porridge. Wei Na sighed, propping her chin, “Why are people so wicked? When I saw this trending topic, I was startled! I used to have a good impression of Zhao Chunming and Zhao Shuya, but it turns out Zhao Chunming is such a scum, rotten to the core.”
Next to her, wearing a blue work uniform, Fang Wen, while munching on roasted sweet potatoes, chimed in, “The dirty business in the art world is no less than in the entertainment industry. Just think about it, if Xia Yu hadn’t been mentally prepared to take the risk and expose Zhao Chunming, given his family background and personality, he might really have been trapped in that small studio, never seeing the light of day, just painting continuously, and all his paintings would become Zhao Chunming’s. Perhaps when Zhao Chunming grows old, he will still be able to claim titles like ‘Outstanding Old Artist’!”
“Don’t talk about it, it makes me feel uncomfortable,” Wei Na made a vomiting gesture and said angrily, “In my opinion, someone like Zhao Chunming should kneel in front of Xia Yu and beg for forgiveness! Kneel for three days and three nights!”
Fang Wen finished the small roasted sweet potato, smiling, “Anyway, this Zhao Chunming is no good. A while back, he acted all innocent, never getting involved in money matters, but always targeting Yu Nian. Now, his true colors are revealed, and I’m truly enjoying this!”
“When it comes to Yu Nian, he’s even better looking than on TV! And he has a good personality. Now I understand what it means when people say that well-mannered and cultured boys are truly impressive,” Weinm Na straightened her back and looked around, “Hey, where is Yu Nian and the cameraman? I haven’t seen them since I woke up.”
Fang Wen: “When you were still asleep, Yu Nian went to the small classroom next to the village temple to teach the children.”
In Xinfeng Village, there are only seven school-age children, ranging from seven to twelve years old. They used to have a volunteer teacher, but due to the harsh conditions, the teacher left after only half a year.
Yu Nian sat on a creaky chair, holding well-preserved textbooks, and gently smiled at his few students, “Do you remember what I taught you a few days ago?”
The youngest and most lively student raised their hand and answered loudly, “I remember!”
Yu Nian nodded and encouraged, “Great! How about you, Xiao Hu? What do you have to share?”
Xiao Hu stood up, hands behind his back, and recited confidently, “Three times six is eighteen, four times six is twenty-four…” He recited the multiplication table fluently.
“Excellent! Keep reviewing and reciting it occasionally, and you won’t forget,” Yu Nian said, taking a nearby dictionary, “Today, I’ll teach you how to use the dictionary, so when you come across unfamiliar words while reading, you can learn them by looking them up in the dictionary…”
The morning class ended at eleven o’clock. After the students went home for lunch, Yu Nian found his way and walked for half an hour along a small path until he reached a rocky hill. He sat down on a boulder and called Xie You – the only place near the village where he could get a signal.
After a ring, Xie You answered the phone, “Nian Nian?”
“Yes, it’s your Nian Nian,” Yu Nian smiled upon hearing Xie You’s voice, his eyes crinkling.
He was wearing a simple cotton white t-shirt, sitting on the rocky hill, his long legs dangling. He held a small stone in his hand and tossed it up, speaking casually, “This morning, I taught the students how to use the dictionary, and they all learned it earnestly, almost getting it right after the first instruction. I thought that once they learn to use the dictionary, after I leave, they can learn simple characters and read on their own.”
Through the distant mountains, Xie You’s voice carried some electrical noise, but it was tender, “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Nian Nian.”
“What’s with the formal address?” Yu Nian chuckled, running his fingertip across the rock. He cleared his throat and asked, “So, Xie You, tell me, what did I teach you?”
“You taught me what love is.”
The sudden confession made Yu Nian’s heart tremble. He lowered his eyelashes, the wildflowers blooming beside the rocks reflecting in his eyes, and a smile curled up at the corners of his lips. He gently replied, “Hmm.”
“Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach you.”
After finishing the call, Yu Nian walked back to the village following the same path. Along the way, he picked a branch of flowers to bring back and put in a vase. As soon as he reached the temporary accommodation, he saw the village chief waiting at the door, pacing back and forth. His eyes lit up when he saw Yu Nian.
“Teacher Yu!” In their minds, there were no distinctions between celebrities and non-celebrities, singers and non-singers. Yu Nian teaching the village children and imparting knowledge made him their teacher.
