He opened his eyes and looked around, only then realizing he was in Tanzhou. At this moment, dawn was just breaking. David Carter stood on the pavilion eaves and looked down, discovering that this square was also a place for street vendors. The sky was not fully bright yet, and the streetlights were still on, but people were already arriving one after another from all directions, carrying things and holding stools.

David Carter flipped lightly and landed inside the pavilion. Back home, David Carter would be in the mountains before dawn every day. Not only could he practice breathing exercises, but he could also work up a sweat. On his way down the mountain, he would jump into a deep pool in the mountains, take a refreshing bath, and return for breakfast feeling invigorated. When he was studying away from home, he would find a secluded spot every morning—this had become a habit.

But this morning, although he hadn’t practiced his breathing exercises, he felt even more comfortable than in the mountains. It was as if he had suddenly eaten some kind of celestial fruit, with every pore in his body opening up. That feeling of complete relaxation was something he had never experienced before. The only discomfort was that he hadn’t bathed last night, so he felt a bit sticky and there was a strange odor. If only he could go for a swim in the Tan River right now, it would be perfect.

But David Carter also knew that, with no place to stay, swimming in the Tan River was unrealistic. Fortunately, there was a public restroom in the museum square. After washing up and changing clothes inside, David Carter finally felt truly refreshed.

At this time, there weren’t many vendors in the square, and even fewer people browsing. David Carter suddenly remembered that Henry Brooks had asked him to prepare a resume, saying it would be needed when arranging work. When David Carter came out, he brought nothing but a few changes of clothes. In the past, whenever he needed a resume for job hunting, he would go to a typing and photocopy shop to get it done, and he didn’t want to make an exception this time. But as he walked across the square, he saw some stalls selling brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, so he slowed his pace. He thought, why not write a resume himself?

Most of the things sold by these street vendors were modern handicrafts—in other words, fakes and imitations, meant to fool those who had read a few books and came treasure hunting. Generally, larger transactions took place in shops, and both the items and the amounts involved were kept secret. Whether buying or selling, if you weren’t an insider, you’d have no idea.

Of course, some people did go to the countryside to buy up goods, but their items were usually picked over by antique dealers first. After the good stuff was selected, the leftovers that were hard to sell would be brought to the street stalls to try their luck. And the street vendors were mainly in it for the money; they didn’t really collect things themselves, just followed the principle of buying low and selling high to make a profit.

David Carter bought things only for practical use, not for collecting, so he had just one principle: cheap. Of course, if something felt right, that was even better. He walked up to a stall selling scholarly items and slowly squatted down.

The vendor had just finished setting up and his eyes lit up when he saw someone approach. But when he got a good look at the man’s clothes, his expression immediately dimmed. No matter how poor the buyer’s eye for antiques, he couldn’t possibly have much money. In this respect, the vendor’s judgment was spot on, because David Carter really didn’t have much money left. The boy-and-ox bath figurine he bought yesterday had cost him nearly a third of his funds.

“How much for this brick?” David Carter picked up a half piece of green brick from the corner of the stall and asked. Back in the mountains, the old man used a big green brick as an inkstone. Though it looked a bit clumsy, it was very practical. He had used it ever since he learned to read.

David Carter originally just wanted to buy an inkstone. He knew there was ready-made ink for sale, but grinding his own ink was a completely different experience. And when he picked up this piece of green brick, an image of a green brick suddenly appeared in his mind. What surprised him most was that there seemed to be something inside the brick. Only then did he remember that his boy-and-ox bath figurine also seemed to have something hidden inside, but he’d never had a chance to open it and look.

Chapter 7 The Value of Antiques

“One hundred,” the vendor said casually. The good stuff on his stall had long been bought by others; the rest hadn’t cost him more than ten yuan each. No matter what it was, he could name any price and wouldn’t lose money. Of course, he also sized up the customer—if he asked for more than a hundred from someone like David Carter, he’d probably scare him off right away.

“A brick is worth that much?” David Carter was indeed startled. If a half piece of green brick cost a hundred, then all those houses in the village built with green bricks must make their owners rich!

“This isn’t an ordinary brick, you see? There are characters carved on it—made in the sixteenth year of Qianlong. This is imperial green brick, a family heirloom, an antique.” The vendor lied without batting an eye. He had picked up this brick in the countryside, trading for a few old coins and getting the brick thrown in. He’d always used it as a stool, but after bringing a real stool these past few days, he put it on the stall—mainly to weigh down the corner and keep the wind from blowing his stall away.