Doing It Over Again

2,600 yuan wasn't a huge sum twenty years later, but at a time when many workers earned only around 500 yuan monthly, it was equivalent to nearly half a year's salary for many people.

After putting away the money, Shen Shao read for a while before getting ready for bed. Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy, but more importantly, he wanted to try his luck at making money during the few days before school started.

The next day, Shen Shao woke up early, put on clean clothes, packed a spare set in his bag, and brought his bankbook and the money into town. When the post office opened, he deposited 1,600 yuan into his account, kept 1,000 yuan with him, and then strolled leisurely through the streets.

The streets were narrow and worn-down. He remembered that eighteen years later, Peng County would develop extensively, with interconnected roads and numerous branded stores, making it look like a completely different world compared to its current dull appearance.

With 1,000 yuan and his bankbook in his pocket, Shen Shao avoided crowded areas, instead taking his time walking and observing the relatively short street.

He had always had a good memory since childhood, but later couldn't continue his education due to circumstances. After graduating from middle school, he went to work as a kitchen hand at a Chinese restaurant in another city, starting as a vegetable washer, then becoming a vegetable cutter, and eventually working his way up to chef. He even got his qualification certificate. Though the pay wasn't bad, he still felt regret whenever he saw bright young college students.

Now as a young teenager, none of the street vendors paid him much attention. When he looked at their goods, no one shooed him away; they simply acted as if he didn't exist.

On the way to the bus station, passing by the county's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, he saw many people selling scratch cards. These cards cost two yuan each, and people often won small prizes like soap or towels, with better prizes being bicycles or vans. Many people would spend a few yuan to try their luck.

He remembered that in his previous life, these scratch cards had been popular for a while. Some people even gambled away their family savings on these cards, leading to broken families. Later, due to operational irregularities, the government banned them to prevent people from gambling aimlessly.

Thick layers of used cards covered the ground, with children picking them up to play, and some people even finding and trying unused cards they discovered on the ground.

Among the crowd, Shen Shao spotted his Aunt squeezing through with several scratch cards in hand. When she saw him, she quickly walked over and patted his head, asking, "Little Shao, have you had breakfast?"

Shen Shao nodded, "Yes, Aunt, I've eaten."

His Aunt thought for a moment and bought two buns from a nearby breakfast shop, stuffing them into his arms. "Take these to snack on, and come to our house for lunch."

Shen Shao shook his head. His uncle's family had two children and wasn't well-off. Though his Aunt could be a bit opportunistic, she was very good to family members, and he didn't want to burden them. "I'm meeting a classmate this afternoon to buy books, and I'll be eating at his house."

Hearing this, his Aunt tried to give him ten yuan, but after his repeated refusals, she reluctantly put the money away and said, "Well, be careful on your way, watch out for cars when crossing the street, and come to us if you need anything."

"Thank you, Aunt, I understand," Shen Shao looked at the slightly plump woman before him. In his previous life, because he'd gone to work after middle school, he hadn't had much contact with his Aunt, but whenever he returned home for holidays, she would prepare a feast for him. Whether it was out of genuine sympathy or respect for his uncle, he was grateful for the warmth she had shown him.

Instead of trying his luck with the scratch cards, Shen Shao bought a ticket at the bus station and headed to the provincial capital, Furong City.

Furong City was a metropolis, and though not as prosperous as it would be twenty years later, its clean, wide streets and tall buildings showcased its status as a provincial capital.

He wasn't coming to Furong City for nothing - he was here because of something he had envied in his previous life. In Furong City's villages, a family had thrown out some old jars and pots while demolishing their old house. A passing expert in antiques discovered them and bought them for just a few yuan. After collecting them for several years, he sold them for nearly a million yuan, as the white porcelain with blue patterns and several bowls with subtle designs turned out to be valuable pieces from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty.

In his previous life, this successful antique hunter had dined at their restaurant, making quite a show of himself, gleefully recounting every detail of when and where he found the pieces and how little he paid for them.

Everyone had to put on admiring expressions during his boasting, or he would complain to the hall manager about poor service or food quality. Eventually, everyone learned that showing reverence to him whenever he dined at the restaurant would avoid many problems.

Shen Shao had genuinely envied this man's experience, so after his reincarnation, he decided to try his luck. If he could find these antiques, he wouldn't have to worry about tuition fees.

At that time, hotels weren't strict about guest registration and didn't require ID cards, so although the staff found it odd when Shen Shao, just a young teenager, wanted a room, they didn't question him after he paid.

The next morning, Shen Shao checked out, took a bus to the suburbs, then rode a tricycle for nearly an hour to reach his destination.

