9: Chapter 9 Meeting a Beautiful Woman

The most important thing now is to hurry up and restore this flower coin.

With this new function, he would not only be able to pick up bargains in the future, but also restore the luster of those poorly preserved, buried treasures, doubling their value.

This is true alchemy!

After leaving the antique market, Hu Tian did not go straight home; instead, he wandered around several tool shops in the vicinity.

White vinegar, a soft brush, petroleum jelly, and he even managed to buy a professional agate burnisher; these were all common antique restoration items that were easy to buy on the market.

Half an hour later, Hu Tian returned to his apartment carrying a plastic bag.

He closed the door, drew the curtains, and created a quiet working environment.

He took the Kangxi flower coin out of his pocket and began to work meticulously, following the steps prompted by the system.

First, he soaked it in warm water.

To speed up the softening process, he deliberately raised the water temperature, but he kept a close eye on the temperature changes, fearing that overheating would damage the internal structure of the ancient coin.

Twenty-four hours later, Hu Tian picked up the flower coin again.

By now, the patina had softened, and he began to scrub it gently with a soft brush dipped in diluted white vinegar.

His movements were as gentle as if he were stroking a baby's skin.

Under the effect of the white vinegar, the patina began to loosen and fall off, and the originally blurred patterns gradually became clear, revealing the ancient bronze color beneath.

The most critical step arrived—dealing with that scratch.

Hu Tian held his breath, picked up the agate burnisher, and carefully observed the direction of the scratch under the light.

Following the system's guidance, he used the tip of the blade to scrape the edges of the scratch extremely lightly, trying to make the abrupt mark transition more naturally with the surrounding patina.

Every stroke was cautious, and the force was controlled to perfection.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, but he was completely unaware, focusing entirely on the small area in his hands.

The entire restoration process lasted intermittently for two days.

Hu Tian was extremely cautious, fearing that if he didn't master the force well, he would damage the surface of the coin, which would truly be a waste of a precious item.

On the morning of the third day, when the first ray of sunlight shone into the room, Hu Tian dried the flower coin with a clean cotton cloth, applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly, and polished it gently.

The Kangxi flower coin before his eyes looked brand new!

The ancient bronze color revealed a warm, lustrous sheen deposited by time, and the once shocking scratch had now become soft and natural, as if it were just a mark left by time, no longer appearing abrupt.

The four characters "Kangxi Tongbao" on the coin were clearly visible, with sharp strokes; the auspicious cloud patterns on the reverse side were exquisite, delicate, and lifelike.

The system prompt sounded at the right moment: [Restoration complete!]

[Current integrity: 94%] [Estimated market value: 130,000 - 160,000 yuan]

Hu Tian placed the flower coin in his palm, examined it carefully for a while, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.

It was time to sell it.

He remembered Zhou Lao, whom he had met the day before yesterday; that old man not only had a sharp eye but was also kind to others, making him a buyer worth dealing with.

Rather than going through the hassle of an auction house, it would be better to go directly to Zhou Lao; it was both safe and fast.

At 8:00 the next morning, the sunlight was just right.

Hu Tian walked along the east gate of the residential area towards the antique street, passing by a flea market next to the antique street.

This place was much simpler than the bright and shiny antique street, with stalls mostly made of faded blue cloths spread casually on the rough concrete ground.

The stalls were filled with all kinds of miscellaneous old items: yellowed old books, paint-chipped old furniture, patched old clothes, old toys missing arms or legs, and some people even piled up scrap metal on the ground to sell.

Most people who came here were looking for bargains or just seeking novelty; very few people would think that they could find real treasures in this "garbage dump."

Hu Tian had originally just intended to take a walk and look around casually, but as soon as he stepped onto the edge of the market, the radar in his mind suddenly transmitted a dense series of continuous reactions.

He stopped and sensed carefully.

[Ordinary treasure detected, distance 12 meters.]

[Ordinary treasure detected, distance 8 meters.]

[Ordinary treasure detected, distance 15 meters.]

Hu Tian's eyes lit up instantly.

