Chapter 12

Sheep are generally quite wealthy, but they lack the ability to discern. They believe whatever they are told and never listen to advice. They spend at least several hundred thousand yuan each year at the antique market stalls.

Of course, they are not stupid just because they are rich. Knowing they lack knowledge, they usually hire someone to help them buy things. Unless, of course, they entrust the wrong person and are cheated by intermediaries and antique dealers, who take advantage of them.

Therefore, sheep are relatively rare, and it's quite good to encounter one a year. Naturally, they rank behind the bear cubs.

Anyway, every stall owner treats sheep with the utmost sincerity, just as bear cubs hope to find a bargain, stall owners hope to encounter sheep and make a big profit.

In contrast, the last tier of the collector-player group, the shrimp, is not very favored by stall owners.

Shrimp refers to small shrimp, or potential players. These people come from all walks of life, including tourists, students, and foreigners who come to explore out of curiosity.

Generally, shrimp love to buy all sorts of strange and interesting things, not necessarily genuine, just for fun.

For these small shrimp, stall owners often dare not quote exorbitant prices. Because they are not necessarily buying, high prices often scare them away.

So, stall owners also know how to treat different customers. When they encounter small shrimp, they directly promote some strange and cheap trinkets. Usually, they sell for a few dozen yuan, making a small profit.

In other words, small shrimp are like chicken ribs, tasteless to eat but a pity to discard. After all, even small shrimp are meat. If you can't eat big fish, chewing on some small shrimp can still be satisfying.

Setting up a stall is not easy, and every bit of profit counts, so they don't fuss too much.

Of course, such a hierarchy can only serve as a rough reference. After all, the waters of the world are deep, and even the most skilled eagle can make mistakes. Small shrimp, with a stroke of luck, can also find a great deal.

The world of collecting is full of uncertainties, which is why people are drawn to it. As they say, don't listen to stories, just look at the items. If you think the price is right, act decisively...

Qi Xiang held the box and examined it for a moment. He knew that Lord Wei had not deceived him, this little worm.

The box was indeed quite good, with fine craftsmanship and a moderate size, fitting perfectly in the palm of his hand. On the outer wall of the box, there were elegant bamboo leaf patterns, giving it a refined feel.

Qi Xiang gently weighed the box and felt it was quite heavy, with some weight to it.

"Knock, knock!"

Qi Xiang tapped it lightly and heard a dull sound. The wood was hard and the grain was fine, it looked like...

"Redwood!"

Qi Xiang's eyes brightened. He was now certain that even if the wood was not as precious as rosewood, huanghuali, or golden-threaded nanmu, it was still a high-quality material.

In short, such an item was worth acquiring.

"Truly, the eagle has sharp eyes, bright and keen..." Qi Xiang thought, and opened the box to check the inside.

At that moment, he was surprised to find that the box contained something.

Qi Xiang was taken aback and focused his gaze. Inside the box were a pair of walnuts, cracked all over.

For a moment, Qi Xiang's eyes were fixed, filled with surprise and doubt. He observed carefully and suddenly felt a strong sense of contrast, finding it absurd.

These walnuts were mountain walnuts, the kind that cannot be eaten, also known as play walnuts.

Playing with walnuts is a popular pastime among the people. Some elderly people play with walnuts for fun, and it also helps to exercise the body, promote blood circulation, and maintain health.

Generally, after playing with walnuts for a long time, a lustrous patina forms on the surface, making them very beautiful. Qi Xiang had seen such walnuts before, smooth and shiny like jade, very pleasing to the eye.

But the pair of walnuts in front of him, not to mention the patina, seemed to have never been played with. Most importantly, they were not well-maintained, causing the walnuts to crack all over, like a spider web.

The situation was like a ripe peach, split open and exposed.

However, it was from these rotten walnuts that Qi Xiang saw a layer of... spiritual light?

Qi Xiang couldn't describe it, but there was a light like ripples at the edges of the walnuts, shimmering and undulating.

Qi Xiang saw it and wondered if it was an illusion. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again after a few seconds. The shimmering light was still there, flowing and sparkling.

Why would such rotten things have a spiritual light?

Qi Xiang was both surprised and frightened, very confused. He shifted his gaze to look at other items.

Everything else was normal, with no abnormalities. Only the walnuts seemed to have a special effect, with a faint white glow always flowing, like pearls and treasures, impossible to ignore.

"What's going on?"

