Chapter 5

Collecting, recommending, and supporting are the greatest encouragements!

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Xingtang County, though not the top among the nine counties of Qinglin City, is certainly not the last. As a county seat, it is quite prosperous. Villagers from towns like Heishan are proud to be able to visit Xingtang County during festivals and holidays.

Even in the poorest places, there are rich people, and even in the richest places, there are poor people. This is the most objective truth, and Xingtang County is no exception.

Su Mu arrived in Xingtang County around noon. Since the meeting was scheduled for the next day, he had nothing to do and decided to wander around.

Speaking of Xingtang County, it is not only well-known in Qinglin City but also has a reputation nationwide. The reason is simple: it is said that there used to be a large number of ancient tombs here. If someone was lucky, they could dig up an ancient tomb with just one shovel. If they could find an antique, they would be rich.

Initially, no one paid attention to these ancient tombs because they didn't understand their value, and many valuable items were sold cheaply. By the time the people of Xingtang County realized that these old things were worth a lot, it was too late. The ancient tombs had already been thoroughly excavated, and any remaining ones were hard to find.

However, even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. Thanks to these antiques, Xingtang County gained a unique highlight. Various old antiques fill the antique street. Some are displayed in shops, while others are placed on street stalls. People are always hoping for luck; even if they don't make a sale for a month, one good sale can be as profitable as several months of business.

If you come to Xingtang County and don't visit the antique street, you haven't really been here!

The summer sun is scorching, and the heat permeates everything. Even dogs don't want to come out, preferring to huddle in the corners, tongues out, panting heavily.

If this were any other place, there would be few people. But as the highlight of Xingtang County, the antique street is bustling even on such a hot day. People come here not only to browse antiques but also to do other things.

For example, villagers from various towns come to sell mountain goods, there are all kinds of foreign mirrors for sale, and there is refreshing cold jelly... In short, since the antique street is the most bustling place in Xingtang County, it's a good place to do business.

Who doesn't want to do business where there are many people? After all, more people mean more customers, and more customers mean more sales.

"The county is still a county. Compared to here, Heishan Town is far behind. If only Heishan Town could be like Xingtang County, that would be great!"

Standing at the entrance of the antique street, Su Mu looked at the bustling street and a strange thought arose in his mind. He wanted to return to Heishan Town and try to convince Liang Changgui to transform Heishan Town into a star town of Xingtang County as soon as possible.

In fact, Su Mu had already had a framework for developing Heishan Town, but the premise was a large investment. Without investment, Heishan Town had no chance of rising. This was the biggest obstacle.

Neither Liang Changgui nor Yang Song could attract investors. After mentioning it a few times, Su Mu became disheartened and stopped talking about it.

Without power, everything is constrained.

The saying "If you are not in a position, you should not meddle in its affairs" is true, but it has a deeper meaning: if you are not in a position, it's not that you don't want to meddle, but that you can't.

"Let's not think about these things for now. Since I'm here, I might as well enjoy the antique street. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something good."

Su Mu shook his head and walked forward. Although he had been in Heishan Town for half a year, he had rarely visited the antique street. The items here are a mix of local finds and items brought in from elsewhere, a chaotic assortment.

Su Mu wouldn't go into the shops because even if he liked something, he couldn't afford it. It was better to browse the street stalls, where he might find a good deal. After all, even the stall owners can't claim to be experts in antiques.

"Hey, little brother, come and take a look. See if there's anything you like? Let me tell you, everything here is genuine, and you won't leave disappointed."

Su Mu stopped at a small stall. The stall owner was a thin, dark-skinned man with sharp eyes.

"What are these things?" Su Mu squatted down and casually flipped through them.

"All good stuff!" The stall owner smiled and leaned in, whispering, "Little brother, you know, everything here comes from the ground, absolutely genuine. If you like something, the price is negotiable. I'll consider it a favor to you. Look at this root carving, from the Ming Dynasty."

Su Mu glanced at the root carving the stall owner handed him, his face expressionless. Don't believe the stall owners; if you do, you'll probably be cheated. For example, this root carving is just a broken branch.

Worse, there's an unwritten rule on the antique street: before you buy, anything goes, but once you buy, no returns or refunds, no matter what.

The antique street is all about tricking people, one by one.

