What happened later, you who have read books should know. The Great Ancestor departed, the Second Ancestor ascended, and order was restored from chaos. Old Man Cao had no choice but to return in disgrace. My uncle harrumphed, "Luckily, he got a job in the county town back then and didn't bring trouble to his fellow villagers. Otherwise, the village would have no place for him to stand."

"I heard that while he was in the county, he was very effective in his work, taking down a large number of people. Later, these people all became figures of real power in the county town. With such a record, Old Man Cao had no future prospects. He couldn't get into any unit and had to resort to farming in the village."

My uncle chuckled, "He was glorious for a few years, but then wasted decades. Don't you think he must hold a grudge in his heart?"

Wang Guan fell silent. It was hard to judge who was right and who was wrong back then. One had to know that in that era, countless people were separated from their families and suffered ruin, while Old Man Cao, despite his unfulfilled ambitions during those decades of decline, had at least remained safe.

From this perspective, those figures of authority who restored order could be considered magnanimous and wise, not seeking posthumous revenge and utterly destroying everyone who had offended them.

Sighing, Wang Guan suddenly realized and hesitated, "Uncle, you said Old Man Cao's ancestors were poor peasants for eight generations. Then the heirloom he mentioned, could it be..."

"Something collected during the 'Smash the Four Olds' campaign!"

My uncle scoffed, "Although there's no concrete evidence, everyone knows. These things must be what he confiscated but didn't burn as ordered, instead hiding them secretly."

"That man is cunning; he knew they were valuable items. How could he bear to burn them?"

My uncle commented, "It's also rare that he could keep quiet about it for decades, unknown to anyone. Didn't he recently take the inkstone to the provincial capital to have it appraised, and that’s how the rumor started?"

"However, remembering we're from the same village and see each other every day, and since he’s old and has no children, living all alone, I just couldn't be bothered to expose him." My uncle shook his head. "Otherwise, if someone reported him, even if the powerful figures in the county have stepped down, their influence remains. He would certainly be in trouble. He might escape unharmed, but he’d lose the possessions."

"No children?" Wang Guan was startled, exclaiming in surprise, "But he just said his son was getting married, which is why he was selling the inkstone to build a house and buy furniture."

"You believe the lies people tell?" My uncle pursed his lips. "I've lived in the village for decades, how could I not know if he has children? If you don't believe me, go ask your mother."

Got it! Wang Guan forced a wry smile. It turned out everyone was just playing each other. He estimated that Old Man Cao probably didn't believe he was truly his uncle's nephew either, which is why he dared to lie so boldly.

Only then did Wang Guan deeply understand why collectors on television always repeatedly warned people never to trust a story. The moment you believe, you are in danger.

Fortunately, he had also been cautious and hadn't revealed everything.

Wang Guan let out a breath, and the slight unease and guilt in his heart vanished. Of course, even if the story was false, the item itself was real, so Wang Guan certainly wouldn't abandon the transaction.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Wang Guan pretended to have something to do and bid farewell to his uncle.

"So soon? Stay for dinner, it won't be late," my uncle naturally tried to keep him.

After being persuaded for a few minutes, Wang Guan finally managed to put in the key, started the engine, and departed.

The subsequent bumpy journey need not be detailed. More than an hour later, Wang Guan returned to the county town and went to the largest bank to withdraw money using his bank card.

Over the years, the number of wealthy people in the county town had gradually increased, and withdrawing tens of thousands of yuan from the bank didn't cause much of a stir. The bank staff were even more accustomed to it, calmly counting out the bills and processing the paperwork.

Soon, Wang Guan placed the counted money into the prepared leather bag.

Despite now being a millionaire, he had never carried such a large amount of cash on his person before, and he naturally felt a bit unnerved, feeling like a thief as he sped away on his motorcycle.

The whole trip—going and coming back—had taken over two hours. Wang Guan rode his bike to Old Man Cao's doorstep, and truthfully, he still felt a little uneasy.

After all, Old Man Cao was extremely shrewd. If he suddenly regretted the deal upon realizing how valuable those ink cakes were, Wang Guan would be helpless.

However, Wang Guan was overthinking. Collecting antique ink was a category that had only recently gained traction in recent years. Old Man Cao knew little about such information; instead, he was worried Wang Guan might not return.

Thus, Old Man Cao waited by the main gate. Seeing Wang Guan approaching from a distance, he immediately greeted him with a smile.

There was nothing more to say. The two entered the main room, and Wang Guan directly took several thick stacks of red bills from his bag and placed them on the table.

"Grandpa, please count it. If there are no issues, I'll take the items," Wang Guan said with a smile, walking over to the chest to inspect it carefully, just in case he had been tricked with an inferior replacement.

Old Man Cao wasn't polite. He moistened his fingers with a bit of saliva and skillfully began counting the banknotes. In a short while, he couldn't help but beam with joy, chuckling, "It’s all good, the things are yours now."

"Thank you, Grandpa. I'll take these things now," Wang Guan said, lifting the chest, preparing to leave.

"Wait!"

Just then, Old Man Cao called out to Wang Guan.

"Grandpa, I’ve already given you the money, and it was just taken from the bank. Is there a problem?" Wang Guan frowned, feeling a slight flicker of dissatisfaction.

"Nephew is straightforward; of course, there are no problems,"

Old Man Cao chuckled, "It's just that I have something I'd like to ask you to help with."

"What is it?" Wang Guan relaxed slightly, yet felt a bit puzzled.

"Look at my inkstone here," Old Man Cao asked, "What do you think of it?"

Wang Guan was momentarily stunned and shook his head, "Grandpa, your inkstone is indeed good. However, I can't afford it."

It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but that he didn't want to buy it.

After all, he had already completely absorbed the qi from the inkstone, and Old Man Cao's asking price was too high. He figured the inkstone didn't have much room for appreciation, so he naturally didn't want to take it on.

Unconsciously, Wang Guan had already positioned himself as a middleman.

"Nephew, I’m not asking you to buy it. Didn't you say you work in an antique shop?" Old Man Cao smiled, "Then you must have some connections. Could you help me contact one or two interested buyers?"

"Well, this..."

Old Man Cao's words did give Wang Guan an idea. He considered it for a moment and immediately took out his mobile phone, dialing a number.

After a moment, the call connected. Hearing the automated prompt, Wang Guan quickly said, "Uncle De, it's me..."

"Wang Guan, how does it feel after visiting home for a few days?" The voice of Gao Dequan came from the phone.

After a brief catch-up, Wang Guan got to the main point, "Uncle De, listen to me. This morning I was visiting my uncle's place, and there’s an old man in the village who has an inkstone. The stone has a naturally formed Kui Xing..."

He described the situation of the inkstone in detail and asked, "The item looks quite good. I wonder if you have any interest, Uncle De?"

................ Made the charts! Thank you all for your support. Please continue to collect and recommend.