Chapter 140
Yi Ti also summed up some lessons on this matter, telling a certain someone: “If you have anything in the future, you can tell me directly . Don’t hold back your own thoughts, understood?”
“En . The same goes for Xiao Ti . ”
“Do you have the right to say that?” She had always been very frank! En, on some less embarrassing issues .
After that, the couple went to the noodle shop together, and as usual, one person ate and one person watched . She had to say, Cecil’s state was so painful to look at that the noodle shop owner saw him as “poor” and actually gave him a bowl of noodles to eat . Incidentally, Yi Ti was given a “this young man is very good, you can’t bully people like this…” lecture . It made her really embarrassed, but they were kind so she couldn’t flip the table and leave, right?
After a meal, the two went hand in hand to the antique street .
Although they’ve been to this city for a few days, this was the first time Yi Ti came to this street . To be honest, this was not a characteristic street of the city . Different from the local medicine street, there was such an antique street in almost every city . Shops and stalls gathered inside and countless people gather in it every day . There were also countless genuine and counterfeit products that were continually exchanged between people .
These few years, there were many more TV shows related to this and many online novels were based on this theme . This has further increased the popularity of the antique market that even many young people, who had no interest in it before, joined in .
Of course, many of these people came with the purpose of a “lucky pick” .
For them, the probability of picking something good was slightly higher than a five million to one odds . And if they could pick up one good item, hey, then post it!
Many legends about “lucky picks” had been circulating in the mouths of people on this street .
For example, someone once bought a dilapidated classic car on this street which turned out to be an early product of a foreign automobile company . This had continued until today’s automobile companies were looking for it to hold a car show . As a result, that someone got lucky and just exchanged a broken car for a new car worth millions, a check with a lot of zeros, and since then had embarked on the peak of life .
For another example, someone bought a dimly colored gourd in a store . As a result, when he wiped it at home, he found that there was something inside . It turned out that the carving on this gourd was the work of a master and the pattern on the gourd had been carved by the master only once in his life . And then, this someone, with the “funding” of a rich collector, had reached the pinnacle of life .
Another example…
It was because of these legends of “reaching the pinnacle of life” one after another that countless people came here . Some went home full of things, some left empty-handed, some thought they’re making money but actually lost a lot, some felt they’ve suffered a loss but found themselves making money again . Who was right and who was wrong? The words “fate is impermanent” was perfectly used here .
This was probably where the attraction is .
And people who have been in this street for a long time must have their own “discerning insight” . For example, when Yi Ti and Cecil slowly entered while holding hands, “grievance” was written on one face, while the other had “big boss”, together it was “big fat sheep”!
There was no other reason . If one removed some exceptions, most young people generally didn’t have good vision, especially this kind of young couple who was busy dating . It was very easy to spend a lot of money for their lover and could be described as “the top ten customers of the year”!
Many roadside stall owners glanced at each other and sighed secretly, not knowing who would be lucky enough to slaughter this sheep today .
Yi Ti didn’t know that she had been “marked”, but even if she knew, she wasn’t afraid . The money was in her pocket and unless she agreed, it would never fly out . What’s more, this was not a chaotic place .
Cecil came to this place for the first time, curiously looking left and right, his excitement beyond words . She was not surprised at all because this guy seemed to have always been interested in China’s antiquities .
“If you’re interested, just check it out . ”
“But aren’t you going to buy a gift?”
“Anyway, there is no fixed goal so maybe you could have a lucky pick!”
The first half was obviously true but Yi Ti slightly exaggerated in the second half . In college, she and her dorm roommates were influenced by TV and novels . In a certain semester, they used to like going shopping in the antique street and all brought back some “antiques”, thinking it’s a rarity . As a result… hahahahaha…
After eating instant noodles for a month, everyone repented and decided never to go there again!
As the saying goes, “if you don’t have diamonds, don’t buy porcelain” . Without a certain recognition ability, it’s better not to hope to catch a big one and she only had one destination today . It was the “YeHeJu, 野鶴居” that Zhao MingQi recommended to her yesterday . He said, “the boss there knew me so if you give my name, he will show you some good products and the bid would be reasonable” . For Yi Ti, this was indeed a great help .
When Cecil heard Yi Ti say this, he immediately pulled her excitedly and squatted by a roadside stall . Because Sutahnnians didn’t have stalls, he had always been interested in this form of sales .
When the two came, the 30 years old middle-aged man who was guarding the stall was instantly happy, smiling, and showing his smoked black teeth . After taking a last deep breath on the cigarette in hand, he triumphantly looked around the bosses around him that were “green with envy”, coughed slightly, then said: “You two pick slowly . ” He looked like an expert in the market .
It’s not that he didn’t want to do business but he didn’t know where young people nowadays got the idea that “the more enthusiastic they are, the fewer genuine goods are in the stall” . This caused him to show this facade, aima, it’s hard to do business these years! One must learn to change their face!
Cecil squatted on the ground, put his head on his knees, and with gleaming eyes, looked at the old colored objects on the ground, seemingly satisfied just by watching it up close .
