Chapter 105: Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Antique Shopping

After lunch, Lin Xiaowan suggested that Zhao Yanyan show them around Donghai.

“Sigh, although Donghai City is large, there really aren’t many places for fun, especially places suitable for you two,” Zhao Yanyan said somewhat helplessly.

For ordinary people, going to internet cafes, playing billiards, or visiting the library would suffice, but these options clearly didn’t suit Su Lin and Lin Xiaowan.

Su Lin casually said, “No worries, just strolling around nearby is fine. Yanyan, is there any interesting place here you can take us to?”

“An interesting place?” Zhao Yanyan pondered. After a while, she shook her head and said, “Not really, but in the north district, there’s an Antique Street.”

“Many people from out of town visit there, some even find hidden treasures. Last year, a collector from the capital found a Qianlong snuff bottle and made several hundred thousand from it.”

Su Lin’s eyes lit up instantly. With his ‘golden eye’, he had been wanting to try his luck. “Let’s go to Antique Street then. I’m quite interested in antiques,” he said with a smile.

Lin Xiaowan, holding Su Lin’s arm, looked at him suspiciously. “Su Lin, since when have you been interested in antiques?”

“Just now!” Su Lin replied.

Lin Xiaowan was skeptical. “You’re not thinking about finding a bargain there, are you?”

Su Lin replied with a smile, “Xiaowan, you really can read my mind. I did think about that.”

Zhao Yanyan, overhearing their conversation, warned Su Lin, “Don’t have such thoughts. Almost all antiques there are fake. Many people have been scammed in Donghai’s Antique Street.”

Su Lin smiled lightly and replied, “I’m not stupid; I just want to take a look.”

Zhao Yanyan nodded, while Lin Xiaowan suspected Su Lin’s real intentions. She knew Su Lin too well; he never did things without meaning. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I trust you,” she said, looking into his eyes earnestly.

Su Lin, appearing casual but reliable when serious, reassured her. “Yanyan, let’s head to Antique Street. I want to see what the antique market is like.”

Zhao Yanyan agreed, and they headed toward Antique Street.

Meanwhile, Lin Tian, having just finished lunch, was also preparing to visit Antique Street. In his past life, Zhao Yanyan had taken him there to relax, and he witnessed someone buying a genuine Yuan blue-and-white porcelain.

At first, everyone thought it was a fake, but it was later authenticated as genuine and sold for 2.3 billion HKD at an auction in Hong Kong, causing a sensation.

Now, Lin Tian, armed with his family’s wealth, was determined to find such a treasure himself. Although he couldn’t afford a real Yuan blue-and-white, he had enough to buy a ‘fake’ one.

Lin Tian took a taxi to Antique Street, not rushing to the stall selling Yuan blue-and-white porcelain but casually browsing, occasionally buying small ‘antiques’ and appearing like an experienced shopper.

Meanwhile, Su Lin, Zhao Yanyan, and Lin Xiaowan also arrived at Antique Street.

“Little brother, interested in calligraphy and paintings? Here’s one by Tang Bohu, only 3000 yuan for you,” a seller called out.

“Hey kid, here’s an authentic ‘Tiger Descending the Mountain’ painting. Look at this rice paper, these seals, absolute genuine.”

“Not interested? We also have ‘Wu Song Fighting the Tiger’, ‘Guan Yu’s Retreat from Maicheng’, ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’…”

“Little brother, a Ming Dynasty official kiln piece, once used by Zhao Kuangyin himself.”

Su Lin, with a deadpan face, replied, “Uncle, Zhao Kuangyin was from the Song Dynasty.”

“Oh, right, I forgot. Actually, this official kiln is from the Song Dynasty.”

The three of them were speechless at these outrageous claims.

“These people are too bold. That ‘Tiger Descending the Mountain’ they showed me almost made me laugh out loud,” Su Lin commented.

“Indeed, a bit excessive. How could Zhao Kuangyin use something from the Ming Dynasty?” Zhao Yanyan chuckled. “Antique Street is like this. They’ll say anything as long as you believe them. These guys have no bottom line. As long as there’s a buyer, they dare to claim anything.”

“Heh, that’s the fun of bargain hunting, isn’t it? How else would you find hidden treasures?”

“Kid, looking for a bargain? Come to my stall, just unearthed. Look at this, a jar from the Song Huizong era,” another seller said, winking mysteriously at Su Lin.

Su Lin, examining the jars: “Are these family heirlooms or grave-robbed?”

“Heh, kid, you’re knowledgeable. These are family heirlooms, jars from the Song Huizong era. Want to take a closer look?”

Su Lin focused on a jar, his brain suddenly filling with information: high imitation!

“Uncle, I can’t afford such a good jar. Better keep it as a family heirloom. I really can’t afford it,” Su Lin said, preparing to leave.

“Hey, don’t rush off. I haven’t even mentioned the price yet. How do you know you can’t afford it?”

Su Lin, shaking his head: “Uncle, I really can’t afford it. I only have a few tens of yuan on me.”

“Ah, well, no fate with my family heirloom then.”

As they were talking, a system notification sounded in Su Lin’s mind:

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for accidentally entering the protagonist’s first pot of gold location. Prevent Lin Tian from obtaining his first pot of gold, reduce his luck by 10%, and receive a chance to draw from the Emperor’s Treasure Lucky Box.].

Hmm? Su Lin’s eyes gleamed. Lin Tian was here? He was surprised to encounter him in this manner, as the street was crowded he could not really spot Lin Tian.

Thinking Su Lin was hesitating, the seller continued, “Young man, this ancestral…”

Su Lin snapped back to reality, waving him off: “Xiaowan, Yanyan, let’s go ahead and look around.”

Eager to find Lin Tian, Su Lin hurried them forward. Despite Lin Tian’s foreknowledge, Su Lin had an advantage with his own system aid.