Chapter 010: The Future is Uncertain

In the past, this item was collected by someone

Lu Dong encountered a street vendor and went over to buy a baked pancake for breakfast

When there are too few passengers, the minibus will transfer passengers to other vehicles and simply not operate

Outside the stone-paved road, the large two-story antique-style building has had its banner re-hung by someone

The availability of goods here is extremely limited, with sesame cakes priced at as high as 0.5 yuan each, whereas in the rural areas, it is generally 1 yuan for three.

From the countryside

At 5:30 in the morning, Lü Dong got up to pack his things. He found a black synthetic leather handbag containing a white porcelain plate and a convenience bag from the main room, planning to first go to the Shunshan Cultural Market and then to the West Market

To the south of Quannan is a mountainous area, to the north lies the Yellow River, and there are only two routes available: eastward expansion and westward advancement

However, Lv Dong has never been thin-skinned; those who are thin-skinned cannot engage in so many outrageous acts. He specifically sought out an old man's stall, where there happened to be no one around.

The county town is not far from the urban area; passing through the university town, the eastern suburb station of the city is the terminal station

Dwelling on the past is futile; look forward instead

Along the yet-to-be-named University Town No. 1 Road, Lü Dong encountered several of the most renowned universities in Quannan City. They are not too far apart, situated on both sides of the road, with ample development space to the south and north. Brand new gates and buildings have already been constructed, awaiting the arrival of new students

Lü Dong's personal assets have fallen below 10 yuan, and future income is uncertain; every cent must be cherished

Upon getting off outside the station, Lü Dong transferred to an unmanned ticketless bus, having prepared fifty cents in change in advance

Most of these people are dressed in ordinary, even shabby clothing, suggesting that their family conditions are likely not very good

Some well-dressed young people greet and send off others with great enthusiasm

Lü Dong thinks that today is the 13th, and it seems that the 1998 World Cup final was in the early morning

This is a crucial step in the development of Quannan

This person left behind countless infamous deeds during their school years, bold and ruthless. It is said that they ran away from home in the fifth grade of elementary school, spending nights in a graveyard and surviving during the day by stealing from a consignment store. On one occasion, they were caught by the store owner, and they struck the owner on the head with a stool.

Upon arriving at the university town, Lu Dong was met with unfamiliarity, a stark contrast to the towering buildings, numerous academic institutions, and thriving commerce he had remembered.

Li Wenyue was filled with sorrow: "Brazil lost! Lost! Ronaldo was in a daze the entire match! The bald Frenchman was too cunning! He used to take all the corner kicks, but in the final, he ran to the center to seize the opportunity and even scored two goals!"

Although Lu Dong's already low expectations have diminished further, upon arriving here, one must at least go in to take a look

Even more stingy than those who go to the countryside to collect antiques

It is impossible to have air conditioning, so Lv Dong should try to stay close to the window to catch more breeze

The old man shook his head and said, "Twenty! If you want to sell it to me, then leave it here."

"Do you accept it?" Lu Dong replied succinctly

The stall is filled with a variety of items, including an old scale beam, a worn-out stool, red badges, Yuan Shikai silver dollars, and even offerings of paper money and joss paper.

After exiting the tunnel, Lü Dong did not continue south but turned west. This asphalt road leads to the university town in the southwest

After all, since we are here, selling 50 would also be good

By September, the university town will truly come to life

Lü Dong squatted down and glanced around, seemingly noticing two individuals in white shirts paying attention to this side. With a silly smile, he quietly asked, "Sir, are you collecting things?"

On the cobblestone path, Lv Dong left a stall in disappointment and walked into the shop across the street

He continued walking towards the stone-paved road

After changing trains in the middle, Lv Dong arrived at the Shunshan Cultural Market more than half an hour later

From the perspective of Lü Dong, many of the people are from rural areas, and occasionally, voices can be heard, surprisingly featuring accents from various regions.