The elderly village chief respected Yu Nian a lot. Approaching him, he expressed gratitude first, “Teacher Yu, thank you for your hard work in teaching the children. Those little rascals are wild and used to the mountains, if they make mistakes, they should be disciplined!”
Yu Nian shook his head and smiled, “It’s not hard. They are all eager to learn and well-behaved. They are good kids.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” as the village chief got closer, he felt a little embarrassed about what he wanted to say, and the words hesitated at his lips before he swallowed them back, “Teacher Yu, have your lunch first, eating is important, you must…”
Yu Nian interrupted the village chief and politely asked, “Is there something you need my help with? Just tell me, if I can assist, I will.”
Clasping his smoke-stained fingers, the village chief hesitated for a few seconds before speaking clearly, “Ah, there is something we need your help with. You see, the only old waterwheel in the village broke down. The old carpenter passed away before the new year, and he didn’t leave behind any apprentices. We tried to fix it ourselves, but couldn’t figure it out. We’ve been worrying and thought of you, with your education and knowledge; maybe you can help us somehow.”
Yu Nian knew about the waterwheel in the village. It was crucial for irrigating a large piece of land in the south, which provided the villagers with their food harvest. He didn’t rush to have lunch, saying, “Take me to see it first.”
Yuan Wang, responsible for filming, carried the camera and hurriedly said, “Wait for me, take me along!”
During the journey, Yuan Wang didn’t forget his duty and took the opportunity to interview, “Nian Nian, can you still repair waterwheels?”
Yu Nian smiled, “Yes, but only a little. I used to follow my teacher to archaeological sites, doing excavation work in remote areas where I encountered similar situations. Villagers sought help, and I would leave my small shovel for sand excavation and join the archaeological team’s master to go to the village, helping to repair waterwheels. I thought I wouldn’t have a chance to showcase this skill anymore.”
When they arrived at the southern part of the village, several people had already gathered around the waterwheel. As they saw the village chief bringing Yu Nian, they all exclaimed, “Teacher Yu!”
Yu Nian rolled up his sleeves without hesitation and approached to assess the situation.
Yuan Wang set up the camera and couldn’t help but feel amazed in his heart. Yu Nian was really different from what he had imagined. He had never heard of any big celebrity who was not afraid of getting dirty and tired, skipping lunch just to come and roll up his sleeves to help the villagers repair the waterwheel.
After a short while, Yu Nian identified the issue, “The axle is stuck at the joint with the horizontal board. The horizontal board needs to be replaced.”
“Horizontal board?” The village chief’s face lit up, “Yes, yes, we have a spare!”
Yu Nian washed his hands in a nearby puddle and said, “I’ll go with you to take a look.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Wang quickly jogged to catch up.
The village’s warehouse was not large. Besides scattered farming tools, it was filled with various miscellaneous items, emitting a musty smell when the door was opened. The village chief felt uneasy and hurriedly went over to prop open the window with a wooden stick for some fresh air.
Bending over and searching for a while, he finally found two pieces of wood from a corner and asked Yu Nian, “Teacher Yu, is this it?”
Yu Nian squatted down, carefully examining the size and shape, “Yes, this is it. Let’s take it and try replacing it.”
The village chief’s eyes lit up, holding the wooden board and walking out, “This warehouse is filled with so many things, and it’s been a long time. The smaller items are all put inside, making it hard to find. Fortunately, I remembered that this board was here.” Passing the doorway, he pointed at a ceramic jar, “For big items like this pickled vegetable jar, we put them near the entrance. They are big and heavy, making it easy to move them in and out when needed!”
Seeing Yu Nian stop and gaze at the pickled vegetable jar, the village chief chuckled, “Teacher Yu, you probably haven’t seen this before since you’re from the city, right?”
Yu Nian’s gaze didn’t shift, and he asked, “Village chief, what’s beside the pickled vegetable jar?”
The village chief also glanced at it, “You mean that iron lump? It’s used for pressing the jar during the pickling process, heavy and better than using stones.”
“May I take a look at it?”
The village chief didn’t hesitate, “Of course you can!”
Together, they moved the iron lump out of the warehouse and into the sunlight. Yuan Wang filmed the whole process, waiting on the side.
Seeing Yu Nian’s serious expression, the village chief didn’t dare to interrupt. Only when Yu Nian asked where this object came from, did he start talking, “When I was a child, this thing was already in the village’s warehouse. The old folks in the village said that it came from many years ago during the war when a refined gentleman sought refuge in our mountains. He was coincidentally spotted by the woodcutters and brought to the village.”
