Chapter 6

Seeing Yu Lifei being brought out by Wu Kexin, his face was very calm, without the usual resentment and indignation of a young person. Wu Wengu was surprised again. Although Yu Lifei was very young, his composure and calmness were rare. Wu Wengu became even more determined to help Yu Lifei find a job at the museum. There had been several accidents at the museum recently, and perhaps Yu Lifei's arrival could change this situation.

"Xiao Yu, where are you from?" Wu Wengu asked, declining Wu Kexin's offer to see him off and walking with Yu Lifei. Since he wanted to help Yu Lifei find a job, he naturally needed to know more about him. Of course, he could have asked Wu Kexin directly, but that would have been a subtle hurt to Yu Lifei.

"From Erfeng County," Yu Lifei replied. Actually, he couldn't really be considered a true native of Erfeng County; he just grew up there. As for his ancestral home, the old man had never told him.

"Why did you come to Tanzhou alone?" Wu Wengu asked.

"I'm an orphan, raised by my grandfather," Yu Lifei said, a hint of sadness in his voice. The old man had never mentioned his parents. After he became aware, he had asked, but the old man always said he would tell him later. This "later" had never come. Before leaving, he asked again, but the old man dodged the question and refused to discuss it.

"Xiao Yu, which school did you graduate from?" Wu Wengu changed the topic, not wanting to press further.

"Community college, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature," Yu Lifei said. He had chosen this major both out of interest and because of the old man's insistence. Before junior high school, he had been educated by the old man, who followed ancient teaching methods, starting with the Three-Character Classic and the Thousand Character Text, and also instilled in him the habit of writing with a brush pen. Even now, he still preferred writing with a brush pen, finding it uncomfortable to use a fountain pen or ballpoint pen.

However, what Yu Lifei didn't expect was that while he found the major easy to study, it was difficult to find a job in society. The state no longer assigned jobs, and if he wanted a job related to his major, the options were limited to being a secretary or an editor, both of which were hard for him to enter. He had wandered in the south for two years, changing jobs seven or eight times, but none of them were related to his major.

"Xiao Yu, if you trust me, I can find you a job. It might be a bit tough, and the salary might not be high, but it would be suitable for your current situation. Of course, if you have other plans, just ignore what I said," Wu Wengu said. Although the security job at the museum was temporary and the pay wasn't high, it was stable and suitable for Yu Lifei.

"Thank you, Grandpa Wu. I don't have many requirements for a job. As long as I can handle it, I'll do my best," Yu Lifei said, not asking what the job was and immediately expressing his gratitude.

"Don't thank me yet. Let's wait until the job is confirmed," Wu Wengu said. Although he was confident, he couldn't promise anything until Yu Lifei officially started. Of course, with a community college degree, Yu Lifei was more than qualified to be a security guard, but the museum, unlike other places, had certain requirements for education and experience, even for a security guard.

"It doesn't matter. I'm grateful to you, regardless of whether I find a job or not," Yu Lifei said. In life, one relies on parents at home and friends outside. In Tanzhou, he knew no one, so he had to seize every opportunity. Wu Wengu had already helped him a lot tonight, but his granddaughter, the pretty policewoman, didn't seem to like him.

"Xiao Yu, just for your words, if I can't find you a job, you can follow me," Wu Wengu said. He was an expert at the Tanzhou Museum and had a few students. Even if Yu Lifei lacked professional knowledge, he could teach him. Most importantly, his son was the deputy director of the museum, so arranging a temporary job should be no problem.

Wu Wengu, who had been traveling all day, looked tired after the evening's events. Yu Lifei saw him home and agreed to meet the next day before leaving.

Since getting off the train, Yu Lifei had been following his instincts. When he left Wu Wengu's house, this feeling became even stronger, as if there was an invisible force pulling him forward. He stopped when he reached the outer wall of a large building. Walking along the wall, he soon arrived at the main entrance and realized it was the Tanzhou Museum.

Seeing a square next to the museum with pavilions at each corner, stone tables, and benches, and a row of long benches inside, he decided to spend the night at the museum's entrance. Although he had initially thought of staying at an internet cafe, he now decided to stay at the museum.

