Read Novel Full Chapter 73 – More Than Just An Antique Purchase
Chapter 73 – More Than Just An Antique Purchase
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In the end, Xia Mian handed the antique vase over to Ning Shaobai for safekeeping. For one, she really didn’t know how to explain it to Xia Wenyue if she brought it home. And to be honest, having never seen anything so valuable before, she couldn’t feel at ease no matter where she put it—she probably wouldn’t even be able to sleep.
So when she heard from Ning Shaoyun that Ning Shaobai had a special storeroom for antiques, her eyes immediately lit up.
“Dr. Ning, you’re an angel sent from heaven to save me, aren’t you? Every time you come through for me like a miracle!”
Ning Shaobai replied with disdain, “I think you were sent from hell to torment me. Every time it’s trouble.”
Xia Mian selectively turned a deaf ear, beaming as she said to her nephew, “Let’s leave your antique vase at Uncle Ning’s house, okay? If we keep it at home, your Aunt Huizhu is always running around—what if she breaks it? We’d be heartbroken. Uncle Ning has a special place just for antiques.”
“Uncle Ning is so kind—go on, thank him.”
Xiao Feng looked at Ning Shaobai with sparkling eyes and said in his soft little voice, “Thank you, Uncle.”
Ning Shaobai: “…”
Perfect—no need to prep Xiao Feng on what to say and have him lying! Now, even if he told Xia Wenyue that they spent 20,000 yuan on an antique, she’d just take it as a joke.
Despite his words of protest, Ning Shaobai was very willing in action—not only did he store the vase for her, but he even had it appraised.
Because Xia Mian’s schedule was packed Monday through Friday, it wasn’t until Saturday afternoon when she was home for the weekend that Ning Shaobai asked her to come over. When she saw the vase, now displayed properly like a treasure, her face lit up with wonder. “So this is what it actually looks like? No wonder it was used by the imperial family—so radiant, so dazzling…”
Ning Shaobai looked like he couldn’t bear to watch. “All I did was take off that ragged quilt and put it in a box. How come you didn’t act so amazed last time?”
“No, no!!” Xia Mian objected. “Last time I was in awe of the twenty thousand yuan purchase. This time I’m respecting a true antique. Totally different mindset.”
Ning Shaobai gave a snort of laughter. “Isn’t it more like you’re respecting the hundred thousand it’s worth?”
Xia Mian froze. “How can you think I’m that shallow?!”
But right after saying that, she winced in pain. “So… should I give Yan Peizhang eighty thousand more? Technically, he named a price, I paid it, and the deal’s done, right?”
“That’s how it works with antiques… We only confirmed it’s real after the appraisal. What if it had been fake? I would’ve just swallowed the loss, right?”
Ning Shaobai watched silently as her expression twisted and shifted, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, she crept over with a guilty grin. “Dr. Ning, all the banks are closed today so I can’t schedule a withdrawal. Let me borrow your card again tomorrow, okay? Same deal as last time—I’ll transfer you the money after.”
Ning Shaobai couldn’t resist teasing her. “Running low on funds, aren’t you?”
“As it should! This’ll wipe out half of what I’ve got… No, no—I can’t think about it.” She clutched her chest, showing a pained look. “My heart hurts.”
Ning Shaobai laughed. “You don’t need to give him a full eighty. Auction prices are usually higher than market rates, and auction houses take a cut. Plus, he was selling under pressure. Sixty or seventy thousand would be a very good deal for him.”
Xia Mian’s eyes lit up. “So you’re saying… forty thousand more is enough?”
Ning Shaobai nodded, then added, “Actually, this vase from a past dynasty is already a huge find at that price.”
“This kind of painted enamel technique was exclusive to the imperial court back then, and it represents the peak of craftsmanship. It has enormous value for collectors—its appreciation potential is tremendous.”
“Haha, really?” Xia Mian was instantly delighted. “Since you said that, I’ll treat it like a gold mountain. You must take good care of it for me.”
Ning Shaobai said lazily, “I remember you’re the type who always repays kindness, right?”
Xia Mian immediately became alert. “You should know that I won’t do anything illegal to pay back a favor.”
Ning Shaobai gave her a knock on the head. “Just remember it, that’s all.”
Xia Mian grinned. “I have a bad memory.”
Ning Shaobai, knowing exactly how she operated, narrowed his eyes and said gently, “That’s okay—I remember everything.”