“A refined gentleman?”
“Yes, an educated person. He wrote the couplets for our village ancestral hall. But he was in poor health, already sick when he arrived and kept coughing up blood. He passed away not long after. When he fled, he carried this iron lump with him even after throwing away all his food and clothes. So we didn’t throw it away and kept it in the warehouse.”
Yu Nian touched the patterns on the surface of the “iron lump” and pondered, “Does anyone know the name of this person?”
The village chief saw Yu Nian’s seriousness and quickly said, “I can’t remember. Let me go and ask the old man at the village entrance.” He hurriedly walked away.
Seeing Yu Nian squatting and carefully wiping off the dust from the iron lump, Yuan Wang looked closely as well. However, no matter how he looked at it, all he could see was the dirty surface and some peculiar patterns.
Somehow, the phrase “peak picking” from Yu Nian’s past came to Yuan Wang’s mind, and he nervously asked, “Nian Nian, does this thing have a history?”
“It’s not certain yet. There’s too much rust and dust on the surface, but judging from the shape and material, it resembles a ‘gui’1“
“Gui?”
Yu Nian explained, “The “bamboo radical” is at the top, with “liang” character a bit smaller in the middle, and underneath is the “ming” part of the character “ming,” which represents a vessel. It is a type of bronze ritual vessel used for sacrificial ceremonies.”
Some common knowledge was still there, and Yuan Wang gasped, “A bronze vessel?”
“Yes, but we’re not sure if it’s an antique bronze or a modern imitation.” Seeing Yuan Wang’s stunned expression, Yu Nian smiled and said, “Remember how people used to use the ‘Yongle Dadian’ as shoe insoles?”
Not long after, the village chief returned and told Yu Nian, “I found out. That educated man’s name is Fu Boyan. We don’t know which characters were used, but there was something like ‘zi xian’.”
“Zi Xian.”
“Yes, it’s Zi Xian!” The village chief was happy, “Teacher Yu, you know?”
Yu Nian’s gaze fell on the bronze vessel placed in the courtyard, and he was almost certain what this object was.
His grandfather had mentioned it during his childhood. In the capital, there was a remarkable figure from the Fu family named Fu Boyan, with the style name Zi Xian. He was exceptionally talented and, at the age of eighteen, became immersed in the study of oracle bone script. By the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he had achieved great accomplishments. Later, during the wars, he lost all his family wealth and wandered around.
The last known information about him was that a bronze ritual vessel from over three thousand years ago was discovered in a certain place. Uncertain about its authenticity, Fu Boyan traveled a long distance to inspect it, but from then on, no news was ever heard of him.
And now, many years later, this bronze vessel reappeared, but the man was no longer in this world.
Yu Nian suppressed his complex emotions and asked the village chief, “Village chief, this item should have had a square base, do you remember anything about it?”
The village chief shook his head with certainty, “There has never been a base. When that educated man brought it here, it looked like this.” He pointed with his rough fingers, “I’ve seen it; there’s a broken part here. I guess the other half got lost somewhere.”
The village chief then smiled and continued, “This thing seems quite valuable. Teacher Yu, when you leave, just take it with you. You teach the children in the village to read and write, and you helped repair the waterwheel. I know you’re a good person. This thing here can only be used to press a jar of pickles, or it will just gather dust next to the warehouse. If you take it with you, it might come in handy.”
After a long silence, Yu Nian bowed sincerely to the old village chief, “Thank you.”
The old village chief was taken aback, took two steps back, and hurriedly said, “Oh, no, no! You can’t do that! How could I accept such a gift from you?”
Yu Nian smiled, “You can accept it.”
At that moment, Fang Wen hurried over with his phone, shouting from outside the courtyard, “Nian Nian, just got back from the county with Uncle Niu, and I saw on Weibo that Yu Qing’s assault incident is trending!”
He showed Yu Nian the screenshots and spoke rapidly, “The news came out last night, and a person named Zhuang He’na exposed the incident, providing detailed photos of her injuries. She tearfully accused Yu Qing of slapping her, causing her gums to bleed, feeling dizzy, and her ears feeling uncomfortable. I downloaded the video for you to watch.”
