Facing the old woman's desperate plea, Feng Qingxue hesitated for a moment before ultimately agreeing to this trade. She took out twenty pounds of cornflour and ten pounds of flour, exchanging them for the two chicken-blood stones, a box of pine soot ink, a book of calligraphy, and a brush pen holder from the Qing Dynasty that the old woman had offered.
The old woman felt somewhat guilty, given that these items were currently worthless.
Jewelry and fine clothes were seen as the source of capitalist corruption. Only hedonism placed importance on these items. So, the nation's banks were only collecting gold and silver, not jade, jewelry, or antiques. These items were no longer marketable, and the only option for their owners was to take their chances on the black market. After all, there were still people in the world who appreciated and cherished these items.
Therefore, after the trade was completed, the old woman gave Feng Qingxue a small cloth bag before leaving.