"Take it easy." Lu Dong no longer cares about these matters: "Winning and losing are common occurrences."

A handbag hung on the handlebars, riding out on a 28-inch bike, just turned onto the street market, and Lu Dong saw his childhood friend Li Wenyue sitting on a stone in front of the door, looking despondent, as if the sky had fallen.

One building with a larger area may be hosting an event, with various individuals coming and going, most of them holding items such as cardboard boxes.

The old man waved his folding fan and said, "Young man, what do you want?"

This is the morning market, the sun has risen high, and there are not many people.

The county seat is a larger small town, serving as the residence of Ningxiu Town and Qingzhao County.

Ningxiu Town still retains the legend of Qiaokeli to this day

Arriving at the stall, with a sincere expression that emanated from his very being, Lu Dong gazed at the porcelain and bronze wares above. If this were genuine, the old man would have enough money to buy peanuts.

Furthermore, Lü Dong also intends to visit the university town

Patience is not something that Lü Dong lacks

Lv Dongcun secured his bicycle, holding a black convenience bag, and did not enter the station but waited by the roadside on the west side. There is a bulletin board here, on which is an old, discolored wanted poster.

After taking another round, I have committed the useful things to memory. There is no place to park bicycles in the university town, and leaving them anywhere will definitely result in loss

By the way, I also need to inquire about the cicada larvae

Lu Dong did not rush to enter; he first stood outside and observed for a while

The route from the university town to the Quannan East Outer Ring that the bus used to take has since disappeared, replaced by a residential area

Although the infrastructure is excellently constructed, with wide and straight roads, new streetlights and trees standing tall, and brand new college buildings visible everywhere, the whizzing trucks carrying construction materials and the workers wearing hard hats resemble a bustling construction site even more.

In this era, the tallest buildings are only seven stories high

The numbers alone are sufficient to demonstrate that this person is guilty of heinous crimes

He waved his hand and said, "I will go to the city and talk about it when I return"

Eighteen years, born in the countryside, raised in the countryside, a quality belonging to rural people is etched in the bones

Lü Dong passed by the entrance and noticed that a banner had fallen down, with one end lying on the ground, while two young people were preparing to hang it back up

Although it costs several hundred yuan for a large catfish, there are many stalls and shops here, and Lu Dong always wants to take another look

The old man examined it from both the front and the back before placing it back in front of Lu Dong, perhaps due to having experienced enough in life, he remained quite cautious from beginning to end

Li Wenyue was lost in thought and did not hear.

There is no choice but to select the red football team uniform, which is, of course, a counterfeit, purchased for 20 yuan at this year's county spring materials exchange conference

The minibus to Qunnan first goes to the county seat and then proceeds to Qunnan

Glancing at the bridge arch, Lu Dong did not stop and rode his bicycle through

After waiting for a few minutes, an old minibus arrived. Lv Dong inquired briefly before boarding the vehicle

The old man knew that there were many old things in the countryside, and even if they were not valuable, they could still be used to deceive others: "Let me take a look."

The county town is located south of Lujia Village, and the town of Ningxiu is the site of Qingzhao County, which is only about five or six li away, reachable by bicycle in about ten minutes

Lu Dong also exchanged a few fifty-cent coins, taking this opportunity to chat for a while in order to gather information

The frail young man is filled with a sense of justice and is dissatisfied with Cheng Lifeng, while Lü Dong is concerned that Cheng Lifeng may cause trouble

Lu Dong arrived at the highway bridge tunnel, where the water had receded. Yang Liewen was furious that day, and the town mobilized pumps to drain the water overnight

He found a pair of black sneakers with green edges, in fair condition, under the bed and changed into them

Li Wenyue said: "The World Cup final last night! You haven't forgotten, have you?"

The old man closed his folding fan and carefully examined Lu Dong, who was no more than twenty years old, with a dark complexion, calloused hands, and wounds, looking rather foolish.

