Chapter 12 of 100

Chapter 12

20 min read5,039 words

After the Spring Festival, Mou Ying indeed transferred to Shangpu to work. Xu Gang and she had a tearful farewell at the airport, which made Zhang Tianyuan feel quite uncomfortable. It’s not like they wouldn’t see each other anymore, so why did they have to be so mushy?

Liu Mengxun returned to the other side before the Spring Festival and also came to Shangpu after the festival. He even called Zhang Tianyuan, saying that if he needed any help, he could speak up. However, Zhang Tianyuan politely declined. If he asked Liu Mengxun for help now, their relationship would become even more unequal in the future.

Zhang Tianyuan and Xu Gang had already informed their families about their plan to move the jade shop to Shangpu and had made preparations before the Spring Festival. They were just waiting for the festival to be over before setting off.

These days, Xu Gang was jumping around, very excited. He even bought a book to learn Shangpu dialect, as he had heard that if you couldn’t speak Shangpu dialect, it would be difficult to do business there.

Zhang Tianyuan, on the other hand, wanted to take one last good look around the antique market in Xifeng City before they left, hoping to find some treasures. This way, he would have some funds in the future and wouldn’t have to borrow money from others.

The shops in Shangpu were all rented with the help of Li Xiao’s father, who had already paid the deposit. It wouldn’t be right to keep troubling others.

If he kept troubling others, Zhang Tianyuan would be seen as taking advantage of their kindness, which would give a bad impression.

He had indeed saved Li Xiao, but Li Xiao’s father had already done a lot for him. It would be embarrassing to keep troubling him.

Xifeng City has a rich history and is a famous cultural ancient city, especially known for its cultural imprints from the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. This makes Xifeng City feel steeped in Qin and Han culture, and the collection of Qin, Han, and Tang artifacts here is very popular. This has given the people of Xifeng City a taste of the joy of ancient culture.

In fact, Xifeng City has two antique markets. The more famous one is Qinhan Street, which is a place where outsiders like to visit and buy things.

However, the locals prefer another place—Zhenbao Alley.

This alley is very hidden and small, not as large as Qinhan Street. Most people might not even be able to find it, and even with an electronic map, you might easily miss it. But the locals know that this is the place to find good antiques.

Zhang Tianyuan is currently in Zhenbao Alley.

This is the original and only antique market in Xifeng City, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are even some large courtyards from the Ming and Qing periods here, and several TV series and movies have been filmed in these courtyards. Unfortunately, despite this, the alley is not very well-known.

The variety of antiques here is extensive. If you are willing, you can spend a whole day here and not see the same thing twice. There are jade, bronze, coins, wooden items, porcelain, silver, miscellaneous items, calligraphy, picture books, stamps, old banknotes, and more. However, the most distinctive items are the ceramic and bronze artifacts with a Qin, Han, and Tang style. These are the most frequently traded items, with both fakes and genuine pieces. Collecting is a mix of profit and pleasure; some people do it for fun, while others do it to make money. The purpose is different, so the enjoyment of collecting is also different.

The best thing about Zhenbao Alley is that there are no city administrators, or at least they are more relaxed. This allows small vendors, and even tomb raiders, to bring things here to sell.

Some people bring old items from their homes here to try to make some money.

Because Xifeng City has a long history, many households have items passed down from their ancestors. Some are valuable, and some are not, but regardless, these items add to the vibrancy of Zhenbao Alley, making it more worth visiting.

It was still cold after the Spring Festival, but fortunately, it didn’t snow. Zhenbao Alley was bustling with people, lively and noisy.

If you looked closely, most of the people in the alley were older, with only a few young people working in the shops.

Of course, Zhang Tianyuan was an exception. In the entire Zhenbao Alley, he was probably the only customer under fifty.

Most young people prefer to visit Qinhan Street, which is wider and has more aesthetically pleasing items. There is even a calligraphy street where you can buy reproductions and modern calligraphy. Young people don’t care about collecting; they just buy a few pieces to hang at home, making it look like they have some culture.

The people in Zhenbao Alley, on the other hand, mostly understand collecting, though the extent of their knowledge varies.

In the world of collecting, there are many choices, and the quality of items can vary greatly. It’s not as simple as just being genuine or fake. For example, there are terms like "qiaohuo" (good items), "shanghuo" (high-quality items), "kaimenhuo" (items that are clearly genuine), "yatanghuo" (items that are the pride of the shop), "lihuo" (items for gifts), and "xinghuo" (items for the market). Even if something is genuine, buying it might not be a good deal or profitable.

In terms of pricing, there are also "tianjia" (astronomical prices) and "xingjia" (market prices). It all depends on how you judge and handle it.

Although Zhang Tianyuan knew the six-character true method, he didn’t dare to act rashly. In the world of collecting, experience is ultimately what counts. Even with the six-character true method, he could buy genuine items, but not necessarily valuable ones. So, he was being very cautious, observing first and not acting rashly. If he were to buy, he would definitely buy items that he could confirm were valuable.

The world of antiques is different from others. If you buy something fake online, you can return it or even take legal action. However, in the world of antiques, there is no such rule.

In this industry, there is a no-return policy.

The antique business relies on knowledge and discernment. Only those who understand antiques will buy them, and since they understand antiques, there is generally no rule for returning fakes.

This is due to many complex reasons. For example, antiques generally have no standard price, and in the transaction process, both parties must go through a comprehensive knowledge contest involving history, culture, appreciation, and identification skills before voluntarily making a deal.

At the same time, it is difficult to clearly define responsibility for damage or destruction after the sale, so the friendship and trust built through long-term interaction between buyers and sellers are highly valued, leading to friendly negotiations during and after transactions.

For this reason, the items openly displayed in antique shops are generally not genuine or not very valuable. The truly good items are reserved for regular customers, a result of the long-term trust and friendship built through interaction. Buyers are not afraid of being cheated, but they also don’t expect to make a fortune; they just want stability. Of course, the people who come here to buy are not doing it for profit; they are mostly rich people who are interested in collecting.

Sellers, on the other hand, rely on these regular customers, who can sustain their business for years. They also value stability.

Additionally, there is no concept of fraud in this industry.

Anyone who buys or sells antiques must be an expert, and experts must have a certain level of discernment. The authenticity, age, and quality of antiques are extremely complex, and understanding, recognition, viewpoints, and conclusions can vary. This is a subject of joint research and examination by experts.

Moreover, the market, prices, and circulation are intertwined. Without strong professional skills and discernment, it is impossible to collect rare and valuable antiques. Some antiques are even difficult for the sellers to understand.

In fact, buying and selling antiques is a contest of knowledge between the buyer and the seller. The seller might make a mistake, and the buyer might buy a fake or the wrong item. Each must learn from their experiences, and this is different from fraud. This is why the world of antiques is difficult for outsiders to understand.

Because of these two rules, some people in the antique business can make a lot of money, while others can lose a lot. It all depends on your skills. If you are good, you can make money; if you are not, you will lose money.

Zhang Tianyuan found a few "yatanghuo" (items that are the pride of the shop) in an antique shop, but unfortunately, they were not for sale. He wasn’t that rich, so he couldn’t just throw money at them. Reluctantly, he gave up and decided to look at the private stalls instead.

The items sold at these stalls were mostly low-quality, even considered junk. However, if he was lucky, he might find a good treasure for a very low price. Zhang Tianyuan felt that he was more suited to browsing these stalls, hoping to get lucky.

However, after a full round, he didn’t find anything worth buying, which left him somewhat disappointed.

What he didn’t know was that a pair of shifty eyes had already fixed on him.

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