Chapter Seventeen: National Treasure

Liu Zichen and Shen Mingyue sat cracking sunflower seeds as they watched television. The work before the New Year was mostly finished, and Yiting’s mother insisted they take a break. After all, they were guests—experiencing rural life was one thing, but how could she let them labor over everything? Liu Zichen didn’t argue further.

In contrast, Kuang Suo and Wan Yongkun seemed to have endless energy to burn; no matter what, they had to find something to do. In the end, they took charge of chopping firewood, working from dawn till dusk for days on end, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their mother watched the fruits of their labor pile up from the front of the house to the back, from the ground all the way to the rooftop. Though helpless to stop them, she felt a deep joy—what couldn’t her son accomplish with such good friends around him? So she let them be.

In recent days—

Liu Zichen and her friends were watching a variety show. Shen Mingyue, though not especially interested, was open-minded and found herself entertained nonetheless.

Jiahu bone flute, the Cloud-patterned Bronze Ban, the T-shaped silk painting from Lady Xin Zhui’s tomb, Liangzhu jade cong, the Ningbo 'Ten Thousand Crafts' bridal sedan, the Da Ke Ding, Lady Hao’s owl-shaped zun, the “Rainbow Phoenix Singing to the Valley” seven-stringed zither, Zhu Kerou’s silk tapestry of Lotus Pond and Ducklings, the Tiger Tally of Du, Marquis Yi’s bronze chime bells, the Qin bamboo slips from Yunmeng, the Procession Mural from the Prince Yide’s tomb, the glazed arch of the Great Bao’en Temple, the Stone Drums, various glazed vases, the Changsha Kiln’s poetic ewer, the Song dynasty copy of the “Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo River,” the “Comprehensive Map of the World,” Wang Ximeng’s “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” a gilded wooden-core stirrup, the “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and Rong Qiqi” brick painting, Shang Yang’s measuring vessel, the Min Tianquan square wine vessel, the Wang Xizhi family’s letters, the Silver Sachet with Grape and Bird Design, and the Sword of King Goujian of Yue!

To pass the time, they played a little game: each person picked a favorite artifact from the show and drew it as a keepsake. Shen Mingyue was the first to choose—the Silver Sachet with Grape and Bird Design. Petite, exquisite, shimmering with light, fashionable yet ingenious—it was exactly her style.

Liu Zichen was about to make her choice when the two idle men, taking a break from smoking, joined in the fun. Wan Yongkun clamored to choose the Tiger Tally of Du—passionate, bold, fearless, charging ahead and scattering all obstacles; that was his aspiration.

The two ladies expected Kuang Suo to select something eccentric, but to their surprise, he immediately set his sights on Marquis Yi’s bronze chime bells. Everyone was taken aback, giving him curious looks—did he know anything about music? But soon, they understood: strange on the outside, traditional at heart, skilled yet unassuming—that was his true character.

The others all looked at Liu Zichen, secretly convinced she’d pick a painting or calligraphy piece. In everyone’s mind, her most distinct qualities were intelligence and restraint—a brilliance that shone from within.

To everyone’s surprise, she grinned and chose the Sword of King Goujian of Yue.

Everyone clamored for her to explain her choice. Just then, Chen Tianyu and Li Yiting returned from a funeral in the mountains. At home, everyone knew where they’d been and hurried to stifle their playfulness.

But the two who had just returned did not appear weighed down by grief. After all, burial brings peace; death is inevitable, and once someone is laid to rest, what cannot be undone must be accepted. The self-healing power of people should never be underestimated.

Before Li Yiting could speak, Chen Tianyu glanced at him and teased, “Yiting, why don’t you tell us why Zichen likes the Sword of King Goujian of Yue?”

Liu Zichen agreed with interest, “Yes, if you guess right, I’ll cook something delicious myself.”

Li Yiting surveyed the group’s expectant faces and replied helplessly, “You shouldn’t ask me. Fourth Brother knows best…”

Chen Tianyu chuckled, “Of course I know, but I’m testing you.”

