Chapter 253: 20 Euros
Lu Jingyao rarely rejects Xu Youyou, and this time was no exception.
Besides, he had come to Finland with the sole purpose of ensuring Xu Youyou had a good time.
However, Xu Youyou felt a bit guilty about changing her plans on the spot. After all, her actions now affected not just herself, but also the large group of people who had to adjust their schedules along with hers.
Lu Jingyao surely had his thoughts about Xu Youyou’s frequent last-minute changes to the itinerary, but he had never brought it up.
“Do you think I’m strange?” Xu Youyou asked.
Lu Jingyao smiled and said, “You must have your reasons for doing things.”
Xu Youyou glanced at the system interface in the air. She couldn’t explain the system’s existence to Lu Jingyao.
“I… I do have my reasons… But if I can never explain it to you, would you hold it against me…” Xu Youyou asked.
Lu Jingyao looked at her seriously and said, “Everyone has their own secrets. If your secret is something that supports your foundation, you can’t tell me, nor can you tell your children in the future. Since it’s a secret, you shouldn’t tell anyone.”
Xu Youyou’s heart stilled. Originally, because of her secrecy, she had felt that she might never be able to be completely honest with her lover.
Now, Lu Jingyao’s words seemed to ease the burden in her heart.
“Aren’t you curious?” Xu Youyou couldn’t help but ask.
Lu Jingyao said, “Of course, I’m curious, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Xu Youyou gave an awkward smile. Though Lu Jingyao’s words were quite touching, the existence of the system was the foundation of her life. She had made up her mind to take this secret to her grave.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, don’t keep struggling with it,” Lu Jingyao softly said.
Xu Youyou nodded forcefully. After leaving their place, she walked ahead, following the system’s golden pointer through the small Nordic town.
After walking for half an hour in the snow, Xu Youyou stopped.
In front of her was a small grocery store.
It seemed to be about thirty or forty square meters. Inside, an old man was sitting behind the counter, looking intently at a book with a serious expression.
Hearing someone enter, the old man raised his eyes from the book. When he saw a group of Chinese faces, he cautiously said, “Ni hao.”
The old man’s Mandarin tone was odd, but everyone present understood.
Xu Youyou sensed his goodwill and nodded, responding in perfect Mandarin, “Hello.”
Hearing her reply, the old man also tried to mimic her, but due to years of habit, even though he tried hard, his pronunciation still came out as “Ni hao.”
Xu Youyou asked, “Do you speak Mandarin?”
Upon hearing this, the old man looked momentarily confused, then replied in Finnish, “I’m trying to self-learn Chinese, but it seems the results aren’t very good. Your language is too complicated.”
The Finnish translator with them immediately translated what the old man said to Xu Youyou and the others.
Xu Youyou was surprised to find that this man, who seemed to be in his sixties, still had a heart eager to learn. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect for him.
“Thank you for your appreciation of the Chinese language. I wish you success in your learning,” Xu Youyou smiled and said.
The Finnish old man laughed along and said, “You Chinese people are always so kind. Although I learn very slowly, I think the language is very beautiful.”
In the cold, unfamiliar foreign land, receiving kindness from others warmed Xu Youyou’s heart.
The Finnish old man said, “I have a variety of goods in this shop. As visitors from China, I’m sure you’ll find something you like.”
Xu Youyou’s gaze followed the system’s pointer and landed on the shelves behind the old man.
The shop really had a diverse range of goods. There were skiing equipment, fishing gear, books, pots, and pans—truly a general store.
“Can I take a look at this plate?” Xu Youyou softly asked.
After hearing the translator’s explanation, the old man happily turned around and took a plate off the shelf.
The plate was a beautiful reddish-brown, clearly well-preserved and in perfect condition, as though it had been carefully stored.
“This thing is from your country,” the old man spoke up.
Xu Youyou looked at him in surprise.
The old man smiled and said, “A Frenchman sold this to me. He said it was passed down from his ancestors, but he thought it was worthless.”
“Why would he think that?” Xu Youyou didn’t understand.
After all, to her, the plate had a warm, gentle aura, like the warmth of the winter sun. It made her feel close and comfortable, with no sense of ill omen at all.
The sensation she got from this plate was completely opposite to the feeling from the painting on the castle’s ceiling. Instinctively, she felt this was a treasured item of a loved one.
The old man said, “The Frenchman said that ever since he got this treasure, his family’s luck turned sour. He used to have a big family of over twenty people, but since this thing came into his hands, he’s the only one left.”
Xu Youyou was surprised, “Is this all because of the plate?”
The old man shrugged. “Who knows if what he said is true? After all, he’s not a good person. He came here after killing someone in his country. At first, he even tried to rob me.”
Xu Youyou was once again filled with respect for this seemingly ordinary Finnish old man.
To be able to escape from a robber and even take his goods in the process, the old man definitely didn’t seem like an ordinary person.
The old man said, “Little girl, I didn’t steal this. It was a fair trade. To get this plate, I even paid him two loaves of bread.”
Xu Youyou didn’t know the exact value of the plate, but since it was something the system valued, it must be worth at least several hundred thousand euros.
“I’d like to buy this treasure. Name your price,” Xu Youyou said.
The old man made a gesture with his hand, indicating the number two.
“200,000 euros?” Xu Youyou had a good impression of the old man, so she offered a fairly honest price.
The old man shook his head and said, “I only want 20 euros. Just think of it as you treating me to a meal.”
Xu Youyou was confused.
The old man patiently explained, “That Frenchman didn’t have good luck with this treasure, but after I got it, things went very well for me. I used to be heavily in debt, and I was planning to commit suicide that day when the robber came.”
“The foolish Frenchman tried to rob me. He couldn’t beat me, so he had to exchange the plate for his life. After I got the plate, I suddenly didn’t want to die anymore. Half a month later, I won the lottery and paid off my debts.”
“Later, I met my wife, had two children, and sent them to university. I watched them get married and have children.”
“I know this is a treasure from your country. I’m just a foreigner, and I can’t keep it. I’ve had this shop for many years, and this treasure has always been behind me, but only you noticed it, so it should be yours to take.”
