Chapter 221 – Trading Glass Marbles for Tianhuang Stone

Zhou Yimin said solemnly, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I swear I won’t bring anything next time.”

Both Wang Weimin and his wife knew he was just saying that. Next time he came, he’d still bring something along, but they didn’t say anything.

After taking the beef, Wang Weimin’s wife went straight into the kitchen to start cooking. It’d be ready soon.

Unlike a certain quadrangle courtyard where someone like Jia Zhang, who looked like a mythical Pixiu, would make a big piece of meat somehow shrink to a tenth of its original size by the time it reached the table. The rest would definitely be set aside for her own secret meals—otherwise, how else could she stay that plump during such hard times?

While Zhou Yimin and Section Chief Wang were chatting in the house, the three children were showing off outside.

When it comes to kids, candy and glass marbles have enormous appeal.

Very quickly, they’d attracted all the children in the quadrangle courtyard.

The Section Chief’s kids were natural-born leaders and weren’t stingy either. Each child got two candies to share. Three or four kids shared one piece, taking turns to lick it a few times.

No one cared about hygiene back then.

If you were picky, you didn’t deserve to eat.

If someone accidentally swallowed the candy, they’d definitely get beaten up.

The glass marbles were shared too, and before long, the entire courtyard’s children were circling around the Section Chief’s three kids, having the time of their lives.

“Give me a marble! I’ll trade you this for one.” One kid pulled something out and tried to trade for a glass marble.

If Zhou Yimin had been there, he would’ve recognized it instantly—it was a Tianhuang stone seal.

The Section Chief’s child rejected him immediately. “No way.”

To him, that thing wasn’t worth nearly as much as his marbles.

Just then, Wang Weimin’s wife called the kids in for dinner. The three little ones immediately packed up their marbles and ran home. If you weren’t eager to eat, something must be wrong with your ideology.

Especially tonight, since they knew Uncle Zhou was dining with them—and he brought meat!

When she saw the dirt on their clothes, Wang Weimin’s wife scolded them again.

But the kids were well-mannered. With a guest at the table, they were very restrained. Even though they were dying to eat the meat, they didn’t keep reaching for it with their chopsticks.

“Yimin, you eat more. Don’t worry about giving any to them,” said Wang Weimin’s wife.

Seeing Zhou Yimin putting meat into the kids’ bowls, she was quite moved. After all, he’d brought the beef himself, but didn’t eat much of it and let the kids have more.

What she didn’t know was that Zhou Yimin just thought she didn’t cook it well.

The beef had only been casually stir-fried—how could it possibly taste good?

If he had cooked it, he would’ve made something like water-boiled beef or sizzling beef on an iron plate.

Luckily, the meat he brought today wasn’t premium wagyu or anything—just regular beef. Otherwise, it really would’ve been a waste.

“Sister-in-law, the kids are growing. Let them eat more,” Zhou Yimin said with a smile.

“Come on, Yimin, have some wine.” Wang Weimin poured him a drink.

He didn’t have much of anything else, but he did have good liquor. That’s why his old colleagues used to love coming over for a free drink.

Zhou Yimin nodded and had a few cups with him. By the time the sky turned dark, he was full and content. The three kids ate quickly and ran out again to play.

After chatting a bit longer, Zhou Yimin got up to leave.

The moment he stepped out, he saw a group of children gathered and playing marbles.

That little guy from before still hadn’t given up—he was clutching the item he’d found and trying to trade for a marble.

“Uncle Zhou, are you heading back?” one of Wang Weimin’s kids asked.

Zhou Yimin grinned. “Yeah. Still playing? If you don’t go back soon, your mom’s gonna come out with a whip.”

As soon as he said that, the three little ones scrambled back home.

The kid trying to trade for marbles shouted again.

Zhou Yimin noticed the Tianhuang stone seal and couldn’t help but wave him over. “Hey kid, let me take a look. I’ve got marbles.”

This morning, one of the “1 yuan mystery bag” items had been a bag of marbles—100 bags total, 30 marbles in each. He had no use for toys like that.

Of course, the kids all knew he had marbles!

That little guy immediately ran over to Zhou Yimin, holding up the Tianhuang seal with one hand and opening the other, eyes full of hope.

Zhou Yimin picked up the seal. Though he wasn’t an expert in antiques, it looked pretty good to him.

This kind of item, prized for its top-tier material and rarity, had been highly valued by Qing dynasty emperors. It was also loved by scholars as a treasured medium for seal carving. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, literati were famously obsessed with Tianhuang, praising it endlessly in poems and essays.

In later generations, Tianhuang stone became incredibly valuable, sold by the gram.

When Zhou Yimin crossed back to this era, the top-grade Tianhuang sold for 100,000 to 200,000 yuan per gram. Even mid-tier stones went for tens of thousands per gram, and even lower-quality ones fetched a few thousand.

Zhou Yimin reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of marbles—around ten.

“Both hands,” he said.

The little guy was so excited his face turned red. He quickly extended both hands together.

He had only expected to get one marble. He hadn’t imagined this uncle would be so generous—he gave him a whole handful!

Thrilled, the kid turned to leave.

Zhou Yimin stopped him. “Wait a sec.”

The little one thought Uncle Zhou was going to go back on the deal, and looked at him with wide, worried eyes.

But Zhou Yimin just reached into another pocket and pulled out a handful of candies. He gave the boy four or five pieces and handed one to each of the other kids nearby. Everyone got a share.

That made all the courtyard kids beam with joy.

“Uncle, I want one too!”

“Me too!”

They all started shouting “Uncle” left and right.

“Alright, alright, go on home now.” Zhou Yimin waved them off and sent the group scattering.

Just then, a few neighbors who had come out after dinner to get some fresh air witnessed the scene and couldn’t help but admire Zhou Yimin’s generosity.

News of what happened spread quickly through the courtyard—everyone was praising Zhou Yimin for his big-heartedness.

When Wang Weimin heard about it, he just smiled and thought to himself: Yep, that’s exactly Zhou Yimin’s style.

He really is generous with kids.

On the way home, Zhou Yimin was in an excellent mood.

He had just traded a handful of candy and marbles for a Tianhuang seal—no matter how you looked at it, that was a huge win. Even in this era, that seal could probably sell for over ten yuan, right?

And ten yuan could buy way more candy and marbles than what he just spent.

Back at the courtyard, Zhou Yimin ran into Luo Dapeng.

Luo Dapeng told him he had managed to get a bicycle ticket and was planning to buy a bike. But his old man wouldn’t let him, saying it was too showy.

“Well, it is a little flashy. People see you as an unemployed loafer,” Zhou Yimin said.

Luo Dapeng was speechless. He felt awful.

He clearly had money, but couldn’t spend it openly. Buying big-ticket items like a bicycle wasn’t something he could do casually. That really sucked.

(End of Chapter)

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—A Tianhuang stone seal is a carved stamp made from rare, golden-yellow Tianhuang stone, prized as the “King of Stones” in China. It’s highly valued for its beauty, rarity, and cultural significance, often used by scholars and emperors as a personal or artistic seal.