Doctor Wang’s steady voice rang out. “I already heard that. If you’ve got nothing to do, you little brat, hurry home.”
When he turned to Jiang Chan, his smile became warm and kindly again. “You’ve accomplished so much at such a young age, Jiang Chan. Keep up the good work!”
Wang Runhui cut in. “If she works any harder, won’t she end up reaching the heavens?”
He meant it, too. Jiang Chan was already so capable. If she kept working this hard, was she going to carry a ladder up to the heavens herself?
Doctor Wang smacked the back of his head. “Go cool your heels somewhere else, you brat! Look at Jiang Chan, then look at yourself. Go home and do some reflecting.”
Without a comparison, Doctor Wang had thought his son was quite outstanding. But beside Jiang Chan, nothing about Wang Runhui seemed satisfactory anymore. In the end, Jiang Chan was simply too exceptional.
Dismissed as utterly worthless by his father, Wang Runhui shrugged and took no offense. “Alright, alright, I’m going. Don’t forget to come home early tonight!”
With that, he disappeared in a flash. Doctor Wang shook his head at the empty corridor, then turned back to Jiang Chan with nothing but warmth and kindness.
After saying goodbye to Doctor Wang, Jiang Chan went out in search of food. She had a little money on hand now and did not hold back when spending it. This was for a patient, after all. However much it cost, she was willing to pay.
After settling Kang Kang in, Dean Fan was about to go out and buy food when Jiang Chan pushed open the door. She had always been quick about things, and the meal she had prepared for the patient smelled wonderfully appetizing.
There was little to do that afternoon. Dean Fan stayed with Kang Kang, and Jiang Chan could not be of much help. Old Street happened to be near the hospital, so she decided to go out and have a look around.
She was not going specifically to hunt for bargains. It was rare for her to visit the provincial capital, so she might as well explore and broaden her horizons. After telling Dean Fan where she was going, Jiang Chan left the hospital with her black backpack.
It was the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and the shops had already reopened on the fifth. That was the day to welcome the God of Wealth, and the shopkeepers all wanted an auspicious start. The entrance to Old Street had a distinctly traditional charm, with a large ceremonial archway bearing the two characters for its name.
Farther in stood all kinds of old buildings. The roads were weathered too, lending the whole place a sense of age and a rich history that could only come with time.
Although the fifth day had passed, the festive atmosphere was still strong. Old Street was crowded, and every so often a tour guide swept past with a whole group in tow.
People came and went, but few looked as young as Jiang Chan, especially not on their own. She followed a tour guide for a few minutes until the group stopped outside an antique shop.
Jiang Chan looked up. Treasure Pavilion. A place gathering treasures from all over the world. She raised an eyebrow and followed the tourists inside. Once in the shop, the guide stopped talking and stood aside to watch everyone.
With her backpack on, Jiang Chan wandered casually around Treasure Pavilion. The interior was decorated in a traditional style, with shelves lining all four walls and displaying assorted handicrafts.
Suddenly, Jiang Chan sniffed. It was an entirely unconscious movement, as though she still had the habits of a treasure-hunting mouse. Her mouth twitched. Good heavens, that was one habit she really did not want.
As she looked around aimlessly, none of the handicrafts struck her as special. But the little objects scattered at the bottoms of the shelves caught her interest.
She still enjoyed the thrill of spotting an overlooked treasure. In particular, when she noticed a dusty gray object resembling a brick in the corner, she felt almost blinded by its golden glow.
Nothing else gave her that feeling. Jiang Chan frowned thoughtfully. Could she have brought this innate ability of Xiao Jin’s back to the real world?
If so, that would be wonderful! Setting the question aside for now, she picked up the brick, about two fingers long and four fingers wide, and gently blew the dust off its surface. The closer she looked, the more dazzling its light seemed.
Had anyone looked into Jiang Chan’s eyes at that moment, they would have seen what appeared to be golden light flashing through them.
It looked like a brick, yet its surface bore patterns and ancient characters that resembled pictures. Its center, however, was shaped differently.
Near one end was a shallow oval depression. The more Jiang Chan looked, the more familiar it seemed. Then realization struck. Wasn’t this an inkstone?
How remarkable. The inkstone had been carved with exceptional skill, leaving all the brick’s patterns and characters intact. It had a wonderfully antique elegance.
She tapped it gently. Its texture was fine, and it gave off a faint, clear ring. Jiang Chan concluded that, regardless of its age, it was an exceptionally fine inkstone.
She could recognize it thanks to Jiang Sen’s influence in the first world. Since ancient times, scholars who prided themselves on refinement had enjoyed collecting inkstones, and Jiang Sen was no exception.
Following him around, Jiang Chan had absorbed his knowledge and seen countless fine inkstones. Now, from this one’s texture and shape, she could tell it was a rare find.
If Jiang Sen saw it, he would buy it no matter what. Thinking of him filled Jiang Chan with nostalgia. After experiencing so many worlds, Jiang Sen and Lin Shi still left the deepest impression on her.
Although they were not her birth parents, they had given her selfless love and care, filling the emptiness left by her lack of family affection. It could be said that Jiang Sen and Lin Shi had taught her how to love others. For that, she was most grateful to them.
Whether or not it was an antique, Jiang Chan intended to buy the inkstone. Of course, since it had been left in this dusty corner, the shopkeeper presumably considered it worthless.
She searched among the other objects and picked out a few more things: a writing brush with almost no bristles left, and an old book covered in dust, without even a cover.
Opening the book, Jiang Chan discovered it was a calligraphy copybook. She did not know whose work it contained, but the strokes were bold and powerful. It would be useful for practicing her writing.
Of the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, she was now missing only the ink. There was no hurry. She would buy these three things first.
The antique shop was bustling. The tour group consisted almost entirely of older people with money to spare. Several had taken a liking to the handicrafts and were bargaining with the shopkeeper.
Everything Jiang Chan had picked out was covered in dust. A few of the older customers glanced at her choices, then looked away without further interest. The shopkeeper was rushed off his feet. After settling on a price with an elderly woman ahead of her, he was just about to take a drink of water.
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