The Mysterious Bronze Pot
So shortly after, Zhang Qian accompanied Chu Fei to the Hanzheng Street Antique Market.
Chu Fei knew his mom, He Peiling, had grown more and more devoted to Buddhism and Guanyin as the years wore on...
Maybe she was trying to atone for her sins?
Chu Fei hadn't wanted to dwell on it before, but now that he was heading back to her side, picking up a little gift wouldn't hurt.
The antique market was a chaotic sprawl of everything imaginable—fakes mixed with treasures, the real deal lost in the junk. Chu Fei wasn't some expert anyway; he was just swinging by to snag something that caught his eye, ideally on the cheap...
Alright, fine—it was because he was flat broke.
Zhang Qian clung to his arm the whole way, drawing stares from passersby. Chu Fei, meanwhile, strolled casually, glancing around without a care.
Lots of tempting stuff, but he had no cash and didn't want Zhang Qian footing the bill. So he played it cool, knowing full well that if he showed even a flicker of interest, she'd snap it up no matter the price...
Even though they'd split two years ago.
But when they passed a cluttered stall, Chu Fei couldn't help stopping dead. He stared oddly at the bronze pot half-buried in a pile of junk, hazy light seeping from it—like something ancient. It stood out so starkly, so obvious, yet no one else gave it a second glance?
"You see that bronze pot?" Chu Fei tugged Zhang Qian.
"Looks busted... You like it?"
Chu Fei glanced at the crowd. No one else paid it any mind—not even Zhang Qian saw the glow. Was it just him?
He pulled her over, rummaged casually through the mess, and fished out a bracelet carved with a Guanyin figure, made of some jade-like stone. "Boss, how much for this?"
"Five hundred!" The boss, picking at his toes, leered hungrily at Zhang Qian's ample cleavage spilling from her top. Not many women dared dress like that this time of year.
"Throw in that busted bronze pot—one hundred total, and it's mine!"
"Two items, minimum two-fifty!"
"One hundred, period!" Zhang Qian whipped out her wallet, tossed a hundred at the boss's feet, then leaned in with a sly smile. "What do you say, boss?"
"Deal! Deal!" The boss gawked at the deep, creamy valley of her cleavage, swallowing hard. No way he was saying no now.
"Thanks!" Zhang Qian let out a playful giggle, straightened up, and looped her arm through Chu Fei's as they walked off.
Back in the car, Zhang Qian turned the bronze pot over in her hands but saw nothing special—just a rustic shape, though the top was missing a huge chunk, like it'd been smashed...
But wasn't this bronze? How the hell did it get smashed like that?
She pursed her lips lightly.
"Why buy this? Probably not worth ten bucks."
Everyone else must've thought the same, which was why it'd been tossed in the junk pile like trash.
But Chu Fei knew better. The moment he touched the pot, something inside him stirred—like a call, pulling at him.
He stuffed both items into his backpack and made a beeline for the train station.
Before boarding, Chu Fei stood on the platform for one last look at Wuhan's sky, then at Zhang Qian. A relieved smile finally broke across his face. "Never thought you'd be the one seeing me off... Zhang Qian, I'll remember you forever."
"Why so sappy all of a sudden? When you get back after New Year's, I'll hook you up with some solid job leads!"
Zhang Qian nestled boldly into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips before watching him board the southbound bullet train. Of course, she had no idea how utterly changed he'd be upon his return.
At bullet-train speed, by seven or eight that evening, Chu Fei was standing at the exit of Shenzhen Railway Station.
"Xiao Fei! Xiao Fei, over here!"
"Mom! I told you not to pick me up—I'm not a kid anymore, I know my way around..." Seeing how much more worn she looked, guilt flooded Chu Fei's heart. He rushed forward and pulled her into a fierce hug. "Sorry, Mom. I'm late."
"You're here... that's what matters." He Peiling's nose stung with emotion. Her long-awaited son was finally by her side!
"Come on, this room's yours. I knew you were coming, so I bought everything new... It's a bit small, but it'll do for now. Once we make some money, we'll get you a big one."
He Peiling took her son's hand, a deeply satisfied smile lighting her face. God only knew how long it'd been since she'd felt this way.
"No worries, it's just for sleeping." Chu Fei tossed his backpack onto the bed. "Mom, let's head to the shop. From today on, you need to take it easy!"
"Alright! Alright!"