Resigned, Li Yiting raised his hand in surrender, but the others wouldn’t let him off the hook and insisted on an answer. He scratched his head and reluctantly replied.

He pondered for quite a while before finally saying, “If I remember correctly… this sword has another name—the Lady of Yue’s Sword!”

Indeed, outwardly graceful but hiding an edge, silently sacrificing with devotion—the Lady of Yue’s Sword was a true reflection of Liu Zichen herself.

Everyone clapped in agreement.

---

Liu Zichen covered her mouth with a smile. “Yiting, you really are a well-read man!”

Li Yiting smiled awkwardly and explained, “I just thought of that famous story from history, and the answer simply came to me.”

Chen Tianyu praised him. “No need to be modest. Still, I suspect Zichen has other reasons—among us, her expertise in art and antiquities is unmatched.”

Liu Zichen did not feign humility. She shook her head lightly. “None of you got it right, but what if I don’t want to tell you the reason?”

“Let those blockheads think it over…” Chen Tianyu supported her with a knowing smile, then had a sudden idea. “Yiting, what about you? If you had to choose, what would you pick? I truly can’t guess.”

Li Yiting answered so quickly it left everyone stunned. “To be honest, I wouldn’t choose anything.”

Wan Yongkun couldn’t help but ask, “Why not?”

Li Yiting replied calmly, “First, I’ve never liked antiques.

Second, you may not know this, but the antiquities you see on TV—radiant, dazzling, lifelike, adorned with beautiful tales and legends that stir the imagination…”

Even Kuang Suo raised a question. “Isn’t that how they really are?”

“Most of that is thanks to modern lighting, restoration, and cosmetic repairs,” Li Yiting shook his head. “Don’t laugh, but I grew up surrounded by antiques. In my experience, they’re mostly dull, cracked, mottled, covered in thick dust, and reeking of decay. Even the beloved bronzes are covered in verdigris, utterly lacking luster—the older they are, the less appealing they look. Bronze swords are no exception. The smell they bring to the house is indescribable. And don’t get me started on fakes—people bury dead dogs and cats to ‘age’ them. Just the thought is nauseating.”

The group looked at one another in disbelief.

“Let me tell you, the person with the deepest knowledge of antiques in this village is my father. Surprised? When he was young, he loved tinkering with all sorts of oddities, though he’s calmed down in recent years—I’m not sure why.”

A true heir—this was the mark of an expert! Chen Tianyu’s interest was piqued. He asked casually, “So, the Guanyin statue at the temple must be ancient and battered as well—ugly and scarred all over?”

Li Yiting nodded. “Normally, the statue wears a golden crown, draped in red silk, with curtains and incense shrouding it, revealing only a glimpse of the face—so it seems dignified and magnificent. But if you ever change its clothes, you’ll see the truth: a face covered in black spots, dull eyes, a body full of scars—beyond repair.”

“So that’s how it is…” Chen Tianyu suddenly asked, “By the way, is there a bronze sword in the village?”

“Of course. There’s one in the ancestral hall. I can show you sometime, but it’s really nothing to look at—completely different from what you’d imagine,” Li Yiting replied.

Shen Mingyue, her cheeks puffed in thought, asked skeptically, “In such a small village, the sword in the ancestral hall is probably just an ordinary one, right?”

Li Yiting glanced at her, amused. “It’s genuinely ancient, absolutely authentic—no trickery! According to my uncle, it’s a legendary blade, worthy of the Li family’s protection through the ages. But don’t look at me like that. I know what you’re thinking—hardly anyone in the village believes it, let alone outsiders like you.”

“It’s a kind of feverish superstition, an unconscious, blind faith you probably can’t imagine…” Li Yiting sighed.

Kuang Suo summarized, “I understand. Totem worship.” He spoke with authority on the subject.