Once the university town develops, it will connect the Quannan urban area with Qingzhao County, facilitating the eastward expansion of the urban area and simultaneously creating a high-tech industrial city

The portrait on the wanted notice has been blurred by wind, sun, and rain. The name below is Qiaokeli, who has committed burglary and armed robbery resulting in murder. After fleeing, he has committed further crimes in other locations, with a reward for his capture reaching as high as 5,000.

Lu Dong was surprised: "What are you looking at?"

Lü Dong met Qiao Keli in person once when he had just entered Ningxiu Middle School as a first-year student. At that time, Qiao Keli, who was in his third year, stabbed a classmate in the palm. Although the matter was settled with compensation, Qiao Keli was expelled from the school

The university town is situated closely to the east side of Quannan, nestled between the western side of Qingzhao County and the urban area of Quannan, with very clear planning from both the provincial and municipal levels regarding this matter

Although Lv Dong does not hold much hope, he still has some expectations

The market is located beside the square at the foot of the mountain, divided into several areas. The outermost section features a second-hand book and flower-and-bird market. Further in, there is a stone-paved road along the southern side of the mountain, with antique-style shops on the northern side and vendors setting up stalls along the southern mud wall.

This distance of five to six li may take more than half an hour, as the minibus has to stop at each village to pick up passengers. If there are few people, it may also wait at the main road intersection for more than ten minutes.

When Lu Dong was placed on the stall, the old man took out his reading glasses and examined it carefully before finally picking it up

The old man couldn't help but laugh, waved his hand at Lu Dong, and opened his folding fan, no longer speaking

The rural road has not changed much

This is an era that requires strict enforcement against crime

Casually find an empty double seat to sit down, the minibus sways gently as it moves forward, the glass of the car window rattles loudly, and the wind blowing in cannot compete with the stuffiness inside the vehicle

The water on the street has receded, making it easy and pleasant to ride on the hardened road. In Qingzhao County, the roads connecting the villages are primarily asphalt.

Lu Dong took out a white porcelain plate and handed it over, but the old man glanced at him and refused to take it: "Put it down"

Lu Dong stopped the car, planted his feet on the ground, and asked: "What happened?"

After quickly washing up and changing clothes, the farmer wears whatever is available. However, the activities planned for today are not suitable for wearing a school uniform. Lu Dong rummaged through the wardrobe, and aside from the school uniform, there were only two sets of sports jerseys.

He is in dire need of money, as wealth requires initial capital! Yet he is utterly impoverished.

Between the old book market and the cobblestone road, there stands a cluster of ancient and elegant buildings, mostly two stories high, with some small buildings displaying nameplates of various craft companies at their entrances

Walked from beginning to end, asked at seven or eight stalls, even went into four shops, the highest offer was twenty-five, while one only offered five.

Based on the purchase price, Lü Dong's entire outfit amounts to 30 yuan.

Lu Dong glanced at the tightly closed Cheng Lifeng Meat Shop and asked, "Is he causing you trouble?"

There is a private minibus from the southern entrance of Lujia Village to Quannan, but Lv Dong still chose to go to the county seat to take a bus

"No," Li Wenyue came to his senses, glanced at Lu Dong's red jersey, and asked, "Did you not watch it?"

The old man extended two fingers, and Lv Dong's eyes lit up: "Two hundred?"

Experts from the Royal Museum will be present to provide free appraisals of antiques and paintings, helping you to identify your heirlooms

Lü Dongnas eagerly exclaimed: "This is far too little! Sir, this is a family heirloom!"

As he walked onto the stone path, Lü Dong suddenly realized that he was very conspicuous

Lu Dongqing is fortunate that he did not ride a bicycle, otherwise finding his way would also be troublesome

Although it is only a few dozen meters from the station, a ticket at the station costs 3 yuan, while boarding here only costs 2.5 yuan

Lu Dong turned back and hurried to the county town, and soon arrived at the bus station on the west side of the county town