Chapter 89

Early in the morning, Su Jiu got up and started his morning jog. This was a habit Su Jiu had maintained for a long time. Although his head still ached from drinking too much the night before, his biological clock still made him get up on time. The other three people in the dormitory were still sound asleep.

After his morning jog, Su Jiu bought breakfast and put it in the dormitory before leaving. He had important matters to attend to today. He needed to take a week off from the department head to go home and celebrate his grandfather's 70th birthday. This was the reason Su Jiu had to take leave.

Although Su Jiu's home was not in Xiang City or in Hunan Province, it was not far from Xiang City. It took about seven or eight hours to travel from Xiang City to Su Jiu's home.

This time, he was going home to celebrate his grandfather's 70th birthday, which his father had notified him about long ago, asking him to return early to help.

After leaving the department head's office, Su Jiu felt a bit helpless. He really wasn't very popular. If he hadn't mentioned his connection to Old Zhao at a critical moment, he might not have been granted leave.

He had to go back tomorrow, so today he needed to buy a gift for his grandfather. Thinking about this, Su Jiu immediately felt more energetic.

The Su family, though not a large clan, had many relatives and friends, especially among Su Jiu's generation. He had cousins, both older and younger, and there were over ten children from various relatives' families. Although he wasn't the youngest, he was still quite young. Now he was 18 years old and in college, so he needed to prepare a gift for his grandfather. This was an old custom: a man becomes an adult at 16 and gains a status similar to an adult in the family, which also means taking on many responsibilities and obligations.

Every city has its own cultural heritage, and Xiang City is no exception. As the birthplace of a great person, this place is rich in culture. In Xiang City, there is an old street known as the Old City Street. It is filled with the ancient memories of Xiang City. Only those who know Xiang City well would know about this place. Su Jiu knew about it because he had specifically sought it out.

This time, Su Jiu hoped to buy a magical artifact as a gift for his grandfather. If it were a few days ago, Su Jiu wouldn't have had this idea. Even if he did, he would have only hoped to find a bargain, hoping for some luck to find such a gift. However, after receiving the check for ten million yuan from Mr. Jiang, Su Jiu felt more confident.

"I wonder if I can find a magical artifact here," Su Jiu thought to himself as he stood at the entrance of the Old City Street. In today's society, magical artifacts are becoming rarer. Although feng shui masters have declined, it doesn't mean there are fewer of them. In fact, with the development of society in recent years, the number of feng shui masters has increased.

Su Jiu was very clear about this. He walked into each old shop, hoping to find a suitable magical artifact, but after browsing for half a day, he didn't find a single one. All he saw were imitations, and there was no sign of a genuine magical artifact. It seemed that magical artifacts were indeed rare, and one needed luck.

"Shisidu Ancient City"

Su Jiu stood in front of the shop, finding the name interesting. In the countryside of Xiang City, there was a place called Shisidu, which Su Jiu knew about. He had read about it in the history of Xiang City but had never been there. He didn't expect someone to use this name for a shop in the Old City Street of Xiang City.

As he approached the shop, the shop owner was lying leisurely on a bamboo chair, with a teapot beside him. The shop was filled with the scent of incense, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. The shop was decorated in an ancient style, and the glass cabinets and interior design were very harmonious, showing that the shop owner had good taste.

Su Jiu's entrance did not elicit any reaction from the shop owner. This was common in such old shops, which usually had a fixed customer base. Selling antiques, collectibles, or magical artifacts was not something a young man like Su Jiu could understand.

The shop owner had noticed Su Jiu as soon as he entered but, after a quick glance, continued to lie on the bamboo chair. In the shop owner's view, such a young man was just curious and wouldn't buy anything.

The shop owner, in his forties, had a keen eye for reading people. Su Jiu, seeing that the shop owner didn't get up to greet him, was not offended. He knew what the shop owner was thinking and couldn't blame him for underestimating his appearance.

Su Jiu slowly looked at the items in the shop. Most of the items were crafts, antiques, and imitations, but there were no genuine magical artifacts. After walking around for a while, Su Jiu felt a bit disappointed. He needed to prepare a decent gift for his grandfather's 70th birthday. A magical artifact was his first choice, but if he couldn't find one, he would have to settle for an antique painting or calligraphy.

Just as Su Jiu was thinking this, the shop owner spoke up.

"Little brother, what are you looking to buy?"

Hearing the shop owner's words, Su Jiu was momentarily stunned. He had been in the shop for a while, and the shop owner was only now greeting him. No wonder the shop's business wasn't great.

"I want to buy something as a birthday gift for my grandfather," Su Jiu replied, stating the truth rather than his initial thoughts.

With the shop owner's help, he would have more options. In fact, Su Jiu didn't know that the shop owner had just seen him frown, a sign that he was genuinely interested in buying something. The shop owner, in his forties, was skilled at reading people, and this expression was only shown by those who were truly interested in purchasing something.

"Congratulations on the birthday gift!" the shop owner repeated, getting up from the bamboo chair. "Little brother, how about this pair of longevity peaches?" The shop owner pointed to a pair of peach carvings in a glass cabinet.

Su Jiu followed the shop owner's direction. It was a wooden carving about 30 centimeters tall, with two peaches on the base. The peaches were carved with the words "wealth and honor," and beside them were the words "good fortune" and "auspiciousness."

The longevity peaches symbolized "blessings as deep as the sea and longevity as high as the mountains." This was the perfect gift for an elderly person's birthday.

Su Jiu was very satisfied with the shop owner's recommendation.

"Boss, how much are these longevity peaches?" Su Jiu asked.

"Little brother, these longevity peaches are from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China. They are somewhat old. I bought them for 5,000 yuan. Although they are made of ordinary wood, they are still quite good. If you want them, I'll sell them for 5,800 yuan," the shop owner said casually.

Su Jiu examined the wooden longevity peaches. The shop owner was not lying; they were indeed old. After browsing for half a day without finding anything suitable or any luck with a magical artifact, Su Jiu decided to buy this.

Just then, a young voice rang out in the shop.

"Boss, boss! I've brought something. Can it be exchanged for these longevity peaches?"

...

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