Chapter 26

In the end, Liu Juyi chose a pair of crystal sandals priced at 188 yuan, which were the cheapest shoes in the store.

The tall saleswoman packed the dress and shoes and helped carry them to the cash register. Wang Xiaoqiang took out his Agricultural Bank card and threw it on the counter. The cashier swiped the card, and it came to just over three thousand yuan, but of course, it wouldn't be overdrawn, as there were eighty thousand yuan in the account.

At this point, the four saleswomen no longer dared to underestimate Wang Xiaoqiang and very politely and respectfully escorted him and Liu Juyi out of the store, welcoming them to come again.

After leaving the store, Liu Juyi couldn't help but pinch Wang Xiaoqiang, scolding him, "Xiaoqiang, you really went crazy today. Can this dress be eaten? You just bought it without thinking... And these sandals, nearly two hundred yuan, which could buy a whole set of clothes..."

"Alright, Sister-in-law, the dress can't be eaten, but it can be worn, right? And you look beautiful in it, which is enough... By the way, Sister-in-law, let me buy you a shoulder bag..."

As Wang Xiaoqiang said this, he walked toward a world-famous leather goods store across the street. However, he hadn't taken two steps when Liu Juyi grabbed his arm and pulled him back, scolding, "It's almost dark, are we still going to do our business?"

To prevent Wang Xiaoqiang from getting carried away and wandering into other stores, Liu Juyi tightly held his arm and pulled him out of the De Yin supermarket.

Wang Xiaoqiang had never been held by a woman like this, especially by his sister-in-law. Since both of them had bare arms, the skin-to-skin contact made him nervous, breaking out in a sweat and walking awkwardly. The main concern was the fear of being seen by acquaintances, which could cause a scandal.

Fortunately, as soon as they left the De Yin supermarket, Liu Juyi let go of Wang Xiaoqiang's arm.

After a long walk, both of them were thirsty. Wang Xiaoqiang bought two bottles of iced red tea, and they each drank one as they headed to the seed station. Near the seed station was an antique market.

Wang Xiaoqiang bought yam seeds and, seeing it was still early, decided to visit the antique market. When he mentioned this to his sister-in-law, Liu Juyi surprisingly agreed. In fact, Liu Juyi rarely came to the city, so she naturally wanted to walk around and see more, even if she didn't buy anything, just to enjoy the atmosphere.

When they arrived at the antique market, it was truly eye-opening. The bustling scene was comparable to a farmers' market.

Wang Xiaoqiang had visited the antique market before, but it wasn't as lively as it was now, possibly due to the recent craze for antiques.

Although it was already afternoon, the market was still exceptionally busy. The streets were crowded with people, and in addition to the shops lining both sides, there were many small stalls set up on the wide streets. The vendors, following unwritten rules, spread their goods on the ground.

However, the antique market was mainly dominated by ceramics, with a wide variety of porcelain items. Additionally, there were bronze artifacts, jewels, jade, bamboo carvings, root sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, ancient coins, old books, and Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, a vast array of antiques.

Although Wang Xiaoqiang and Liu Juyi didn't have much knowledge of antiques, they were very interested in the various oddities in the market.

Since they had no intention of buying, they didn't go into the shops but only browsed the street stalls. The stall owners, seeing they were novices, eagerly tried to attract them, as novices were more likely to be deceived.

"Young man, that vase isn't suitable for you..." As they walked, Wang Xiaoqiang heard enthusiastic greetings and detailed introductions, but when he finally found a vase he liked and was about to touch it, the owner's words were like a bucket of cold water, leaving him dejected.

"Boss, what do you mean? Do you think I can't afford it?"

"It's not that you can't afford it, but it's too expensive, and you definitely won't buy it!"

"Hey, how much is this vase?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked,不服气地.

The owner held up three fingers in front of Wang Xiaoqiang, "It won't be sold for less than this number."

"How much, three thousand?"

The owner shook his head and smiled without speaking.

"Thirty thousand?"

The owner nodded heavily.

"Thirty thousand?! ... Boss, you really know how to price things..." Wang Xiaoqiang reluctantly picked up the vase, turning it over and over, and noticed six characters at the bottom, "Made in the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty." However, there was a large crack in the center of the bottom, splitting the characters, making it look quite unappealing.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoqiang frowned, "Boss, your vase is already broken, and you still dare to ask such a high price. It's a wonder if it can be sold at all..."

"Hmph, you're clearly a novice. This vase is from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, and if it weren't for the crack at the bottom, it could sell for over ten thousand yuan."

Hearing that the broken vase cost thirty thousand yuan, Wang Xiaoqiang lost any interest in buying it. However, leaving after making such a big claim would invite ridicule, so he had to argue a bit more. As he spoke, his fingers touched the crack at the bottom of the vase, and something surprising happened. A yellow aura emerged from his fingertip, and this yellow aura transformed into a fine ceramic-like soil, quickly filling the crack. Soon, the crack was completely filled.

Wang Xiaoqiang was stunned but immediately realized it was earth elemental energy. He had never thought that earth elemental energy could have such a use. Seeing that a small section of the crack had been perfectly repaired without any trace of repair, Wang Xiaoqiang quickly withdrew his finger, suppressing his excitement and putting on a look of disdain, "Boss, you say it's a Kangxi-era vase, how am I supposed to believe it..."

"Since you're not buying it, whether you believe it or not doesn't matter..." The owner said, his gaze shifting to a newly arrived customer.

This customer was a man in his sixties, wearing a sun hat, with fair skin but a slightly yellowish face and slightly black lips. However, he looked spirited and walked briskly. He held a folding fan with paintings of landscapes and insects. When he arrived at the stall, he heard Wang Xiaoqiang questioning the vase. Whether out of showing off or good intentions, he glanced at the vase and smiled at Wang Xiaoqiang, "Young man, that vase is genuine, from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty... Last month, I bought one at an auction for 120,000 yuan..."

Wang Xiaoqiang, wanting to verify the authenticity of the vase, felt a surge of joy upon hearing the old man's words. He immediately said to the owner, "Boss, I'll take this vase."

The owner, from the moment he first saw Wang Xiaoqiang, knew he was a novice and a farmer from the countryside. He never thought he would spend thirty thousand yuan on a vase, so he had given the initial warning. Now, seeing that Wang Xiaoqiang really wanted to buy it, he was somewhat disbelieving, saying in a surprised and unexpected tone, "Young man, you really want to buy it..."