After dinner, just as Celine was about to reach out and clean the table, Mother Zhou stopped her with a firm gesture.
"Go, go. You have more important things to do. I can handle this small chore."
Mother Zhou moved quickly as she picked up the dishes and urged Celine to leave.
She clearly understood that the children had serious work to do. There was no need for them to waste time on small housework.
Celine couldn't argue with her mother and gave up.
Her so-called "important work" was going with her brother Shenan to the county to buy materials that Red needed.
But just as they were about to step out the door, Shenan's phone rang.
"Hello, Old Man Li… Someone wants to buy the rest of the Qin Banliang coins and the jade thumb ring… Good, good. We'll come right away."
After he hung up, Shenan's face brightened.
"Celine, Old Man Li said someone wants the rest of the Qin Banliang coins and the jade thumb ring."
"So fast?"
What a nice surprise.
They had thought these items would take a while to sell, but unexpectedly, a buyer had already come.
"What about the shopping…" Celine looked at Eleanor, unsure.
Eleanor waved her hand.
"No problem. I'll take care of the shopping. You don't need to worry. I'll handle everything just right."
She patted her chest with confidence. She looked like she had everything under control.
She knew Celine and Shenan were going to do something more important. Running errands could be left to her.
Seeing this, Celine relaxed.
She trusted Eleanor. Even if Eleanor seemed a bit careless sometimes, she always came through when it really mattered.
"Alright then. Eleanor, the shopping is yours. This is the list and the money."
Celine even handed her whole bag to Eleanor.
Eleanor took the bag and grinned.
"I'll get it done, for sure."
So they split into two groups.
Celine and Shenan walked quickly toward Old Man Li's house.
Inside the house, the air felt a little strange.
Expert Yinian sat comfortably on the sofa, holding a fine wooden box. His eyes were full of joy.
Inside the box were the Qin Banliang coins and the warm, smooth jade thumb ring that Celine and Shenan had brought.
He gently rubbed the surface of the box. He already looked like the treasures inside belonged to him.
Old Man Li sat nearby. He had a teasing smile and kept glancing sideways at Expert Yinian.
"Hey, Old Li, what's with your face?"
Expert Yinian noticed and got annoyed. He put down the box and raised his eyebrows.
"What, you think I'm not good enough? Didn't you keep a pair of Qin Banliang coins too? Stop pretending to be so noble."
"You…" Old Man Li couldn't even speak back for a second.
"I'm not going to argue with you."
"Oh, now you're backing off?" Expert Yinian refused to stop.
"This is for research. Research, you understand?"
The two old men, both in their sixties, started bickering loudly. Each one raised his voice. Each one refused to give in.
When Celine and Shenan walked in, that was the scene they saw. Noisy, heated, and a little funny.
The two of them looked at each other and saw the same mix of helplessness and amusement in each other's eyes.
Ahem... Shenan gave a couple of light coughs, trying to interrupt the "battle."
Expert Yinian heard the sound and immediately greeted Celine and Shenan enthusiastically. "Ah, you're here! Come, come, sit, sit, sit!"
Celine and Shenan sat on the couch. Expert Yinian didn't even bother with small talk and went straight to the point. "I've already seen the items. They're excellent pieces. You two, brother and sister, how do you want to handle the sale?"
He stared intently at Celine, eyes full of anticipation.
Celine calmly replied, "Expert Yinian, my brother and I don't understand anything about antiques. You're the expert. Just give us a fair price."
Her words showed both her attitude and her respect toward him.
Expert Yinian had been waiting for that exact line. He liked how straightforward she was and appreciated her honesty even more.
"Great. I like that." Expert Yinian slapped his thigh. "Alright, that coin of Qin, I'll give you the same price I offered Old Li. Two hundred thousand for the pair. As for this jade thumb ring..."
He paused, his eyes lingering on the jade ring for a moment before speaking slowly. "This jade ring has top-quality material and exquisite craftsmanship. I'll give you three hundred thousand."
"Three hundred thousand?" Shenan couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
That price was way higher than they had expected.
On the way home, both Celine and Shenan felt like they were floating.
In just two days, they had over eight hundred thousand in their hands. It felt like a dream, completely unreal.
On the other side, Eleanor's supply shopping was going full speed ahead.
She didn't choose the big chain supermarkets in town but drove straight to a general store in the farmer's market.
The shop's storefront wasn't big, but it was well-stocked. The owner, Shop Owner Jun, was a sharp and capable young man.
As soon as Eleanor's car stopped, Shop Owner Jun came out of the store, his face full of surprise and excitement. "Second Bro, what brings you here?"
He and Eleanor had been friends for years. Even though they were usually busy with their own lives, their bond was solid and real.
Eleanor didn't waste time with greetings. She pulled a shopping list from her pocket and handed it over. "Take a look. Can you gather all of this?"
Shop Owner Jun glanced at the list and froze.
It was packed with all kinds of instant foods: instant noodles, self-heating hot pots, instant milk tea… and a huge variety of drinks, alcohol, and snacks. It looked like someone was planning to empty out the entire convenience store.
"Second Bro, why do you need so much… what's all this for?" Shop Owner Jun scratched his head, completely confused.
Normally, when Eleanor came to the shop, she'd buy cigarettes and alcohol or some cooking supplies. He'd never seen anything like this.
Eleanor twisted open a bottle of water and took several big gulps before slowly saying, "Don't worry about that. A friend asked me to buy them. Just focus on getting everything. And make sure the quality is solid, don't slack off."
Her words were both an explanation and a warning.
Shop Owner Jun was quick on the uptake. He immediately understood.
He'd been doing business with Eleanor for years and knew his personality well.
Eleanor might seem laid-back, but when it came to serious matters, he was more reliable than anyone.
Besides, Eleanor came here especially to support his business. That gesture meant a lot to him.
He scanned the list quickly and already had a rough idea in mind. Even though the list had a ton of items, the profit margin was pretty good.
This single order was enough to keep him happily busy for a while. It would bring in as much as two months of regular sales.