Chapter 224 It's All True
Chapter 224 It's All True
Li Xiaoyao casually placed the Tang tri-color pottery on the counter and shouted at the busy owner inside, "Boss, do you appraise antiques here?"
The boss was a fat man in his forties, dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket with opposite fronts, wearing round glasses, looking very much like the owner of a pawnshop from the ancient times.
The fat boss turned around, head lowered, eyes lifted, scanning Li Xiaoyao, and asked, "Appraise what?"
Li Xiaoyao pointed to the Tang tri-color horse next to him and then patted the snake skin bag in his hand, "All of these."
The fat boss was instantly attracted by the Tang tri-color horse; he felt that it might actually be authentic.
The fat boss walked over, picked up the Tang tri-color horse, and examined it carefully. Seeming to find the shop's lighting too dim, he turned back to the shop assistant and said, "Turn the lights on."
The seriousness of the fat boss drew the attention of several customers in the shop.
"Boss Zhou, this Tang tri-color looks like it's not fake."
"Indeed, this color and this design, if it's real, it's got to be worth at least ten million."
Fat boss said, "Let me take a look first, please be patient."
Four or five people stood aside, smiling and nodding in agreement.
In troubled times, gold; in prosperous times, antiques.
In this era, those who could afford antiques were surely not lacking in money.
And those who had the leisure money to spend on antiques generally possessed great patience and high standards.
Boss Zhou looked through a magnifying glass, inspecting carefully, spot by spot.
A few minutes later, Boss Zhou put down the magnifying glass with a hint of excitement in his eyes, and said, "It's real."
The people behind him were even more excited when they heard it.
Zhang Meng looked at Boss Zhou in a daze and asked, "Boss Zhou, could you have made a mistake?"
This was just something Xiaoyao brother casually picked up from a roadside stall, but now, Boss Zhou, who was well-known in Chaotian Palace, was saying that it was real!
"How can you talk like that, girl? Could Boss Zhou make a mistake?" a man next to her said with a light laugh, evidently amused by Zhang Meng's words.
Another person also said, "Everyone might make a mistake, but not Boss Zhou. Boss Zhou is a renowned master of antiques appraisal in Chaotian Palace, a luminary of Antique Street."
Zhang Meng was shocked by Boss Zhou's status, truly unable to see that this Boss Zhou also had such an impressive identity.
Boss Zhou didn't mind Zhang Meng's words. He smiled slightly, looking at Li Xiaoyao, then shifted his gaze toward the sack, asking, "Young man, do you have any other treasures? Take them out and let this old man have a look."
Li Xiaoyao only took out two items from the snake skin bag; as for the rest, he did not intend to reveal them.
As soon as these two items were brought out, Boss Zhou was captivated.
A Qinghua porcelain bowl and an exquisite dragon-shaped jade pendant.
Boss Zhou extended his hands, carefully taking the two items, looking and examining them over and over, for a good ten minutes or more, before he finally put them down gently and said, "This Qinghua porcelain bowl, I saw one just like it at the Sotheby's auction held in Jindu last year."
Someone nearby asked, "Could it be that this Qinghua porcelain bowl is also authentic?"
Boss Zhou nodded, and the people around him gasped.
A Tang tri-color horse and a Qinghua porcelain bowl, both authentic.
Who exactly was this young man?
Mr. Zhou continued to pick up the dragon-shaped Jade Pendant and said, "I haven't seen this jade pendant before, but judging from its texture and antiquity, it must be an ancient relic from the Song Dynasty. Given that there's a dragon carved on it, it is likely an item of the royal family."
If one could say that Li Xiaoyao's encounter with a Tang Sancai was just good luck, then the jade pendant and Qinghua porcelain bowl that immediately followed surely couldn't be explained by mere chance.
Zhang Meng's gaze subconsciously fell on Li Xiaoyao, and Mr. Zhou also looked towards him, saying, "Young man, why not take out everything else in your bag as well?"
The few people nearby then said, "Brother, I'm quite interested in your ancient jade. How about this, you name a price."
"Sell the Tang Sancai to me."
"I just happen to need a Qinghua porcelain bowl."
The group was clamoring and scrabbling over the items as if determined to have them. As for the price, they hadn't even considered it.
Faced with their eagerness, Li Xiaoyao smiled faintly and said, "These items are not for sale at the moment, and there's no need to take out what's in the bag."
Having said that, Li Xiaoyao said to Zhang Meng, "Meng Meng, let's go."
"Hey, young brother, name your price, as long as it's not too outrageous, it's fine. I really like that Tang Sancai." Several people shouted as they followed Li Xiaoyao.
Li Xiaoyao said, "If you truly like them, wait until my shop opens in a few days and then visit."
Mr. Zhou's eyes lit up as he asked, "May I know where the young man's shop is located?"
Li Xiaoyao pointed ahead and said, "The old shop of Boss Hua, I've taken it over. It's just been renovated these past days. Come and visit once it opens."
"Boss Hua's shop?" Boss Hua looked to Li Xiaoyao with surprise, pondered for a few seconds, and asked, "Young brother, do you know what the situation was with Boss Hua's shop before?"
Li Xiaoyao said with a grin, "I know. It's haunted."
Mr. Zhou looked at Li Xiaoyao, his eyes full of meaning. After a few seconds, he all of a sudden said with a broad smile, "Alright, young brother, when your new shop opens, do let me know."
Li Xiaoyao left with Zhang Meng. Mr. Zhou and a few wealthy customers stood together, watching Li Xiaoyao intently, until one of them finally said, "This young brother is out of the ordinary."
...
Back in his shop, Li Xiaoyao took out the antiques from the snake skin bag one by one, placing them on the cabinet behind the counter, which was divided into individual small compartments.
The cabinet, made of peach heart wood, was also scavenged from the antiques market. Positioned behind the counter, it covered the entire back wall, creating quite an impressive display.
"Xiaoyao brother, are these antiques... really real?" Zhang Meng couldn't help feeling incredulous as she looked at the heap of antiques carelessly tossed onto the counter by Li Xiaoyao.
She didn't know the value of the other antiques, but she had just heard someone say that the Tang Sancai horse was worth at least ten million yuan.
Zhang Meng lost all concept of money once it exceeded a hundred thousand. She couldn't fathom what ten million meant.
All she knew was that Xiaoyao brother took her around the antiques market, spent a few tens of thousands of yuan on what seemed no different from other replicas, and then an antiques expert told her that this item bought for tens of thousands was actually worth over ten million.
When had money become so easy to earn?
Li Xiaoyao smiled and while taking out items from the bag, said, "When has Xiaoyao brother ever lied to you?"
Zhang Meng shook her head; Li Xiaoyao indeed hadn't deceived her.
Having placed the antiques down, Li Xiaoyao walked around the hall, saying, "It feels like something's still missing."
Pacing back and forth, he suddenly slapped his forehead and looked towards the shop sign, saying, "We need a plaque."
[Thank you to ????, your insincerity I despise, A crowd is nothing without a single person, Isn't infatuation only yours?, for your rewards. Thanks!!! Also, a call out for recommendation votes, if you have them, send them my way. After writing five hundred thousand words for free, asking for a few votes is still quite bold.]