Xia Mian suddenly felt a chill. “What exactly do you want from me? Just give me a hint…”
Ning Shaobai stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly gave a brilliant smile. “I like saving it up, and asking for payment all at once.”
Now, Xia Mian felt even more scared…
…
The next morning, Xia Mian took Xiao Feng and went with Ning Shaobai to the bank to withdraw money. The original plan was to take out 40,000, but at the last moment, she changed her mind. “He’s got a sick family member—doesn’t four sound unlucky? Let’s make it 50,000.”
Ning Shaobai raised an eyebrow with an I-know-it look. The bank manager smiled at her and said, “Mr. Ning had already filled out the withdrawal for 50,000.”
Xia Mian quickly praised him, “Dr. Ning, you really plan ahead—you’re so farsighted and thoughtful!”
Ning Shaobai ignored her.
Arrived at the hospital, Ning Shaobai went to his office, while Xia Mian took Xiao Feng straight to the ICU on the third floor. Fan Huairen’s surgery had gone ahead on schedule, and from what she’d heard, it had gone well. He would remain in intensive care for a week of observation and hadn’t been moved yet. Yan Peizhang was likely there keeping watch, so Xia Mian wasn’t worried about missing out.
When she got to the third floor, she saw that there wasn’t just one person at the door to the ward. Alongside Yan Peizhang was a middle-aged man who looked close to fifty. He was standing sideways, so Xia Mian couldn’t see his face clearly, only that his skin was dark and rough, and his posture was a bit stooped.
She was just wondering who it could be when she heard two nurses at the nearby station whispering.
“Fan Peiyu’s brought food again for Yan Peizhang, huh.”
“Wonder if they’ll argue again today.”
Xia Mian froze in surprise and looked over at the man in disbelief. That’s Fan Peiyu? He actually have the nerve to show up here?
She was about to ask the nurses what was going on when the man handed a food container to Yan Peizhang. “Eat something first. Your sister-in-law made this for you. After you eat, get some rest—I’ll stay here. Otherwise, you’ll collapse.”
Yan Peizhang didn’t respond at all, simply turned away and treated him like air. Naturally, he didn’t touch the food either.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Xia Mian listened as the nurses continued gossiping. She couldn’t help but ask, “That’s Fan Peiyu? Didn’t he run off with the surgery money? What’s he doing here?”
“Yeah, that’s Fan Peiyu,” the older nurse sighed. “But it’s not like he ran. He just didn’t want the old man to have the surgery. Figured it wasn’t worth it since the operation might only buy two more years. Guess he thought it was better to save the money for their future.”
This was a common dilemma in families dealing with serious illness—adults inevitably had to weigh the pros and cons.
“But he was here on the day of the surgery. Stayed outside the whole time. He does care about the old man.”
Xia Mian didn’t know how to feel. “Then when Yan Peizhang saw him…”
“They fought, of course,” the nurse said with a sigh. “It’s hard to say who’s right…”
“Yan Peizhang, enough already!” the man suddenly raised his voice, panting with rage. “You think you’re the only one who counts as his son? I’m not?”
“He raised me longer than he raised you! He poured way more into me than he ever did you! Even your name was picked to match mine!”
“You had real parents once—I’m the one he raised with his own two hands! Do you think I don’t want him to live?!”
Fan Peiyu crouched down and covered his face, choking up. “I want him to live a long life more than anyone.”
Yan Peizhang’s voice was cold. “Then why’d you take the money meant to save him?”
“That was Dad’s life-saving money—but it was also your death sentence!” Fan Peiyu panted, furious. “I didn’t say anything when you sold the house, but you actually went and borrowed from a loan shark! Do you even realize that if you can’t repay in a month, your whole life is gone?!”
“I want Dad to live, but only if he can live in peace!” Fan Peiyu shouted. “You sold the house—fine, but you dare take out a loan from those people! Don’t you know how terrified he is of them?”
“Remember Heizi from the next village? When he couldn’t pay back his loan, they smashed his house and cut off his fingers. That night, Dad—a grown man—was so scared he had nightmares the entire night!”
“If he knew the surgery money came from that kind of source, you think he could rest and recover?”
“You know the one thing he can’t let go of in this life is us. You want him to find out that, to save him, you destroyed your future?”
