Chapter 4

After dinner, Zhang Xue took out two jade pendants and said she wanted to return them to Zhang Tianyuan.

"Brother, our family doesn't lack food or clothes. Why did you give us such expensive things? It's a waste. We might as well buy some nice clothes instead." Zhang Xue had grown up in hard times, so she was very frugal, even a bit stingy. But for people in the countryside, this was a blessing. They couldn't afford to be extravagant and had to be thrifty.

Zhang Tianyuan didn't take the pendants, but glared at Zhang Xue and said, "If you consider me your brother, take the things. These pendants aren't that expensive, and I gave them to my niece and nephew. Why are you giving them back? Look how sad the kids are."

Hanghang and Peipei were very cooperative with Zhang Tianyuan, crying and wiping their noses, staring at the pendants without looking away.

Zhang Xue had no choice but to take the pendants. She knew her brother; once he gave something, he wouldn't take it back.

"By the way, Xue, didn't your husband say he wanted to open a store in Xifeng City? How's that going?" Zhang Tianyuan asked after taking a sip of tea.

"Don't even mention it. The rent is too high, and we can't afford it. We ended up renting a shop in the county to do some clothing business, but it's tight, and we don't make much money." Mother Li Lanxiang sighed.

"Doing business, you just need to work hard. There are many ways to make money these days. If you work hard, earning two or three thousand a month isn't a problem," Father Zhang Ruhai said. He had worked hard all his life and was known in the village for his diligence. His words weren't without reason.

But Zhang Tianyuan had other ideas. He wasn't an ordinary person anymore and could help his sister and brother-in-law.

In the past three years, he had made some money from gaming. Since he only needed to eat and buy a few clothes, he could save about 20,000 yuan a year, totaling 60,000 yuan over three years. Plus, he had 20,000 yuan left from the donations for his act of bravery, making a total of 80,000 yuan. Though it wasn't much, it was enough to rent a store in Xifeng City and do some small business.

As for himself, he didn't need to worry. With his skills, he wouldn't go hungry. He could help Xu Gang first, and once he mastered the Feng Shui Treasure Mirror, he could make more money, which was very possible.

"Xue, take this bank card. There's over 80,000 yuan in it. It's not much, but it should be enough for business. If it's not enough, I can help you borrow more," Zhang Tianyuan said, handing the card to his sister. "The password is Dad's birthday plus Mom's birthday, just enter it in order."

"Brother, I really can't take this. If I take your money, what does that make me?" Zhang Xue quickly refused.

"Do you want to take it or not!" Zhang Tianyuan's face darkened.

"Mom, you talk to Brother. He's already 25 and doesn't even have a girlfriend. If he doesn't save money, how will he find one?" Zhang Xue turned to her mother, Li Lanxiang, for help.

"That's right, Tianyuan. This is all your savings. If you give it all to Xue, what will you do?" Li Lanxiang asked.

"Mom, don't worry. With Gangzi's help, I won't be short of money," Zhang Tianyuan smiled. "Besides, once Xue's business is successful, they can help me too."

"Alright, that's enough, Mom. Xue, take the money. Your brother's wedding will be taken care of by Dad," Zhang Ruhai said, making the final decision.

As the head of the family, Zhang Ruhai always had the final say, though he couldn't control Zhang Tianyuan as much now.

Zhang Xue finally took the bank card, squeezed it, and carefully put it in her bag.

To avoid an awkward atmosphere, Zhang Tianyuan changed the topic.

"Father, I want to visit the Terracotta Warriors tomorrow."

"Again? You've been there at least ten times since you were a kid. It's just some old clay figures. What's so interesting? The ticket is expensive, about 150 yuan per person," Zhang Ruhai said, a bit unwilling.

Zhang Tianyuan's village was about a half-hour drive from the Terracotta Warriors. This distance allowed him to visit often, but he couldn't take advantage of the local benefits. The villages near the Terracotta Warriors had become wealthy because of the clay figures.

"Those aren't just clay figures; they are the Terracotta Warriors, a national treasure," Zhang Tianyuan said, exasperated.

"Alright, alright, you can go if you want. I won't stop you, but remember to come back early," Zhang Ruhai said. In the past, he wouldn't have agreed so easily, but now he knew his son was grown and had his reasons for going. It was only 150 yuan, and they could afford it even if they were poor.

...

The next morning, Zhang Tianyuan went to the Terracotta Warriors with Xu Gang, who then left for Xifeng City, saying he had business there.

Before leaving, Xu Gang insisted on buying a ticket for Zhang Tianyuan and sent him into the Terracotta Warriors Museum.

The Terracotta Warriors Museum generally has four main areas: the Exhibition Hall of Cultural Relics, where some are genuine and others are modern reproductions; and the three pits: Pit 1, Pit 2, and Pit 3.

Each of the three pits has its own characteristics. Pit 1 is the most impressive, with the most terracotta figures and the most restoration work. It's the largest and busiest.

Pit 2 might be boring for those who aren't familiar with history, but a tour guide can make it interesting. For those who don't know much, it might be disappointing because there are no complete figures, just pits and broken pieces.

Pit 3 is believed to be the command center of the Qin army, with mid-to-high-ranking officers. There are fewer figures, but it's still worth a look.

