Chapter 21: Hidden Treasures Within
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“What! Fifty million!” Guo Shan, the young man, exclaimed in shock. His head was buzzing, and he collapsed to the ground, nearly fainting.
“Wow, did he just die from shock?” Guo Shan’s fellow vendor hurried over, checked his breathing, and realized he had just fainted. “Fortunately, he didn’t die, just passed out.”
Gao Chengwen waved his hand dismissively and said, “Since you know him, take him away.”
Gao Chengwen was really in no mood now because he had just missed the fifty million right under his nose. Ever since he started the antique shop, he made around two million in income annually, and he had been doing it for over a decade, yet he hadn’t earned fifty million.
“Okay, I’ll take him away,” said the young man. He hoisted Guo Shan onto his shoulders and carried him off.
Xu Yang shook his head and left Treasure Pavilion. He didn’t leave Antique Street but continued to stroll around. Since he got the Master Appraiser skill in the morning, he wanted to try his luck again to see if he could score another treasure.
“Yulu, why don’t we leave too? We’ll come back another day,” said Chen Guanglei. He had no interest in staying here. Since his uncle was obviously in a bad mood, it was boring for Chen Guanglei to stay here with Zhao Yulu.
“Alright.” Zhao Yulu replied. She didn’t want to stay any longer.
When they walked out of the door, they saw Xu Yang walking out of an antique shop and entering another antique shop.
Chen Guanglei could not help but laugh and said, “Yulu, do you think Xu Yang is still trying his luck for another treasure?”
“I don’t know. Probably.” Zhao Yulu answered. She was also puzzled.
Chen Guanglei rolled his eyes and said, “Yulu, why don’t we go and take a look? We’re planning to shop at Antique Street anyway. Maybe we can find something good as well.”
Zhao Yulu thought about it and nodded. She said, “Alright, since we’re here, let’s take a look around.”
Then, Chen Guanglei brought Zhao Yulu to Antique Street.
Xu Yang visited more than ten stores and did not find anything to pick up. In those shops, whether it was calligraphy, paintings, porcelain, or anything else, they were basically fakes. There were very few authentic works.
The price of an authentic work was the market price. There was no possibility of finding anything worthy. So Xu Yang decided to stop going into those antique shops and went to the entrance of Antique Street. It was where the stall was set up.
Many people were setting up stalls at the entrance. There were some bottles, jars, and other things on the stalls. The items looked old, but they were even more fake than the ones in the store. However, there were quite a few people who came to Antique Street and were willing to come here to take a look. If they were lucky, they could still find some treasure.
Xu Yang also came to try his luck. Regardless of whether he could find anything, he was going home after checking out. It was almost time for Zhao Yuxin to get off work, and Xu Yang had to go buy some groceries.
“Paintings by Tang Bohu, don’t miss them!”
“Porcelain from the time of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, absolutely authentic!”
“Calligraphy by Wang Xizhi, buying these is a guaranteed profit!”
Every now and then, Xu Yang could hear the vendors’ shouts. He couldn’t help but laugh hearing them. He thought if those antiques were genuine, they wouldn’t be on display here. It was either the vendors sold it long ago or kept as family heirlooms.
Over twenty small stalls and Xu Yang had finished looking at them all. They were all imitations, and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The painting by Wu Daozi that he had just seen was a tip from the system, a surefire opportunity to find a hidden gem. He had hoped, with his Master Appraiser skill, to find another opportunity like that. But, it seemed hopeless.
“Hmm?”
However, when Xu Yang reached the last stall, he was drawn to a vase. It looked plain and ordinary, a modern craft piece. But his Master Appraiser skill told him that the bottom of the vase was unusually thick as if it held hidden secrets.
“Young man, found something you like? I have treasures here, all absolutely authentic!” The stall owner blurted out.
“How much for this jade ruyi?” Xu Yang didn’t ask about the vase’s price directly; he didn’t want to attract the owner’s attention.
Gao Chengwen squinted, smiling, and said, “This jade ruyi, let me tell you, it was used by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty…”
Before he could finish, Xu Yang interrupted, “Can we be honest here? If you keep this up, I’ll leave.”
“Young man, please don’t go.” The owner hurriedly jumped up. He had finally found a potential customer, and he couldn’t let him slip away. “You’re interested in this jade ruyi, right? Let me tell you the truth, it’s not from Emperor Taizong’s era. It’s from Emperor Kangxi’s time. Even though it’s not as ancient, it’s still a royal item…”
Before the owner could finish, Xu Yang stood up to leave.
“Young man, don’t go.” The owner hastily grabbed Xu Yang’s hand.
“I’ve already told you, I prefer dealing with honest people.” Xu Yang replied indifferently.
Xu Yang didn’t actually intend to leave; he just didn’t want to hear the owner’s nonsense.
“Okay, okay, I’m the most honest here,” the owner said. “My items are all genuine. I’ll be honest with you, this jade ruyi is a modern craft piece, but the craftsmanship is exquisite, and it exudes classical beauty. It’s a rare find.”
The owner continued, “Not to brag, but on this entire street, you won’t find another one like it. If you want to buy it, I’ll give you a special price of ten thousand. I’ll only make a small profit. What do you think?”
The owner still wasn’t entirely truthful, but in this business, people rarely were. When the stall owners beside him heard his words, they all rolled their eyes.
They knew that jade ruyi, was bought with only a few hundred yuan. When the owner said he sold it for ten thousand yuan, he would only earn money from the delivery. It was simply too much. Everyone was in the same industry, so there was no reason to expose him. They turned to look at Xu Yang as if they were looking at a rich guy.
“Ten thousand yuan? Why don’t you rob someone?” Xu Yang said as he rolled his eyes.
“Young man, what do you mean? I’m really just earning the delivery,” the owner said.
“One thousand yuan. Are you selling it or not? If not, then forget it,” Xu Yang said.
“Young man, this couldn’t even cover the cost. 1,000 yuan is impossible. At least pay me 5,000 yuan,” the boss said.
The owner wouldn’t sell it for one thousand yuan. That wouldn’t even cover his costs, let alone make a profit. In this business, one had to make substantial profits whenever one could. Otherwise, one couldn’t possibly compensate for the days when nothing sold.
“Five thousand?” Xu Yang frowned.
The owner said, “Yes, at the very least. Otherwise, I’ll be at a loss.”
Xu Yang said, “Five thousand is too high. I’ll choose another one. How about five thousand for two pieces?”
The owner rolled his eyes and said, “It depends on what you choose. If it’s expensive, then it won’t do.”
What the owner said was very reasonable. Although none of the items on the stall were expensive, it was all based on his words. If he said the price was high, then the price was high. No one knew.