My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 539: Pawning Lifespan and Smiles

Upon hearing that even souls could be pawned, Sun Hai was shocked and startled on the spot.

Zhang Lei gave a slight nod to Ye Shuhua, who was standing to the side.

Ye Shuhua picked up the celadon teapot, stepped forward slowly, and poured Sun Hai a cup of jasmine tea.

Sun Hai held the teacup with both hands, his heart pounding. He hesitated to drink, then asked tentatively, "Boss, I urgently need a large sum of money to pay off my debts. Do you know what I have that I can pawn?"

Zhang Lei asked casually, "How much do you need?"

"I want one million," Sun Hai said through gritted teeth.

Zhang Lei chuckled lightly, his tone calm: "One million. I want you to pawn two years of your life."

Sun Hai was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief: "My lifespan... can be exchanged for money?"

"Of course."

Zhang Lei raised his hand and waved it, and a contract shimmering with light appeared out of thin air on the table.

Then, with another wave of his hand, a cash check for one million dollars was quietly placed next to the contract.

"Sign this contract, and this money is yours."

Sun Hai stared at the terms of the contract, his gaze fixed on the line "[Pawn lifespan: two years]", hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and signed his name.

The moment the pen touched the paper, the contract vanished into tiny specks of light, startling Sun Hai.

Zhang Lei raised his hand and activated the Divine Hand, a faint light flowing from his fingertips, and gently waved it over Sun Hai's face.

Ye Shuqin immediately stepped forward and handed over a sealed, antique-style pottery jar.

A wisp of pale white light detached from Sun Hai's body, slowly flowing into the jar and sealing it securely.

"The deal is done, guest. Please leave now," Zhang Lei said calmly.

Sun Hai clutched the million-dollar check in his hand and walked out of Pawnshop No. 4 in a daze.

The moment I stepped out of the shop, my detailed memories of the pawnshop began to fade, and I only vaguely remembered that there was a mysterious pawnshop where you could pawn anything.

He rushed to the bank to verify the check. After confirming that the full amount of one million was genuine and valid, the pressure that had been building up for days collapsed instantly. His eyes reddened on the spot, and he burst into tears. He was finally out of the predicament of bankruptcy and debt repayment.

Inside the pawnshop, the three women looked at the two years of lifespan sealed in the pottery jar, and their faces showed joy.

The three of them relied on the time that Zhang Lei collected through various pawn transactions to sustain them, thus allowing them to stay by his side for a long time.

Ye Shuqi took out the ledger she carried with her and handed it to Zhang Lei.

The ledger clearly records that the total lifespan of the stored items has reached more than 3,200 years.

Zhang Lei glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction: "The reserves are sufficient. The three of you can each live peacefully for another thousand years or so."

The three women carefully sealed the earthenware jar containing the lifespan of the vessel and placed it in their special storage cabinet.

This cabinet connects to Zhang Lei's personal space, isolating him from all external interference, making it the safest and most secure place to store his belongings.

The night was deep, and the late-night transactions at Pawnshop No. 4 had just begun.

Soon, another hour passed, and another person walked into the pawnshop.

The newcomer was a woman of the night named Liu Rushuang.

She looked down at the number four pawnshop card in her hand, her heart filled with trepidation, wondering to herself: Can this mysterious pawnshop really help me?

For a long time, she was tormented day and night by a stubborn illness, her body was deteriorating, and she was exhausted both physically and mentally. She no longer wanted to endure this endless torment of illness.

Liu Rushuang slowly walked into pawnshop number four and immediately saw Zhang Lei sitting in the center, and was momentarily stunned.

She never expected that such a handsome and exceptionally charming man would be found in such a gloomy and mysterious old shop.

She composed herself and quickly asked, "Boss, can this place really help me solve my problems?"

Zhang Lei nodded calmly: "Of course. Everything in this world is based on equivalent exchange. If you are willing to pay the corresponding price, you can get the result you want."