Approaching the house being demolished, surrounded by broken wood and tiles, he looked around and finally discovered the blue-and-white porcelain jar and bowls covered in dirt near a ditch. He quickly walked to the ditch, picked up one of the bowls, and examined it carefully. The bowl had a tiny chip but the overall pattern was well-preserved.

"Kid, whose child are you? They're demolishing this house, don't play here, you might get hurt," a fierce-looking man emerged, and seeing the old bowl in Shen Shao's hands, said impatiently, "Go play with that bowl somewhere else." He worried that if the kid got hurt, he'd not only have to pay compensation but also bring bad luck, especially when they were about to build a new house.

Shen Shao looked at the man and asked, holding the bowl, "Uncle, are these bowls for sale?"

Seeing Shen Shao's ordinary clothes, the man figured he wasn't from a wealthy family and said unhappily, "You want to buy them? Twenty yuan and they're yours."

"Twenty?" Shen Shao pulled out some change from his pocket and counted out twenty yuan. "My grandmother likes bowls like these. Do you have any cardboard boxes? I'd like to pack these bowls and jars with some hay to take them home."

Seeing that Shen Shao actually had the money, the man's face broke into a smile. He eagerly helped find a box and hay, even helping pack the items and tie them up. "Kid, these bowls have been passed down from my grandfather's generation. Your elders will surely like them." He was happy to get twenty yuan for things they were throwing away - that could buy several jin of pork.

Seeing Shen Shao struggling with the box, the man enthusiastically called over a neighbor with a tricycle, helped negotiate the fare, and only relaxed after watching Shen Shao leave.

He wondered which family's foolish child would treat broken jars and bowls like treasures, deciding to keep quiet about it to avoid being accused of cheating a child.

After getting the items, Shen Shao worried about breaking them on the way home and potentially losing their value, so he took them directly to an antique trading company in Furong City that had just opened but would become well-known in the future.

Antiques became popular around 1990, and their prices had been rising steadily. Though not as astronomical as they would be after 2010, many newly rich people were eager to display their status by filling their homes with antiques, so there was always a market for genuine pieces.

Many common people nowadays don't understand the value of antiques. When they encounter antique hunters, they often sell their items as if they were worthless junk. Later, countless people regret their mindset of thinking they got a good deal at the time.

Although Shen Shao knew these antiques would be worth much more after 2010, he couldn't take them back home now, and being short on money, he had to resort to this less-than-ideal solution.

Upon entering the antique trading company, the staff saw that a child was bringing in items and assumed he had stolen them from home, refusing to register them. However, when they heard Shen Shao explain that his parents were gone and he needed money for school, they were moved. After he showed them his household registration book and elementary school graduation photo, their suspicions began to waver. One staff member called his elementary school, not mentioning the antiques, but saying they wanted to sponsor part of his tuition and needed to verify his situation.

Class valedictorian, mother died by drinking pesticide, father ran off with another woman, leaving a young boy to live all alone. After the trading company staff learned these details, their suspicions completely vanished, replaced by overwhelming sympathy. A female employee, noticing how thin Shen Shao was, gave him her milk cookies and urged others to call in experts to appraise the items, promising to help him get a good price if they proved genuine.

After the expert's appraisal, everyone breathed a sigh of relief because not only were the items authentic, but they were official kiln products from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, which were highly regarded in the blue and white porcelain collection circle.

"Tomorrow there happens to be a major national auction, with many wealthy businessmen coming from Xiang City and the Capital City. If you're not in a hurry, you could stay in Furong City for a couple more days. Once it's auctioned, you'll get your money," the staff member handling the antique registration said, touched by Shen Shao's well-behaved demeanor. "Don't worry, the expert said your pieces are in good condition and will definitely fetch a good price."

Shen Shao gave the staff member a grateful smile, holding the milk as if reluctant to drink it. He was now a child without money or influence; there was nothing shameful about letting others know of his tragic circumstances. If his father wasn't ashamed of what he did, why should he, the victim, feel disgrace?

Sure enough, Shen Shao's demeanor garnered even more sympathy from the staff. Combined with the fact that his items were genuine and they would receive a commission from the auction, they became even more enthusiastic, even arranging free accommodation at their company's hotel.

Shen Shao didn't stay at their arranged hotel, instead finding a nearby hotel on his own. Though more expensive, it was safer.

The next afternoon, as soon as he entered the antique company, he was warmly received by the staff. After hearing their explanation, he learned that his items had caught the attention of a wealthy businessman from the Capital City, who purchased them at auction for 320,000 yuan.

This price far exceeded the company's expectations, so after the successful transaction, the staff responsible for receiving Shen Shao were delighted, as they would receive a bonus for helping clients achieve good prices for their antiques.

320,000 yuan?

Even Shen Shao was surprised; he had thought getting over 100,000 would be good enough, but he never expected the amount to double.

Had he struck it lucky?