Every time Su Mu picked up an item, the stall owner enthusiastically explained it, giving a different story for each one. In no time, Su Mu had heard about several dynasties. The stall owner was quite knowledgeable about history.

After looking at about seven items, just as Su Mu picked up a yellowed scroll without opening it, the Official List appeared in his mind.

What's going on? The Official List is supposed to be for official positions. Why is it showing up now? Can it even distinguish the authenticity of antiques?

As Su Mu's self-deprecating thoughts faded, he was stunned by what happened next. After a brief shock, a surge of joy filled his heart.

It's real, it's really real!

On the Official List, like with official positions, clear information appeared. The basic details made Su Mu realize he had hit the jackpot.

Category: Calligraphy and Painting!

Scroll Name: Yan Zhenqing's "Elegy for My Nephew," full name "Elegy for My Nephew, the Honored Gentleman Ji Ming"!

Authenticity: Cursive script, 28.8 cm tall, 75.5 cm wide, 234 characters, genuine!

Reason: Written by Yan Zhenqing during the An Shi Rebellion to commemorate his deceased nephew...

The yellowed scroll contained a genuine antique painting!

The Official List could actually determine the authenticity of antiques!

This was even more shocking than identifying official positions!

If this was true, it meant he had a powerful tool for the business world. With the Official List, Su Mu could authenticate any antique!

This way, he could make as much money as he wanted. Even the greatest archaeologists can't confidently determine the authenticity of antiques.

What's going on?

Is the Official List's ability to authenticate antiques still serving official positions?

Yes, that must be it!

Su Mu quickly realized that every time the Official List showed information about an official position, it included their preferences. The new ability of the Official List to authenticate antiques just confirmed that it could satisfy the preferences of officials.

He had struck gold!

This was a huge windfall!

Su Mu took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and kept his face calm. He touched the scroll with his slender fingers and spoke naturally.

"How much for this scroll?"

"Wow, little brother, you have a sharp eye. You picked the most expensive item on my stall. I had to work hard to find this scroll. You..."

"Cut the crap. How much for the scroll? My small house needs a decoration, and I just want to look sophisticated. If you ask too much, I'll leave. I'm not really into this stuff." Su Mu said casually.

The young face successfully deceived the stall owner, who knew from the moment Su Mu squatted down that he was just looking for something to decorate his house. If he were really into antiques, he wouldn't be this young.

"Four hundred! I won't sell it for less!"

"Fifty, not a cent more!" Su Mu said calmly.

"Fifty is too low. I worked hard to get this. I'll lower the price. How about three hundred?"

"Fifty!"

"Two hundred, no lower!"

"Fifty!"

"One hundred, take it or leave it."

"Deal!"

Su Mu handed over one hundred yuan. The stall owner shook his head and smiled, "Little brother, you got a great deal. This scroll is worth hundreds. I'm just giving it to you because we get along. Someone else wouldn't stand a chance."

The stall owner packed the scroll and handed it to Su Mu, who smiled, "Boss, don't worry. I just want to look sophisticated. I'll come back in a few days. If you have anything good, show it to me, and I'll definitely take care of your business."

"Sure thing! Anything else you want?"

"Nothing else!" Su Mu's fingers casually brushed over the other items, but the Official List didn't appear, meaning everything else was fake.

Just this one item was a huge profit!

Su Mu, clutching the genuine antique, was excited and planned to explore the antique street further, hoping to find more genuine items.

Just as this thought arose, some information appeared in his mind, like a bucket of cold water dousing his enthusiasm.

It turned out that, like the five daily official positions, the Official List could only authenticate five items per day. After five, it wouldn't show anything, even if the items were genuine.

Worse, this function couldn't be accumulated, meaning Su Mu had only five chances per day. As a deputy town head, he couldn't spend all day here playing with antiques.

"Never mind, be content. Five chances a day is enough to keep me busy!" Su Mu quickly thought.

While still excited, Su Mu visited several more stalls and found three more antiques, using four of his five chances, leaving one.

But even with one chance left, Su Mu couldn't continue because he was out of money. The four antiques had almost drained his funds, and he couldn't afford to buy more without risking his living expenses.

Su Mu looked at the bustling antique street, satisfied, and was about to leave when he heard a voice.

"Boss, these two seals are top-notch, worth four thousand yuan!"

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