Chapter 51

" Humph, that old man doesn't look like a good person at all. He pretends to be poor, just to swindle money. Fortunately, we are smart, or we would have been deceived by that little brat Yang Kang." Jiang Shanghua angrily cursed a few times, then stomped his feet and said, "Mom, are we just going to let this go?"

"How can we just let it go?" Wei Yan scolded, "That old man is planning a big deal recently. I'm too busy to deal with that ungrateful wolf right now. Wait until your father finishes the business, then I'll settle the score with him."

Jiang Shanghua also knew that Jiang Yan had been preoccupied with the bronze bird zun recently, barely able to eat or sleep, and was in a terrible mood. Hearing this, he didn't dare to say anything.

Yang Kang opened the door and walked into Ruyi Workshop. He saw the old man who had followed him in and was momentarily stunned, asking, "Old man, do you have something?"

"Little boss, do you buy antiques here?" The old man looked at him pitifully.

Yang Kang glanced at the old man's broken box, which he was holding like a treasure, and immediately nodded. "Yes, I do. Let me see what you have." As he spoke, he invited the old man to sit down in the living room.

"Little boss, take a look!" The old man said, carefully placing the broken box on the coffee table, opening it, and pushing it toward Yang Kang.

Inside the box were three small teacups, each separated by foam to prevent any damage. However, these teacups were not very attractive, with a layer of dust covering them, making them look dirty.

Yang Kang looked at the old man, puzzled. Why didn't the old man clean the teacups before selling them? They looked so unappealing. Even if they could pass as antiques, old and dirty porcelain was not very popular.

As he thought, Yang Kang carefully picked up one of the teacups and rubbed it with his hand. He originally thought the surface was just a layer of dust that could be easily wiped off, but to his surprise, it seemed to be part of the porcelain itself. What was even more astonishing was that when his hand touched the teacup, a surge of spiritual energy spread out.

Is this real?

Yang Kang couldn't believe it. What kind of porcelain is so ugly and covered in dust? However, the patterns on the teacup were quite beautiful. Two branches of fuchsia flowers, with red and white blossoms, were set against green leaves. At the bottom of the teacup were six blue-enameled characters: "Made in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty."

Chenghua doucai?

Yang Kang was stunned for a moment. The most famous Chenghua doucai is the chicken cup, a wine cup used by the Ming Chenghua Emperor. According to the "Shenzong Shilu" of the Ming Wanli period, "In front of the emperor, there was a pair of Chenghua chicken cups worth 100,000 taels of silver." Another source, "Yehuo Bian" by Shen Defu of the Ming Wanli period, states, "A pair of Chenghua wine cups is worth 100 taels of silver."

Clearly, even during the Ming Dynasty, Chenghua doucai teacups and wine cups were very valuable.

Yang Kang had seen doucai before, as his family was in the antique business, so he wasn't unfamiliar with it.

Doucai is made by first painting the design in underglaze blue, then firing the porcelain at a high temperature. After that, mineral pigments are used to add a second layer of color, filling in the spaces left by the blue design and coloring the areas within the blue outlines. The piece is then fired again at a lower temperature in a small kiln. Doucai is known for its vibrant colors and the mature, bold style that aligns with the aesthetic preferences of the Ming people.

However, doucai porcelain is usually white and delicate, like fine jade. Why would it be so dusty?

As he thought, Yang Kang picked up another teacup. This one had a peony pattern, with the same branch design. He played with it in his hands, then picked up the last one, which had a lotus pattern. All three were typical Chenghua doucai teacups with blue and white designs.

The problem was, he couldn't understand why these teacups were so dusty, as if they were covered in unremovable dirt. What amazed him was that all three teacups were genuine, with a strong spiritual energy emanating from them, though not as strong as his two plum vases, but definitely more potent than the Qing Kangxi blue and white lotus bowl he had bought that morning.

"Little boss, these are real antiques, my late mother's dowry." The old man looked at Yang Kang pitifully. This young man was easy to talk to and hadn't scolded him yet.

The little boss from the shop across the street had been very aggressive, almost hitting him.

"How much do you want for them?" Yang Kang asked, puzzled. Why would such fine Chenghua doucai teacups be so dusty? If the old man's price was reasonable, he wouldn't mind buying them to study.

Hearing Yang Kang ask the price, the old man hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Ten... ten thousand yuan, okay?"

Yang Kang was stunned. If these were really Chenghua doucai teacups, they would be worth far more than ten thousand yuan, even a million.

Seeing Yang Kang's silence, the old man became anxious, grabbing his hand and pleading, "Little boss, please, my wife was hit by a car and is now a vegetable. She needs a lot of medical expenses every day. I have no other choice. How about nine... eight thousand yuan?"

The old man's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke.

"Old man, don't worry, don't worry—let's talk this out calmly!" Yang Kang, seeing the old man's distress, quickly grabbed a pack of tissues and handed them to him. "Your wife was hit by a car, didn't you seek compensation?"

"We did!" The old man wiped his tears with the tissue. "The driver was a young man with no money, and he had a blind mother to support. The insurance company paid over 300,000 yuan, but it was all spent in the hospital. Now, my wife can only move one foot and has no consciousness. She relies on medication to stay alive. I've borrowed from all my relatives and friends, but they aren't well-off either!"

Yang Kang suddenly remembered his father's painting being misjudged, and the difficulty he had in borrowing money. He also recalled the humiliation he suffered at Taoyuan Manor. He was momentarily lost in thought.

"Little boss, do a good deed, and the Buddha will bless you!" The old man clasped his hands together, looking at him pitifully.

"Alright!" Yang Kang nodded, stood up, and said, "If you trust me, leave the items here, and I'll take you to the bank to get the money."

"Really?" The old man was immediately excited. Heaven has eyes; there are still good people in this world.

"Sure!" Yang Kang walked to his desk, turned on the computer, and printed out an art transfer agreement. After the old man signed and fingerprinted it, Yang Kang locked the door and took him to the bank on the antique street, where he withdrew 100,000 yuan and handed it to him.

The old man carefully held the money to his chest, repeatedly thanking him, almost kneeling to show his gratitude, before leaving.

Although the old man had said he would accept 80,000 yuan, Yang Kang gave him 100,000, hoping the money would help the old man.