Li Yiting nodded in agreement and, growing more animated, shared another tidbit.

“You’ve been here a while, so you must have noticed all the wooden huts in the village, right? The ones used for storing coffins?”

Seeing everyone nod, he smiled. “Those huts are full of antiques—blue-and-white porcelain plates, rosewood offering tables, bronze censers, old paintings and calligraphy from past dynasties. They were all everyday objects for our ancestors…”

Shen Mingyue exclaimed innocently, “Wow, if you sold those, you’d make a fortune!”

The others’ eyes gleamed green with envy.

Li Yiting laughed, “You’re all money-hungry! These are ancestral heirlooms—who would dare sell them? Besides, they’re said to carry bad luck. Selling them would bring retribution.”

Chen Tianyu suddenly spoke, “Somehow, hearing that from you feels odd. Are you sure no one ever tried to sell one?”

Li Yiting shook his head decisively. “Not only would you not believe it, I can hardly believe it myself. These past years, there’s been a craze for antiques, but the ones in our village seem truly cursed. Do you know how my third uncle’s wife died?”

Shen Mingyue’s eyes widened, “How?”

“Many years ago, she stole a jade bracelet. It never sold, and she died first!” Li Yiting’s expression was rather grim.

Shen Mingyue shivered and dared not ask more.

Chen Tianyu said lightly, “Back then, antiques weren’t worth much… Did you see it yourself, or just hear about it?”

Li Yiting sighed, “My father told me.”

Chen Tianyu asked suddenly, “Then how did your fourth uncle die?”

Li Yiting paused, “Fourth uncle?”

Chen Tianyu nodded.

“My fourth uncle died while I was still in middle school. I only found out when I came home for the holidays…” Li Yiting replied helplessly.

“I see…” Chen Tianyu mused.

Liu Zichen asked, “With so many treasures, don’t people from other villages get jealous?”

Before Li Yiting could answer, Chen Tianyu replied for him, “The craze for antiques is a recent thing. In the past, no one cared for that old junk…”

“That’s true,” Liu Zichen realized. “If only I’d lived back then, I could have collected the Lady of Yue’s Sword and no one would have cared.”

“In your dreams…” Chen Tianyu laughed.

---

Suddenly, their mother entered. “Yiting, someone’s looking for you outside.”

“Who is it?” Li Yiting asked in surprise.

She shook her head. “He looks familiar, but I don’t know him. He says he has some questions—not from our village.”

The group, curious, went to the living room. Outside the main door stood a tall, lean young man, gazing absentmindedly at the ornately carved beam above the entrance.

Seeing them emerge, Qiu Xi exclaimed, “What a beautiful lacquer painting!”

Lacquer painting was a rural woodworking craft where flowers, birds, fish, and insects were carved into hardwood, then painted with a homemade red lacquer to preserve the vibrant colors for years.

Liu Zichen spoke first, “You know your stuff.”

Qiu Xi glanced at the two ladies, momentarily stunned by their beauty—such lovely women in a country village! He quickly composed himself, lest he betray his youthful excitement.

His cheeks reddened with embarrassment. “I’d only heard of it before, never seen it in person. I hope you won’t laugh at me for that.”

Li Yiting said, “Don’t worry about it. I live here every day and didn’t know this was the famous lacquer painting everyone talks about. I painted it myself, you know.” He laughed—how rumors could exaggerate value for a purpose.

“Officer Qiu, are you looking for me?”

Qiu Xi nodded. “Li Fuqi, the village secretary, told me you were staying here, so I came to find you.”

Li Yiting thought, You probably didn’t even get a good look at my face the other day, but he didn’t press the point.

“Come in and sit for a while,” Li Yiting invited.

Qiu Xi shook his head. “I have other things to do. We can just chat here for a bit…”

It seemed he truly was just passing by, perhaps recalling that Li Yiting was the temple keeper’s nephew and not wanting to miss the chance to check in.