Zhang Tianyuan didn't come here to sightsee. He had his own purpose. On the way, he had tried to absorb earth qi but encountered a problem. He was thinking about how to absorb earth qi more safely.

He didn't dare go to the Qin Mausoleum, fearing something might go wrong, but the Terracotta Warriors were far enough from the mausoleum to try.

Since earth qi is the essence of the earth and mountains, shouldn't the terracotta figures and other relics, which were dug from the ground, also contain earth qi?

If they did, he could try to absorb it. Otherwise, his earth qi level was still at the Hidden Dragon stage, which was too low.

He first went to the Exhibition Hall of Cultural Relics and used the Seeking Character Technique to find genuine relics to experiment with. Unfortunately, many relics were on exhibition elsewhere, limiting his choices, but he still made significant progress.

When he examined a wine pot from the Warring States period, a faint earth qi seeped out and was absorbed by his body.

At that moment, it felt like a drop of sweet spring water falling into his dantian, very comfortable, though it was a bit too little.

However, it was safer than before when he nearly lost his life near the Qin Mausoleum.

Drops of water can wear through stone, and small amounts can accumulate.

After this round, Zhang Tianyuan found that the faint dragon in his body had become more distinct, showing signs of advancing to the Young Dragon stage.

He didn't stop but went straight to Pit 2, the closest to the Exhibition Hall. Based on his experience, visiting the pits in the order of 2, 3, and 1 was better.

Otherwise, you might get disappointed after seeing Pit 1 and then Pit 3, but the reverse order would be more exciting.

Of course, this was for ordinary people. Experts wouldn't follow this order and could still find value in Pit 2.

Zhang Tianyuan found that the terracotta figures in the pits contained more earth qi than the relics in the Exhibition Hall. This made sense since they were made from clay.

By the time he reached Pit 3, his realm had already improved. The faint dragon had transformed into a vivid young dragon, smaller in size but with significantly more earth qi.

When he reached Pit 1, Zhang Tianyuan's steps slowed. Here, he felt an unprecedented urge.

Seeing the weathered terracotta figures, he wished he could use the Repairing Character Technique to restore them.

Unfortunately, his earth qi was still limited. He tried from outside the protective barrier, using almost all his earth qi to mend a one-centimeter crack on a figure, but it wasn't perfect.

"Indeed, these are thousands of years old. Their value is different, and repairing them is much harder, let alone replicating them."

With some regret, Zhang Tianyuan left Pit 1 and headed out.

Unconsciously, two hours had passed.

Leaving the museum, he could have taken a free bus to the Qin Mausoleum, but he decided against it, fearing something might go wrong. The earth qi there was too strong and could be harmful to him.

Exiting the museum, he found a long commercial street. The design was clever; you had to pass through the street to leave, which benefited the local villagers.

Unfortunately, Zhang Tianyuan's village was too far to benefit from this.

Most of the items sold on the street were fakes or replicas. According to the law, even if they had genuine items, they couldn't sell them, as it would be illegal.

Zhang Tianyuan had a steaming bowl of spicy soup and two meat buns at a shop on the street, then prepared to go home.

Just as he reached the roadside, he received a call from Xu Gang.

"Tianyuan, I need your help, it's urgent. Come quickly!" Xu Gang sounded very anxious. "Do you know where my shop is? Come here, I'll wait for you."

Zhang Tianyuan didn't ask more. Xu Gang was doing well and often helped his family. As a good friend, he couldn't refuse.

So, he took a long-distance bus to Xifeng City, arriving at the train station after about an hour, then went straight to Xu Gang's shop.

Xu Gang's jade shop was on **Street, known for its food but also selling jade and souvenirs. Xu Gang had connections to establish his business there.

Seeing Zhang Tianyuan, Xu Gang seemed relieved and pulled him into the shop.

"What's going on?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.

"Someone wants to trade calligraphy for my jade. Can you help me check it out?" Xu Gang pointed to a man with a fierce look, who didn't seem trustworthy.

"I'll take a look at the calligraphy," Zhang Tianyuan said, ignoring the man.

Xu Gang carefully took the beautifully framed calligraphy from the man and placed it on the table.

Zhang Tianyuan read it: "The land of the world nurtures the people of the world, providing for all. The more people, the more prosperous the foundation, how can it lead to poverty?" This seems to be from Bao Juanweng, and it looks genuine."

"Who is Bao Juanweng? I don't know him. This calligraphy is by Bao Shichen!" the man said irritably.

This made Zhang Tianyuan laugh.

"Do you know the difference between Tang Bohu and Tang Yin?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Tang Bohu and Tang Yin are the same person. I'm not uneducated," the man said confidently.

"Ha, if you know Tang Bohu and Tang Yin are the same, why do you think Bao Shichen and Bao Juanweng are different?" Zhang Tianyuan laughed.

The man wasn't stupid and realized he had made a fool of himself but still said, "What are you babbling about? Bao Shichen is much less famous than Tang Bohu. Isn't it strange that I don't know him? Just tell me if the calligraphy is genuine!"

"You have a point. If you're not a calligraphy expert, you might think Bao Shichen and Bao Juanweng are different. But don't we have Baidu these days? A quick search would have told you. Did you need to sell this calligraphy so urgently that you didn't even have time to check?" Zhang Tianyuan said, carefully examining the calligraphy and using the Appraising Character Technique.