The square was named after Fushou Temple; legend held that an elderly man named Fushou once lived there, remaining hale and hearty his entire life, ultimately achieving immortality and ascending to the heavens at the age of three hundred and sixty.

This, of course, was mere folklore. Zhang Yang, being a doctor, knew well that neither modern nor ancient humans could survive that long. Such legends were simply expressions of people’s longing for longevity.

Fushou Temple was surrounded by an old district, featuring many structures preserved in the Ming and Qing dynasty styles; locals referred to this area as the Old City.

The Old City was characterized by narrow, somewhat messy and cluttered streets. However, the cheap rents had gradually fostered a local market environment where goods were also inexpensive, making it the go-to shopping destination for many students.

Since they had nothing planned for the afternoon, Xiao Dai first suggested coming here. The group often frequented the area together to buy things.

Xiao Dai’s suggestion was immediately seconded by Mi Xue and Nannan. With so many things happening recently, the group hadn't been out shopping for clothes in ages.

Hu Xin was about to object, but a sharp glare from Xiao Dai made him instantly shrink back, earning a look of disdain from Zhang Yang. How could such a towering figure be afraid of a small girl?

Since Nannan agreed to go, Gu Cheng naturally offered no opposition, cheerfully raising his hand in approval, which earned him another scornful glance from Zhang Yang.

Truthfully, the boys disliked going there. It was mostly full of stalls selling cheap clothing, and since they weren't looking to buy anything, they ended up tagging along to help the girls carry things.

“Hey, if we’re going shopping, why not Wuxia Road?”

No one objected, so Zhang Yang had to step up himself.

Wuxia Road was the city’s commercial center, the very place Zhang Yang and Mi Xue had visited alone previously—an outing that had resulted in a confrontation and two trips to the police station. Besides shops, Wuxia Road boasted numerous excellent restaurants, offering a place to eat and rest when tired, as well as other decent entertainment spots.

“Everything there is too expensive!”

“Exactly, we can’t afford it!”

“We’re just poor students!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the girls turned their combined verbal fire onto him. Zhang Yang immediately waved his hands and declared with righteous indignation, “Fine! We’re going to Fushou Square today, nowhere else!”

Consequently, he was jointly scorned by Gu Cheng and Hu Xin. They had hoped Zhang Yang would hold out a bit longer, at least fighting for a trip to Wuxia Road, which was undeniably better than the Fushou Old City area. To think Zhang Yang gave up after a single round.

With the destination settled, the group set off immediately. The Fushou Old City wasn't far from the Third Hospital; it wouldn't take long to walk, so Zhang Yang left the car behind, and they walked out together.

Honestly, walking was faster than driving there, given the Old City's narrow streets and tendency for traffic jams.

After turning a few corners and cutting through a small alley, they quickly arrived at the area composed of blue brick buildings. In the distance, a pagoda spire could be seen—the Fushou Pagoda within Fushou Temple.

The Fushou Pagoda was rumored to be over six hundred years old, a famous landmark of Changjing. The fact that it had survived successive wars was remarkable in itself.

The streets ahead began to narrow further, paved with small flagstones, but the shops lining the road became more numerous. Many storefronts had classical exteriors, yet they peddled modern clothes and shoes inside.

Upon arrival, Xiao Dai and the others acted like birds released from cages, immediately flitting happily in and out of various shops.

Zhang Yang and the boys could only trail behind. Before long, Zhang Yang found himself burdened with two bags—items Mi Xue had bought. However, they were all clothes meant for Zhang Yang, and he carried them willingly. This sight made Hu Xin and Gu Cheng watch him with considerable envy. Xiao Dai and Nannan had never bought him anything.

And at that moment, Zhang Yang began to think that coming here for shopping was actually a great idea. Even if these clothes weren't exactly his preferred style, he would have to wear them often; this was the first time Mi Xue had bought him clothes.

“What’s over there?”

While Mi Xue and the others were looking at clothing, the boys stood outside, laden with bags. This time, they had actively chosen to stay outside, too embarrassed to enter the shop Mi Xue and the girls were currently browsing: a women’s lingerie boutique.

The question came from Gu Cheng, who was pointing curiously toward a larger intersection ahead, near which several people were setting up ground stalls.

“That’s the Antique Street!” Hu Xin glanced over casually, then turned back without elaborating.

Gu Cheng merely nodded. He hadn't visited this area as often as Zhang Yang or Hu Xin, so he was just asking out of curiosity. The Antique Street held little appeal for him; first, he knew nothing about it, and second, such items were rarely cheap—not within his means. After asking, he dismissed it from his mind.

