bioinnovel Chapter 79 Antique Street!
Chapter 79 Antique Street!
The mornings in Jinghai are always filled with a sense of busy activity.
Nie Qingcheng was called away by an urgent call from the company early in the morning. Before leaving, she gave Zhang Yan a big kiss on the face, leaving a red mark that she would have to touch up her makeup. She also transferred another 200,000 yuan to his account with the note "taxi fare".
Zhang Yan looked at the bright red transfer interface and shook his head helplessly.
This woman probably has some misunderstanding about the word "taxi"; that amount of money is enough to buy a car.
He hailed a taxi on the roadside and headed straight for Panjiayuan.
Today's goal is clear: to find the Ming Dynasty bronze thumb ring engraved with the words "Tiangong".
This is a task given by the system, and it's also the key to unlocking Grandpa Du's mysterious box.
When we arrived, it was only a little past nine o'clock, and Panjiayuan was already bustling with people.
Various stalls were densely packed together, with shouts and bargaining sounds blending together.
The air was filled with the aroma of scallions from jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes) and the musty smell of old books.
Zhang Yan, wearing a faded denim jacket and carrying a backpack, blended into the crowd, looking exactly like a poor student out for a stroll.
As he passed by several jade stalls, the stall owners merely glanced at him briefly before continuing to scroll through short videos.
These kinds of students are dirt clean, so it's pointless to even look at them; it's a waste of breath.
Zhang Yan didn't care. He put his hands in his pockets and seemed to be wandering aimlessly, but in reality, the system interface in his mind was already fully open.
[The Eye of Treasure Appraisal (Basic Access) is now enabled.]
Above the dazzling array of "antiques" in his sight, information boxes that only he could see appeared.
[Modern handicraft, resin composite, origin: Yiwu. Value: 15 yuan.]
[Late Qing Dynasty/Early Republican Era chamber pot, damaged, value: 200 yuan.]
[The antiqued bronze jue (wine vessel) uses a chemical etching process, which is toxic. It is advised to keep it away from the environment.]
Zhang Yan kept clicking his tongue in amazement as he walked.
The waters of Panjiayuan are deeper than the moat of Jinghai. After walking a hundred meters, all I saw were fakes; even a single piece of genuine Republic-era goods of any value was rare.
Just as he reached an inconspicuous corner of the West District, he suddenly paused.
In my mind, the system emitted a crisp notification sound.
[Ding! High-value target detected!]
Zhang Yan stopped without making a sound and glanced at a street stall on his left.
The stall owner was a middle-aged, overweight man with an oily face. He was sitting cross-legged on a small stool, holding a purple clay teapot in his hand and sipping from it, looking quite content.
The stall was filled with a motley collection of items, including copper coins, old books, and a few dirty-looking porcelain vases.
Zhang Yan's gaze fell on a blue and white porcelain vase in the far corner.
The bottle was about thirty centimeters tall, with a small notch at the mouth. The bottle was covered in mud, as if it had just been dug out of the ground, and it looked almost like a jar for pickling vegetables.
But in Zhang Yan's eyes, a line of large, golden characters was floating above the bottle:
[Ming Yongle blue and white porcelain cup with a pressed hand (modified), genuine.]
[Description: Originally used in the Yongle imperial court, it later fell into private hands. The damaged mouth of the bottle was cut off and it was converted into a brush holder. The porcelain body is fine, the glaze is lustrous, and the cobalt blue pigment is pure in color.]
Market valuation: 500 million RMB.
Five million?
Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow.
This isn't shopping; it's like picking up money off the ground!
Instead of staring directly at the bottle, he squatted down and casually rummaged through the pile of copper coins on the stall.
"Boss, how much are these copper coins?"
Zhang Yan picked up a Kangxi Tongbao coin covered in green rust and casually asked a question.
The chubby stall owner glanced at him, saw that he was a student, and wasn't very enthusiastic. He lazily held up one finger: "One hundred."
"one hundred?"
Zhang Yan threw the copper coin back, dusted off his hands, and said, "On Pinduoduo, it's only 9.9 yuan with free shipping and a free Chinese knot."
Upon hearing this, the chubby stall owner chuckled: "Hey, young student, how can Pinduoduo compare to ours? Ours is a family heirloom."
"Alright, boss, I'm not here to hear stories."
Zhang Yan smiled, his gaze casually sweeping over the blue-and-white porcelain vase, then pointed at it: "I'm an art student, and my teacher assigned still life sketches as homework. I think this broken vase has a decent shape. How much?"
The chubby stall owner followed his finger and looked over, his eyes darting around.
He picked up the bottle a couple of days ago while collecting scrap in the countryside. It cost him fifty yuan, and he originally planned to sell it as a bonus item.
But since someone asked...
"Young man, you have good taste!"
The chubby stall owner immediately perked up, put down the teapot, and started rambling on and on, "This is a genuine Qianlong imperial kiln piece! Look at the pattern, look at the patina, it's a treasure that came from the palace! It's just that the rim is slightly chipped, otherwise it would be worth at least several hundred thousand."
