Chapter 95: Yongzheng Tongbao
The young man looked confused. “Who is Wu Rangzhi? Is he famous?”
“Wu Rangzhi was a late Qing Dynasty calligrapher, skilled in painting and calligraphy, and especially proficient in seal carving,” Xu Youyou explained.
The young man frowned. “Even if he was skilled, this is still just a piece of stone. How can it be worth so much?”
Xu Youyou replied, “To those who understand, some things are just that valuable.”
Xu Youyou had been practicing calligraphy herself. She hesitated about whether to keep the seal for her own enjoyment. After all, the Zeng Gong letter was destined for auction—she needed to keep something as a reward for herself.
The young man, though unfamiliar with the value of seals, was very filial. He turned to the elderly man beside him and said, “Grandpa, if you really like this seal, I’ll buy it for you. No matter the price, your happiness is the most important thing!”
The elderly man’s face lit up with joy, but he still shook his head. “Forget it. Just being able to admire it for a moment is enough for me. I dare not expect more.”
“Come on, Grandpa, if you like it, let’s get it. It’s real and valuable, and we can keep it as a family heirloom. We won’t lose out,” the young man persuaded.
The elderly man hesitated, his gaze full of longing as he looked at Xu Youyou.
Xu Youyou smiled and said, “Compared to a seal, a grandchild’s filial piety is the most precious thing in the world.”
The elderly man understood that Xu Youyou wasn’t willing to sell. He sighed with a smile and said, “Young lady, you are right. At my age, having a caring grandchild is more valuable than anything. I do have one request—would you be willing to grant it?”
Xu Youyou nodded. The elderly man had his grandson fetch a piece of white paper, then carefully made rubbings of all six sides of the seal. Only after doing so did he thank her and leave.
This time, Xu Youyou didn’t continue examining the seal. Instead, she wrapped it up carefully and put it away.
She was about to leave when—
[New Hidden Treasure Task Refreshed. Please proceed to the target location immediately.]
Xu Youyou’s eyes brightened with excitement. She hadn’t expected to find two valuable items in one visit to the antique market—a double jackpot!
She hurriedly followed the system’s guidance, noticing that her target seemed to be moving.
Her heart tensed. She worried someone else might snatch it first.
Finally, she reached the designated location. The system’s indicator pointed directly at a child—
A short-haired boy around ten years old, his face covered in dirt. His clothes were ragged, but his eyes were clear and bright.
At that moment, a burly man with a fierce expression had grabbed the boy’s arm. “You little thief! Stealing from me again? Do you have a death wish?”
The boy flinched, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. But he still protested, “I didn’t steal!”
A customer nearby asked, “Boss, what did the kid steal from you?”
The man growled, “Every time this brat passes by, I lose a few copper coins from my stall!”
The customer frowned at the boy. “So young, yet already stealing? You should learn to behave.”
Hearing this, the boy panicked. “He owes me! He deserves it!”
“You little bastard, slandering me!” The burly man raised his hand, about to slap the boy.
The child squeezed his eyes shut in fear.
But the expected slap never landed.
He opened his eyes to see a slender, fair hand stopping the blow.
A young girl stood in front of him. Her voice was crisp and clear, carrying an undeniable confidence.
“Why are you in such a hurry to hit him? Why not let the child explain himself? Are you feeling guilty about something?”
The burly man scowled at Xu Youyou. “Who the hell are you? I caught a thief—this isn’t your business!”
Xu Youyou didn’t believe the system would target a bad kid. She stood her ground and declared, “I stand up for justice!”
The burly man was fuming. He considered attacking her, but Xu Youyou’s bodyguards weren’t there for decoration.
Seeing their boss step forward, the four ex-soldier bodyguards immediately formed a protective wall in front of Xu Youyou.
The sudden appearance of four imposing men made the stall owner hesitate, though he still shouted, “That brat is a thief! Are you all blind, protecting a thief?”
The surrounding customers murmured among themselves, unsure who to believe.
Xu Youyou gently patted the child’s shoulder. He flinched in fear.
“Don’t be afraid. Just tell everyone what you know. I’ll help you.”
The boy’s voice was unexpectedly clear, like a songbird’s. “Sister, he wronged us first!”
Hearing him up close, Xu Youyou noticed that the boy had a beautiful voice.
“What did he do?” she asked patiently.
The boy clenched his fists. “We found a copper coin at an abandoned parking lot. We tried to sell it to him, but he took the coin and then accused us of stealing from him!”
As he spoke, tears streamed down his dirty face. “We really didn’t steal! We found that coin ourselves. My little sister’s birthday is coming up, and I wanted to sell it to buy her a cake—but he ruined everything!”
The child’s tearful plea turned the crowd against the stall owner.
The stall owner’s eyes darted around nervously. “I did lose a Yongzheng Tongbao coin. This brat is dressed in rags—how could he possibly have one? He must’ve stolen it!”
Xu Youyou watched the man’s reaction closely. His guilty expression reminded her of a classmate’s follower who once falsely accused her.
The boy sobbed in frustration. “I didn’t steal! We really found it while collecting scrap!”
Xu Youyou patted his back comfortingly. “Don’t worry.”
Maybe it was because she had stood up for him earlier, but the boy seemed to trust her and remained silent.
Xu Youyou then turned to the stall owner. “When did you lose your coin? How did you lose it? Where?”
Yongzheng Tongbao coins were issued during the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign. Common versions were worth 300 to 1,000 yuan, making them one of the more valuable Qing Dynasty coins.
The stall owner hesitated before replying, “I lost it five days ago, somewhere around here. I even checked that parking lot.”
Xu Youyou glanced at the stall. The man sold copper coins, all randomly piled in an iron box.
“That’s odd,” she mused. “You have hundreds of copper coins in that box, including multiple Yongzheng Tongbao ones. This box even has a lid, so coins wouldn’t just fall out. Yet you claim to remember losing one specific coin?”
Her pointed question made the man even more flustered. He quickly argued, “That coin was special! I tied it with a red string and wore it around my neck for protection!”
Many people did wear copper coins for good luck.
Xu Youyou stared at him and asked casually, “And now? You finally got it back—so where is it? Still around your neck?”