However, Zhang Yang found himself repeatedly glancing in that direction after hearing their words. In his previous life, Zhang Yang’s grandfather had loved old artifacts. Having been steeped in this atmosphere since childhood, combined with his own intelligence, Zhang Yang had developed a keen eye. After achieving fame and gaining substantial wealth, he too enjoyed visiting antique markets in every city to acquire items he fancied. Many patients knew of this hobby and often gifted him rare antiques. His collection room in his Beijing villa housed many priceless treasures; on occasion, he had even lent items to friends holding private exhibitions.

Seeing the Antique Street reminded Zhang Yang painfully of those treasures—treasures he now regretted losing. In his past life, he had died too young, leaving no will and no legal heirs; those items would likely be confiscated by the state.

“Let’s go.”

Just as he was musing, Mi Xue and the others emerged from the store, each carrying a small shopping bag. This time, the girls absolutely refused to let Zhang Yang carry them.

“Mi Xue, we’ve bought enough clothes. How about we check that area out?”

The Antique Street before him had piqued Zhang Yang’s interest. His past life’s hobbies remained strong. If he hadn't seen it, he could have ignored it, but now that he had, he found it hard to leave.

Mi Xue hesitated for a moment before nodding immediately. She said a few words to Xiao Dai and Nannan beside her. The three girls had already satisfied their shopping urges, and tagging along to look at those things with Zhang Yang sounded fine; they were curious about such items, even if they didn't understand them.

Once the three girls agreed, Hu Xin and Gu Cheng certainly couldn't object. The group turned and headed straight toward the street.

This Antique Street, although called a street, consisted of only about twenty shops and some scattered stalls. It was quite small. The collecting market wasn't as booming now as it would be later, and this was just the Old City, not the major hub for antique transactions.

Zhang Yang had some recollection of this place; in his past life, he had visited it alone, deeply interested in the wares but never purchasing anything. From those memories, he recalled his grandfather also enjoying such things, and he had come primarily hoping to find a suitable gift for him, though he hadn't found anything he liked back then. Zhang Yang had a terrible relationship with his father, whom he blamed entirely for his mother’s death, treating him like an enemy. However, his relationship with his grandparents was excellent; even when he didn't visit, he often asked Gu Cheng to deliver gifts to them.

The Antique Street was close. The six of them—three men and three women, all so young—drew quite a few glances immediately upon arriving. Mi Xue, in particular, tall, radiant, with skin like fine jade and a superb figure, commanded nearly ninety-nine percent of the attention, a natural reaction when encountering great beauty.

Mi Xue, oblivious to the gazes, naturally linked her arm through Zhang Yang’s. Her action immediately sparked renewed jealousy in Hu Xin and Gu Cheng. Zhang Yang and Mi Xue had already made their relationship public, and while they all suspected the two would end up together, they hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, even before them.

The stalls primarily displayed copper coins and bronze ware, with a few small pieces of porcelain. Zhang Yang swept a casual glance over them, nodding slightly to himself. Indeed, this era wasn't as exaggerated as later times, where antique markets were flooded with mere handicrafts. While not everything on these stalls was genuine, there was a genuine element mixed in with the fakes.

The copper coins and small bronze tripods and statues on the stalls also caught the attention of Mi Xue and the others. They squatted down together in front of a larger stall, pointing and murmuring in curiosity. This stall was large, double the size of its neighbors. When the six of them squatted down, there was still empty space. Being a larger stall, it held more items: besides bronze ware, there was a good amount of porcelain, a few ancient texts, wood carvings, and several ivory carvings.

“Boss, how much for this Yuan Datou?”

As Zhang Yang was watching, Nannan suddenly inquired from beside him. No one expected Nannan to be the first to ask a price here. Yuan Datou referred to old silver dollars, a common term now. This stall displayed quite a few—perhaps twenty or thirty pieces—all slightly different, spanning various eras.

“Thirty yuan each!”

The boss was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed plainly. Nannan’s question made him grin widely. Thirty yuan. Nannan shook her head slightly in disappointment; the price was a bit high. Back in her hometown, she could usually buy similar items for about twenty yuan. She actually wanted to buy the Yuan Datou to have a set of silver jewelry made for her mother, who owned none. She hadn't paid much attention before, but seeing many classmates’ parents wearing various ornaments had planted the idea. Unfortunately, the price was steep; at this rate, she might as well buy one back home, and besides, she wasn't sure if the items here were genuine.

“Thirty yuan, I’ll take it!” Seeing Nannan’s look of reluctance, Gu Cheng suddenly spoke up, pulling thirty yuan from his pocket and handing it directly to the boss. His action was swift; Nannan only reacted after the money had changed hands.

First update. Friends’ monthly tickets were incredibly strong today, setting another record—a minimum of seven chapters already. We are at 53 votes; seven more, and there will be eight chapters tonight. Xiao Yu will go all out and challenge himself; eight chapters is a record Xiao Yu has never achieved. I hope friends will continue to support me and give Xiao Yu the motivation! Continuing to write; the next update will be before 7:30 PM!