Just tell me how much it costs.
Zhang Yan interrupted his spellcasting.
"Since you're a student, I'll give you a fair price." The chubby stall owner held up a hand. "Five thousand!"
Zhang Yan laughed, stood up to leave, and said, "Five thousand? Boss, you can keep it and pass it down to your family. I'll go to the two-dollar store up ahead and buy a glass to paint like that."
"Hey! Don't go!"
Seeing the fat customer trying to escape, the chubby stall owner quickly reached out to stop him. "You're asking for an exorbitant price, so let's negotiate! Name your price!"
Zhang Yan stopped, turned around, and held up one finger with a pained expression: "Five hundred."
"I don't have a single penny more; this is still my living expenses for this week."
"Five hundred? You're robbing me!"
The portly stall owner shook his head vigorously, "No way, no way! It's not even enough to cover the cost! At least three thousand!"
"Never mind then."
Zhang Yan turned and left, his departure swift and decisive.
One step, two steps, three steps.
"Come back! Come back!"
The chubby stall owner slapped his thigh, looking like he'd been ripped off. "A thousand! That's the lowest I can go! Any lower and I'll starve!"
Zhang Yan stopped, turned around, and a conflicted look appeared on his face.
"A thousand is still too expensive..."
He muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the stall again, when he suddenly pointed to a small wooden box filled with odds and ends next to him, "Then give me that broken copper ring too, I just happen to need a paperweight."
The wooden box was full of scrap metal, rusty keys, broken brass locks, and the like.
Among that pile of junk, a thumb ring engraved with intricate patterns and covered in rust lay quietly.
[Ding! Quest item detected: Ming Dynasty Imperial Workshop "Tiangong" bronze thumb ring!]
The chubby stall owner glanced at the broken copper ring; it was scrap copper he bought by weight, worth absolutely nothing.
"Fine, fine! Take it, take it!"
The chubby stall owner waved his hand impatiently, "These students nowadays are all so shrewd, they even try to get a bonus from me on top of a thousand yuan."
Without wasting any words, Zhang Yan took out his phone and scanned the QR code.
"Beep—Payment successful, 1000 yuan."
Hearing the sound of the money arriving in his account, the chubby stall owner was overjoyed.
I bought junk for fifty yuan and resold it for a thousand. That was a huge profit!
Zhang Yan picked up the dirty blue-and-white porcelain bottle, then casually grabbed the copper thumb ring and stuffed it into his pocket, a simple and honest smile appearing on his face.
"Thank you, boss. I wish you great success in your business."
"Go on, go on, remember to bring the painting to me when you're done." The fat stall owner waved his hand, secretly laughing at the silly boy for spending a thousand yuan on a broken jar.
Zhang Yan walked out of the stall with the bottle in his arms, turned a street corner, and the honest look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a playful smile.
One thousand yuan.
Exchange five million in cash, plus a key to unlock national treasures.
This is hardly a bargain.
This is practically like they're bringing in sacks of goods.
"While being a kept man may be tempting, spending pocket money earned by oneself definitely gives a greater sense of accomplishment."
Zhang Yan was in a good mood and reached into his pocket to touch the cool brass thumb ring.
The task is half completed.
Next, all I need to do is find an auction house or antique shop to sell this bottle, and then go to Old Master Du's place...
Just then, a feeling of being watched suddenly welled up in my heart.
The feeling was very faint, like a needle gently pricking my back, barely perceptible.
Zhang Yan didn't stop walking; he continued walking forward at his original pace, only his eyes turned slightly cold.
He passed a stall selling bronze mirrors and, using the reflection from the mirrors, glanced behind him.
In the crowd, two men wearing black jackets and baseball caps were hanging behind him at a distance.
Although the two men were pretending to look at something, their eyes never left his back.
Moreover, judging from his walking posture and taut muscles, he was definitely not an ordinary pickpocket.
A martial arts expert.
"interesting."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhang Yan's lips.
He had only just made one shipment when he was targeted by thieves?
Was it the person the fat stall owner from earlier hired?
It doesn't seem likely. That fat guy looks like a smooth talker, a seasoned old fox. He wouldn't have the guts.
Who is that?
Du Mingxuan's people?
Or is it... that Mr. Zhao who lost face in the competition?
Zhang Yan wasn't panicked; instead, he felt a little excited.
This mundane life has been going on for too long; it's nice to have a little something like this now and then.
Clutching the five-million-yuan "pickled vegetable jar," he didn't head towards the crowded subway station. Instead, he turned and disappeared into a secluded alley.
Since you want to join, I'll give you a chance.
Perfect timing! He also wanted to see who in Jinghai was so blind as to dare to stalk someone in broad daylight.
The alley was dimly lit, with mottled brick walls on both sides.
Zhang Yan walked deep into the alley, suddenly stopped, and placed the porcelain bottle in his hand steadily on a stone block next to him.
Then, he turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and spoke calmly to the empty alley entrance.
"You've been following me all this way, aren't you tired?"
"Shall we meet up and talk?"