46: 46. Picking up a bargain?
Yu Tianxiong approached a candied hawthorn stall with the blue-and-white bowl and quietly told Lu Feng, "Sir, I've bought the item; it cost two thousand five hundred."
Lu Feng turned around, took the blue-and-white bowl, examined it carefully, and clicked his tongue in wonder.
Yu Tianxiong hesitated, "Judging by the stall owner's attitude, this shouldn't be genuine, but he himself said that he acquired this bowl from..."
"From the descendants of an official in the countryside? And he sold it because he urgently needed money?"
Yu Tianxiong was stunned and asked, "Did you ask about it before, Sir?"
Lu Feng chuckled, "No, I didn't. Old Yu, let me test you: how much do you think this bowl is worth?"
Before Yu Tianxiong could speak, the older sister at the candied hawthorn stall laughed, "Those stall owners' bowls are at most a few yuan. Haha, they probably picked up defective products from the ceramics capital and aged them themselves. Haha, young man, you spent over two thousand, which is truly... a big sucker, hahahaha."
The older sister's words made Yu Tianxiong's face darken a bit. He was still an amateur; he didn't expect that even after bargaining down from fifty thousand to two thousand five hundred, he was still scammed.
But who would have thought that a bowl worth a few yuan could be priced at fifty thousand? No wonder they say the timid starve, and the bold thrive.
The older sister reminded him, "But don't even think about returning it. In the antique business, it's all about one's discerning eye. There's no precedent for refunds; it's always 'bought and sealed.' Consider this a lesson this time, and be more careful next time."
Lu Feng didn't mind. He patted Yu Tianxiong's sturdy shoulder, "I'm giving you a task now. There are several large antique shops in the middle of this street. Take this bowl and go sell it to them. Just let them quote a price. If it's less than thirty million, don't bother."
"How much?" Yu Tianxiong thought he had misheard.
"Thirty million. Go ahead. I'll be waiting for your good news at the teahouse over there," Lu Feng said with a smile.
The reason he was so certain was that he had seen all of this in a dream. It was a few nights ago, and the dream's owner was a sixty-year-old collector who was traveling in Xinghai City.
As someone who enjoyed cultural artifacts and antiques, the old collector naturally chose to visit Xiantao Street. However, to his disappointment, after browsing Xiantao Street for a while, he found nothing he liked.
In his opinion, everything displayed on the street stalls were just deceptive handicrafts, completely worthless, while a few decent fakes were being guarded as treasures.
These people were just scamming tourists.
As for the antique shops, although they had good items, the prices were too exaggerated and not worth his bid.
At his level, only finding a 'leak' (a valuable item bought cheaply) could reflect his wisdom and discerning eye, and only then could he feel the charm of antiques.
The old collector hadn't found a 'leak' and was about to head back when he saw the blue-and-white bowl on the gap-toothed stall owner's display, and his eyes immediately lit up.
For an experienced old collector, a discerning eye was certainly not lacking. He immediately knelt down to study it, completely ignoring the story the stall owner was telling.
He continuously examined the blue-and-white bowl in his hand, studying its form, proportion, glaze, body, and brushwork characteristics, and felt it resembled a genuine article.
However, because the sky was dim, and he was old with somewhat blurry vision, he couldn't be sure.
Just as he was hesitating, the gap-toothed old man took a call, seeming to be in a hurry to leave, and urged, "Brother, do you want it? Sixty thousand for you. If you want it, take it. If not, I'm leaving. I have something to do at home. If you want to look, come back tomorrow."
The old collector steadied himself, knowing that at such a time, it was crucial not to panic. So he smiled and said, "You go ahead. I'll come back tomorrow."
After saying that, he watched the old man pack up his stall and leave in a hurry. The old collector also returned to his hotel, pondering the matter in his mind.
Even after washing up and lying in bed, he couldn't resist opening the professional books he carried with him and checking the characteristics against the blue-and-white bowl.
The more he looked, the more excited he became.