He opened the video, and a young girl wearing a white top had a slightly swollen left cheek, with a clear handprint. She was tearful in front of the camera, looking pitiful, and accusing,
“… I know you’ve always been worried that I would take away your father’s attention, afraid that the child I carry is a boy and would take away your inheritance! I wholeheartedly wanted to get along with you, but I never expected to be treated like this in the end!
Ignoring the fact that I am currently dating your father, even if I were a stranger, who slaps people at will? You are from the Sheng family, you have power and influence. You are a famous singer, a formidable actress, and have fans supporting you, reigning dominantly in the entertainment industry. But none of these are reasons for you to slap someone as you please!”
After the video ended, Fang Wen said, “At the beginning, the comments were all saying that Yu Qing’s temper is too overbearing, lacks proper upbringing, and slapping people is really bullying. But later, the comments gradually changed to this.”
Yu Nian opened the screenshots, and they were all comments from the hot post.
[I need to process this! The information in this video is just too much! This Zhuang He’na is just a D-list celebrity, used to flaunt all kinds of luxury goods on Weibo, probably being kept by a rich man. Then, some tabloids revealed that Zhuang He’na’s current sugar daddy is Sheng Xuntang, the Chairman of the Sheng Group. Zhuang He’na is beautiful and young, she might be able to marry into a wealthy family.
But can someone tell me, in this video, Zhuang He’na said to Yu Qing, ‘I am dating your father!’ If my reading comprehension is correct, Yu Qing is the legendary Sheng Xuntang’s only daughter, the sole heir to the Sheng Group, the billionaire heiress Miss Sheng?]
[Oh my god, I remember when Sister Qing just debuted, her bags started from 100,000 yuan, and she drove limited edition supercars. At that time, so many people were speculating and spreading rumors about her being kept by wealthy men. And now, Sheng Group’s heiress? I had no clue she was this powerful! Wait, actually, Sister Qing has always been amazing, that much I knew, hahaha!]
[No wonder the entertainment gossip pages couldn’t figure out Yu Qing’s background, they kept analyzing and thought her surname was Yu, but it turned out she’s actually a Sheng!]
[This person in the video is a bit too much. So good at acting like a white lotus, let me explain it for everyone word by word: ‘I will definitely take your father’s attention away from you. If I give birth to a son, I will surely take your inheritance rights and kick you out of the house. On the surface, I act like I wholeheartedly get along with you, but in reality, I hate you and want to harm you. As long as you lay a hand on me, I can frame you and attack you with a water army! If you’re strong and domineering, I will be weak and righteous. If you hit me, I will act pitiful and buy a water army to slander you! Be careful, Sister Qing, white lotus flowers are actually black widows with poison inside!]
After watching, Yu Nian said, “Thank you for taking the effort to show me these screenshots. Has my sister responded?”
“Don’t mention it,” Fang Wen scratched his head, “Yu Qing hasn’t responded yet. But everyone’s attention is focused on her background now, and not many are paying attention to the accusation made by Zhuang He’na.”
Seeing Yu Nian lost in thought, Fang Wen carefully said, “I’m not good with words, but I feel there must be some hidden story behind this. You know how it goes in those wealthy family dramas, where the mistress deliberately provokes the original wife’s daughter, then acts pitifully and manipulates her to take her place. Maybe Zhuang He’na is following that route.”
Yu Nian came back to the conversation with a smile, “Thank you. My sister is thick-skinned, I’ll call her later and ask about it.”
Deciding to put this matter aside for now, Yu Nian planned to first repair the waterwheel and then clean the dust off the bronze vessel, hoping to find some clues and determine the origin of the bronze gui.
As Yu Nian and the village head walked ahead, carrying the wooden boards towards the waterwheel, Fang Wen put his phone back in his pocket and thought for a moment. He quietly asked the cameraman, Yuan Wang, who was responsible for the recording, “Hey, I was wondering, what exactly is the relationship between Yu Nian and Yu Qing?”
Carrying the camera, Yuan Wang pondered for a while and replied, “I can’t remember the specifics, but I know Yu Qing is the only daughter, one surnamed Yu, and the other surnamed Sheng. They should be some distant relatives, right?”
Chapter 109: What kind of relationship do they have?
