Chapter Twenty-Five Antique Street

  Antiques in a prosperous era, gold in a chaotic era. This is an old saying that has been passed down for thousands of years in China. Now that the prosperous era has arrived, the antique market is even more booming. Not to mention those well-known national treasures, but also those rare and precious items are emerging one after another. Insiders all know that today's antique market is a huge cake, and anyone with some spare money will buy some.

  However, when it comes to the antique market, many people in China will first think of several well-known big cities. After all, there are many people and tycoons there, and the number of sky-high-priced antiques that have emerged in recent years is numerous. But in the eyes of insiders, those places can't compare with ancient capitals, cities with a history of over a thousand years. In fact, it's precisely those places where antiques gather most.

  Six Dynasties ancient capital, Three Kingdoms prosperous world, those places do not need to be said, since ancient times have been the battleground for military strategists, from the perspective of Feng Shui it is a place where dragon veins converge, for thousands of years, under the land has buried countless treasures.

  In recent years, with the booming antique market, various places have developed similar to Antique Street and Antique District. They are similar to Beijing's Liulichang in the past, where genuine and fake products are mixed together, and it is difficult to distinguish between them. There are people who become rich overnight, but also those who lose everything. In this circle, what you rely on is not just money, but also your eyesight, knowledge, and experience. After all, modern technology can already make counterfeit products almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

  In the antique market, the most exciting thing is to pick up a bargain. In countless legendary stories, people wander around on the street and see a rural person selling family heirlooms or ancestral objects, then spend a few hundred dollars to buy a priceless treasure. However, legends are just legends. After wandering around an antique street at the foot of Songshan Mountain, the mysterious feeling in the antique world was broken. The only feeling left is chaos, and if I add a few more words to describe it, that's pitiful.

  "Let's go to the pawnshop." After several hours, Lan finally couldn't help but get annoyed. No wonder, even I was almost driven mad by those antique dealers. One of them took out a jade bowl and showed it to another dealer, who hadn't even examined it carefully before saying it was fake or offering a price of only one or two thousand yuan. Damn, how could an artifact from the Northern and Southern Dynasties be worth only a few thousand? Was this shop trying to cheat us? Should we try another one? This one was even more cheating than the last one.

  Actually, we all know that among these businessmen, there are those who recognize the value of what's in our hands. It's just that they won't give us a normal price for it. After all, the unspoken rule in this line of work is that if you can cheat someone, it's one person down, and instead of being ridiculed or despised by others, you'll be praised for your good luck at having met a few idiots. And as for us, we look like the idiots, after all those businessmen casually throw out some antique industry jargon and we don't understand it, making it clear that we're just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

  "Pawnshop, can we do it? Our stuff doesn't have any appraisal certificate, and we're not being ripped off" I had some doubts, and I also asked around about the rules of this pawnshop. Generally speaking, when you buy something there, they will sell it to you at a relatively reasonable price. But the problem is not that they rip you off on the price, but rather the appraisal fee. Many pawnshops require an appraisal certificate from a specific appraiser before they'll accept your item, saying it's to prevent buying fakes. And those appraisal fees? Ha! I've seen them charge 2,000 yuan for a 10,000-yuan antique. For someone as stingy as me, do you think I'd be willing to pay that kind of money?"

  "Don't worry, I'm not planning to sell it to them. All the bigger pawn shops here have a display hall, which is like an exhibition to attract customers. So our target is them, and I don't believe there isn't one who can appreciate its value," Lan said, she knew more about high-society things than I did.

  "Alright, let's go there." Since Lan Jie had made up her mind, I couldn't very well object. After all, we were in a hurry to return to Jiangbei. If I were to stubbornly resist, who knows, maybe Lan Jie would misunderstand me.

  On Antique Street, the pawn shops are also concentrated in one area, easy to find. Although I don't know if these bosses will be jealous of each other's business, but it really happened that when a row of pawn shops appeared in front of us, Lan sister was actually having a hard time making a decision.

  "Let's go to that house." Lan Jie couldn't make up her mind, but I quickly pointed to a pawnshop. Ever since the Wheel of Reincarnation displayed its divine power at the exit of the underground tunnel in Villa No. 7, it had been quiet for a long time. It only reacted once when Lan Jie kissed me forcefully. But as soon as we entered Antique Street, my palms started itching. When I arrived here, I directly felt a surge of heat from the Wheel of Reincarnation in my palm, which rushed straight to my eyes.

  After being washed away by that hot current, my eyes were wide open. What the hell is this? Why are there suddenly so many colorful lights here? There's red, blue, black, and all sorts of colors, but purple light is the most abundant. And in front of me, this house has the most vibrant purple light. Since it's purple, I'll choose it then.

  Lan Jie didn't say a word and led the way in. This pawnshop was decorated in an ancient style, like an old inn from another era. As soon as we entered, the most eye-catching thing was the giant Buddha statue right in front of us, but to me, it was just another sight because I noticed that the entire house's purple color came from this Buddha statue.

