Chapter 4

In the picture on the computer, a woman in a blue dress, wearing glasses, and a cute child in a bear overalls, who looked like a little girl, but was actually Xiaobao, were shown. Weren't they the mother and son I mistook last night?

In the middle of the night, during the earthquake, the mother protected her son. The mother passed away, but the child was unharmed and was already being cared for in a general ward. And that child was also named Xiaobao!

"Six-Flavor Life-Prolonging Pills, she bought six of them. What's going on? Could it be that she bought the items and then encountered the earthquake? No, the earthquake happened over a thousand miles away from Jiangcheng. How could this be?"

Wang Fan sat there in a daze, suddenly remembering what the young woman had said: "It's fine, six are enough. The medicine is for Xiaobao! Thank you!"

Wang Fan closed his eyes, feeling a lump in his throat. He wasn't easily moved; this cruel world had made him numb. But why did that woman in the blue dress appear at the Sanjie Supermarket before she died? How could such a strange thing happen?

At the same time as the earthquake, Xiaobao's mother appeared at the supermarket with him and bought the Six-Flavor Life-Prolonging Pills. What kind of medicine was it? And why did the mother die after the earthquake, but Xiaobao survived?

Why? Wang Fan suddenly felt a headache, a piercing pain!

Yesterday, when he was leaving work, he looked back at the Sanjie Supermarket and realized it should have been Fengjie Supermarket. However, due to a problem with the sign, the middle vertical stroke of the character "Feng" wasn't lit, so it looked like Sanjie Supermarket during the day, and at night, due to the lighting issue, it became Sanjie Supermarket.

It probably wasn't the supermarket's fault. Could it be his own problem? Wang Fan thought of his birth date—born at midnight on the 15th of July. But he had never encountered such a thing before. What was the problem?

Then Wang Fan remembered the "thank you" from Xiaobao's mother, and he felt a bit better. Perhaps she was really grateful to him at that moment!

"Who is the dark and fat mother with a group of children? I hope they are all fine!"

Wang Fan tried hard to find news, but found nothing. He felt relieved. If a dozen children had been involved in an incident, it would definitely have been reported. If there was no news, that was the best outcome!

May the deceased rest in peace! Wang Fan silently said a prayer in his heart. However, he had a vague feeling that the supermarket was a bit eerie, and the member's special-priced items he had taken out might also be special!

It was scorching outside. Wang Fan first sent 3,000 yuan to his mother and instructed his father to get a check-up at the hospital. His father's illness couldn't be delayed any longer. When his mother called him that morning, she was almost crying, indicating that his father's condition was not optimistic.

Wang Fan walked to a gallery that specialized in selling and consigning various Chinese and ancient paintings. He didn't understand paintings, but he wanted to get them appraised.

Suddenly entering the air-conditioned room, Wang Fan shivered. It was so comfortable, and the sun outside was too intense. He didn't have money to take a bus or even buy a bottle of cold water.

"Are you here to consign a painting? Please wait a moment, our staff are very busy right now!"

The receptionist looked Wang Fan up and down. His white shirt was formal but of poor quality, and his shoes were covered in dust. In such hot weather, who would walk here with something valuable to consign?

"Sure, please call me when you have time!"

The air-conditioned room was a heaven compared to the scorching outside. He didn't mind waiting a bit longer. After a few hours, it was almost eleven, and no one had attended to him. Wang Fan started to get anxious.

"Oh, I'm sorry, come back this afternoon!"

The receptionist was still thinking about what to eat for lunch. Seeing Wang Fan asking, she quickly told him to come back in the afternoon.

"Isn't your gallery supposed to consign paintings? Why have I been waiting for so long without anyone attending to me?"

Wang Fan finally realized he was being ignored. In such hot weather, walking back in the afternoon would be unbearable.

"I told you, our staff are very busy. Please come back this afternoon!"

The receptionist spoke politely but with impatience. Even a fool could see she was just fobbing him off.

"Mr. Chen, I will definitely find the painting you want. Our Xuan Yuan Gallery is the most famous in the industry, and the best flower and bird paintings in Jiangcheng are here!"

Wang Fan was in a dilemma when he saw a group of people escorting a tall, bald old man out of the office. Several managers were smiling and bowing, and even the receptionist stood up respectfully, her face full of flattery.

"I'm looking for Mr. Yujian's flower and bird painting. Please notify me if you have any news."

Mr. Chen looked displeased, speaking as he walked out. His entourage was so large that Wang Fan was pushed to the corner by a potted plant, earning a glare from the receptionist.

"Mr. Yujian's flower and bird painting? My painting is a bit similar. Could it be that coincidental?"

Wang Fan watched as Mr. Chen was about to get into his car and quickly ran over.

"What are you doing?"

