Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan, along with everyone else, exited the warehouse and locked the large door. Chen Lan then spoke to the elderly man guarding the back gate, "Uncle, I'd like to pay for a few things from here to take home. Would that be alright?"
This time, the gatekeeper did not hesitate. He readily agreed, "Yes, yes, anyone can pick things to buy, as long as it's not that kind of item. As for what items, the broadcasts mention it every day, you should all know. Everything in this recycling station is sold by weight. Comrades, you can pick and choose freely. The prices for buying and selling are posted at the front shop."
After thanking the old man, Chen Lan headed straight for the spots she had noticed earlier, carefully searching through the piles of discarded items that resembled small mountains.
Jiahui and Jiayao, along with their four brothers, also began searching through the heaps of scrap. Old Man Zhang joined in as well, chatting and laughing with the children.
Chen Lan was surprised to find a copy of an ancient medical book amongst a pile of books. Since everyone present was trusted and the gatekeeper was still at his post by the front gate, with Old Man Zhang still engrossed in conversation with the children, Chen Lan seized the opportunity.
Chen Lan immediately bent down and stowed the ancient medical book into her system warehouse. She had no choice; if she didn't secure it immediately, and someone else saw it, it would likely end up being burned.
As Chen Lan prepared to stand up, she happened to spot a set of "Self-Study Series on Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry" tied with a rope right next to the medical book. This was a treasure trove for the first Gaokao after the restoration of the college entrance examination, a coveted item for countless educated youths at the time, capable of changing their destinies.
Chen Lan untied the rope and picked up the books, flipping through a few pages. They were published by the People's Publishing House seven or eight years prior. She examined each book carefully and found it was a complete set of the "Self-Study Series on Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry."
Chen Lan mused that this must be fate. She hadn't originally intended for the children to participate in the first Gaokao after the restoration. Since it was meant to be, she would let nature take its course.
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Lan retied the set of books and carried them. She decided to take them back to the valley for the children to study first, and they could choose whether or not to take the Gaokao when the time came.
No longer dwelling on it, Chen Lan looked at the prompt on her system screen and found a stamp album nearby. A brief glance revealed numerous old stamps. Without time to examine them closely, she handed the books and the stamp album to Xu Mingxuan, who was following her, and he voluntarily took them.
Next, Chen Lan continued to follow the system screen's guidance and found a paperweight shaped like a crouching tiger. The material appeared to be rosewood. Chen Lan used her mental command to scan it, and the screen confirmed it was indeed rosewood.
Handing the item to Xu Mingxuan, Chen Lan continued to consult the system screen. Inside the drawer of a broken desk, she found an oil-paper package. Unwrapping layers of oil paper, she discovered it contained a large, bright red velvet cloth. Beneath the cloth lay a palm-sized, smiling Maitreya Buddha figurine with a bulging belly.
Chen Lan, in a pleasant mood, glanced at the glittering golden Maitreya Buddha. She quickly rewrapped it in the velvet cloth and mentally stored it in her system warehouse. She knew her actions might not be entirely proper, that these items should be handed over to the state. However, if she handed them over now without a clear explanation, not only would she struggle to account for them, but these valuable items would likely fall into the hands of wrongdoers.
Chen Lan thought, she could only take things one step at a time. Today was a good day, so why worry about things beyond her control?
This Maitreya Buddha statue was a good omen, as Maitreya signifies "great tolerance and great fortune," and embodies the auspicious meaning of gathering good luck from all directions and prosperity from all sides.
The phrase, "The big belly can hold what the world cannot hold; the smiling face can laugh at what the world cannot be laughed at," perfectly encapsulates Maitreya Buddha and conveys a philosophy of objective openness and a way of life.
After collecting a snuff bottle with intricate floral carvings on a bird-and-flower vase and a book of famous calligraphers, Chen Lan still felt she hadn't collected enough. However, urged by Xu Mingxuan that it was getting late, Chen Lan decided to stop for the day. It was time to go to the housing authority to pay for the house, as Sister Zhao was waiting for them outside. There were simply too many good things here, and Chen Lan was reluctant to leave.
Xu Mingxuan shouted loudly, "Jiahui, Jiayao, Jiaxing, Jiahe, stop looking! Quickly grab the things you want to buy and come with us to pay."
Chen Lan, carrying a pear-wood "itch scratcher," and Xu Mingxuan, with the children and their chosen items, headed to the front reception hall of the scrap recycling station. Inside, there was a wooden counter with pens, an abacus, and an account book. The wooden cabinets storing the recycled items were divided into compartments with lids, and animal pelts were hung on the walls.
The man at the front counter was also an elderly gentleman, thin and sallow-skinned with greying hair, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness. As Chen Lan and her group entered, he was smiling as he saw off two children selling old newspapers.
Seeing them come in from the back, he greeted them with a warm smile. He weighed the items Chen Lan's group wanted to purchase, skillfully used the abacus, and after a flurry of clicking, the shopkeeper charged Chen Lan's group three yuan and fifty cents.
Xu Mingxuan paid for everything. The group didn't linger. After saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, they carried their paid-for items through the back door of the shop into the rear courtyard. The gatekeeper at the back, seeing them come from the shop with their purchases, knew they had paid and immediately opened the gate for them to leave.
Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan thanked the gatekeeper. Chen Lan then took a half-pound bag of White Rabbit milk candies from Xu Mingxuan's satchel and handed it to him, saying, "Brother, we'll be bothering you every day for the next few days. Please take this bag of candy as a small token of our appreciation. It's for your grandson to enjoy."
The gatekeeper repeatedly declined. Chen Lan didn't argue, placed the candy in his arms, and quickly turned to meet up with Sister Zhao.