Although they were only "ordinary" level treasures, not priceless like the previous flower coin, they were numerous!

Moreover, the items in this kind of place, the owners often didn't know their value, so the prices must be ridiculously low.

As long as he could get them at a low price, reselling them would be pure profit, and accumulating little by little would also be a considerable income.

Following the radar's guidance, he walked slowly to a stall.

The stall owner was a woman in her fifties, wearing a faded floral shirt, who was looking down and focusing on scrolling through short videos on her phone, occasionally letting out hearty laughs.

Her stall was filled with pots, bowls, ladles, old-fashioned thermos flasks, and enamel cups printed with the words "Serve the People," exuding a strong sense of nostalgia and everyday life.

Hu Tian's gaze fell on a rusty, black copper spoon in the corner.

The system prompt immediately appeared: [Ordinary antique detected: Republic of China era copper spoon. Medium condition, rich patina, estimated market value 800 to 1,200 yuan.]

Hu Tian squatted down, picked up the copper spoon to examine it, his fingertips rubbing over the rough layer of rust.

"Auntie, how much for this?"

The auntie looked up upon hearing him, glanced at the item in Hu Tian's hand, and said nonchalantly: "That broken spoon? Ten yuan."

Hu Tian chuckled inwardly; if this were in an antique shop, it wouldn't be less than several hundred yuan.

He casually counter-offered: "Too expensive, let's make it five yuan."

The auntie rolled her eyes, seemingly feeling that haggling over five yuan was a bit troublesome, and waved her hand saying: "Fine, fine, five yuan it is. Take it, take it, save me some space."

Hu Tian readily took out five yuan, handed it over, and put the copper spoon into his pocket.

[Energy value gained: 5 points, current cumulative energy value: 5 points]

The auntie took the money and went back to scrolling through videos, her face beaming with a simple, satisfied smile.

The second target was at another stall not far away.

It was a stall set up by an old man with silver hair, piled with various old ceramics, including bowls, plates, and teapots, most of which were in average condition, with severely worn glazes, looking like they had just been taken off a stove.

The old man was wearing reading glasses, carefully wiping a teapot, his expression focused and devout.

Hu Tian's gaze fell on an inconspicuous blue and white plate.

System prompt: [Ordinary antique detected: Qing Dynasty folk kiln blue and white plate. Medium-low condition, average maintenance, surface has slight scratches and chips. Estimated market value 10,000 to 30,000 yuan.]

The edge of the plate had some obvious chips, and the glaze also had a few fine cracks (chicken claw cracks); to someone who didn't know the ropes, at first glance, it looked just like an old, broken plate used to feed cats or dogs.

"Old man, how much for this plate?"

Hu Tian asked softly.

The old man glanced at it and pushed up his reading glasses: "Eighty."

"Too expensive, thirty."

Hu Tian pretended to frown in disdain.

"Sixty at the lowest, this is an old item."

The old man pulled the plate closer to his chest as if protecting a calf.

"Forty, if that doesn't work, I'm leaving; there are others selling them up ahead."

Hu Tian made a move to get up.

The old man hesitated for a moment, looked at Hu Tian's firm gaze, and finally compromised helplessly: "Fine, fine, forty it is. Young people nowadays really know how to bargain."

Hu Tian scanned the code to pay, said thank you with a smile, and carefully put the plate into a cloth bag.

[Energy value gained: 10 points, current cumulative energy value: 15 points]

The old man took the money, smiled honestly, and continued to wipe his teapot, as if what he had just lost was not a priceless antique, but just an ordinary old bowl.

The third treasure was at a corner stall in the deepest part of the market.

The stall owner was a young man in his twenties, dressed fashionably, and the items on his stall were even more disorganized: old books, old paintings, parts of old furniture, and even a few dusty, broken ceramic vases.

Hu Tian's gaze locked onto one of the ceramic vases, which had a yellowish glaze and was covered in dust.

System prompt: [Ordinary antique detected: Early PRC civil ceramic vase (Fine-line Famille Rose). Good condition, estimated market value 20,000 to 40,000 yuan.]

