Chapter 2: Insults and Falls
With this thought, Chen Moran raised his cane and stepped through the door. Upon entering the pawn shop, he walked to a pawn window that was as tall as a person and took out two items from his pocket.
Sir, please do not get angry. The fellow is ignorant and lacks insight; do not hold it against him.
Come on! If you could really understand it, you would have become Einstein a long time ago!
Looking at his injured leg, Chen Moran couldn't help but let out a long sigh. This broken leg was essentially useless now. Despite thinking this in his mind, he was still walking towards the quarry with the support of a cane.
Before the words were spoken, Yan Wenyuan saw the watch and the tea being directly thrown to the ground.
As we entered the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, with several strong winds passing through, the weather grew colder day by day. The snowfall increased each day. Upon opening the door, I noticed that after last night's fresh snowfall, the ground, covered in a thick layer of pristine white snow, appeared even more solid.
As the shopkeeper's gaze fell upon the table, Chen Moran reached into the cup to retrieve his watch, swinging it by the strap in the cup. Only then did he lift his head to glance at the shopkeeper before submerging the watch back into the tea, simultaneously pushing the cup forward.
It's a chain! It's actually the platinum chain that foreigners like...
Jinling, these two characters are both familiar and unfamiliar to Chen Moran. However, decades later, his other name, Chen Moran, is all too familiar; Nanjing, he had spent two years in this city.
Otherwise, you would not have come here
This shopkeeper is not simple
This table costs twenty thousand taels
As he reached the entrance of the pawnshop and gazed at the tall counters inside, along with two or three shabby-clothed commoners in front of the counters, Chen Moran began to feel somewhat hesitant
Gazing at the undeniably magnificent old city wall, Chen Moran felt a sense of insignificance for the first time. He finally understood why many novels often depict the trembling hearts of nomadic peoples upon their first sight of city walls. Not to mention them, even Chen Moran, who was accustomed to tall buildings and libraries, was equally taken aback when he first laid eyes on this remnants of the old city wall
Brother Ran, just because of your hair, if it were ten years ago, upon entering the city, you would definitely have been cut down!
The shop is a place of murder, the ancients truly do not deceive me
Is it because of that strange lightning
Lightning
A frozen moat appeared before him, wide enough to be at least several dozen meters across. A bridge spanned the river, and as the donkey cart moved onto the bridge, Chen Moran occasionally looked up at the majestic old city wall, his eyes still filled with awe.
Brother Ran, that...
What kind of city wall is this? It is simply a mountain.
Chen Moran, allowing the snowflakes to fall upon him, gazed up at the leaden sky, his face still bearing an expression of utter desolation. What exactly had happened? What was that fireball? The legendary ball lightning? ... But why would it ...
Just as he opened the door, upon seeing the person dressed in a short hairstyle and a Western-style shirt, he knew that this time he would surely receive something good. Running a pawn shop, some people come to sell, while others come to buy, all relying on their keen eyesight.
He gazed at the two characters written in the snow
Sitting in the donkey cart, the cold wind blew in stealthily, causing Chen Moran to shiver involuntarily. Listening to Shunzi's words, he raised his head to look ahead. It was on this morning that he saw the city wall of Jinling for the first time. Gazing at the distant city wall, Chen Moran couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart; this was his first encounter with an ancient Chinese city wall
The sound of the second hand ticking is crisp and pleasant. Upon hearing this sound, Yan Wenyuan finally felt at ease. However, at that moment, a voice nearly made him throw the watch to the ground
As soon as he sat down, Chen Moran casually tossed the object in his hand onto the tea table between the chairs
Yan Wenyuan, stepping out from behind the counter, instructed with a single gesture towards a chair against the wall.
The north wind howls, the cold air assaults the senses, and snowflakes drift down. On the snowy path in the fields, a donkey cart loaded with firewood struggles to move forward. The driver, wrapped tightly in cotton, occasionally breathes into his palms for warmth
Grandfather, please here
Brother Ran, these two devils cannot be trusted. My father taught me that one must not forget one's roots. If you let your hair grow long, you will have to reattach your braid. Looking at your hair, I am reminded of the foreign devils in the church, as well as those two devils.
With one hand, he presented a cup of tea, and Yan Wenyuan's face still bore a smile. A nine-year-old assistant, starting at the age of twenty-two, has accumulated this family business over thirty years, relying solely on this mouth and the eyes above it.
Shopkeeper!
This leg ... ... sigh
Lightning—Crossing—Car Accident—The 26th Year of Guangxu... Various clues connected in Chen Moran's mind, forming a complete line, yet he still could not understand what exactly caused him to 'fly' to this place, especially in this era
Shunzi, you go to the gathering first. I can manage alone. I will wait for you at the city entrance at noon!
Dah, dah ... ...
Bang!
Shopkeeper!
Just at the moment when Yan Wenyuan was in a daze, Chen Moran pulled the teacup over with one hand, stood up, and flipped it downwards.
"Now, no one dares to cut me!"
Bang!
Hey! You blind fool, let me see what this is!
Leaning on a wooden stick, Chen Moran limped out of the stone layer. The abandoned quarry was deserted, and a thick layer of snow covered the semi-trailer truck parked within the quarry. Not far away, a dilapidated stone house was emitting a wisp of smoke.
A single remark from Ran Ge left Shun Zi stunned, clearly indicating that he had not considered this reasoning
Time travel! Back to 110 years ago...
The donkey cart drew closer to the city wall. Chen Moran gradually discerned that the wall was constructed from large blue bricks and stone slabs, with some sections remaining relatively intact while others appeared dilapidated. Wild grasses had sprouted in the crevices of the wall, and the weeds, covered in snow, swayed in the cold wind. Numerous places on the wall had developed cracks, and in some of these fissures, small trees had even taken root.
