Zhang Xiaokang finally got what he wanted. There was no point in staying any longer. After leaving a harsh warning for Zhang Yingying, he left happily.
The tears that Zhang Yingying had held back for a long time finally burst out. She squatted on the ground, covering her face and sobbing.
Yun Que'er walked over and gently patted Zhang Yingying on the shoulder. "It's okay, Sister Yingying. Everything is fine now."
Zhang Yingying looked at Yun Que'er with tears in her eyes. "It's all because of me that I've dragged you all down."
Yun Que'er gave a faint smile. "The path we chose ourselves. It can't be considered as dragging us down."
However, Zhang Yingying felt extremely guilty. She knew that if it weren't for her, Yun Jianzhou wouldn't have had a conflict with them, and her family wouldn't have had to pay these two hundred yuan.
After all, a debt is a debt. No matter how the other person comforts her or how she comforts herself, the fact can't be changed.
Zhang Yingying sobbed for a long time before finally wiping away her tears.
"Don't worry. I will definitely pay this money back to you."
"Don't be in a hurry. And didn't we already agree on this?"
Yun Que'er smiled. "If this matter can be accomplished, we don't have to worry about these two hundred yuan being wasted in vain, and you don't have to worry about your uncle causing you trouble again in the future."
Although it was something they had discussed long ago, Zhang Yingying still wasn't confident. She looked at Yun Que'er with a worried face.
"Can this really succeed? I've never seen them even when my father was alive. Besides, can a wooden box really be useful?"
Yun Que'er thought it would be useful.
Since that person had already given the mahogany box to Uncle Zhang and specifically showed him the way, it proved that the significance of this mahogany box far exceeded its own value.
If you don't use something, others will. So why let it go to waste in your hands?
Yun Que'er took out a handkerchief and wiped away Zhang Yingying's tears.
"Sister Yingying, don't think so much. Anyway, let's give it a try first. But we'd better hurry up. We don't want your uncle to suddenly realize one day that this wooden box is worth more than two hundred yuan and come back to find you. Then it will be hard to solve the problem."
At the mention of Zhang Xiaokang's name, Zhang Yingying couldn't help but tremble.
Although with the help of the Yun family, she had gained some confidence, but deep down, she was still afraid of Zhang Xiaokang.
It was precisely because she had seen how shameless Zhang Xiaokang was that she believed even more that he could do something a hundred times worse than usual.
Zhang Yingying couldn't sit still any longer and quickly stood up.
"Then let's hurry up."
Zhang Yingying, Yun Fujin, and Yun Que'er set off on the road to the town.
With the note left by Uncle Zhang back then, they stumbled their way to the so - called tea shop.
Standing in front of the door and looking at the plaque, Zhang Yingying didn't feel confident.
"Are you sure this is the right place? I don't think it looks like it."
This tea shop was located in a storefront. The exterior was simple, with only two glass doors.
The plaque above was supported by a steel - bar frame, covered with a layer of red paper, and a few words were written with a brush, which served as the signboard.
However, this kind of signboard was the least sturdy. Without a cardboard backing, it would get damaged when it rained, snowed, or when the wind blew.
Now standing outside and looking up, one could only barely recognize the words "tea leaves", and the rest was completely unclear.
Yun Que'er also thought it didn't look like it. After all, in her impression, most tea shops were elegantly decorated and had an ancient charm.
But it was understandable. After all, it was the 1980s. How could it be compared to decades or even hundreds of years later?
"Maybe it is." Yun Que'er nodded.
The more Zhang Yingying looked, the more something seemed wrong. She frowned slightly.
"Did we find the wrong place? How about we look around some more? I always feel this place shouldn't be it."
Zhang Yingying thought this way for a reason.
After all, how could a person who owned a mahogany box be short of money? Even if this shop wasn't run by him personally, his colleagues shouldn't have fallen to such a state.
"Don't be in a hurry. Anyway, let's go in and ask first." Yun Que'er said. "As the saying goes, the truly reclusive hide in the bustling world. Maybe there are really some remarkable people here."
Yun Fujin couldn't help but laugh. "You're not very old, but you know a lot of principles. You really impress me, little sister."
Yun Que'er stuck out her tongue at Yun Fujin. "Brother, you're teasing me again."
"How is this teasing? I'm complimenting you." Yun Fujin touched Yun Que'er's head and said to Zhang Yingying, "Just listen to little Que'er. We've already come here."
Right. At this point, there was no need to back down.
Zhang Yingying was shy. Afraid that she would be nervous, Yun Que'er and Yun Fujin took the lead and walked in.
Inside was a very simple shop. The floor was paved with marble slabs, and there were steel - bar shelves on both side walls.
There were all kinds of tea leaves on them. Although the quantity was small and they were all packed in small jars, it could be seen that there were many varieties.
Yun Que'er had guessed that there must be something special inside, and as expected, her guess was right.
Looking up, at the innermost position was a glass counter.
A man was fanning himself and dozing lightly on a rocking chair behind the counter.
The three of them walked over quietly. Yun Fujin stood in front of the counter, gently tapped on the glass surface, and whispered,
"Boss?"
The man heard the noise and slightly opened his eyes. Seeing a few people standing in front of him, he quickly sat up.
"Are you here to buy tea leaves?"
"We want to ask you about someone." Yun Fujin said.
He waved to Zhang Yingying, signaling her to come forward. Pointing at the mahogany box in Zhang Yingying's hand, he said to the boss,
"There's an Uncle Zhang in our village. A few years ago, he saved a man. This man gave him this mahogany box and said he could keep it for self - protection. If there was anything in the future, he could come to this tea shop in the town with the mahogany box, and whoever saw the box would help."
After hearing what Yun Fujin said, the boss immediately took it seriously and quickly asked Yun Fujin to bring the box over to have a look.
After looking at it for a while, the boss opened his eyes wide in shock.
"Hey, isn't this Brother Long's mahogany box? He treasures it so much that even we brothers aren't allowed to take a look. I heard a few years ago that he gave the box away, but I didn't expect it to be in your hands."
The boss sized up these people carefully. Seeing that they were all young, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.
However, it could be seen that the so - called Brother Long held a very important position in his heart.
When he saw this mahogany box, he seemed to have seen the real Brother Long. He immediately showed respect, carefully held the box, and said to Yun Fujin,
"Please come inside and sit down." The boss made a gesture of invitation to Yun Fujin and the others.