  "Lan sister, have you discovered anything unusual, such as a strange feeling when we first came in?" I quietly asked Lan sister.

  "This pawnshop is extraordinary, look at the decorations inside, they are all very exquisite. If I'm not mistaken, the combination of these things is a Feng Shui array. I saw Master Li set up an array before, and the incense burner he used was no ordinary one, it's a rare treasure in the market that has a calming effect. Have you noticed, since we came in here, it feels like we can't feel the temperature outside anymore? It feels like a gentle spring breeze, not a single violent thought arises." Lan sister whispered to me.

  "So that's how it is" I suddenly realized, unexpectedly a single hall had so many doors, the antique business was deep waters, even with Lan sister's experience it was only seeing the tip of the iceberg, strictly speaking not even at the entry level.

  "Hello, what can I get for the two of you?" Soon, a pretty waitress came over to greet us. The hall had a lot of things on display, all placed there. At this time, five or six people were gathered around something, looking at it, while several waitresses in professional attire were patiently explaining."

  "Come, you're here to buy something, see that? I want that Buddha statue, how much is it?" I said, pointing at the Buddha statue emitting a purple glow in a very domineering tone. Unfortunately, my clothes and appearance were a bit too shabby, otherwise I would have looked like a local tyrant.

  However, after hearing that, the waiter's face changed, and he patted his pocket before saying with great difficulty, "I'm sorry, sir, but that is not for sale."

  "Not for sale, are some not for sale? I didn't see that," I replied with a smile. Antique shops are different from some jewelry stores, where goods are clearly priced and sold. More than half of the items don't have price tags, whether you get a good deal or not largely depends on the customer's eye."

  "I'm sorry, sir. That's really not for sale. Why don't I show you something nice instead? We have some new arrivals here, all jewelry from the Ming and Qing dynasties. They're not only beautiful but also valuable for collection. What do you think?" The waitress's eyes became somewhat dim and unclear, although she hadn't directly called security to throw us out yet, it was clear that she had already become impatient and probably thought of us as troublemakers in her heart.

  I secretly pinched Lan's arm, telling her not to speak, and instead said to the waiter again, "I'm really sincere about buying that Buddha statue. Look at how tall and majestic it is, it doesn't look scary like those in temples, but rather has a joyful appearance. I'll buy it and put it in my room, every day when I wake up, I'll worship it, and I'm sure I'll have good luck."

  "You," the waitress saw that I was still entangled in wanting to buy a Buddha statue and was very angry. If it weren't for her professional ethics, she might have already blown up. However, at this time, a middle-aged man came out from the small door behind the counter, wearing ancient-style long gown clothes, and walked directly to my front, saying

  "Lili, since this guest is so sincere, then sell it to him. But gentlemen, did you bring enough money?"

  The middle-aged man looked me and Lan sister up and down after finishing speaking, it was obvious that with the cognitive level of a middle-aged man, he did not see that I and Lan sister were rich people, neither like a wealthy businessman nor like a nouveau riche, neither in dress nor in temperament.

  "Haha, money matters are easy to discuss, I wonder if these big brothers are the bosses here?" I laughed and finally forced out someone with a bit of level, otherwise it would be unknown how much time would be wasted talking to these service staff, and this time was enough for them to make judgments about us and think about how to cheat us.

  "No, I'm the manager here. Since you want to buy that Buddha statue so much, I'll sell it to you. How much are you willing to pay?" The middle-aged man said with a hint of anger, clearly seeing through my intention. However, buying those unsellable items is taboo in the antique world. Anyone with some insight knows they're used for feng shui, just like the red dragon fish raised in many hotel lobbies. And this Buddha statue was the focal point of the store's feng shui layout.

  "Hey, big brother, don't be angry, come on, have a smoke. Actually, I really want to do business with you, but not buying, selling. Little brother is doing this because he's afraid these service staff won't recognize the goods." I pulled out my nine-yuan cigarette and handed one over. Dammit, might as well offend someone who has no power or influence, like a service staff member.

  As expected, as soon as I finished speaking, the waiter's face turned extremely ugly, and the middle-aged man also darkened his face, stretched out his hand to block my cigarette, and said "Sorry, our store does not allow smoking. If you want to smoke, please go outside to smoke. In addition, our service staff has undergone rigorous training, although they may not be as good as professional appraisers in terms of eyesight, but they are absolutely not idiots who don't understand anything. Well, welcome to our store, Lili, take this gentleman outside to smoke."

  I'm done for, this is getting out of hand, this is the rhythm of sending guests off, I'm not going to do that, after finally taking the initiative once and ending up with such a result, wouldn't it be laughable? Without saying another word, I hinted at Lan Jie, Lan Jie immediately took action, oh, don't misunderstand, it's not fighting or robbing, but opening her backpack and taking out a pair of jade chopsticks. This pair of chopsticks was left by Kou Qianzhi, the best preserved and most delicate one.

