After deciding, Shenan didn't waste any time. He prepared what he needed and went straight to Old Man Li's house.
The sunset's afterglow spread across the stone road, casting long shadows of Shenan and Celine.
Old Man Li's home was a two-story small building. The yard was full of flowers and plants, and the air smelled fresh and light.
When Old Man Li saw Shenan coming, he was very happy. He called to the housekeeper loudly to prepare dinner.
He wore a traditional Chinese jacket, looked full of energy, kind-faced, and didn't look like an old man over seventy.
"Shenan is here. Come in and sit," Old Man Li said, holding Shenan's hand, smiling warmly.
Shenan put the fresh fruits he brought on the table first, then introduced the girl behind him, "Teacher, this is my sister, Celine."
Celine politely said, "Hello, Mr. Li."
Old Man Li nodded with a kind look, "Good children, everyone sit down."
After some small talk, Shenan explained the reason for his visit.
"Teacher, I came to ask for your help to look at a few things."
He carefully took out two pairs of pure gold Qin Banliang coins and jade rings from his bag and put them on the table.
When Old Man Li saw these items, his gentle eyes suddenly became sharp. He picked up a Qin Banliang coin, held it in his hand, and studied it carefully, even holding his breath.
The room fell silent, only the occasional bird sounds outside.
After a while, Old Man Li asked in a slightly trembling voice, "...Where, where did you get these?"
Shenan looked at Celine, and she immediately understood, taking over the words.
"Mr. Li, these things are from an old friend who asked me to handle them. I can't say where he got them, but I can promise you they are definitely real."
Old Man Li didn't answer right away. He rubbed the jade ring in his hand, frowned, and fell into deep thought.
Seeing this, Shenan's heart tightened. He quickly added, "Teacher, I can guarantee on behalf of my sister. Please trust us, these items come from a proper source!"
His tone was anxious, even a little pleading.
Old Man Li looked deeply into Shenan's eyes. He knew his student's character well and trusted he wouldn't do anything illegal.
"I believe you," Old Man Li finally said firmly, clearing his doubts. He patted Shenan's shoulder with a pleased look.
Shenan finally relaxed. The heavy weight in his heart was lifted.
He knew the matter was settled.
Old Man Li picked up a Qin Banliang coin again, stroking its smooth surface carefully.
This coin was in excellent condition, each weighing over fifteen grams. It was a rare irregular version, more valuable than normal Qin Banliang coins.
With Old Man Li's experience, this coin was worth at least several hundred thousand, but the exact price was hard to say.
He thought for a moment, then decided to call his old friend Expert Yinian through video.
Expert Yinian was a top archaeology expert with sharp eyes, much more professional than Old Man Li.
The video connected, showing Expert Yinian's weathered face. He teased Old Man Li right away, "Hey, Old Li, why did you think of me today? Good to see you still remember this old guy!"
Old Man Li ignored the teasing and immediately showed a Qin Banliang coin to the camera.
The other side went silent for a moment.
"Hiss—" Expert Yinian took a long breath, eyes wide, "Qin Banliang?"
He quickly put on his reading glasses and looked closer at the video.
"This doesn't look like Qin Dynasty, but an irregular version from the Warring States period! Old Li, where did you get this treasure?"
Old Man Li didn't answer the question. He said shortly, "Give me a price estimate."
"One million each," Expert Yinian answered clearly.
Hearing this number, Celine and Shenan both gasped.
One million! One small Qin Banliang coin was worth a million!
This number was far beyond their expectations. The huge surprise left them momentarily speechless.
Celine gripped the edge of her clothes tightly, her heart pounding as if it would jump out of her chest.
Shenan stared blankly at the coins on the table, full of disbelief.
Old Man Li calmly ended the video call. Seeing the shocked expressions of the two young people, he smiled slightly.
He thought to himself: This is just a conservative estimate. At an auction, the price could be even higher.