Struggling to wrap himself tightly in the tattered cotton-padded jacket, Chen Moran couldn't help but chuckle despite the cold. The term "Er Guizi" was a nickname given to him by the villagers; when his third uncle saved him, they had mistakenly thought he was an "Er Guizi" as well. Moreover, if he were in Hebei or some other place, he might have been mistaken for an "Er Guizi" and beaten to death.
Do not ... ...
The innkeeper's words immediately left Chen Moran speechless
Either resign oneself to being a destitute person, or ... ...
Indeed, as soon as the clerk behind the counter spoke, Chen Moran was nearly driven to the brink of anger; the Rolex gold watch and the Chow Sang Sang platinum bracelet were unexpectedly referred to as mere foreign watches and scrap silver chains
As he turned his head, Yan Wenyuan saw the watch again, intact and flawless! The second hand on the dial was still moving, and a wave of joy surged in his heart as he grabbed the watch and held it to his ear to listen.
As Shunzi hurriedly drove the car, he turned his head to glance at the person beside him, who was fiddling with his ears, while Chen Moran, who was freezing, chuckled with a laugh.
After entering the city gate, Shunzi glanced at Ran Ge'er beside him, his tone becoming somewhat stammering. He still needed to hurry to the market to deliver firewood, while Ran Ge was just wandering around the city. It would be fine if it were someone else, but with Ran Ge's legs.
After walking just a few steps in the market, Chen Moran spotted the place he was looking for. In the distance, the large sign with the character "当" swayed in the wind near the two-story corner tower. Upon seeing that character, a smile appeared on his face. Although he was leaning on a cane, he noticeably walked a bit faster.
The behavior of the pawnshop owner unexpectedly put Chen Moran, who was bending down to pick up the watch, at ease as he retrieved the watch and wiped off the tea dust on it
The curtain at the door of the counter against the wall has been lifted, and a man in a silk and cotton shirt, wearing a fur hat, steps out. Upon seeing him, Chen Moran feels a sense of amusement. The commotion is precisely to force the shopkeeper to come out, intending to sell these two items at a good price, as ordinary staff cannot make such decisions.
Two sounds came in succession, and Yan Wenyuan, feeling a pang of heartache, turned his head, his expression full of sorrow, unable to help but curse inwardly once more
Column, bring the teapot up
These spendthrifts who stroll around with birds in the city of Beijing!
Although this person leans on a broken wooden cane, he is dressed in a garment that is neither silk nor satin. Despite having a short haircut reminiscent of the Japanese, he speaks fluent Beijing dialect. He might have escaped from the capital. In the past six months, such individuals have been quite common.
Yes, you definitely regard me as a fool!
Chen Moran, rubbing his hands vigorously to warm them, half-joked.
At that moment, Chen Moran had already grabbed the watch and necklace back into his right hand, shaking them in his hand with a clattering sound, while cursing mercilessly.
As soon as the pawnshop owner spoke, Chen Moran's heart sank, knowing that the next sentence would surely be a price reduction. Glancing at the teacup on the table, a sudden inspiration struck him.
The 26th year of Guangxu, 1900
Even a second-rate person must possess the skills of a second-rate person; ancestors are not easily sold
Hey, Shunzi, two hundred and sixty years ago, when the Manchus came to us, if we were to keep this braid, it would indeed be a case of forgetting our roots! That day when we shaved our heads, it wasn't forgetting our roots; at most... hmm! It was just following the trend!
The sound of a heavy object striking the water made Yan Wenyuan look up, and he was surprised to see that the watch had been thrown into the water
A broken pocket watch, a silver chain...
In the morning sunlight, the city wall of Jinling, nestled among the snow, resembles a bluish-gray dragon's spine, silently lying across the biting morning wind. It seems not yet to have awakened from the deep slumber of the previous night, still quietly resting between heaven and earth
Ah! Ran Ge, wait for me to sell the firewood and buy some meat, then I will wait for you here
The stammering appearance of Shunzi immediately made Chen Moran understand the reason; the other party still had to go deliver firewood
Brother Ran, ahead is the city of Jinling! You can see the city wall from here!
The sound of clattering and crashing
As he watched the hands of the watch still moving in the cup, Yan Wenyuan replied in a daze. He had seen many foreign watches, some tucked in his pocket, some fastened to his waist, and some hung around his neck, but this was truly the first time he had seen such a watch, especially one that was unharmed after falling into the water
Jinling! Mufu Mountain!
The shop is a place of murder, forcefully pushing the poor to seek a quick end
Finally, Chen Moran, who had been puzzled for a long time, used the branch in his hand to smooth out the words on the snow, then broke the branch and tossed it aside. As he turned around, a faint pain in his left leg made Chen Moran furrow his brow
Sitting by the doorframe, Chen Moran was drawing a simple map on the ground with a twig, his brow furrowed in deep thought, looking utterly perplexed. Ever since he had "settled" here, he had been pondering what exactly had happened.
Accompanied by a clattering of metal, the assistant behind the pawnshop counter, wearing a melon-shaped hat, lifted his eyelids. Upon seeing the two gleaming items on the table, his eyes immediately lit up
Compared to Chen Moran's jokes, Shun Zi has become quite serious
As Chen Moran pondered how to respond to this statement, Yan Wenyuan took the platinum chain from the table in hand
Ah!
What the old man said is true: the shop is a place of murder, there is pretense, but the shop is indeed a place to help those in urgent need
The latest Swiss gold watch, a perfectly crafted French platinum chain, when it reaches your filthy mouth, it damn well turns into a broken foreign watch, a mixed silver chain, you blind, uncultured thing, call your boss here
Although I have never been to a pawnshop, it is clear that in both novels and television, a pawnshop is certainly not a good place