784: Chapter 779 A Series of Happy Events

Shen Yan walked up to a table covered in grease and laid the book flat.

He didn't open the pages but extended his slender fingers to press down on the inner edge of the book's cover.

There was an extremely fine seam there, a trace of adhesion from rice paste glue, which had become somewhat loose after years of erosion.

Ma Sanyan was an expert; upon seeing this movement, his expression instantly changed.

"A hidden compartment?"

His voice trembled slightly, and the two walnuts in his hands clacked against each other.

Paper was scarce during the Republic of China era, so many booksellers would recycle waste pages from ancient texts or use thick, old paper to make the lining for new book covers.

This was known in the trade as 'hiding gold in the book cover'.

The surrounding laughter sounded like ducks whose necks had been squeezed, stopping abruptly.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at Shen Yan's fingers.

Shen Yan took out an ultra-thin blade, already prepared, from his cufflink.

The blade flashed a cold glint under the sunlight as it precisely sliced into the seam of the cover.

There was no tremor, no superfluous movement.

Sss—

With a faint sound of paper separating, the filthy Republic of China cover was completely peeled off.

It revealed a piece of yellowed Xuan paper hidden inside, dotted with small wormholes.

Although the paper was damaged, the ink color was still deep, and the handwriting was strong and elegant, exuding an ancient medicinal fragrance.

In the upper right corner of the paper, a vermilion collector's seal was clearly printed—'Imperial Library'.

Boom!

It was as if a thunderclap exploded in Ma Sanyan's mind. The man staggered two steps back, nearly crashing into the scrap metal pile.

"Song edition... butterfly binding... Imperial seal..."

"This is... the personally bestowed edition of 'Synopsis of Golden Essentials'?!"

Ma Sanyan's eyeballs nearly popped out, and his voice became shrill and off-key.

Song dynasty books: a thousand pieces of gold per page.

Not to mention a medical rare book bearing the seal of the Imperial Palace.

This wasn't scrap paper; this was clearly several villas in the city center!

Although Boss Zhao didn't understand the trade, seeing Ma Sanyan's expression as if his parents had died, he knew what he had missed.

His face instantly flushed the color of pig liver, and the cattail fan in his hand dropped to the ground with a 'slap'.

Two thousand yuan?

He had just pushed away tens of millions for two thousand yuan!

Shen Yan calmly and collected the torn fragment he had peeled off and carefully placed it into the folder he had prepared.

His movements were gentle, as if tending to his sleeping daughter.

"This kind of perceptiveness isn't something you can develop just by playing with two walnuts in your hand."

Shen Yan put away the blade and lightly dropped those words.

He didn't look at Ma Sanyan's face, which was a mixture of red and white, nor did he pay attention to Boss Zhao's wails of regret, wishing he could hit his head against a wall.

He turned and got into the car. The door of the phaeton closed with a heavy thud, locking all the regret and jealousy outside.

The car started and sped away, leaving behind only a mess and a few common folk standing disheveled in the wind.

Inside the cabin, Shen Yan was in a good mood.

It wasn't due to the thrill of making a lucky find, but because of the content he saw on the fragment.

It was a lost acupuncture technique concerning 'Meridian Reconstruction'.

Combined with the nano-robot technology he had just given to Wu Ya, it might be possible to increase the recovery rate of comatose vegetative patients by thirty percent.

This was the real value.

His phone vibrated once; it was a WeChat message from his wife, Liu Hui.

"Hubby, Grandma made sweet and sour pork ribs tonight. Come back early, don't work too hard."

Shen Yan looked at the screen, and the cold line on his lips finally softened.

Compared to the priceless Song edition book, this was his true, priceless treasure.

"Be right there."

He replied with three words and stepped on the accelerator.

The black phaeton accelerated onto the main road, merging into the city's dazzling neon lights, heading in the direction of home.

The carved gate of the manor slid open silently under the infrared sensor.

The phaeton stopped steadily in the garage. The residual heat from the engine hadn't even dissipated before the enticing aroma of sweet and sour pork drifted through the door crack into the cabin.

Shen Yan pushed the door open and stepped out, carrying the priceless folder in his hand. His steps were lighter than when he went to meet the billionaire investor.

As soon as he entered the foyer, a doll-like little dumpling slammed into his arms like a cannonball.

"Daddy! Grandma made lots of delicious food today!"

Youyou looked up, two festive little knots tied on top of her head, holding a golden trophy in her hand.

It was the first-prize trophy from the City Youth Piano Competition. Although its prestige wasn't as high as the AI computing power hegemony Shen Yan had just secured, in the eyes of the old father, this was today's headline news.

Shen Yan lifted his daughter with one arm, kissed her chubby cheek, and handed the folder to the Nanny who came out to greet him.

"Put this away. Place it on the bottom shelf of the study safe. Don't let anyone touch it."

The Nanny took the folder, only thinking it was important documents the boss brought back. How could she imagine that tucked inside was a Song edition rare book capable of buying half the estate?

The dining room was lit with warm yellow light, and the long table was filled with home-cooked dishes, steaming hot.

Liu Hui, wearing the cartoon apron that was starting to fade from washing, was carrying the last dish of soup out of the kitchen.

Even though she was now the wife of a multi-billionaire CEO, she was still accustomed to personally cooking dinner for her husband and children.

"You're back? Wash your hands and eat. Today is all good news."

Liu Hui's face held a gentle smile, and joy radiated from the corners of her eyes and brows.

Shen Yan took off his suit jacket, which carried the dust of the mundane world, and sat in the main seat wearing only his white shirt.

"I heard Manager Liu got promoted today?"

He teased her while serving soup for his wife.

Liu Hui shot him a playful glance and placed peeled shrimp into Youyou's bowl.

"What Manager Liu? I'm just the supervisor of the Administration Department; it can't compare to your multi-billion dollar business."

"That's different. The Administration Supervisor manages the food, drink, and daily life of hundreds of people; it's harder than being a hands-off boss like me."

Shen Yan responded with a smile, his gaze falling on Shen An in the baby seat next to him.

The little boy wasn't yet two years old, his mouth stuffed with rice paste, waving his small spoon and babbling incoherently.

Suddenly, the little fellow mumbled out a string of notes through his broken speech.

"Twink... twinkle... lit-tle... star..."

Although the pronunciation was as fragmented as a malfunctioning radio, it was clearly the tune of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.

The whole family froze.

Liu Hui's chopsticks stopped mid-air, and she almost cried out in surprise.

Youyou clapped her hands on the table even more excitedly, loudly accompanying her little brother.

After dinner, Shen Yan suggested they go out for a walk to aid digestion.

Not to one of those high-end clubs accessible only to VIPs, nor to a shopping center full of luxury goods.

They went to an old street night market five kilometers away from Yujing Manor.

That was where Liu Hui used to live, and also where they met and fell in love.

Shen Yan changed into casual sportswear, took off the Patek Philippe worth several million, and replaced it with a regular smart bracelet.

Liu Hui linked her arm through his, Youyou held her father's big hand, and the Nanny pushed the baby stroller behind them.

The night market was at its liveliest.