In the depths of Fengshou Mountain, in Xinfeng Village, members of the Ri Yao Phone Charity event were sitting together and having breakfast. The phone signal in the mountains was so weak that it was almost non-existent, let alone having internet access or making phone calls. However, they found a way — Yesterday, they followed the old village chief to Wei Na in the county and took advantage of the signal on her mobile phone to take screenshots of all kinds of news back
Using broken coarse porcelain bowls, they had half a bowl of porridge. Wei Na sighed, propping her chin, “Why are people so wicked? When I saw this trending topic, I was startled! I used to have a good impression of Zhao Chunming and Zhao Shuya, but it turns out Zhao Chunming is such a scum, rotten to the core.”
Next to her, wearing a blue work uniform, Fang Wen, while munching on roasted sweet potatoes, chimed in, “The dirty business in the art world is no less than in the entertainment industry. Just think about it, if Xia Yu hadn’t been mentally prepared to take the risk and expose Zhao Chunming, given his family background and personality, he might really have been trapped in that small studio, never seeing the light of day, just painting continuously, and all his paintings would become Zhao Chunming’s. Perhaps when Zhao Chunming grows old, he will still be able to claim titles like ‘Outstanding Old Artist’!”
“Don’t talk about it, it makes me feel uncomfortable,” Wei Na made a vomiting gesture and said angrily, “In my opinion, someone like Zhao Chunming should kneel in front of Xia Yu and beg for forgiveness! Kneel for three days and three nights!”
Fang Wen finished the small roasted sweet potato, smiling, “Anyway, this Zhao Chunming is no good. A while back, he acted all innocent, never getting involved in money matters, but always targeting Yu Nian. Now, his true colors are revealed, and I’m truly enjoying this!”
“When it comes to Yu Nian, he’s even better looking than on TV! And he has a good personality. Now I understand what it means when people say that well-mannered and cultured boys are truly impressive,” Weinm Na straightened her back and looked around, “Hey, where is Yu Nian and the cameraman? I haven’t seen them since I woke up.”
Fang Wen: “When you were still asleep, Yu Nian went to the small classroom next to the village temple to teach the children.”
In Xinfeng Village, there are only seven school-age children, ranging from seven to twelve years old. They used to have a volunteer teacher, but due to the harsh conditions, the teacher left after only half a year.
Yu Nian sat on a creaky chair, holding well-preserved textbooks, and gently smiled at his few students, “Do you remember what I taught you a few days ago?”
The youngest and most lively student raised their hand and answered loudly, “I remember!”
Yu Nian nodded and encouraged, “Great! How about you, Xiao Hu? What do you have to share?”
Xiao Hu stood up, hands behind his back, and recited confidently, “Three times six is eighteen, four times six is twenty-four…” He recited the multiplication table fluently.
“Excellent! Keep reviewing and reciting it occasionally, and you won’t forget,” Yu Nian said, taking a nearby dictionary, “Today, I’ll teach you how to use the dictionary, so when you come across unfamiliar words while reading, you can learn them by looking them up in the dictionary…”
The morning class ended at eleven o’clock. After the students went home for lunch, Yu Nian found his way and walked for half an hour along a small path until he reached a rocky hill. He sat down on a boulder and called Xie You – the only place near the village where he could get a signal.
After a ring, Xie You answered the phone, “Nian Nian?”
“Yes, it’s your Nian Nian,” Yu Nian smiled upon hearing Xie You’s voice, his eyes crinkling.
He was wearing a simple cotton white t-shirt, sitting on the rocky hill, his long legs dangling. He held a small stone in his hand and tossed it up, speaking casually, “This morning, I taught the students how to use the dictionary, and they all learned it earnestly, almost getting it right after the first instruction. I thought that once they learn to use the dictionary, after I leave, they can learn simple characters and read on their own.”
Through the distant mountains, Xie You’s voice carried some electrical noise, but it was tender, “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Nian Nian.”
“What’s with the formal address?” Yu Nian chuckled, running his fingertip across the rock. He cleared his throat and asked, “So, Xie You, tell me, what did I teach you?”
“You taught me what love is.”
The sudden confession made Yu Nian’s heart tremble. He lowered his eyelashes, the wildflowers blooming beside the rocks reflecting in his eyes, and a smile curled up at the corners of his lips. He gently replied, “Hmm.”
“Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach you.”
After finishing the call, Yu Nian walked back to the village following the same path. Along the way, he picked a branch of flowers to bring back and put in a vase. As soon as he reached the temporary accommodation, he saw the village chief waiting at the door, pacing back and forth. His eyes lit up when he saw Yu Nian.
