Chapter 7

In the street of the antique market, Chen Yi thought for a moment and decided to go to the largest antique shop in the area. However, before doing so, he decided to spend some time memorizing the information identified by the appraisal talisman and combine it with the characteristics of the jade pendant, so as to master the features of the jade pendant proficiently. This way, he wouldn't be deceived by the antique dealers.

Looking at the ugly dust on the jade pendant, Chen Yi glanced at the tightly closed door of the Treasure Hall and smiled. He decided to open the shop door first, use the tools in the shop to clean the jade pendant, and learn the appraisal results in his mind at the same time.

Once both tasks were completed, he would truly be immune to any deception by antique dealers.

Taking out the key given by Uncle Liu, Chen Yi opened the door of the Treasure Hall. He could both learn and watch the shop, achieving two goals at once.

During his month in the antique market, he didn't learn much knowledge, but he did improve his sales skills by following Uncle Liu. This was one of the reasons why Uncle Liu occasionally let him watch the shop.

Chen Yi was very familiar with the positions of various items in the antique shop. He found some small tools Uncle Liu used to remove stains from antiques from the cabinet, then sat on a chair that Uncle Liu claimed was made of Qing Dynasty redwood, preparing to clean the stains on the jade pendant.

After completing this task of finding a bargain, he would have 23 appraisal talismans. He was determined to work hard to make his and his family's life better, just as this task described.

As a great appraiser, how could he worry about money? Chen Yi made up his mind to become a great appraiser and completely change his life.

Previously, when Uncle Liu cleaned some antiques, he often watched. Therefore, cleaning a jade pendant wasn't too difficult for him.

At first, the jade pendant was quite easy to clean. A wipe with a cloth removed some of the dust. However, the stains in the corners of the jade pendant's patterns were much harder to clean. Chen Yi had to use a soft-bristled brush to scrub them, and it took a lot of effort to clean one spot.

Watching is one thing, but doing it yourself is another. Chen Yi couldn't help but sigh. Fortunately, the stains on the jade pendant weren't too stubborn. Soon, he had cleaned most of it, and the jade pendant revealed its white and smooth appearance, which was very appealing.

In the end, there were two stains that couldn't be removed. Chen Yi didn't stop immediately but tried again, only to find that they couldn't be removed. He then put the jade pendant on the table to dry.

After that, he tidied up the cleaning tools and put them back in the cabinet. Just as he turned around, he saw a young man rush into the shop.

"Sir, what would you like?" Chen Yi hurriedly greeted the young man.

"Do you have any suitable antiques for a birthday gift? I want genuine items, not fakes." The young man rushed into the shop and looked around, seemingly eager to buy an antique as a gift.

Hearing the young man's words, Chen Yi couldn't help but laugh. This guy must be out of his mind. Buying genuine antiques in an antique shop is harder than climbing to heaven. Some large antique shops might have genuine items, but in a place like the antique market, where all sorts of things mix, well, Uncle Liu told him that everything in the antique market is genuine.

"Sir, in the antique business, there's no such thing as genuine or fake, only old or new. No one can guarantee whether an antique is genuine. However, you can rest assured that we have many old items in our shop. The Treasure Hall means that all the treasures are hidden here." Chen Yi immediately used the words Uncle Liu taught him to deceive the young man.

"Don't talk nonsense. Just quickly show me an old item. It has to be grand and impressive, something that can overshadow other gifts." The young man, hearing Chen Yi's words, said impatiently.

Chen Yi smiled and poured a cup of tea for the young man. "Sure, sir, please wait a moment. I'll pick a high-end, grand, and prestigious antique for you."

Saying this, Chen Yi walked to the porcelain display cabinet and brought over a large bottle. "Sir, look, this is a Qing Dynasty blue-and-white vase with the Eight Immortals wishing for longevity. It has the Eight Immortals wishing for longevity, with a fresh green color and fine, white, and smooth glaze. It's a great item for wishing someone a happy birthday."

"Don't use those technical terms. I don't understand them, but I know that porcelain has the most fakes. Besides, others often give porcelain as gifts. Give me something else." The young man looked at the porcelain Chen Yi brought and frowned, clearly dissatisfied.

Chen Yi looked at the young man with a sympathetic expression. You don't understand, and antique shops love customers like you who don't understand.

Putting the porcelain back, Chen Yi picked out a wooden carving. The carving looked very lifelike. "Sir, this is a wooden carving of the God of Longevity wishing for longevity. It's a Qing Dynasty old item. The God of Longevity holds a peach, and since trees can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, it symbolizes longevity and the alignment of life with the longevity of trees."

