After the Wine Shop received that batch of operating funds, Zhou Dagen managed to recover several debts owed by hotels, and the operations of the Wine Shop finally started to run on the right track. However, Su Ziceng visited the Wine Shop even less frequently.
On the weekend, following the suggestion of Yan Wuxu, Su Ziceng sought out Secretary Wang again, and they went to Subi Auction House together.
Compared to when Chang Mei was in charge, the auction house now seemed like an undernourished child who hadn’t been fed enough milk. In just half a year, both the interior decoration and the staff were irregular and uneven. The items up for auction were mostly rejects left over after Chang Mei’s "selection."
"The oldest pieces are just a batch of ash-green celadon basins left over from the official kilns of the Ming Dynasty, and even those are missing a piece," Secretary Wang, though not professionally involved in antique appraisal, had spent a long time by Su Qingzhang’s side, attended various occasions, and often heard explanations from knowledgeable people. With a hobby of collecting porcelain, his eye for it had improved over time.
"I originally thought all these pots and pans were pretty much the same, so I gathered some, but after having them appraised, it turned out they were all fakes," Yan Wuxu had also put in some effort to collect items from various places, but most of them were of recent vintage and not very valuable. Accumulating them took up space and, over time, he lost interest.
"You can’t find real treasures near Mo City," Secretary Wang then analyzed. Mo City used to be a fishing village, and its only connection with Other Countries was a rugged and uneven mountain road. The city had neither a porcelain kiln nor a transportation route. Porcelain that came from outside the city would be nearly shattered by the time it passed through the mountain roads. Hence, if someone could indeed collect anything in the city, it would likely be the unbreakable clay basins worth almost nothing. Or perhaps the few old families in the city might still possess some valuable antique treasures. "When starting the auction business, the chairman analyzed it thoroughly. We either had to venture out to ancient cities within the country, like Bianjing City, or go overseas. Before the liberation, many treasures made their way out of the country and into the hands of foreigners."
The old ginger is spicier, as they say. Given Secretary Wang’s pointers, Yan Wuxu and Su Ziceng began to see a clearer path forward. Su Ziceng thought: "In a few days, Kelly will start her summer vacation. By then, we can tidy things up and take a trip inland. We might be able to find something useful."
Beyond that, Secretary Wang also suggested that Yan Wuxu hire some hands to travel around rural and remote areas of the country. Those regions, not as developed as the coastal areas, may still have authentic items that have been handed down from older generations among the farmers.
"Aren’t you going to see Hang Yishao? I heard he got injured a while ago and still hasn’t recovered," Yan Wuxu had earlier heard from Su Qingzhang about how Hang Yishao seemed like a changed person, refusing to meet anyone and being unusually irritable, which made Hang Mu very anxious multiple times.
Su Ziceng still remembered how Hang Yishao was brazenly harsh towards him on the yacht that day while under the influence of alcohol. He frowned and pretended not to hear, "The most important thing right now is to find a few trustworthy people,"
Secretary Wang was only temporarily borrowed from the Su Family, and in these few months, he could help sort out the accounts and recruit some useful hands.
"How about bringing Brother Han over?" Yan Wuxu had considered for quite a while. Her younger siblings were all too young to be of help, and Mrs. Yan, barely literate, would not be much use and might end up the subject of gossip. But Boss Han was different; he worked efficiently and had a way with words, making him someone who could help.
With Yan Wuxu taking the lead, Boss Han also agreed to come on board, which somewhat surprised Su Ziceng. After all, hiring someone who had once harbored feelings for Yan Wuxu might be awkward. However, after learning that Boss Han had recently become close to an "admired" new female employee, Su Ziceng felt more at ease.
The neglected Hang Yishao’s injuries were mostly healed, but every time he drank water, there was still a faint pain in his ribs, as if the cracked gap wanted to act up from time to time. Throughout his illness, many came to visit, but Hang Yishao kept them all out. Fei Qing and Chang Chi were somewhat better off, being able to make it into Hang Yishao’s room.
Hang Yishao’s room faced south, and in the summer, it was always blessed with a refreshing natural breeze, which he loved. During the several years when air conditioning became popular in Mo City and nearly every affluent household got one installed, he alone preferred to sleep shirtless throughout the night with the windows and doors open, letting the southern wind blow in.