“Teacher Yu!” In their minds, there were no distinctions between celebrities and non-celebrities, singers and non-singers. Yu Nian teaching the village children and imparting knowledge made him their teacher.
The elderly village chief respected Yu Nian a lot. Approaching him, he expressed gratitude first, “Teacher Yu, thank you for your hard work in teaching the children. Those little rascals are wild and used to the mountains, if they make mistakes, they should be disciplined!”
Yu Nian shook his head and smiled, “It’s not hard. They are all eager to learn and well-behaved. They are good kids.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” as the village chief got closer, he felt a little embarrassed about what he wanted to say, and the words hesitated at his lips before he swallowed them back, “Teacher Yu, have your lunch first, eating is important, you must…”
Yu Nian interrupted the village chief and politely asked, “Is there something you need my help with? Just tell me, if I can assist, I will.”
Clasping his smoke-stained fingers, the village chief hesitated for a few seconds before speaking clearly, “Ah, there is something we need your help with. You see, the only old waterwheel in the village broke down. The old carpenter passed away before the new year, and he didn’t leave behind any apprentices. We tried to fix it ourselves, but couldn’t figure it out. We’ve been worrying and thought of you, with your education and knowledge; maybe you can help us somehow.”
Yu Nian knew about the waterwheel in the village. It was crucial for irrigating a large piece of land in the south, which provided the villagers with their food harvest. He didn’t rush to have lunch, saying, “Take me to see it first.”
Yuan Wang, responsible for filming, carried the camera and hurriedly said, “Wait for me, take me along!”
During the journey, Yuan Wang didn’t forget his duty and took the opportunity to interview, “Nian Nian, can you still repair waterwheels?”
Yu Nian smiled, “Yes, but only a little. I used to follow my teacher to archaeological sites, doing excavation work in remote areas where I encountered similar situations. Villagers sought help, and I would leave my small shovel for sand excavation and join the archaeological team’s master to go to the village, helping to repair waterwheels. I thought I wouldn’t have a chance to showcase this skill anymore.”
When they arrived at the southern part of the village, several people had already gathered around the waterwheel. As they saw the village chief bringing Yu Nian, they all exclaimed, “Teacher Yu!”
Yu Nian rolled up his sleeves without hesitation and approached to assess the situation.
Yuan Wang set up the camera and couldn’t help but feel amazed in his heart. Yu Nian was really different from what he had imagined. He had never heard of any big celebrity who was not afraid of getting dirty and tired, skipping lunch just to come and roll up his sleeves to help the villagers repair the waterwheel.
After a short while, Yu Nian identified the issue, “The axle is stuck at the joint with the horizontal board. The horizontal board needs to be replaced.”
“Horizontal board?” The village chief’s face lit up, “Yes, yes, we have a spare!”
Yu Nian washed his hands in a nearby puddle and said, “I’ll go with you to take a look.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Wang quickly jogged to catch up.
The village’s warehouse was not large. Besides scattered farming tools, it was filled with various miscellaneous items, emitting a musty smell when the door was opened. The village chief felt uneasy and hurriedly went over to prop open the window with a wooden stick for some fresh air.
Bending over and searching for a while, he finally found two pieces of wood from a corner and asked Yu Nian, “Teacher Yu, is this it?”
Yu Nian squatted down, carefully examining the size and shape, “Yes, this is it. Let’s take it and try replacing it.”
The village chief’s eyes lit up, holding the wooden board and walking out, “This warehouse is filled with so many things, and it’s been a long time. The smaller items are all put inside, making it hard to find. Fortunately, I remembered that this board was here.” Passing the doorway, he pointed at a ceramic jar, “For big items like this pickled vegetable jar, we put them near the entrance. They are big and heavy, making it easy to move them in and out when needed!”
Seeing Yu Nian stop and gaze at the pickled vegetable jar, the village chief chuckled, “Teacher Yu, you probably haven’t seen this before since you’re from the city, right?”
Yu Nian’s gaze didn’t shift, and he asked, “Village chief, what’s beside the pickled vegetable jar?”
The village chief also glanced at it, “You mean that iron lump? It’s used for pressing the jar during the pickling process, heavy and better than using stones.”
“May I take a look at it?”
The village chief didn’t hesitate, “Of course you can!”