However, Yu Lifei didn't choose to stay in the pavilion. He entered the pavilion, looked around, put his bag on his back, and in one step, ran to the railing. Bending his knees slightly, he leaped up, hooked the pavilion's eaves with his hands, and with a twist of his waist, flipped up onto the roof. The whole process was as silent as a cat climbing a tree.

"Clearly, there was someone here just now, but where did they go?"

Yu Lifei had just reached the top when someone entered the pavilion, looked around, and muttered to himself.

Yu Lifei used his bag as a pillow, holding the "Child Bathing the Ox" figurine, and lay down on the glazed tiles, falling into a deep sleep. In his dream, he saw an ancient person with a long braid carving a bamboo root. The person's knife work was swift, and the bamboo shavings flew as the "Child Bathing the Ox" figurine took shape. The dream was both real and surreal. He tried to see the person's face clearly, but no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't. When he tried to walk closer, he woke up.

He opened his eyes, looked around, and realized he was in Tanzhou. It was already dawn, and Yu Lifei stood on the eaves and looked down. The square was a place for street vendors. Although it wasn't fully light yet, the street lamps were still on, and people were already arriving with their goods and stools from all directions.

Yu Lifei lightly flipped down into the pavilion. In his hometown, he would go to the mountains before dawn every day to practice qi and work up a sweat. On the way down, he would jump into a deep pond in the mountains for a refreshing swim before returning for breakfast. When he was studying away from home, he would find a secluded place every morning, which had become a habit.

This morning, although he didn't practice qi, he felt more comfortable than in the mountains. It was as if he had eaten a magical fruit, and every pore in his body was open, giving him a sense of exhilaration he had never experienced before. The only discomfort was that he hadn't bathed the night before, feeling sticky and with a slight odor. If he could swim in the Tan River, it would be perfect.

However, Yu Lifei knew he had no place to stay, so swimming in the Tan River was unrealistic. Fortunately, there was a public restroom in the museum square. After washing and changing clothes, he felt truly refreshed.

At this time, there weren't many vendors in the square, and even fewer people were browsing. Yu Lifei suddenly remembered that Wu Wengu had asked him to prepare a resume for the job. When he left, he only brought a few changes of clothes. In the past, he had always gone to a typing and photocopying shop to get his resume done, and he didn't want to be an exception this time. As he walked through the square, he saw some vendors selling pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, and he slowed down. He thought, why not write the resume himself?

Most of the items sold by these vendors were modern crafts, which, to put it bluntly, were fakes and imitations, designed to deceive those who had read a few books and thought they could find treasures. Larger transactions usually took place in shops, and the items and prices were kept confidential. Whether buying or selling, outsiders had no idea what was going on.

Of course, some vendors bought items from the countryside, but these items were usually first selected by antique dealers. After the selection, the remaining items that were hard to sell would be brought to the street vendors. The vendors were mainly interested in making money and didn't collect items themselves, only following the principle of buying low and selling high.

Yu Lifei was buying for practical use, not for collection, so his principle was simple: cheap. Of course, if he found something he liked, that would be even better. He approached a vendor selling stationery and slowly squatted down.

The vendor's eyes lit up when he saw someone looking, but they dimmed when he saw Yu Lifei's attire. Even if the person had poor eyesight, he couldn't possibly have any money. The vendor's judgment was accurate, as Yu Lifei indeed had little money left. The "Child Bathing the Ox" figurine he bought the day before had cost him almost a third of his funds.

"How much is this brick?" Yu Lifei picked up a half-brick of blue clay from the corner of the stall and asked. In the mountains, the old man used a large blue clay brick as an inkstone. Although it looked clumsy, it was very practical. He had used it from the time he learned to write until now.

Yu Lifei originally just wanted to buy an inkstone. Although he knew he could buy ready-made ink, grinding ink himself was a completely different experience. When he picked up the blue clay brick, a picture of a blue clay brick suddenly appeared in his mind. What surprised him most was that there seemed to be something inside the brick. He then remembered that his "Child Bathing the Ox" figurine also seemed to have something inside, though he had never had the chance to open it.