The young man looked at the wooden carving Chen Yi brought with interest, took it in his hands, and played with it for a while. Finally, he smiled. "This is quite nice, but do you guarantee it's genuine? If it's not, I'll be embarrassed, and you won't be off the hook either."

"Cough, sir, as I said, in the antique business, there's no such thing as genuine or fake, only old or new. This wooden carving is Qing Dynasty craftsmanship. As for the rest, it depends on your own judgment. If you like it, you can buy it." Chen Yi laughed dryly and quickly said. In the antique business, the last thing they fear is trouble. If your judgment is poor, it's your own fault.

"Hmph, I don't care about old or new. Remember, this is Qing Dynasty craftsmanship. I remember the location of the Treasure Hall very clearly. How much?" The young man's face turned cold, and he threatened, then asked about the price.

Chen Yi smiled, not bothered by the young man's threat. In the past month with Uncle Liu, he had seen many people who didn't understand antiques and came in looking for genuine items. "Sir, this is a Qing Dynasty redwood carving, with extremely exquisite craftsmanship..."

"Can you stop talking nonsense and just tell me the price?" The young man said impatiently.

"Eighteen thousand." Chen Yi quickly quoted the price Uncle Liu had instructed, being very sensitive to numbers as a graduate of a finance school.

The young man stared at the wooden carving. "Eighteen thousand? You're cheating me. Half price, nine thousand."

"Sir, no, that's the price set by the boss. If you want the Eight Immortals wishing for longevity vase, I can sell it to you for five thousand, but not this wooden carving." Chen Yi looked troubled and said with difficulty.

"Ten thousand, and I'll add another thousand. If you sell it, great; if not, forget it." The young man put the wooden carving on the table and said decisively. Suddenly, he saw the jade pendant on the table and his eyes lit up. "This jade pendant is so beautiful, and it's carved with a dragon. I remember the old man said that the dragon is a major symbol of Chinese culture. We should be like dragons, able to dive into the depths and soar into the sky. I believe he will like it. Boss, is this jade pendant genuine?"

"Sir, this jade pendant... yes, it's definitely genuine, a Qing Dynasty genuine white jade from Hetian." Chen Yi instinctively wanted to say it wasn't for sale, but then thought, if it's going to be sold in an antique shop, it might as well be sold to this young man. The people in antique shops are much more cunning than this young man.

Chen Yi couldn't guarantee whether the other antiques in Uncle Liu's shop were genuine, but this jade pendant was definitely a genuine item identified by the appraisal system.

The young man nodded and picked up the jade pendant, playing with it in his hands. His fondness for it grew. "Yes, this jade pendant feels good, and the dragon carving is very realistic. You said there's no such thing as genuine or fake, only old or new, but this jade pendant looks genuine. I don't want the wooden carving. How much is this jade pendant?"

Chen Yi thought for a moment. He knew a little about the price of jade but couldn't accurately determine it. "Sir, I can't guarantee the other items, but this jade is definitely a genuine item identified by experts. As for the price, the minimum is thirty thousand."

A broken Korean jade pendant was sold for two thousand by the stall owner. This absolute Qing Dynasty genuine jade, ten times more valuable than the Korean jade, wasn't too much to ask for.

"I really like this jade pendant. Twenty thousand..." The young man didn't cut the price in half this time, indicating he genuinely liked the jade pendant.

Seeing the young man's expression, Chen Yi also felt a bit reluctant. This was the first bargain he had found. However, for the sake of the task and his sister's tuition, he had to let it go. "Sir, this jade pendant is thirty thousand, no less. Otherwise, you can look at other shops."

After some thought, Chen Yi's attitude became firm. The evil Mr. Wang had said that Hetian jade is a rare treasure, and the value of this Qing Dynasty genuine item couldn't be underestimated.

"Twenty-eight thousand, a lucky number. Boss, what do you think?" The young man held the jade pendant in his hands and didn't examine it carefully like other buyers. He directly asked Chen Yi.

Chen Yi was taken aback. Twenty-eight thousand? He had only pretended to be firm, hoping to raise the price a bit. He didn't expect the young man to increase it by eight thousand. After regaining his composure, he suppressed his joy and said hesitantly, "Twenty-eight thousand... it seems you really like jade. Twenty-eight thousand it is, let's call it a friendship."

"Great, boss. If the person I give the gift to likes it, they will definitely come back to thank you. Here, this is a check for twenty-eight thousand, which can be cashed at any bank." The young man wrote a check without hesitation and handed it to Chen Yi, as if afraid Chen Yi would change his mind.

As soon as Chen Yi took the check, the young man immediately took the jade pendant and walked out. "Boss, thanks. I'll be back later."

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