81: Guqin

Wu Fan sat in the car, lighting a cigarette, and watched Qian Ning and Chen Liyun walk into the International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Both women had excellent figures, but relatively speaking, Qian Ning's walk was more graceful.

Chen Liyun was a bit taller, and her walk was more upright and free-spirited.

Wu Fan suddenly felt like watching a Yue Opera performance by Chen Liyun.

Among China's many traditional opera types, Yue Opera held the most significant place in Wu Fan's heart.

As a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, he naturally knew Yue Opera best.

Shengzhou, Shaoxing, the birthplace of Yue Opera, was not far from his hometown.

When he was a child, during festivals, the Village Director would often organize village-wide fundraising to invite the Shengzhou Yue Opera Troupe to perform in the village's ancestral hall.

"Five Daughters Offering Sacrifices for Birthday," "He Wenxiu," "Dream of the Red Chamber," and "Butterfly Lovers" were all familiar to Wu Fan.

He had grown up immersed in it and had a special affection for Yue Opera!

The competition performance wouldn't officially start until 7:30 PM, so there was still plenty of time.

After finishing his cigarette, Wu Fan, feeling bored, decided to wander around the vicinity to relax.

He finally found a parking spot, and after parking, he strolled leisurely along the flagstone path of the pedestrian street.

Sparse snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing on his shoulders one by one, which felt very pleasant.

He thoroughly enjoyed this unique tranquility and harmony.

On both sides of the street were antique shops, selling everything from antiques and various crafts to snacks.

Wu Fan walked and looked aimlessly, feeling very content.

He was suddenly drawn to an antique in the display window of an antique shop.

The dazzling array of old items inside seemed to exude a heavy sense of history.

He couldn't help but stop and examine them closely.

Inside were bronzeware, Tang Sancai, ancient coins from various dynasties, various porcelains, pottery figurines, old porcelain wine pots, ancient books, old wood carvings, folk artifacts, old jade artifacts, jadeite, old tables and chairs, and more.

They were all so full of historical charm.

Wu Fan finally stepped inside.

Inside, a white-haired old shop owner was wiping an old piece of porcelain with a somewhat darkened white towel.

He looked up at Wu Fan, offered a slight smile, and considered it a greeting.

After he placed the wiped porcelain into the cabinet, he spoke, "Feel free to look around."

Wu Fan nodded, hands behind his back, and carefully observed and appreciated the items in the shop.

Every old item, whether genuine or fake, seemed so unique and endearing to Wu Fan.

Wu Fan casually asked, "Boss, have you acquired any new stock recently?"

The boss picked up his zisha teacup, took a sip, and said, "I acquired an ancient zither a few days ago. Are you interested?"

Wu Fan thought to himself, "An ancient zither? Might as well take a look. After all, he interacts with many singers and internet celebrities; it might come in handy."

"Then please show it to me."

When the boss stood up, Wu Fan noticed he was a bit hunched, walking with a waddle, somewhat like a penguin.

He led Wu Fan to a corner, pointed to an old black wooden box, and said, "It's a good item, so it needs to be hidden well. I specially got a box for it."

"You got the box for it, right?"

"That's right. When I acquired it, it didn't have a box."

After he finished speaking, he carefully opened the wooden box and then held the ancient zither out with both hands.

Wu Fan observed his expression and sensed his fondness for this ancient zither.

"Can you play it?"

The boss shook his head, "No, but I often listen to ancient music."

Wu Fan examined the body of the zither; it was entirely black, very simple and elegant, seemingly having endured many years.

"Boss, what era is this zither from?"

"Ming Dynasty."

Wu Fan asked with some doubt, "How can you tell it's a Ming Dynasty zither?"

The boss pointed to the characters on the zither's head and said, "Look at this poem and calligraphy; it's clearly from the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, someone inscribed characters on the bottom of this zither, marking it as from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. There's no mistake."

Wu Fan raised his hand and plucked a string; the sound was clear and melodious, and he found himself liking it even more.

However, he maintained a calm expression, "This zither must be quite expensive, right?"

The boss said somewhat arrogantly, "Young man, are you sincerely interested?"

"Of course."

The boss didn't speak, just looked up and scrutinized Wu Fan, as if he didn't believe Wu Fan would actually buy it.

Wu Fan pressed, "What, you don't believe I'll buy it?"

The boss shook his head, a faint smile on his face, but remained silent.

Wu Fan was a bit puzzled, "Are you implying I can't afford it?"

The boss changed the subject, "There are many old zithers from the Ming Dynasty, and their prices vary. Have you heard of the 'Flying Waterfall Linked Pearls Zither'?"

Wu Fan truly hadn't, so he could only shake his head.

The boss said very mysteriously, "The Flying Waterfall Linked Pearls Zither is the number one zither of the Ming Dynasty. Its auction price would absolutely scare you to death."

Wu Fan was indeed intrigued by what he said, "How much did it sell for?"

The boss swallowed before saying, "41.975 million yuan."

"Ah? That expensive?"

"Yes, otherwise, why would it be called the number one zither of the Ming Dynasty? It was made by Zhu Quan, the seventeenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, and after enduring many trials, it has been passed down to this day. Of course, it's expensive."

Wu Fan's gaze returned to the ancient zither, "Does this zither also cost tens of millions? An ordinary person couldn't bear that."

The boss laughed heartily, "No, it doesn't. Around 200,000 yuan. After all, it's not a zither used by a famous person."

Wu Fan pondered, "200,000 yuan. If it's a fake, wouldn't I lose a lot? No, with the consumption cashback system in hand, what's there to fear? If I like it, I'll buy it."

"Boss, 200,000 yuan is still expensive. What's the lowest price?"

The boss still looked at him with some disbelief, "Young man, do you really want this zither?"

"What? I've already asked like this, why do you still think I can't afford it?"

"That's not it. It's just that not many young people like ancient zithers nowadays."

Wu Fan nodded, "Is the ancient zither easy to learn?"

The boss shook his head, "I don't know about that. I can't play it at all. But I don't think it should be difficult, after all, it only has so few strings. How difficult could it be?"

Wu Fan said, "Boss, tell me a price. What's the lowest?"

The boss thought for a moment and said, "188,000 yuan. It's a lucky number. What do you think?"

"Alright. Are you sure this item is from the Ming Dynasty?" Wu Fan asked again, still a bit uneasy.

"If it's not from the Ming Dynasty, you can come back to my shop anytime to return it."

Wu Fan grunted in acknowledgment, then took out his phone to scan the code and pay.

The boss said happily, "Young man, you have good taste. This zither is worth the price. I'll also give you this wooden box, so you don't damage the zither when you take it home. With the box protecting it, it's safe."

Wu Fan took the wooden box with the zither inside from the boss and placed it aside.

He then bought some porcelain and jade pendants in the shop, spending nearly 500,000 yuan in total before leaving.

For him, with the consumption cashback system in hand, whether the items were genuine or not didn't matter; as long as he liked them, it was fine.

In the future, if he had the opportunity, he could sell them at any price and still make a profit.

Ever since buying a car in Hunan Province, Wu Fan felt he had suddenly grasped the essence of the consumption cashback system: buying slightly better items and then reselling them was a very good way to make money.

He definitely needed to make good use of it in the future...