At this point, Fan Peiyu finally broke down sobbing, “Yes, you are a filial son, and I am a beast worse than pigs and dogs!”
“I should’ve just stayed out of it! When Dad dies, and you spend your whole life running from debt collectors, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself!”
Fan Peiyu was clearly on the verge of a breakdown, and toward the end, it was like he was talking to himself:
“I asked the doctor… After the surgery, there’s still chemo, and that’s even more painful than conservative treatment. He’s suffered his whole life… I just wanted him to live peacefully for two months, eat well, rest…”
The man cried as he spoke, the reasoning he once used not so much to convince others, but more to convince himself. “That way, he could pass in peace. After all, once he’s gone, we still have to go on living… and live well…”
“Alas…” one of the nearby nurses said, “Fan Peiyu probably hasn’t had it easy either. His hair was all black before—this past half month, it looks like half of it’s gone white.”
Xia Mian suddenly remembered—Fan Peiyu was only seven or eight years older than Yan Peizhang, so he shouldn’t be even forty yet, but now he looked close to fifty.
Fan Peiyu finished crying and stood up, shoving the food container roughly into Yan Peizhang’s arms. “Eat it or don’t, I don’t care! You end up collapsing, good—you can lie in there and keep Dad company!”
“Anyway, I’m just a beast. I’m not going to care about you.”
Yan Peizhang held the lunchbox, opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t get any words out.
Xia Mian sighed silently and was just about to leave and come back later when Yan Peizhang spotted her. “Miss Xia?”
Xia Mian had no choice but to stop. “Just call me Xia Mian. Brother Yan, how’s Uncle Fan doing?”
Yan Peizhang wiped his face and forced a smile. “The surgery went well. I have to thank you.”
“But he’s still in the ICU, and we’re not allowed visitors,” he added apologetically.
“It’s fine,” Xia Mian said, handing him the fruit she’d brought, then passed over the bag containing the money—50,000 to 60,000 in large bills, not exactly light.
Yan Peizhang looked puzzled. “This is…”
Xia Mian said, “The vase came back verified as genuine. I’m giving you the remaining amount based on market value.”
Yan Peizhang froze, then suddenly crouched down, covering his eyes as he murmured, “That’s great… that’s really great…” He looked like he could break down into tears at any moment.
Xia Mian blinked, then quickly understood. This man likely hadn’t been as confident as he had claimed. Deep down, he wasn’t sure if the vase was real—this had been a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble, made after discarding every last shred of caution.
Seeing the relief on his face, Xia Mian felt incredibly lucky the vase had turned out to be genuine. Otherwise, this honest man might’ve been haunted by guilt for the rest of his life.
Yan Peizhang stood and tried to hand the bag of money back to Xia Mian. “I can’t take this. You didn’t even haggle—you already helped me a ton.”
Xia Mian didn’t take it. “This amount is nothing to me. If I kept it, I’d feel uneasy. Just take it. After today, we can say the deal is officially settled.” She added jokingly, “When the vase goes up in value later, don’t go saying it has anything to do with you.”
Yan Peizhang quickly replied, “No, no, of course not—it’s yours. Completely yours.”
Xia Mian sighed to herself. This man is way too honest.
Just then, Fan Peiyu walked over. As he got closer, Xia Mian noticed that his eyes, like Yan Peizhang’s, were bloodshot. She thought he was going to say something, but instead, he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her.
Xia Mian was stunned and quickly rushed to help him up. “W—what are you doing?”
Fan Peiyu choked up. “Thank you, thank you so much. You’re the savior of our family. I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life!”
“Please don’t,” Xia Mian said, struggling to lift him. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. You don’t owe me anything.”
Xiao Feng was so frightened he clung tightly to Xia Mian’s leg, his lips trembling. Xia Mian said, “Please get up—you’re scaring the child.”
Only then did Fan Peiyu slowly rise. Xia Mian’s gaze fell on his hair. From a distance earlier, she’d only seen a few strands of gray. But now, up close, the hair at his temples and the top of his head were nearly all white.
The weighing of pros and cons that adults face often seems cold and heartless—but it’s never an easy thing. No matter how much logic one uses to justify a decision, for Fan Peiyu, taking that money and stopping the surgery must have been excruciating.
Xia Mian once again felt grateful that she had gone with Yan Peizhang to the hospital that day. With that one vase, one family was saved—that was worth it.