Liu Rushuang looked at Zhang Lei, then glanced at the three women standing quietly beside him. She looked embarrassed and had something to say, finding it difficult to easily express her pain.

Zhang Lei glanced at Ye Shuqin, Ye Shuqi, and Ye Shuhua, and the three immediately understood, quietly retreating to the inner room to wait without disturbing them further.

Once the surroundings quieted down, Liu Rushuang mustered her courage and asked in a trembling voice, "Can you really completely cure the serious illness that has plagued me for so long?"

Zhang Lei remained calm and bluntly stated, "It's nothing more than syphilis and AIDS."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rushuang trembled, her face filled with shock.

She had never revealed the full extent of her illness to anyone. The pawnshop owner in front of her saw through all her hidden ailments at a single glance, making him both mysterious and terrifying.

She stopped hiding it and nodded through her tears: "Yes, it's these illnesses that torment me day and night, making me suffer unbearably. Please, please help me."

With a casual wave of his hand, Zhang Lei gently lifted Liu Rushuang up.

"Only you can save yourself. If you want to eradicate the illness, you have to see what you are willing to give up in exchange."

With a resolute look in her eyes, Liu Rushuang hurriedly said, "I am willing to give anything, as long as I can get rid of the illness and no longer suffer this torment, I am willing."

Zhang Lei hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"The most valuable thing you have right now is your smile."

"If you're willing to pawn all the smiles you've ever had, I'll step in and completely eradicate all the ailments from your body."

Liu Rushuang was stunned for a moment, completely surprised.

She had anticipated the costs of money, health, and even her lifespan, but she never imagined that what the other party wanted to pawn was simply her smile.

She had thought that even if she had to spend her last savings of over 100,000 yuan, she would do it to regain her health, but she never expected the conditions to be like this.

Looking at her lost in thought, Zhang Lei said calmly, "You can think it over carefully."

You are afflicted with a serious illness, suffering day and night. You have long since lost the will to laugh, and it is unlikely that you will ever have the right to be happy again for the rest of your life.

After careful consideration, Liu Rushuang gritted her teeth and made up her mind: "Fine, I agree. I'll pawn my smile."

"Then sign it."

Zhang Lei raised his hand and waved it, and a simple, old-fashioned pawn contract appeared out of thin air on the table.

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Rushuang picked up the pen and signed her name.

The moment he signed his name, Zhang Lei waved his hand again, and a simple single bed instantly appeared in the center of the pawnshop.

"Lie down, and I will rid you of all your ailments."

Liu Rushuang lay down with some doubt, her mind inevitably filled with all sorts of wild thoughts.

She was worried that the other party would make unreasonable demands or do inappropriate things, but when she thought of the torment of her terminal illness that plagued her day and night, she didn't care about anything anymore.

She slowly closed her eyes.

In an instant, Zhang Lei activated the Divine Hand, gently brushing it over her body, as if forcibly separating two completely different things from her flesh and blood.

At this moment, Ye Shuqin came out from the inner room, holding two sealed ceramic jars in her hands.

With a flick of his left hand, Zhang Lei sealed the dark, filthy evil energy of disease into a transparent glass jar.

With a gentle clench of his right hand, he captured a glimmer of tender joy and laughter, placing it into the rustic pottery jar.

With all her pain gone, Liu Rushuang slowly got up, feeling light and refreshed all over. The heaviness, itching, and festering pain were swept away, leaving her feeling incredibly comfortable.

Zhang Lei raised his hand, gesturing for the guest to leave.

Liu Rushuang walked out of Pawnshop No. 4 in a daze, looking dazed.

It was as if nothing had happened, yet it was also as if a bizarre transaction had taken place.

The lightness and health of her body felt incredibly real, and the relief of being free from a terminal illness brought her genuine joy.

No matter how relaxed or happy she felt, no matter how hard she tried to smile, her facial muscles remained stiff and numb, and her lips wouldn't move an inch.