Yi Ti smiled and glanced at him, reaching out and picking up a copper coin . The words “Yong Zheng* treasure” was engraved on it . She didn’t know how many novels portrayed the protagonist rising from just a coin and it was also the first antique she bought that year . And there was a bunch of “Shun Zhi* treasure”, “Kang Xi* treasure”, “Qian Long* treasure”… a gathering of great grandfathers . It looked very lively .
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The boss smiled to himself: Hmph, I knew you were going to buy copper coins, it’s specifically for new entrants!
But to his disappointment, the little girl just looked and put it back .
At the same time, Cecil finally moved, grabbing a dark object about the size of a palm and looked like a block of wood .
Seeing him turning it over and over, seemingly very interested, Yi Ti asked the boss: “What is that?”
The boss smiled, then in a seemingly far away voice: “This thing has a history…”
(500 words omitted here)
“And so, this piece of wood was dug from a grave?” Almost dizzy, Yi Ti came to such a conclusion .
“Little girl, you can’t underestimate it . It’s a funerary object . If this is not a good thing, would people make it a funerary object? Not to mention…”
(300 words omitted here)
Yi Ti: “…stop . ” She wiped her sweat, “So it’s a mysterious wood, right?”
“…you can say it like that . ”
She saw that Cecil really liked it and just wanted to buy it but he was helplessly too obvious, she’s afraid they’d be slaughtered . As predicted, the boss directly stretched out a palm, and very unceremoniously said: “Five thousand yuan . ”
Yi Ti immediately realized that she was regarded as a big fat sheep . Although 5,000 was a drop in the bucket for a genuine antique, a piece of black wood costing five thousand yuan was a bit too exaggerated, it’s simply robbery .
And what she didn’t know was that the boss originally came up with a higher price, for example, ten thousand! Because looking at their clothing, they’re relatively well-off . However, considering that the price was too high and the chicken might even fly away, he could only “hatefully” quote five thousand .
After the young man on the side heard that, he immediately put down the wood in his hand, telling her: “Too expensive, don’t buy . ”
Yi Ti knew what he said was the truth, but the moment he said so, the more reluctant she was to let him “suffer”! Wasn’t it just a piece of wood? Buy buy buy! She held her forehead, what’s with this big boss psychology?
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So after a counter-offer, Yi Ti reduced the price to two thousand and picked three things at his stall along the way .
She knew that there was still considerable mark up at this price . It could be seen from the other three things she picked from the stall that there was nothing valuable in this pile of things . However, she had never been good at bargaining since the past, and the boss’ eloquence was so good that she almost fainted .
But the price had been said, and no matter how tangled she was, it’s meaningless . And if it made him happy, this little money was nothing .
So she pushed his arm with her shoulder: ‘What else do you like, choose . ”
Cecil nodded obediently and reached out to pick things up from the stall .
The boss took a look and found that he took a small copper incense burner (this thing is worthless, deliberately made old products from wholesale), an empty wooden box (came with the wood, it was initially empty inside, don’t know what it used to be), and a coin (yes! Young people like to buy this!) .
“Just these?” Yi Ti asked him .
“En!” Cecil held this pile of things, smiling contentedly .
Yi Ti was happy to see him like that, physically and mentally .
So they both hugged their things and left with joy .
The boss was also happy, aima, fat sheep! If only there’s more of them!
Seeing those two “spendthrifts” walking away, someone nearby sourly said: “So happy to see people go, I’m afraid you’ve lost it!” Why was he not the one who caught the fat sheep?
The boss lit a new cigarette, sneering at what this man said: “Come on, haven’t you seen that piece of wood, can you let it go?”
Then the man stopped talking .
Another stall owner joined: “You made a lot this time . I remember that the wooden block you received was less than twenty?”
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The boss made a gesture: “Twelve . ”
“Ho! The net profit is more than a hundred times!”
The group was really envious, why didn’t they have that luck?
At this moment, someone poured cold water: “Maybe they took a fancy to the last three items!”
The boss shook his head, his smile even more wicked: “Young people nowadays like to be smart and always fancy something but don’t say it directly . They have to buy something else before picking what they want . What do they really like, what do they falsely like, how can’t I tell?” The first thing that young man saw was the block of wood, and the few things he took afterward were indeed taken on the spot . This couldn’t fool him!
“Do those three things add up to 30 yuan?”
“Just about . ”
The rest screamed .
Therefore, those two were taken for a ride! Why didn’t they came to their stall to buy things?!
Almost at the same time, Yi Ti suddenly sneezed and she rubbed her nose .
Didn’t they say that cultivators hardly get sick? What’s with this situation?
Translator’s Notes:
*雍正, Yōngzhèng, Yongzheng, reign name of Qing emperor (1722-1735)
*顺治, Shùnzhì, reign name of second Qing emperor (1644-1662)
*康熙, Kāngxī, Kangxi, the title of the reign (1661-1722) of the Kangxi Emperor
*乾隆, Qiánlóng, Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799), sixth Qing emperor, princely title 寶親王｜宝亲王, personal name 弘曆｜弘历, reigned 1735-1799