Li Yiting nodded and didn’t insist. They all sat in the living room—Chen Tianyu on a large stone at the door, Li Yiting perched on the threshold, and Qiu Xi, a bit awkward, on the long wooden bench.

“So… You know, I’ve been investigating the Guanyin Temple theft for a while now. Honestly, there’s been almost no progress,” Qiu Xi admitted. For some reason, he felt he didn’t need to hide it, though it was a professional taboo for a detective.

Chen Tianyu was the first to caution him, “You don’t need to tell us about your investigation’s progress.”

Qiu Xi blushed, embarrassed to be so easily read.

“Um… I just wanted to ask if you have any prime suspects in mind?” He directed the question to Li Yiting, avoiding the others’ gaze.

Li Yiting thought for a moment before replying, “We were just discussing it. Our guess is that someone was tempted by the prospect of wealth and stole the Guanyin statue.”

Qiu Xi agreed, “That seems likely.”

Li Yiting continued, “Buddhist statues are increasingly sought after in the antique market. Our village’s Guanyin statue must be at least two or three hundred years old and would fetch a high price.”

Chen Tianyu added, “If I’m not mistaken, it’s at least a meter tall.”

Qiu Xi nodded. “I haven’t seen it myself, but according to Luo Ming, it could be worth two or three hundred thousand. With that much money at stake, it’s no wonder someone was tempted. But… all the main suspects have solid alibis, which is why I wanted your opinion.”

Li Yiting glanced at Chen Tianyu, who gave a slight shake of the head. So he continued, “For such a large artifact, it’s more probable that a group was involved. If the motive was profit, they would have lined up a buyer in advance, which means there must have been transportation arranged to sell it quickly…” He paused, then added, “Very few families in the village own vehicles. Investigating from that angle might help narrow things down faster.”

Qiu Xi was surprised, “That makes sense… But wouldn’t a thief hide the statue first and wait for things to quiet down before selling it? Isn’t that safer?”

Li Yiting hesitated before replying, “It’s just too big…”

“If it’s already been moved and there’s no hard evidence, that’s troublesome…” Qiu Xi’s mood sank but then he realized something. “May I ask what you do for a living? You analyze things so well.”

Li Yiting scratched his head, embarrassed, and looked to Chen Tianyu for help.

Chen Tianyu chuckled. “Fate is funny—he almost became your colleague.”

“I see. What a pity,” Qiu Xi said, not pressing further and seeming lost in thought.

Li Yiting breathed a silent sigh of relief and offered, “I have a suggestion—maybe you could have your colleagues in the city check for any recent large Buddha statue transactions. It’s not something the trade can easily keep quiet.”

Qiu Xi gave him a thumbs-up. “Great idea! I’ll arrange it right away. It’s getting late, so I won’t trouble you any longer. Thank you for your help.”

Li Yiting offered politely, “Would you like to stay for lunch?”

“No need to trouble yourselves. If you find any leads, please let me know at once.”

After a few more polite exchanges, Qiu Xi took his leave.

Watching his departing figure, Shen Mingyue quipped, “Isn’t he a bit slow?”

Liu Zichen stopped her, “Don’t say that. Are you any better?”

“Fine,” Shen Mingyue conceded. “It seems unless the bad guy has ‘villain’ written on his face, he’d never guess… heh…”

Li Yiting mused, “Fourth Brother, you think he’s inexperienced. When will he ever solve the case? Why not help him out?”

Chen Tianyu said nothing, but Liu Zichen answered for him, “Maybe Tianyu thinks the identity of the thief doesn’t matter. With all the village’s treasures, if they succeed once, do you think they’ll stop?”

“If it’s a group, catching one won’t make much difference,” she added. “Just give a helping hand when it matters.”

The others nodded, and Chen Tianyu did not object.

Li Yiting laughed, “Knowing Fourth Brother, do you really think it’s that simple? He couldn’t care less about a petty theft.”

Again, everyone’s gaze turned to Chen Tianyu.