Just as Old Man Li finished the call, his phone buzzed. The caller ID showed Expert Yinian was calling back.
He answered the call, but before he could say anything, Expert Yinian was already blowing his whistle and glaring on the other end: "You, Old Man Li! You hung up on me? When you find something good, you just hide it away? That's not fair!"
Old Man Li smiled faintly. "Expert Yinian, why are you still so angry? I was just worried you'd get too excited."
"Excited? What would I be excited about! I'm… I'm…" Expert Yinian was momentarily speechless, then finally forced out, "I'm coming over right now! You just wait!"
After saying this, he didn't wait for a reply and immediately hung up with a loud click.
On his side, Expert Yinian hurriedly told his driver, Old Zhang, "Go to Old Man Li's house! Quickly!"
His wife peeked out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula. "Where are you going again? It's almost dinner time!"
"To Old Man Li's! He has something good!" Expert Yinian said excitedly, his eyes shining with excitement.
"That old Li's place? That's in the countryside, five hours away! And look at your age!" His wife got worried.
"Oh, don't bother me! If I miss this, I'll regret it my whole life!"
Without waiting for more, Expert Yinian grabbed his coat and rushed out, as if missing this treasure by one second would be a disaster.
The five-hour drive passed with Expert Yinian imagining the beautiful shape of that strange Warring States Qin half-tael coin, wishing he could fly straight to Old Man Li's home.
On the other side, Old Man Li put down his phone and turned to Celine and Shenan, speaking sincerely, "I want a pair of these two Qin half-taels. How much do they cost? I'll transfer the money to you now."
Celine and Shenan exchanged a glance. Shenan spoke first, "Teacher Li, you have helped us so much. Just take these two Qin half-taels as a gift. We can't accept money from you."
Celine nodded in agreement, "Yes, Teacher Li. Without you, we wouldn't even know these things are so valuable."
But Old Man Li shook his head, serious. "Let's keep things clear. I can't take advantage of you students. You know how valuable these two Qin half-taels are. I must pay."
Seeing his firm attitude, Celine and Shenan stopped refusing.
Old Man Li immediately transferred two million yuan to Celine's account via phone.
Seeing the message showing two million received, Celine felt like she was dreaming.
A huge joy burst inside her, as if all the hardships of her past life and this life were comforted in this moment.
After dinner, Celine and Shenan thanked Old Man Li and his wife, then set off for home.
As for the other pair of Qin half-taels and the jade bracelet, Old Man Li said he would help find reliable buyers and didn't let them take it back.
Night fell, and the country road was covered in a soft darkness.
Celine skipped happily, like a joyful little bird.
Two million!
For her, who was poor, this was an astronomical number.
This money could not only heal her big brother's leg but also improve the whole family's life.
Having lived two lives, Celine finally felt she had the power to control her own and her family's fate. That feeling was wonderful!
Shenan walked quietly behind his sister, silently absorbing the energy of the crystal core.
Seeing Celine so happy, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
If his sister was happy, he was happy.
The shadow of the broken leg and the burden of life seemed insignificant at this moment.
"Ouch!" Celine suddenly covered her ears and stopped walking.
"What's wrong, Celine?" Shenan hurried a few steps closer, worried.
Celine rubbed her ears. "Big brother, someone is coming into the space. I need to go check."
"Someone coming into the space?" Shenan was surprised but didn't ask more. He sat under a big leafy tree by the road. "Go ahead. I'll wait here for you."
Celine nodded, took a deep breath, and her figure suddenly disappeared into the night.
When she opened her eyes again, she was inside the space.
Red was carrying a big, bulging bundle, walking toward her with a big smile.
His smile looked like a fox who just stole a chicken, sly and proud.
"Miss Celine, guess what good thing I brought you?" Red put the bundle down on the ground and winked mysteriously.
The bundle hit the floor with a dull thud, as if it was full of metal objects.
Celine felt a stir in her heart, a strange premonition rising.