  As expected, the jade chopsticks immediately caught the middle-aged man's attention. He waved his hand and let the waitress named Lili leave, then led us to a sofa with a screen blocking the view and said, "Sir, what is your surname? I apologize for not attending to you properly earlier."

  "My surname is Kou, and I was wrong about what happened earlier. It was my fault for being too rash." I also responded with a polite phrase, just a social nicety, who doesn't know how to say that?

  "Since the master said it's to sell things in our store, can you let me take a look?" After the polite words, the middle-aged man fixed his eyes on the jade chopsticks in my hand, looking like a wolf eyeing its prey.

  "No problem" I handed the chopsticks to him, although they looked delicate, but what material were they made of and how much were they worth, no one knew, it would be good if someone could estimate the price.

  But I didn't expect that this guy would take half an hour, I deliberately coughed a few times and pretended not to notice, even I was getting impatient, if he hadn't been sitting here all the time, I would have suspected him of embezzling my treasure.

  "How much is this worth?" I asked as soon as he looked up, which was the most relevant question for me and Lan's sister.

  The middle-aged man's expression was somewhat complex, and he sighed after a long time, saying "I'm not satisfied with what you said. I really didn't expect the origin of this thing, so I can't estimate its value. But if I were to make an offer, it would be at most 5,000 yuan."

  The man's implication was that he couldn't tell whether your item was genuine or fake, so he could only offer a price for it as if it were fake. However, when I heard 5,000 yuan, I got anxious and didn't understand his meaning at all. "What? 5,000? Are you kidding me? This is an antique from the Northern and Southern Dynasties! Look at the quality of this jade, look at these intricate carvings - even a modern craft wouldn't be worth less than 5,000!"

  "Sir, please calm down. I know 5,000 is a bit low, but I have many doubts about this item and I don't know if you'd be willing to enlighten me. For example, sir, how do you think this jade chopstick is from the Northern and Southern Dynasties? Is there any expert appraisal proof?"

  "No," I shook my head.

  "That's even stranger, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, it was a time of war, very few things were left behind. If something was passed down through generations or hidden away as treasure, there should be obvious signs of aging, but ancient people rarely kept chopsticks, a daily utensil, as family heirlooms. Instead, they used them for burial purposes, which is an ancient custom. However, the items excavated from underground usually have a distinct aura of being funerary objects, but yours doesn't. This is something I've never seen before." The middle-aged man kept shaking his head, as if he was talking about something unbelievable.

  "Sorry, I have to keep the origin of this thing a secret, but I can guarantee that it's absolutely top-notch. We've been to many places today and don't want to go any further. If you can, give me an estimate, but don't mention those five thousand or ten thousand numbers. Let's talk about the real price of Northern and Southern Dynasties antiques." Just as I was about to explain something, Lan Jie pinched me discreetly, snapping me back to reality. Damn it, almost got cheated! This guy is trying to trick me into revealing that Kou Qian is my master. If I say that, I'm done for.

  "Sorry, I can't offer a high price. If I go by my pricing, I'm afraid you won't be satisfied." Seeing that I wasn't taken in, the middle-aged man didn't show any embarrassment at all. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head to refuse. In fact, even if this jade chopstick was really an antique from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, its value wouldn't have been beyond what he could control. It's just that the backgrounds of the two people in front of him were really suspicious, and he didn't want to take any risks. As the saying goes, "the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; if you don't do anything, you won't make any mistakes."

  "Gentlemen, as you can see, we really need some money. How about this? I know that many top antique dealers often hold small appraisal events and invite friends from all over to appraise them. So if you, sir, can introduce us, no matter what the outcome is, I will thank you sincerely." Lan Jie chimed in at the critical moment.

  Lan's words made the man somewhat unexpected, after all, such things as antique appraisal meetings are not known to everyone in the circle or with a certain status, and the scope of such gatherings is usually very small, generally requiring an introduction from an acquaintance. How did these two people know that there was an antique appraisal meeting at their store today? Originally wanting to refuse, but thinking again, he said

  "Of course, but according to the rules, if this thing succeeds, you'll have to pay us a 5% commission fee. After all, we're taking on reputational risk, and if someone makes a mistake, we'll have to take some responsibility."

  Five percent, that's a lot less than those appraisal fees, so of course we agreed. Soon, the middle-aged man led us through a side door into the backyard.

  In the backyard's great hall, a group of people were admiring some items placed in the center. Upon seeing our arrival, they immediately cast curious glances at us, after all, it was rare for someone to appear halfway through.

  I and Lan sister are also constantly sizing up these people, although we don't know a single one of them, but from their temperament, it's certain that they are either rich or noble, which makes me feel delighted, having money is good, just afraid of not having money.

  But when I fixed my gaze on a smiling face looking at me, it made my heart skip a beat, and I secretly thought what a coincidence.