West Fourth Mutton Alley.
There was a white iron arch at the end of the street with a line of red words on it: Geology Hall Jewelry Street.
The words were written casually. There was no signature, and no one paid attention to it.
The pedestrians who came and went turned a blind eye to it, just like what he did for many years in the past, and it seemed like he would continue to do so for many years to come, so he did not need to pay special attention to these things.
Academician Du eagerly opened the back door of the Rolls-Royce and stared deeply in the direction of the street.
Here, he stored half a century of his youth, his youthful spirit, his expectations for a young China, and his smooth sailing and ups and downs.
Mutton Alley was not an elegant name, but it was the core coordinate where China's geologists traveled back and forth between the north and the south of the country. They traveled through the rugged and winding mountains, and lived in places where no one went.
Academician Du still remembered the scene when he first came to Mutton Alley when he was Young Du.
Academician Du could not help but take a deep breath. It was beautiful, familiar, and in his memory …
"Ahem."
A car passed by and its exhaust blew on his face.
Zuo Cidian, who was reluctant to get out of the car, watched from the front passenger seat. He could not help but shake his head and smile. "This academician's work is really troublesome."
Ling Ran and Tian Qi got out of the car and looked around curiously.
The name Mutton Alley itself had the flavor of the old capital. There was still a bit of an atmosphere of old bricks and ancient pagoda trees, but more of the liveliness of the small shops along the street.
A few passers-by and shop owners who were close by also sized up the Rolls-Royce without hiding it. In Jewelry Street, the appearance of a Rolls-Royce Phantom would always bring about some subtle emotions.
"The back door of the Geology Department used to open here. There is a geology hall in front, and movies used to be played there … "Academician Du walked over and introduced the surroundings with nostalgia." The jewelry trading center is in front. There are large jewelry transactions, and people often like to come here … "
Ling Ran listened quietly. He was not a person who was good at socializing, and his tolerance for chatting was very low. However, considering that Academician Du was a patient and his current condition was affected by his illness, Ling Ran could still listen to him, albeit reluctantly.
"I have a shop facing the street here, and it was later opened into a jewelry shop. My eldest grandson is in charge of it. Half of the warehouse is what he bought and sold, and the other half is my collection. " Academician Du said with a smile on his face, "Geological collections are much easier than other collections. They're all made of stones, after all, and they're very tolerant of the environment. We just need to modify them a little, and they'll be very comfortable."
Zuo Cidian sucked in a sharp breath when he heard that. "You already own a shop in Beijing?"
"I sold some of my old collections and bought them again. With so many things, there has to be a place to put them. As for my wife, it's enough if we sacrifice our youth, our children, and our son. Our grandson is not only our grandson, but also our son's son. "Academician Du lowered his voice a little." It's a little tough to be a geologist. There's sweetness and bitterness. There's less sweetness and more bitterness. "
Zuo Cidian could not help but remain silent.
If he had to choose, he would still have to think about whether to send his child to study medicine. But if it was his grandson, he would really feel reluctant. Of course, this was assuming that he had a grandson.
Academician Du really did have a grandson. He raised his chin and smiled again. "My eldest grandson has a bit of a talent for collecting. He's also quite good at reading things. Sometimes, he'll even pick up some rare items in the market. If you like it, you can ask him to buy a few items for you later."
Zuo Cidian clicked his tongue and said, "You're just working hard, but your wallet is not. Your collection from a few years ago must be very valuable now, right? I heard that people in the past did not collect, right? Then, you'll still be able to pick up a big bargain. "
"Haven't you heard of the stamp craze?" Academician Du smiled. "Geological collections have only become a little valuable in recent years. It's mainly gemstones and pure stones, and there are still not many people who like them."
The conversation between the two was quite lively, but Ling Ran and Tian Qi did not pay attention to this.
Compared to the dazzling collection of shops, Ling Ran preferred the sense of order in ancient buildings, and he paid more attention to them. It was not easy for Tian Qi to go out with Ling Ran, so she did not care about her surroundings.
Behind the Rolls-Royce, an Audi A8 that was slowly following them also stopped. The car door opened, and three people walked out. They were two middle-aged men with strong bodies, and an old man with gray hair.
They stood more than ten feet away from Tian Qi without saying a word. They did not get close to her, and neither did they greet her. They just stood there quietly.
Academician Du glanced at them and did not care anymore. He was someone who was going to have surgery tomorrow, and he did not have the mood to care about these things.
"Let's go to my shop and take a look. I'll tell you about my collection." Academician Du dragged Ling Ran into his shop excitedly. He greeted his chubby eldest grandson and went straight to the back of the shop.
Academician Du's collection was placed on rows of wooden shelves.
The most eye-catching item was a gold nugget. It was placed not far from the entrance, and it could be seen at a glance.
Academician Du just gave a simple introduction. "I picked it up when I went for a stroll in Men Yuan."
"You can even pick up gold when you go for a stroll?" Zuo Cidian was shocked.
"It's impossible for you to go." Academician Du showed a little bit of arrogance and said, "When we were looking for coal mines, we could rest for two to three weeks after we finished looking for them. The older ones had already gone home. I was still young at that time, and when I knew that there was gold in Men Yuan, I brought my two friends with me and wandered around the world …"
The chubby eldest grandson knew where these people came from. At that moment, he could only try his best not to look at Tian Qi, and he did not dare to look at Ling Ran either. He lowered his head and whispered, "Grandpa used half of this gold nugget to make a gold ring for my grandmother. He left the rest here, saying that it's for my father."
Zuo Cidian hummed in acknowledgment. "Why didn't it work after that?"
The chubby grandson said, "My father went to find one himself."
Zuo Cidian gasped in surprise. "Is Men Yuan owned by your family?"
"He only found a few gold beans after searching for two months, and the ring he made is so thin that it's better to sift through sand gold." Academician Du pursed his lips, and he did not look too satisfied. "He can't even find gold in the open, and he …"
"Grandpa!" the chubby grandson called out.
"Let me show you the topaz I dug out." Academician Du did not want to nag at his son anymore. He pulled Ling Ran along with him and said, "Topaz looks very similar to sapphire. It's the best substitute. I have some that I dug up from Mongolia, some from Jiangxi, and some from my old friends in Brazil … All of them were given to me by some of my friends when they went to work … Some of them were given to me, and some of them were bought for me …"
As he spoke, Academician Du stood in front of a wooden shelf, opened a black box, and took out a few crystal clear gemstones. The big ones were as long as a finger, and they looked very beautiful under the shine of the spotlights in the warehouse.
The gray-haired old man who followed behind the group took two quick steps forward and shielded Ling Ran and Tian Qi behind him. Then, Zuo Cidian went to the front on his own.
When he heard about sapphire, he became very excited. At that moment, his gaze was full of curiosity, and he looked like a grandson.
"Take a look." Academician Du wrapped a piece of topaz the size of a fingernail with a soft cloth and placed it in Zuo Cidian's hand.
Zuo Cidian twirled it between his fingers and looked at it seriously under the spotlights.
Academician Du smiled and introduced it. "The half-life of a freshly dug out topaz is one hundred days …"
Zuo Cidian was stunned for a moment, and his hands trembled a little. "Half-life means … there's radiation?"
Academician Du smiled. "The newest topaz I have here has been here for more than a year, almost two years. The amount of radiation is very little, and it doesn't have any effect on the body."
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