Together, they moved the iron lump out of the warehouse and into the sunlight. Yuan Wang filmed the whole process, waiting on the side.
Seeing Yu Nian’s serious expression, the village chief didn’t dare to interrupt. Only when Yu Nian asked where this object came from, did he start talking, “When I was a child, this thing was already in the village’s warehouse. The old folks in the village said that it came from many years ago during the war when a refined gentleman sought refuge in our mountains. He was coincidentally spotted by the woodcutters and brought to the village.”
“A refined gentleman?”
“Yes, an educated person. He wrote the couplets for our village ancestral hall. But he was in poor health, already sick when he arrived and kept coughing up blood. He passed away not long after. When he fled, he carried this iron lump with him even after throwing away all his food and clothes. So we didn’t throw it away and kept it in the warehouse.”
Yu Nian touched the patterns on the surface of the “iron lump” and pondered, “Does anyone know the name of this person?”
The village chief saw Yu Nian’s seriousness and quickly said, “I can’t remember. Let me go and ask the old man at the village entrance.” He hurriedly walked away.
Seeing Yu Nian squatting and carefully wiping off the dust from the iron lump, Yuan Wang looked closely as well. However, no matter how he looked at it, all he could see was the dirty surface and some peculiar patterns.
Somehow, the phrase “peak picking” from Yu Nian’s past came to Yuan Wang’s mind, and he nervously asked, “Nian Nian, does this thing have a history?”
“It’s not certain yet. There’s too much rust and dust on the surface, but judging from the shape and material, it resembles a ‘gui’1“
“Gui?”
Yu Nian explained, “The “bamboo radical” is at the top, with “liang” character a bit smaller in the middle, and underneath is the “ming” part of the character “ming,” which represents a vessel. It is a type of bronze ritual vessel used for sacrificial ceremonies.”
Some common knowledge was still there, and Yuan Wang gasped, “A bronze vessel?”
“Yes, but we’re not sure if it’s an antique bronze or a modern imitation.” Seeing Yuan Wang’s stunned expression, Yu Nian smiled and said, “Remember how people used to use the ‘Yongle Dadian’ as shoe insoles?”
Not long after, the village chief returned and told Yu Nian, “I found out. That educated man’s name is Fu Boyan. We don’t know which characters were used, but there was something like ‘zi xian’.”
“Zi Xian.”
“Yes, it’s Zi Xian!” The village chief was happy, “Teacher Yu, you know?”
Yu Nian’s gaze fell on the bronze vessel placed in the courtyard, and he was almost certain what this object was.
His grandfather had mentioned it during his childhood. In the capital, there was a remarkable figure from the Fu family named Fu Boyan, with the style name Zi Xian. He was exceptionally talented and, at the age of eighteen, became immersed in the study of oracle bone script. By the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he had achieved great accomplishments. Later, during the wars, he lost all his family wealth and wandered around.
The last known information about him was that a bronze ritual vessel from over three thousand years ago was discovered in a certain place. Uncertain about its authenticity, Fu Boyan traveled a long distance to inspect it, but from then on, no news was ever heard of him.
And now, many years later, this bronze vessel reappeared, but the man was no longer in this world.
Yu Nian suppressed his complex emotions and asked the village chief, “Village chief, this item should have had a square base, do you remember anything about it?”
The village chief shook his head with certainty, “There has never been a base. When that educated man brought it here, it looked like this.” He pointed with his rough fingers, “I’ve seen it; there’s a broken part here. I guess the other half got lost somewhere.”
The village chief then smiled and continued, “This thing seems quite valuable. Teacher Yu, when you leave, just take it with you. You teach the children in the village to read and write, and you helped repair the waterwheel. I know you’re a good person. This thing here can only be used to press a jar of pickles, or it will just gather dust next to the warehouse. If you take it with you, it might come in handy.”
After a long silence, Yu Nian bowed sincerely to the old village chief, “Thank you.”
The old village chief was taken aback, took two steps back, and hurriedly said, “Oh, no, no! You can’t do that! How could I accept such a gift from you?”
Yu Nian smiled, “You can accept it.”
At that moment, Fang Wen hurried over with his phone, shouting from outside the courtyard, “Nian Nian, just got back from the county with Uncle Niu, and I saw on Weibo that Yu Qing’s assault incident is trending!”