Driven by curiosity, Qi Xiang finally couldn't resist and carefully picked up the walnuts.

The walnuts were heavy, with many cracks, and felt a bit prickly.

But for some reason, as soon as the walnuts were in Qi Xiang's hands, he saw the flowing light become very active, like a kitten or puppy seeing its owner, acting cute and playful.

At the same time, Qi Xiang felt a sudden coolness in his palm. Not only that, but he also felt a slight tremor in his forehead, as if something was about to happen.

"I must buy them..." Qi Xiang made his decision without hesitation.

Although he was eager inside, Qi Xiang remained calm on the surface. He pondered for a moment, put the walnuts back in the box, and found the stall owner, smiling and asking, "Boss, how much for this?"

Despite the many items on the stall and the crowd of onlookers, few people actually made purchases, mostly just observing, so the stall owner was relatively idle.

Seeing Qi Xiang, the stall owner immediately put on a smile, his eyes twinkling as he said, "Not expensive, just 500 yuan."

"500 yuan isn't cheap?" Qi Xiang frowned and tried to haggle, "200 yuan!"

To his surprise, the stall owner agreed, "Alright!"

"Really that easy..." Qi Xiang was a bit surprised but didn't hesitate, quickly taking out the money and handing it over.

The stall owner took the money, his smile widening, and gestured, "200 yuan for the walnuts, but the box is extra."

Qi Xiang was taken aback, seeing the stall owner's smug smile, and suddenly understood.

"...Cunning merchant, setting a trap!"

"There are always people better than you, and the sky is always higher than you think."

This scene caught the attention of the onlookers, who began to whisper and discuss. Clearly, they were familiar with the stall owner's tactics.

In ancient times, there was a story called "Buying the Box and Returning the Pearl," which means mistaking the secondary for the primary and making inappropriate choices. However, in the antique market, some people do the opposite.

There is a well-known story that many of you might know. A connoisseur saw someone using a very valuable antique bowl to feed a cat. He immediately asked to buy the cat, taking the opportunity to get the bowl.

Unexpectedly, the person knew the value of the antique bowl and was just setting a trap. Through this method, he sold many cats.

Clearly, the stall owner was doing the same, probably aware of the box's value. By placing the walnuts in the box, he was trying to take advantage of people's desire to get a good deal and sell the worthless walnuts.

Such a scheme was cunning.

"Do you want the box too?" the stall owner asked cheerfully, "It's not expensive, just 2,000 yuan."

Qi Xiang, realizing what was happening, looked indignant, "No, you keep it and play with it yourself."

As he spoke, he tucked the walnuts into his pocket and angrily pushed his way out. As soon as he left, a group of people surrounded the stall owner.

"Boss, let me see the box..."

"Boss, can you give me a discount on the box?"

"Boss, what kind of box is this?"

The cacophony of voices revealed that most of these people were either worms or bear cubs.

Knowing their own limitations, they had hesitated to make a move. But with Qi Xiang as a "beacon," they no longer hesitated and rushed for the box.

After all, Qi Xiang was a regular at the market and a familiar face. Others knew he wasn't a plant and that anything he was interested in was likely to be good. Why wait?

Seeing this, Qi Xiang understood that he had been used by the stall owner. However, he wasn't angry because it was still unclear who had the upper hand.

Qi Xiang quietly played with the walnuts in his hand but didn't leave immediately, staying for a while longer.

Soon, Lord Wei walked out, hands behind his back, looking very relaxed.

"Lord Wei!" Qi Xiang hurried over.

Lord Wei gestured for him to be quiet.

Qi Xiang understood and quickly followed Lord Wei out of the market.

At this point, Lord Wei apologized, "Little Qi, I'm sorry. I didn't expect the stall owner to be so cunning, using you as a bridge..."

"It's fine, it's fine," Qi Xiang waved his hand, "I know that anyone who dares to travel and live off the land is not simple."

"Yes," Lord Wei agreed, "These days, no one is easy to fool. You might think you're fooling them, but they might be pretending to be foolish and turn the tables on you."

"Exactly, exactly."

Qi Xiang nodded, his gaze shifting, and he smiled, "Lord Wei, you must have found something good?"

"Ha ha, not really, just a small trinket."

This comment struck a chord with Lord Wei, who stroked his beard, somewhat pleased, "A bracelet, about a hundred yuan, not worth mentioning..."

Despite his words, a hint of joy was evident in Lord Wei's eyes.

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