"The body is light, thin, and translucent, the glaze is rich and smooth like solidified fat, the brushwork is superb, the blue-and-white patterns are faintly visible, the foot is like rice paste, the double-ring blue-and-white lines are clear, the upper layer's color is elegant, and the lower layer's color is rich—it indeed matches the authentication characteristics!!!"
The old collector excitedly closed the book, now 100% certain that he could find a 'leak' this time!
It was a genuine article!
He hadn't expected to come to Xinghai City and encounter such a top-tier blue-and-white palace bowl.
"That stall owner misjudged it, genuinely selling it as a handicraft. But one thing he said was true: such blue-and-white palace bowls are rare in circulation, and each one is extremely valuable!"
The old collector's heart surged. He desperately wanted to chase down the other party and buy the blue-and-white bowl right then, but that would make the other party realize its true value. So, he had to endure until tomorrow to buy it, and he couldn't be too early or too eager.
Thus, the old collector tossed and turned in bed, sleepless all night. Early the next morning, he got up with dark circles under his eyes and took a taxi directly to Xiantao Street.
On a street less than a few dozen meters from Xiantao Street, because the old collector was too excited and walking very fast, he didn't watch where he was going, twisted his ankle, and fell.
Being old and having osteoporosis, such a fall instantly broke his leg, and he also lost consciousness.
Lu Feng genuinely felt bad for this old collector. He was only a few dozen meters away and still had such an incident. Clearly, he had no destiny with this blue-and-white bowl.
Lu Feng naturally wouldn't let it go. Treasures, after all, go to those who are destined for them.
However, he had just become famous in the national media and it wasn't convenient for him to handle it personally. So, Yu Tianxiong, as his proxy, arrived at a very opportune time.
As for whether it could be worth thirty million, Lu Feng had no doubts. This old collector was very well-known and a pivotal figure in the field of porcelain appraisal in Xia Country. His research had always been authoritative in the collecting world; even the Capital Museum often invited him to participate in research... Hearing Lu Feng's words, Yu Tianxiong, holding the bowl, walked without hesitation towards an antique shop named "Treasury Pavilion" not far away.
He pushed open the carved door, and the sound of a copper bell rang out. The shop was brightly lit and grandly decorated, with two rows of display shelves standing on either side, holding various porcelain vases of different shapes.
Shopkeeper Zhang, with a goatee, looked up from behind the counter and smiled, "How may I help you?"
Yu Tianxiong walked to the counter, took out the blue-and-white bowl, and said, "I have an item to sell."
Shopkeeper Zhang put down his teacup, took out a small mat, placed it on the counter, and said, "Let me see."
Yu Tianxiong knew they preferred not to handle items directly, so he carefully placed it on the mat.
Shopkeeper Zhang took out a magnifying glass and meticulously examined the blue-and-white bowl. Honestly, he didn't hold much hope, as many collectors frequently came in with what they believed were top-tier collections to sell.
Some even claimed to have a piece identical to one in a museum, discussing the crackled glaze, but ignoring the "microwave safe" label on the bottom.
So, Shopkeeper Zhang merely glanced at it, but this time, he immediately felt something was off.
This thing... seemed to be genuine?!
He shed his dismissive attitude and began to examine it seriously.
Before long, a slight sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his goatee trembled slightly.
Shopkeeper Zhang looked up, revealing a nonchalant smile, and said casually, "Heh, it's a pretty good imitation, quite interesting. How about this, one hundred thousand, I'll take it, just to make a friend?"
Yu Tianxiong shook his head, "Too little."
Shopkeeper Zhang's brows furrowed slightly. He couldn't quite grasp what this person in front of him meant, so he tentatively said, "Then, one hundred fifty thousand. I, Old Zhang, am the easiest to talk to on this street. Do you want cash or a transfer?"
Bought for over two thousand, one hundred fifty thousand was already a sixty-fold increase, considered a huge profit.
However, Yu Tianxiong didn't respond. Instead, he calmly put away the blue-and-white bowl and turned to walk out.
"Ah, no, friend, don't leave..."