He showed Yu Nian the screenshots and spoke rapidly, “The news came out last night, and a person named Zhuang He’na exposed the incident, providing detailed photos of her injuries. She tearfully accused Yu Qing of slapping her, causing her gums to bleed, feeling dizzy, and her ears feeling uncomfortable. I downloaded the video for you to watch.”
He opened the video, and a young girl wearing a white top had a slightly swollen left cheek, with a clear handprint. She was tearful in front of the camera, looking pitiful, and accusing,
“… I know you’ve always been worried that I would take away your father’s attention, afraid that the child I carry is a boy and would take away your inheritance! I wholeheartedly wanted to get along with you, but I never expected to be treated like this in the end!
Ignoring the fact that I am currently dating your father, even if I were a stranger, who slaps people at will? You are from the Sheng family, you have power and influence. You are a famous singer, a formidable actress, and have fans supporting you, reigning dominantly in the entertainment industry. But none of these are reasons for you to slap someone as you please!”
After the video ended, Fang Wen said, “At the beginning, the comments were all saying that Yu Qing’s temper is too overbearing, lacks proper upbringing, and slapping people is really bullying. But later, the comments gradually changed to this.”
Yu Nian opened the screenshots, and they were all comments from the hot post.
[I need to process this! The information in this video is just too much! This Zhuang He’na is just a D-list celebrity, used to flaunt all kinds of luxury goods on Weibo, probably being kept by a rich man. Then, some tabloids revealed that Zhuang He’na’s current sugar daddy is Sheng Xuntang, the Chairman of the Sheng Group. Zhuang He’na is beautiful and young, she might be able to marry into a wealthy family.
But can someone tell me, in this video, Zhuang He’na said to Yu Qing, ‘I am dating your father!’ If my reading comprehension is correct, Yu Qing is the legendary Sheng Xuntang’s only daughter, the sole heir to the Sheng Group, the billionaire heiress Miss Sheng?]
[Oh my god, I remember when Sister Qing just debuted, her bags started from 100,000 yuan, and she drove limited edition supercars. At that time, so many people were speculating and spreading rumors about her being kept by wealthy men. And now, Sheng Group’s heiress? I had no clue she was this powerful! Wait, actually, Sister Qing has always been amazing, that much I knew, hahaha!]
[No wonder the entertainment gossip pages couldn’t figure out Yu Qing’s background, they kept analyzing and thought her surname was Yu, but it turned out she’s actually a Sheng!]
[This person in the video is a bit too much. So good at acting like a white lotus, let me explain it for everyone word by word: ‘I will definitely take your father’s attention away from you. If I give birth to a son, I will surely take your inheritance rights and kick you out of the house. On the surface, I act like I wholeheartedly get along with you, but in reality, I hate you and want to harm you. As long as you lay a hand on me, I can frame you and attack you with a water army! If you’re strong and domineering, I will be weak and righteous. If you hit me, I will act pitiful and buy a water army to slander you! Be careful, Sister Qing, white lotus flowers are actually black widows with poison inside!]
After watching, Yu Nian said, “Thank you for taking the effort to show me these screenshots. Has my sister responded?”
“Don’t mention it,” Fang Wen scratched his head, “Yu Qing hasn’t responded yet. But everyone’s attention is focused on her background now, and not many are paying attention to the accusation made by Zhuang He’na.”
Seeing Yu Nian lost in thought, Fang Wen carefully said, “I’m not good with words, but I feel there must be some hidden story behind this. You know how it goes in those wealthy family dramas, where the mistress deliberately provokes the original wife’s daughter, then acts pitifully and manipulates her to take her place. Maybe Zhuang He’na is following that route.”
Yu Nian came back to the conversation with a smile, “Thank you. My sister is thick-skinned, I’ll call her later and ask about it.”
Deciding to put this matter aside for now, Yu Nian planned to first repair the waterwheel and then clean the dust off the bronze vessel, hoping to find some clues and determine the origin of the bronze gui.
As Yu Nian and the village head walked ahead, carrying the wooden boards towards the waterwheel, Fang Wen put his phone back in his pocket and thought for a moment. He quietly asked the cameraman, Yuan Wang, who was responsible for the recording, “Hey, I was wondering, what exactly is the relationship between Yu Nian and Yu Qing?”
Carrying the camera, Yuan Wang pondered for a while and replied, “I can’t remember the specifics, but I know Yu Qing is the only daughter, one surnamed Yu, and the other surnamed Sheng. They should be some distant relatives, right?”