This vase looked unremarkable, even a bit rustic, but the radar showed that its value was the highest of these three items.

"How much for this vase?"

Hu Tian pointed to the ceramic vase.

The young stall owner looked up at Hu Tian, and his hand, which was playing a game, paused: "This one? One hundred and fifty."

"Too expensive, twenty."

Hu Tian slashed the price directly.

"No way, no way, one hundred at the lowest, this is an old vase."

The stall owner was anxious.

"Forty, can't go any higher. Look at how much dust there is."

Hu Tian bluffed with a sincere face.

The young stall owner hesitated, looked around at the unattended stalls, and finally nodded: "Fine, fine, forty it is. It's the first sale of the day, I'll sell it to you."

Hu Tian readily scanned the code to pay again and put the ceramic vase into the cloth bag as well.

[Energy value gained: 15 points, current cumulative energy value: 30 points]

Carrying the three "ordinary" antique items, with the [Qing Dynasty Kangxi era "Peace Under Heaven" flower coin] that had been meticulously restored in a box in his pocket, Hu Tian went straight to Jubao Pavilion.

There were no other customers in the shop at the moment, and a new young girl was tending the shop.

The girl was in her early twenties, wearing an elegant cheongsam, her long hair tied loosely behind her head, her skin as fair as porcelain, and her eyes and brows exuded a pure and spirited temperament.

She was looking down, organizing the ornaments on the antique shelf, her profile appearing exceptionally soft and beautiful in the sunlight, as if she were a lady who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

Hu Tian was momentarily dazed, and his steps slowed down involuntarily.

Was this the legendary "one whose heart is filled with poetry and books radiates elegance"?

That kind of pure beauty made one reluctant to disturb her.

"Ahem!"

An untimely cough suddenly sounded from the corner, breaking the tranquility.

Hu Tian snapped back to reality, only to see Zhou Lao sitting in a grand armchair in the corner, sipping tea and looking at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Hu Tian's face immediately flushed, and he quickly withdrew his gaze, looking straight ahead with a serious expression, pretending that the person who had been staring at the girl in a daze just now wasn't him.

Hearing the cough, the girl looked up at Hu Tian.

Their eyes met, and she seemed to notice Hu Tian's embarrassment; the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and she smiled demurely.

That smile was like a spring breeze brushing against his face, clear and deep, without a trace of ridicule, only kind understanding.

Hu Tian was made even more flustered by this smile; he could only bite the bullet, walk forward, and greet him with feigned calmness: "Zhou Lao, I've come to bother you again."

Zhou Lao put down his teacup, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he smiled: "Little Hu, how do you have time to come over today? This is my granddaughter, Zhou Waner."

"Hello, Zhou Lao, hello, Miss Zhou."

Hu Tian hurriedly nodded in greeting, no longer daring to look around, his eyes fixed firmly in front of him.

"There are a few items I would like to ask Zhou Lao to take a look at."

As he spoke, Hu Tian took out the copper spoon, the blue and white plate, and the ceramic vase from his tote bag one by one, and finally took out the exquisite brocade box from his inner pocket, handing it over with both hands to the table in front of Zhou Lao.

Zhou Lao first glanced at the three "ordinary" items, nodded slightly, and a hint of approval appeared in his eyes, clearly indicating his recognition of Hu Tian's discerning eye.

Subsequently, his gaze fell on the brocade box.

Zhou Lao opened the box and took out the Kangxi flower coin.

The moment he saw the flower coin, his expression instantly became serious, and his originally relaxed body couldn't help but straighten up.

He picked up a magnifying glass, leaned in to observe it carefully, looked from the front to the back, turned it over and over several times, and even softened his breathing.

After a full five minutes, Zhou Lao slowly put down the magnifying glass, let out a long breath, his eyes full of amazement.

"Where did you get this thing?"

Zhou Lao's tone carried a hint of undisguised surprise.

"I found it at the antique market; it cost fifty yuan."

Hu Tian told the truth, his tone calm.

"Fifty yuan?"