Mr. Chen's bodyguard shouted and immediately blocked him, looking alert. Several others quietly surrounded Wang Fan, their faces full of suspicion.

"Don't misunderstand, I have a flower and bird painting I want to show Mr. Chen."

Wang Fan waved the paper bag and took out the painting. Mr. Chen looked skeptical, and his bodyguard opened the painting while he only lowered the car window, clearly not trusting Wang Fan.

"Who is that guy, and how did he get out of our company? Mr. Chen looks strange. Could it be a genuine piece?"

The general manager of Xuan Yuan Gallery was puzzled. None of his subordinates recognized Wang Fan, and they didn't know where he had come from, and he just happened to have a flower and bird painting.

"Sir, what's your surname? Where did you get this flower and bird painting? Would you like to come inside and talk?"

Mr. Chen greedily looked at the painting in Wang Fan's hand. He had already gotten out of the car and was standing in the sun, smiling and trying to be friendly.

"Yes, our gallery has professional appraisers. We are willing to serve you!"

The general manager of the gallery had already run out, smiling and inviting Wang Fan to come inside for a detailed discussion. Wang Fan stood in the sun, not moving, and neither did Mr. Chen or his entourage.

"Mr. Chen, do you have a suitable place nearby? The people in the gallery are full of the smell of money, and I don't want to deal with them."

Wang Fan had walked so far in the morning and waited for hours. If you were busy and about to leave, why should I come back to the gallery in the afternoon?

If the gallery people were involved, they could take a commission. Wang Fan was angry about being ignored and didn't want to give them the benefit.

"Yes, I have a friend's teahouse nearby with a very elegant atmosphere. If it's convenient, could you please come over?"

Mr. Chen gestured, inviting Wang Fan to get into his car. The gallery's general manager, with a smile, wanted to follow, but Mr. Chen stopped him.

"Never mind, I will ask other friends to help me find the painting. I don't want to trouble you."

Mr. Chen was now cold, inviting Wang Fan to a teahouse and calling the head of an auction house.

"Let's involve the auction house. This way, the origin and price of the painting can be better negotiated."

Mr. Chen was a wealthy man. He wasn't afraid of the price but of the unknown origin. If it went through the auction house, everything would be secure.

"I have no objection. I also want to know the appraisal results." Wang Fan didn't understand the value of the painting but was curious about Mr. Chen's enthusiasm. Could it have some value?

Wang Fan didn't know much about paintings and thought it best to leave it to the professionals. He was also curious about the value of the discounted painting from the Sanjie Supermarket.

Soon, a professional came to appraise the painting. The gallery's general manager followed, secretly handing Wang Fan a card and apologizing profusely: "I have already investigated and handled the matter. This is a small token from Xuan Yuan Gallery. If you are not satisfied with the auction house, please call me. If you have similar paintings in the future, we will do our best to serve you. I hope you can say a good word for us to Mr. Chen."

The general manager of Xuan Yuan Gallery was very cautious and polite, not just because of the painting's value but because they had offended Mr. Chen, which could cost them a lot of business.

Wang Fan was surprised by the gallery's quick response, not only sending a card and handling the situation but also lowering their stance. It was truly impressive.

"I'm not familiar with Mr. Chen, but if I have the chance, I will speak on your behalf. If I have similar items in the future, I will consider your gallery first."

Wang Fan was calm, tapping the table and giving a vague response, but the gallery's general manager was very satisfied.

As long as Wang Fan didn't have a grudge against Xuan Yuan Gallery, they could become friends. He had already said he would consider them first, indicating he had more items.

"Here is my business card. I'm available 24/7. Please call me anytime."

The gallery's general manager respectfully handed over a card. Wang Fan looked at it and saw his name was Chen Qiang, which was easy to remember.

The flower and bird painting needed a few days for appraisal, but from everyone's comments, it seemed to be a very good painting, likely worth some money.

Feeling better, Wang Fan called his sister. She was still at the library and was very happy to hear her brother's voice.

"Brother, I found a part-time job. This weekend, I'll distribute flyers for a cosmetics company. I can earn 100 yuan a day, so I can earn my living expenses next month!"

Wang Qian spoke in a low voice, but her tone was full of joy and happiness. She wanted to find part-time work to ease her brother's burden.

"Don't do it. The sun is too intense, and you might get heatstroke. Don't go distribute flyers. I'm here, so you don't need to worry about money. Focus on your studies, and I'll visit you when I have time."

Hearing his sister's laughter, Wang Fan felt even better. It was only 7 PM, and he still had two hours before his shift.

He couldn't sleep, so he decided to walk to the Sanjie Supermarket. Passing the park along the river, he was deeply attracted by a scene and stopped to watch quietly.

New book, please follow and recommend, thank you! ❤️

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